Meadow-Mice,

Fairies & Children:

especially to

Waltie,

Jackie

&

Robyn

Copyright MCMXXII
Algonquin Publishing Company
Copyright Great Britain MCMXXII

GRASSHOPPER GREEN AND

THE MEADOW-MICE

Of Course you know the story of "The Grasshopper and the
Ant"--how one autumn, when the winds were growing raw and cold
and the nights frosty, the poor Grasshopper, who hadn't done
anything but fiddle and dance all through the pleasant summer and
had nothing laid by for the hard winter, went to the thrifty Ant
and asked for a bite to eat and a chance to warm his toes in the
chimney corner. And how the tight-fisted Ant refused and said to
the shivering Grasshopper, "Keep on fiddling and dancing, it may
help to keep you warm!"

[Illustration: The tight-fisted Ant]

This always seemed to me _so_ cruel.

Now you've probably wondered, just as I used to, whatever finally
became of that Grasshopper.

Well, dear old Great-Grandfather Goodheart, who knows all about
such things, told me the story one rainy day as we sat by the
open fire roasting chestnuts. _I_ enjoyed it so much that I'm
sure _you_ will too.

Now, make yourself comfortable and cozy and listen.

After the sneering Ant had banged the door in his face,
Grasshopper Green felt, as you may imagine, miserable, forlorn
and friendless.

It was growing dark. He turned up the collar of his threadbare
claw-hammer coat and shuffled along over the frozen ground,
scarcely noticing where his benumbed feet were taking him.

He tried wrapping himself in a fallen leaf; it was red and looked
as though it might be warm. But, alas! it proved to be a very
thin covering against the biting, icy wind.

He tried to cheer himself up by playing on his little fiddle, but
his fingers were too cold to play lively, cheerful tunes.

At last, feeling too chilled and hungry and discouraged to go any
further, he sank down at the foot of an old apple tree. This was
some protection at least from the wintry blasts which, by now,
were moaning, "Whoo-ooh-whee-eeeh!" among the bare branches in a
very disheartening way.

[Illustration:]

Poor Grasshopper Green wrapped his leaf cape tightly about him
and, in spite of his chattering teeth, finally fell into an
uneasy sleep.

He dreamed that he was wandering over an immense field of
ice. Suddenly there appeared before him a little red table,
upon which was a large yellow bowl of steaming, fragrant