usin, Mr. Crow--that Daddy
Longlegs and all the others were on Farmer Green's side.

VI

MRS. LADYBUG'S PLAN

DADDY LONGLEGS' neighbors took an even greater interest in him, after
his contest with Mr. Crow. And much to Daddy's distress they tried
harder than before to pry into his private affairs.

But those curious busybodies learned very little. In fact there was only
one of them who really found out anything about Daddy that was worth
knowing.

Little Mrs. Ladybug, who was somewhat of a gossip, discovered in some
way that Daddy Longlegs was a harvestman. And she lost no time in
spreading the news far and wide. She even travelled as far as the big
poplar, to tell Whiteface, the Carpenter Bee, what she had heard.

"A harvestman, eh?" said the Carpenter, thrusting his hands into the
pockets of his apron. "If that's so, why doesn't he go to work?" And
without waiting for an answer he dodged quickly inside his house. He was
building an addition to his home; and naturally he was quite busy. He
knew, too, that Mrs. Ladybug was a terrible talker.

"I declare, I hadn't thought of that!" Mrs. Ladybug exclaimed. And then
she hastened to the stone wall to find Daddy Longlegs and learn the
answer to the Carpenter's question.

Mrs. Ladybug soon spied Daddy, coming from the orchard near-by. And
since she saw him before he saw her, he had no chance to hide. He was
sorry; for he _just knew_--from the look in her eye--that she was going
to ask him a question. And sure enough, she did!

"You're a harvestman," she began, quite out of breath from hurrying.
"Why don't you go to work?"

"What can I do?" Daddy inquired with a blank look.

"Do!" she exclaimed. "I should think Farmer Green would be glad to have
your help in harvesting his crops. He's mowing his oats now. And there's
no one to help him except the hired man--unless you count Johnnie, and
_he_ spends most of his time at the swimming-hole."

Daddy Longlegs thanked Mrs. Ladybug politely for her suggestion. But he
said that he was not acquainted with Farmer Green. And he disliked
working for strangers. And he thought he would spend the rest of the
summer making friends with his neighbors.

"Next year," he told her, "I may make some arrangement with Farmer Green
to work for him regularly."

But that answer did not satisfy little Mrs. Ladybug in the least.

"You'd be far better off with something steady to do," she insisted. And
she said so much that just t