The Tale of Kiddie Katydid   By: Arthur Scott Bailey (1877-1949)

TUCK ME IN TALES

(Trademark Registered)

BY ARTHUR SCOTT BAILEY

AUTHOR OF SLEEPY TIME TALES (Trademark Registered)

THE TALE OF JOLLY ROBIN THE TALE OF OLD MR. CROW THE TALE OF SOLOMON OWL THE TALE OF JASPER JAY THE TALE OF RUSTY WREN THE TALE OF DADDY LONG LEGS THE TALE OF KIDDIE KATYDID THE TALE OF BUSTER BUMBLEBEE THE TALE OF FREDDIE FIREFLY THE TALE OF BETSY BUTTERFLY

[Illustration: Kiddie Sees Benjamin Bat in Front of the Moon

Frontispiece ( Page 71 )]

TUCK ME IN TALES (Trademark Registered)

THE TALE OF KIDDIE KATYDID

BY

ARTHUR SCOTT BAILEY

Author of "SLEEPY TIME TALES" (Trademark Registered)

ILLUSTRATED BY HARRY L. SMITH

NEW YORK GROSSET & DUNLAP PUBLISHERS

Made in the United States of America

Copyright, 1918, by GROSSET & DUNLAP

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I. A GREAT SECRET 1

II. THE WARNING 6

III. MR. NIGHTHAWK 10

IV. A WHINING CALLER 15

V. SOLOMON OWL'S CRY 20

VI. FREDDIE FIREFLY'S DISCOVERY 26

VII. FREDDIE WANTS TO TELL 31

VIII. SPREADING THE NEWS 36

IX. MR. FROG IS PLEASED 40

X. A PAIR OF RASCALS 45

XI. A CHANGE IN THE WEATHER 51

XII. A PRESENT FOR KIDDIE 55

XIII. KIDDIE KATYDID IS SHY 60

XIV. KIDDIE KEEPS HIS PROMISE 65

XV. BENJAMIN BAT'S PLAN 70

XVI. A NOISY CROWD 75

XVII. KITTY DID! 79

XVIII. THE TWO GRASSHOPPERS 85

XIX. A QUARREL 89

XX. THE STRANGER'S MESSAGE 94

XXI. LEAPER THE LOCUST IS WORRIED 99

XXII. THE SHORT HORNS ARRIVE 104

XXIII. THE BEST OF FRIENDS 110

ILLUSTRATIONS

KIDDIE SEES BENJAMIN BAT IN FRONT OF THE MOON Frontispiece

PAGE KIDDIE'S SECRET IS DISCOVERED BY FREDDIE FIREFLY 28

KIDDIE TOOK HIS NEW COAT FROM THE TWIG 59

KIDDIE FACED LEAPER THE LOCUST 90

THE TALE OF KIDDIE KATYDID

I

A GREAT SECRET

Whoever Katy was, and whatever she might have done, nobody in Pleasant Valley knew anything about her except Kiddie Katydid and his numerous and noisy family.

To be sure, many of the wild folk and the people in the farmhouse, too remembered hearing her name mentioned the year before.

But they had quite forgotten about her, until August came and Kiddie Katydid and his relations brought her to their minds once more.

Each night the Katydids' rasping chant was repeated again and again: Katy did, Katy did; she did, she did! But since in any crowd there are always a few that want to be different from the rest, now and then some member of Kiddie's clan insisted that Katy didn't somewhat in this fashion: Katy did, Katy did; she did, she didn't!

However, there were always so many others to drown any such puzzling statement with their shrill clamor that Katy really did do it (whatever it was!) that nobody paid much attention to those few who didn't quite agree.