“Hoe, hoe, rake and hoe!
Digging up and down the row.
Hoe, hoe, rake and hoe!
If you want to see them grow.”
The Teenie Weenies soon arrived at the garden and they set to work at
once, still singing the little song and keeping time with the music as
their tiny hoes struck the ground.
The Lady of Fashion helped with the work, but she was very careful not
to soil her new garden suit, especially her tiny boots, which were made
out of the finest frog leather.
“Listen!” said the Old Soldier, “I thought I he—” But he did not finish
the sentence, for loud screams came from the tall grass back of the
garden.
“Helpee! Helpee! Policemans, policemans!” came a voice, and suddenly the
frightened Chinaman burst into sight with the most alarming speed.
[‡Illustration: The Bug]
Hanging onto his shirt tail was a big fat pinching-bug and the scared
Chinaman was only touching the ground about every six inches.
Paddy Pinn struck the bug on the head with his huge hoe, as the Chinaman
went by, and it rolled over on the ground half stunned by the mighty
blow.
“Where did you pick up your friend,” asked the General, as he watched
the bug scurry away through the tall grass.
“Me no pickee him up,” gasped the Chinaman. “Allee same he pick me up.
Me sit down under bush to rest and me go sleepee. Me wakee up much klick
and, whillikers, me see blig plinch bug and me run, but he catchee to
shirtee tail and me runnee like glasshopper!”
“I should say you did run like a grasshopper,” laughed the Cowboy.
“Allee same you run like glasshopper, too,” glared the Chinaman, “if
blig plinchin’-bug was hangin’ on your shirtee tail.”
[‡Illustration: The Thimble]
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