Chapter 21

JUST A NOTION



IN common with all the other youngsters that went to school in the little red school-house, Johnnie Green thought that Daddy Longlegs and every one of his relations had a strange power.

Yes! Johnnie believed that if you happened to be lost in the woods, you would need only to find Daddy Longlegs--or one of his cousins--and he would point out the way home for you, if you asked him. Or if you wanted to recover something you had lost, you could surely find it with the help of any one of Daddy Longlegs' family.

So that was the reason why Johnnie Green was glad to see Daddy just at that time. Having lost his new jackknife, Johnnie was determined that Daddy should tell him where to find it.

"Now, you listen to me!" Johnnie commanded, frowning severely at Daddy. "I've dropped my knife somewhere and you must point towards it if you want me to let you go.

"I'll tell you what it's like," he continued, "so you won't make any mistake. It has two blades, and a saw, and a corkscrew, and a gimlet, and a leather-punch, and a hook to use on a horse's hoof. It's the best knife I've ever owned. And I'd be pretty angry if you sent me off the wrong way to find a jackknife that wasn't nearly so good."

Now, Daddy Longlegs was angry himself. He thought that Johnnie Green had no business to make him a prisoner. And as for knowing where the lost knife was, he hadn't the faintest idea where it could be.

"I can't tell you anything about your old jackknife!" Daddy cried. (It was really a new knife, as Johnnie had explained to him. But you must remember that Daddy Longlegs was in a terrible temper.)

Unfortunately Daddy's voice was entirely too tiny for Johnnie Green to hear. And meanwhile Daddy continued to tug and twist, trying to free himself from Johnnie Green's grasp. His eight legs kept reaching out in all directions for firmer footholds.

Silly Johnnie Green thought that he was trying to point the way to the missing knife!

"Stop!" Johnnie cried. "Take your time and don't get excited! If you keep motioning with all your legs at once you can't expect me to understand what you mean."

Soon after that Daddy became quieter, though it was only because he grew tired from his efforts to escape. But he was so angry and so worried that one of his legs kept twitching; and it felt so queer that Daddy Longlegs had to stretch it again and again.

"Ah! That's better!" Johnnie Green exclaimed then. "Now you're pointing plainly enough. I know now that you're trying to tell me to walk right towards the sweet apple tree if I want to find my knife. And I'm obliged to you, Mr. Daddy Longlegs! Thank you very much!"

Then Johnnie let go his prisoner, who crept quickly into a crevice of the stone wall, where he stayed for a long time.