Arthur Scott Bailey

The Tale of Daddy Longlegs Arthur Scott Bailey

ALL the neighbors began to call him "Daddy Longlegs." And anyone might naturally think that hehad lived in Pleasant Valley a great many years. But it was not so. Late in the summer DaddyLonglegs had appeared from nobody knew where. Although people often inquired where his old home was, he always pretended that he didn't hearthem-and began to talk about the weather. And as for Daddy Longlegs' new home in Pleasant Valley, nobody knew much about that either. No matter how curiousp. 8 anyone might be, it did him no good at all to ask Daddy Longlegs wherehe lived. When prying persons put that question to him, Daddy Longlegs always waved his eight legsin every direction and answered "Over there!"Of course such a reply told nothing to anyone. And it led to a good many disputes among DaddyLonglegs' neighbors. No two could ever agree as to which of Daddy's legs really pointed toward theplace where he dwelt. Anyhow, the wily gentleman was frequently seen scrambling about the stone wall by the roadside, near Farmer Green's house. And little Mr. Chippy, who made his home in the wild grapevine thatgrew on the wall, always claimed that Daddy Longlegs was a neighbor of his."He's a good neighbor, too," Mr.p. 9 Chippy told his friends. "He's very quiet and he neverquarrels. And he's always pleasant and ready for a chat. It's too bad that he's deaf. I've asked him atleast a dozen times how old he is; but he never seems to hear me."Old Mr. Crow, who liked nothing better than prying into other people's affairs, slowly shook hishead at that. And coughing slightly he remarked in a hoarse voice that there must be reasons whyDaddy Longlegs wouldn't tell where he came from, nor where he was living, nor how old he was. But Mr. Crow wouldn't say what he thought might be the reasons. Although he was a wise bird, there were some things he didn't kno