The warm summer days were past, and the Katydids came again to the
meadow. Everybody was glad to see them, and the Grasshoppers, who are
cousins of the Katydids, gave a party in their honor.
Such a time as the meadow people had getting ready for that party! They
did not have to change their dresses, but they scraped and cleaned
themselves, and all the young Grasshoppers went off by the woods to
practise jumping and get their knees well limbered, because there might
be games and dancing at the party, and then how dreadful it would be if
any young Grasshopper should find that two or three of his legs wouldn't
bend easily!
The Grasshoppers did not know at just what time they ought to have the
party. Some of the meadow people whom they wanted to invite were used to
sleeping all day, and some were used to sleeping all night, so it really
was hard to find an hour at which all would be wide-awake and ready for
fun. At last the Tree Frog said: "Pukr-r-rup! Pukr-r-rup! Have it at
sunset!" And at sunset it was.
Everyone came on time, and they hopped and chattered and danced and ate
a party supper of tender green leaves. Some of the little Grasshoppers
grew sleepy and crawled among the plantains for a nap. Just then a big
Katydid said he would sing a song--which was a very kind thing for him
to do, because he really did it to make the others happy, and not to
show what a fine musician he was. All the guests said, "How charming!"
or, "We should be delighted!" and he seated himself on a low swinging
branch. You know Katydids sing with the covers of their wings, and so
when he alighted on the branch he smoothed down his pale green suit and
rubbed his wing-cases a little to make sure that they were in tune. Then
he began loud and clear, "Katy did! Katy did!! Katy did!!!"
Of course he didn't mean any real Katy, but was just singing his song.
However, there was another Katydid there who had a habit of
contradicting, and he had eaten too much supper, and that made him feel
crosser than ever; so when the singer said "Katy did!" this cross fellow
jumped up and said, "Katy didn't! Katy didn't!! Katy didn't!!!" and they
kept at it, one saying that she did and the other that she didn't,
until everybody was ashamed and uncomfortable, and some of the little
Grasshoppers awakened and wanted to know what was the matter.
Both of the singers got more and more vexed until at last neither one
knew just what he was saying--and that, you know, is what almost always
happens when people grow angry. They just kept saying something as loud
and fast as possible and thought all the while that they were very
bright--which was all they knew about it.
Suddenly somebody noticed that the one who began to say "Katy did!" was
screaming "Katy didn't!" and the one who had said "Katy didn't!" was
roaring "Katy did!" Then they all laughed, and the two on the branch
looked at each other in a very shamefaced way.
The Tree Frog always knew the right thing to do, and he said
"Pukr-r-rup!" so loudly that all stopped talking at once. When they
were quiet he said: "We will now listen to a duet, 'Katy,' by the two
singers who are up the tree. All please join in the chorus." So it was
begun again, and both the leaders were good-natured, and all the
Katydids below joined in with "did or didn't, did or didn't, did or
didn't." And that was the end of the quarrel.
[Illustration]