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Tale of Chirpy Cricket

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<h2>XXIV</h2> <h3>FRIGHTENING SIMON SCREECHER</h3></div> <p>Mr. Meadow Mouse acted as if he thought he had been a great help when he said that Chirpy Cricket would have to think of another way to avoid Simon Screecher’s cruel talons. But the more Chirpy turned the matter over in his mind the further he seemed to be from any plan. For several days and nights he puzzled over his problem. And every time he heard Simon Screecher’s unearthly wail he shivered so hard that his fiddling actually seemed to shiver too.</p> <p>Mr. Meadow Mouse inquired regularly whether Chirpy had hit upon any plan. <span class='pagenum pncolor'><SPAN name='page_113' name='page_113'></SPAN>113</span> And at last Mr. Meadow Mouse announced that he would have to think of one himself. So he sat down and looked very wise, while Chirpy Cricket fiddled for him, because Mr. Meadow Mouse explained that his wits always worked better when somebody made music for him.</p> <p>“Didn’t you notice his cry a little while ago?” Mr. Meadow Mouse asked. “Didn’t you notice how his voice trembled?”</p> <p>“Yes!” Chirpy said. “Yes! Now that you speak of it, I remember that his voice shook a good deal.”</p> <p>“Ah!” Mr. Meadow Mouse exclaimed. “Something had frightened him. Now, you had just begun to fiddle before he cried out. And there’s no doubt in my mind that your music scared Simon Screecher. So all you need do to feel safe from him is to fiddle a plenty every night.”</p> <p>Chirpy Cricket felt so happy all at once <span class='pagenum pncolor'><SPAN name='page_114' name='page_114'></SPAN>114</span> that he began a lively tune. And sure enough! Simon Screecher squalled almost immediately.</p> <p>“That proves it!” Mr. Meadow Mouse exclaimed. And then he said good evening and ran off to the place where Farmer Green had been threshing oats, feeling very well pleased with himself.</p> <p>Chirpy Cricket took pains to follow Mr. Meadow Mouse’s advice. And neither Simon Screecher—nor his cousin Solomon Owl—troubled Chirpy all the rest of the summer. He fiddled the nights away with more pleasure than ever before. And by the time fall came all his neighbors agreed that he had done even more than his part to make the summer gay for everybody.</p> <div class='ce'> <p style=' margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:3em;'>THE END</p> </div> <hr class='full' /> <div class='figcenter'> <ANTIMG src='images/illus-cvr.jpg' alt='' title='' style='width: 331px; height: 470px;' /><br/> <p class='caption' style='margin: 0 auto; text-align:center;width: 331px;'> <span style='font-variant: small-caps'>Front Cover</span><br/></p> </div> <div class='figcenter'> <ANTIMG src='images/illus-ifc.jpg' alt='' title='' style='width: 500px; height: 384px;' /><br/> <p class='caption' style='margin: 0 auto; text-align:center;width: 500px;'> <span style='font-variant: small-caps'>Inside Front Cover</span><br/></p> </div> <div class='figcenter'> <ANTIMG src='images/illus-ibc.jpg' alt='' title='' style='width: 500px; height: 365px;' /><br/> <p class='caption' style='margin: 0 auto; text-align:center;width: 500px;'> <span style='font-variant: small-caps'>Inside Back Cover</span><br/></p> </div> <p> </p> <p> </p> <hr class="pg" /> <div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />

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