tions 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