le.

But Mr. Crow would have nothing to do with the affair. He did not like
Daddy Longlegs. And he said he preferred not to think about him at all.

That was something of a setback for the company, until somebody said,
"Let's go and ask Solomon Owl! There's no one in Pleasant Valley that
looks so wise as he!"

So they hurried off to the hemlock woods where Solomon Owl lived. He was
at home. And he listened carefully to each of his callers--although they
all talked at once.

At last he shouted loudly for silence, though it was some time before he
had it.

"Hush! hush!" some of the quieter ones said. "We want to hear what wise
Mr. Solomon Owl says."

And then Solomon Owl spoke:

"If you want to know what's the matter with Daddy Longlegs why don't you
go and ask him?"

Everybody exclaimed at once that that was a splendid plan. And thanking
Mr. Owl for his excellent advice, the party hurried away.

When they reached the stone wall, later, they found Daddy Longlegs
sunning himself. He seemed glad to see his callers. And when they asked
him what it was that made him appear different, he threw back his head,
as far as he could, and laughed heartily.

"Why--don't you know?" he said. "Can't you see I've lost a leg?"

Daddy's news made everyone gasp. And for a few moments not a soul could
speak. But the callers all stared at Daddy. And then each one of them
began to count aloud: "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven----"

They were counting Daddy's legs. And after they had counted seven they
all saw that his eighth leg was missing--that is, all but Buster
Bumblebee. Being a blundering sort of person, he made a mistake and
counted one leg twice. But the other callers soon set him right.

"It's no wonder you look different," Daddy's friends began telling him.
"How did you meet with such an awful accident?"

"I lost my leg trying to escape from Johnnie Green," Daddy explained.
"Either he pulled the leg off my body, or I pulled my body off the
leg--I haven't been able to decide which way it happened."

"You must miss your leg terribly!" several of the company cried.

"Not at all!" replied Daddy Longlegs cheerfully, to the great surprise
of all those present. "I have seven legs left; and that ought to be
enough for anybody. I should think."

But little Mrs. Ladybug couldn't help shuddering. "I think it's just too
dreadful!" she cried. "Johnnie Green is a very careless boy."

"Oh, he didn't mean any harm, I kno