kiddie katydid and leaper the locust quarreled so loudly that they soon drew a crowd around them.
"that message for 'mr. grasshopper' is certainly meant for me," kiddie insisted. "you know yourself how you have objected to being called by the name of 'grasshopper.' why, only last night you refused to stop when freddie firefly shouted it after you."
"and you—" cried leaper the locust—"you paid no attention when chirpy cricket went up to you just as the moon rose this evening and said, 'how-dy do, mr. grasshopper!' right in your ear. you have no right to open the message. and i promise you that i shall make trouble for you if you don't mind your own affairs."
"well, well—what's all this row about, anyhow?" asked a strange voice. it was a newcomer in pleasant valley who had just spoken. he elbowed his way briskly through the throng until he reached the center of it, where kiddie and leaper the locust faced each other angrily. people noticed that the stranger looked as if he had travelled a long distance. and he had a mail-pouch slung over his back. furthermore, he was enough like kiddie and leaper to be a cousin of either one of them.
a person couldn't see his horns, on account of the hat that he wore.
when this traveller asked about the dispute, everybody hastened to explain the quarrel to him.
he listened carefully, and when he had heard the whole story he said:
"this message—do you know where it is? do you know who has it now?"
"no!" leaper the locust cried, while kiddie katydid echoed the word.
"ah! i thought not!" said the stranger, "i thought not, because i have it in this mail-bag. and now i must confess that i'm puzzled myself; for i don't know which one it's intended for." and he pulled off his hat and began fanning himself with it.
it was perfectly plain to everyone that he was sadly perplexed.
then leaper the locust gave a great shout.
"you're a short-horn!" he exclaimed. "it can't be that you would have a message for a person with horns like his!" he pointed a scornful finger at poor kiddie katydid.
one glance at the stranger's head—now that he had removed his hat—told everybody that leaper the locust was not mistaken.
the stranger's horns were short. there was no denying that fact.
"i believe you must be the mr. grasshopper i'm looking for," said the stranger.
then he put his hand inside his mail-pouch and pulled out a letter.
leaper the locust made a sudden jump for the message. but he was so eager that he sprang too far. he sailed far over the stranger's head and landed some distance away.
"hullo! he doesn't want it!" said the stranger. "it must be for you!" and he[93] shoved the message into kiddie katydid's willing hands.
almost immediately leaper the locust jumped back again.
but of course he was too late.
