the
neighborhood, Kiddie Katydid tried to lower his solemn chant, because he
knew that Mr. Nighthawk was usually in search of something to eat.

Now, when Kiddie Katydid felt hungry he drove away his gnawing pangs by
browsing upon leaves and tender twigs. But Mr. Nighthawk had no taste
for such fodder.

He had an appetite for insects. And between dusk and dawn a good many of
Kiddie Katydid's neighbors of one kind or another found their way into
Mr. Nighthawk's tummy.

So you see it was no wonder that Kiddie was not eager to attract the
attention of that night rover. Some of the more timid of Kiddie's
companions even begged him, at times, to hush. They said he was making
such a noise that Mr. Nighthawk would be sure to hear it, even if he
were a quarter of a mile away.

But Kiddie Katydid usually laughed at those faint-hearted ones; and
often he shrilled his _Katy did, Katy did_, more loudly than before,
just to show them that he was not afraid.

"A person has to take a few chances," he remarked one day. "If we were
all afraid to make a sound it would be pretty hard on Katy, for then she
would have nobody to take her part. And what would people think of her?"

Evidently Kiddie's reason was a good one, because a number of his
cousins spoke up at once and said that they agreed with him perfectly.

But their sisters all exclaimed that sooner or later Mr. Nighthawk would
hear them; and then there would certainly be trouble.

Strangely enough, the words were scarcely out of their mouths before
they heard a loud call that struck them cold with fear.

_Peent! Peent!_ The cry came out of the air above them without the least
warning. And everybody--including Kiddie Katydid--knew that Mr.
Nighthawk had come.

III

MR. NIGHTHAWK

Following his cry with two or three quick beats of his wings, Mr.
Nighthawk dropped swiftly down among the trees in Farmer Green's
dooryard.

He fell so fast that Kiddie Katydid, watching from his hiding-place in
one of the maples, couldn't help hoping that the sky-coaster would be
unable to stop himself in time to escape being dashed upon the ground.

But Mr. Nighthawk was very skillful at that sport. Just at the right
moment he turned quickly, while the air rushed through his wing-feathers
with a roaring sound. And then he mounted upward again.

Meanwhile Kiddie Katydid kept very still among the leaves, with his
wings folded over his back. Only his two long, thread-like feelers