The Cricket's Friends Part 9

"Once more yielding to her playmate's superior sagacity, little Bessie trotted along cheerfully, until they espied a fine rock on a sloping hillside, which they immediately proposed converting into a dining-table. To reach the spot, they were obliged to pa.s.s through a piece of rough, ploughed ground, recently sown, near a little cottage, with gray, overhanging roof, and narrow, closed windows.

"Spreading a napkin for table-cloth on the rock, they were soon arranging their provisions; here a sandwich rested upon a pedestal of apple, to prevent its tilting over a slice of custard pie; there a small bottle, containing a mysterious fluid, suggestive of weak mola.s.ses and water, dripped through its broken cork into a store of pickled limes.

But what matter if the gingerbread did taste of mustard, or if the chicken was encrusted with spilled sugar, on a first of May picnic?

"After surveying the result of their labors with great satisfaction, they were just preparing to enjoy the result, with appet.i.tes only sharpened by previous misfortunes, when Bessie's attention was attracted by the curtain of one of the cottage-windows being drawn aside, and a head appearing behind the gla.s.s. It was such a hideous head, with tangled white hair surmounted by a queer cap, and the face was so sharp-nosed and wrinkled, that the little girl paused, with a chicken wing elevated half-way to her mouth, to stare at the apparition fixedly.

"Nellie, noticing her sudden silence, turned also; and, when she saw the face, gave a shriek, and commenced tumbling cakes, pies, and pickles into the basket. Then the head disappeared from the window, and a comical little old man, in a dressing-gown, popped out of the door, like a spider from its hole. He hobbled towards them, shaking his cane, and croaking like a hoa.r.s.e old raven.

"'Get out, will ye, a-tramping of my rye, and a-bringing of your traps under my very nose. Hullo, there! just wait till I catch ye.'

"He looked so wild and angry, as he came towards them, all the time wagging his head, and tapping the ground spitefully with his cane, that they ran away across the rye as fast as ever they could; the old man shrieking and chattering after them all the while, until they reached the wall and stumbled over into the highway, Bessie still clutching her chicken wing.

"Hurrying along as rapidly as possible, to escape from their dreadful pursuer, they came to a place of cross roads, and, puzzled which direction to take, they decided on a pleasant road turning to the right.

When they had proceeded a short distance, they noticed a high fence running parallel with the road, in which was a door. Impelled by her usual heedless curiosity, Nellie turned the k.n.o.b and peeped into the inclosure. The view of winding paths and shrubbery proved so inviting, that they entered. They saw broad avenues bordered by rows of fine elms, trim hedges, and flower parterres, all leading to a large mansion with closed windows and doors, as if n.o.body lived there, while a dome of glittering gla.s.s conservatories rose on one side. The children strolled about, every moment discovering something new to admire,--now it was a graceful-arched bridge; now it was a white statue gleaming through the shrubbery; now it was a ma.s.sive carved urn, filled with hardy, clinging ivy vines.

"Seeing no one near, they determined once more to eat their dinner; and so, selecting a pleasant bank for the purpose, were soon discussing their good things.

"'Now you will find that May-day is nice, after all,' said Nellie triumphantly, her mouth full of cake, as she poured some of the contents of the bottle into a cup the size of a thimble.

"Oh, false hope! There was a crackling of dry twigs behind them, and, with an alarming growl, a large, savage-looking dog bounded directly into their midst. To see a huge black nose appear over one's head, and a double row of sharp, white teeth displayed within a few inches of one's eyes, is trying to the courage,--at least our little friends found it so; for they not only abandoned their baggage to the enemy, but beat a hasty retreat, Nellie rus.h.i.+ng wildly down one alley, while Bessie escaped by another.

"The dog, instead of following them, began to devour their repast, selecting such dainty morsels from the _debris_ as best suited his palate.

"Bessie found herself, she scarcely knew how, behind a summer-house, where she crouched trembling for a time, until, summoning courage, she ventured to call, in a quavering little voice, to her missing friend.

Receiving no response, she began a search, frightened that she was alone. She peered about on every side, entreating Nellie to appear,--first from under a bush that would not have concealed a cat; then lifting a watering-pot left by the gardener, as though she expected to find her companion rolled in a ball below the spout; until, with heaving sobs, she paused by a bridge, and made a last desperate effort.

This time she heard a faint response, as Nellie presently crawled forth from under an arch of the bridge, sadly splashed with water, her hat gone, and her ankle sprained. What need to tell how they wandered through avenue, grove, and by-way, hopelessly bewildered and lost?--how, utterly discouraged and terrified at last, as the sun began to slant towards the western horizon, they sat down by the road-side, to indulge in a flood of tears?

"'It's not a bit like story-books,' sobbed Nellie. 'I am so hungry and tired and cold. Oh, dear!'

"Just as they were preparing to rouse themselves to try and find their way, a gayly painted express wagon came rattling along at a smart pace.

The good-natured driver stopped readily enough to answer their questions as to the way home; and, when he had gleaned a few particulars of their story, he took them into his conveyance, and carried them safely within the city limits.

"When the sun had set, and the evening shadows fell cold and gray through the narrow streets, two forlorn little forms, all travel-stained and weary, crept along to their respective homes; ready to beg forgiveness for their truancy, ready to acknowledge their folly, and nestle into their soft, warm beds, to dream of the smiling woodland or pleasant meadows in the story-books first of May."

"Where did you hear that?" asked the Spider.

"Who knows but I may be an author, too?" responded the Saucepan airily.

"Surely it is my own affair."

"I have been thinking of this story for a month," said the Spider, in a patronizing tone. "Still I am glad you had the pleasure of telling it."

This was malicious on the part of the Spider, and of course the Saucepan was in danger of losing her temper in consequence. The Caterpillar had by this time recovered somewhat from his low spirits, and determined to distinguish himself, because he feared they all must consider him a person of inferior ability. When they again met, the Cricket hoped to talk a little, as he had not had a single opportunity to do so since the arrival of the three travellers; but he was again doomed to disappointment.

"Allow me to speak," said the Caterpillar, with a dignified manner.

Then he commenced:--

GRANDPAPA MOUSE AND HIS FAMILY.

"Grandpapa mouse was quite an old gentleman at the time of which I write. He and his wife lived in a nice, large granary belonging to a rich farmer, which would have made them a splendid home, but for one reason. Do you know what that was? Why, they did not have to scamper all about to find their living, as some mice do; for they had every thing that was good piled up about them. They could nip a kernel from an ear of corn here, or taste a bit of barley there; until they were so fat they hardly knew what to do with themselves.

"Grandpapa was taken with the gout, and had to sit all day with one leg wrapped in a wisp of hay, besides having to take nothing but water gruel, which seemed to him a very sad case indeed.

"As for Grandmamma, she was so large round the waist, her grandchildren had to nibble a hole twice the usual size for her to pa.s.s through, when she wished to take the air.

"They were seated one winter's night each side of the fire, which consisted of some shreds of corn-husk upon a pebble, and certainly made as bright a blaze as need be. Grandpapa was feeling better; for the mouse doctor had been to see him that day, and had given him a new liniment of great virtue. He was whistling quite a gay tune, and staring at the fire, when suddenly he exclaimed,--

"'It is almost Christmas time, my dear.'

"Grandmamma had been dozing over her knitting-work; so she rubbed her eyes, and said,--

"'What?'

"'It is almost Christmas,' he repeated louder, for she was a trifle deaf. 'I heard the farmer say so to-day, when he was counting his turkeys out there. I think we had better give a dinner-party, and invite all our children home.'

"'Perhaps we had,' a.s.sented Grandmamma with a sigh: she knew how much work it would make. 'We have not enough spare rooms, though, I am afraid.'

"'We can easily gnaw a few new ones,' said Grandpapa briskly. 'Let us send our invitations by the postman to-morrow.'

"So they wrote to all their children; and the next morning the little servant mouse had to watch under a bush until the letter-carrier came.

Now this postman was a snow-bird, who had promised always to take messages for the mice, if they would steal him bits of bread and cake from the pantry.

"'If you please, sir, my master has got some letters for you,' called the little servant, in a wee, piping voice, for her nose was getting cold out of doors.

"'Put them into my bag,' said the snow-bird, hopping along jauntily.

"So the little servant stood upon her hind legs to place the letters in the tiny bag which the snow-bird carried under his left wing; then she threw her ap.r.o.n over her head, and ran home.

"I suppose there never was such a sweeping and scratching and gnawing in any other mouse family, as went on in this one for the next two weeks.

All of them worked so hard, making new holes for their expected guests, that the little servant had an attack of mumps at the last minute, and had to have her head tied up in a rag of cobweb.

"Christmas Eve came at last. Grandpapa had his coat of fur nicely brushed, and Grandmamma wore a new cap with a ruffle round it.

"Presently there sounded the patter of little footsteps, which announced the arrival of the eldest son, and his family of six children.

Grandmamma had scarcely kissed them all round, when in walked the eldest daughter, with her husband and baby. She had only just been shown to her room to take off her bonnet, when all the rest came,--a son from the city; a daughter from the next village; and the youngest child, who lived in a distant town, and was an old bachelor.

"What a time there was! Grandpapa grew quite hoa.r.s.e with shouting at his different sons; and as for the children, there were so many of them tumbling about, it is only a wonder their mothers ever could tell them apart.

"At last the elder ones had their supper and were sent to bed, where they soon forgot every thing in sound sleep. Then all the mothers began to talk together in one corner with Grandmamma about their houses and cook-books, while the gentlemen discussed mouse politics in another. So the evening pa.s.sed away very pleasantly; and by ten o'clock they were all asleep, too, except Grandpapa: he was so excited, that his wife had to give him a Dover's powder before he could shut an eye.

"The next morning the children were awake bright and early, wanting all sorts of things to eat, and poking into odd places where they should not have gone.

"'O Grandpapa! is there no ice this morning?' cried an eager young mouse; 'I have such a prime pair of skates!'

"'Can you cut a pigeon wing backwards?' asked one of the city cousins.