Chapter 1 - Page 2

Mr. Chippy all aflutter. Mr. Chippy dropped quickly into the road, pointing to some tiny marks in the dust.

"Are those like the tracks you saw?" he asked.

"Yes--the very same!" cried Rusty Wren. "And now you can see for yourself that there must have been a crowd."

To his surprise Mr. Chippy shook his head.

"There was only one person----" he said--"one person with eight legs!"

"Why do you think that?" Rusty Wren asked him doubtfully.

"I don't think it. I know it!" Mr. Chippy replied. "I've seen the person six times to-day with my own eyes."

"What does he look like?" Rusty Wren inquired.

"Like nobody else I ever saw!" Mr. Chippy exclaimed. "His legs are long and thin; and his body is very small. And though his mouth makes me think of a pair of pincers, he seems quite friendly and harmless."

"What's his name?" asked Busty Wren.

"I don't know," said Mr. Chippy. "But there's only one name that fits him. I've already called him by it. And he seemed to like it, too."

"What's that?" Rusty persisted.

"Daddy Longlegs!" said little Mr. Chippy.