Many of these stories of field life were written for the little ones of
my kindergarten, and they gave so much pleasure, and aroused such a new
interest in "the meadow people," that it has seemed wise to collect and
add to the original number and send them out to a larger circle of boys
and girls.
All mothers and teachers hear the cry for "just one more," and find that
there are times when the bewitching tales of animals, fairies, and
"really truly" children are all exhausted, and tired imagination will
not supply another. In selecting the tiny creatures of field and garden
for the characters in this book, I have remembered with pleasure the way
in which my loyal pupils befriended stray crickets and grasshoppers,
their intense appreciation of the new realm of fancy and observation,
and the eagerness and attention with which they sought Mother Nature,
the most wonderful and tireless of all story-tellers.