A few days after the Measuring Worm came to the meadow he met the
Grasshoppers. Everybody had heard of the Caterpillars' wish to be
fashionable, and some of the young Grasshoppers, who did not know that
it was all a joke, said they would like to teach the Measuring Worm a
few things. So when they met him the young Grasshoppers began to make
fun of him, and asked him what he did if he wanted to run, and whether
he didn't wish his head grew on the middle of his back so that he could
see better when walking.
The Measuring Worm was good-natured, and only said that he found his
head useful where it was. Soon one fine-looking Grasshopper asked him to
race. "That will show," said the Grasshopper, "which is the better
traveller."
The Measuring Worm said: "Certainly, I will race with you to-morrow, and
we will ask all our friends to look on." Then he began talking about
something else. He was a wise young fellow, as well as a jolly one, and
he knew the Grasshoppers felt sure that he would be beaten. "If I cannot
win the race by swift running," thought he, "I must try to win it by
good planning." So he got the Grasshoppers to go with him to a place
where the sweet young grass grew, and they all fed together.
The Measuring Worm nibbled only a little here and there, but he talked a
great deal about the sweetness of the grass, and how they would not get
any more for a long time because the hot weather would spoil it. And the
Grasshoppers said to each other: "He is right, and we must eat all we
can while we have it." So they ate, and ate, and ate, and ate, until
sunset, and in the morning they awakened and began eating again. When
the time for the race came, they were all heavy and stupid from so much
eating,--which was exactly what the Measuring Worm wanted.
The Tree Frog, the fat, old Cricket, and a Caterpillar were chosen to be
the judges, and the race was to be a long one,--from the edge of the
woods to the fence. When the meadow people were all gathered around to
see the race, the Cricket gave a shrill chirp, which meant "Go!" and off
they started. That is to say, the Measuring Worm started. The
Grasshopper felt so sure he could beat that he wanted to give the
Measuring Worm a little the start, because then, you see, he could say
he had won without half trying.
The Measuring Worm started off at a good, steady rate, and when he had
gone a few feet the Grasshopper gave a couple of great leaps, which
landed him far ahead of the Worm. Then he stopped to nibble a blade of
grass and visit with some Katydids who were looking on. By and by he
took a few more leaps and passed the Measuring Worm again. This time he
began to show off by jumping up straight into the air, and when he came
down he would call out to those who stood near to see how strong he was
and how easy it would be for him to win the race. And everybody said,
"How strong he is, to be sure!" "What wonderful legs he has!" and "He
could beat the Measuring Worm with his eyes shut!" which made the
Grasshopper so exceedingly vain that he stopped more and more often to
show his strength and daring.
That was the way it went, until they were only a short distance from the
end of the race course. The Grasshopper was more and more pleased to
think how easily he was winning, and stopped for a last time to nibble
grass and make fun of the Worm. He gave a great leap into the air, and
when he came down there was the Worm on the fence! All the meadow people
croaked, and shrilled, and chirped to see the way in which the race
ended, and the Grasshopper was very much vexed. "You shouldn't call him
the winner," he said; "I can travel ten times as fast as he, if I try."
"Yes," answered the judges, "we all know that, yet the winning of the
race is not decided by what you might do, but by what you did do." And
the meadow people all cried: "Long live the Measuring Worm! Long live
the Measuring Worm!"
[Illustration]