victuals, and the sapsuckers agreed to 

 give tapping signals from their high 

 places in the tall trees whenever a change 

 of program was to be announced. 



A mischievous blue jay made a slight 

 disturbance by trying to steal some of the 

 dinner before the table was set. When 

 Mrs. Chipmunk tried to drive him off, he 

 showed fight, but in less than a minute 

 such a crowd had gathered to see what 

 was the matter that he took flight in great 

 shame. 



Everybody seemed to have fallen in 

 love with Miss October. The affair was 

 such a success and the very air was filled 

 with such good will and jollity, that all 

 begged and coaxed her to remain for a 

 visit. 



They had no trouble in arranging 

 amusements for every day. Grandaddy 

 long legs danced several jigs. The crick- 

 ets and the grasshoppers got up a base- 

 ball game. When the baby show came 

 off, Mrs. Quail took the prize for the pret- 

 tiest baby under a year. Mother Pig 

 who had heard of it and had broken out 

 of Farmer Goodman's pasture in order 

 to bring the plumpest of her litter, carried 

 back the prize for the fattest baby. Mrs. 

 English Sparrow reported the largest 

 number of broods raised. The locusts and 

 the katydids took part in a cake walk. 



A great fat young grasshopper and a 

 young robin entered a hopping race. As 

 they came out even there was trouble and 

 prospects of hard feelings. Three butter- 

 flies who were acting as judges decided 

 to award the prize to the grasshopper be- 

 cause he was smaller. This decision did 

 not suit the robin. In a fit of impatience 

 he ended the matter by swallowing the 

 grasshopper — legs and all. 



During the moonshiny nights Mr. 

 Man-in-the-Moon took great pains to 

 furnish excellent light. On other nights 

 the fireflies showed their brightest lan- 

 terns. 



Sometimes at night, white-robed Jack 

 Frost would come and play kissing games 

 with the leaves who would then get hap- 

 pier, more radiant faces. But he would 

 box and wrestle with the nuts until their 

 shells would crack open. Then when 

 they came to play tag or puss-wants-a- 

 corner with the leaves, as the little West 

 Wind brothers frequently did, they, in 

 their rough sport, would knock the nuts 

 out of their cosy shells upon the ground, 

 so that the children could pick them up. 

 Merry times were these ! 



In this way the sports were carried on 

 for thirty-one days and nights. By that 

 time everyone, even Miss October herself, 

 was tired out. The fine dresses of the 

 trees being the worse for wear, dropped, 

 leaf by leaf, and some of the trees were 

 left nearly naked. The grasshoppers, but- 

 terflies and caterpillars who could no 

 longer keep their eyes open had dropped 

 into their winter's sleep. 



Except the meadow-larks, red winged 

 blackbirds, robins, bluejays, bluebirds 

 and a few others the feathered tribes had 

 been obliged to leave. Some fox spar- 

 rows on their way to the south had 

 stopped for a few days ; but they said that 

 they could not stay until the festivities 

 were over. 



Finally her mother, Mrs. Year, tele- 

 graphed to Miss October, who did not 

 know when her welcome was worn out, 

 bidding her to make her adieux and start 

 home instantly. Being exhausted from 

 sleepless days and nights she was glad to 

 leave. 



After her departure, in the timber 

 everything became quiet and still, but the ' 

 trees hoped that sometime in the future 

 they might have another picnic as de- 

 lightful and jolly, and all felt satisfied 

 and voted the reception a perfect success. 



LOVEDAY ALMIRA NELSON. 



109 



