Page:A Forest Story (1929).djvu/16

 »Oh, they’ll not come back for this,« said Mouse. »And it’s such good Man’s food. I’ve hunted everywhere to find out where that fruit grows, but it’s only to be found in Man’s house. Just you taste it, Marmot.« She broke off a bit of the cheese, but the other animals would not venture. They were content with the bread, the cake and the nuts. As for Cricket and Bee, they nibbled at the strawberries.

It was Frog who ate the least, so he sat thinking and planning. He was sure the Children would come for the food and the basket.

»Good!« he exclaimed at last. »I have a plan. We can pay for the things. People like pay for things, and they’ll take anything for pay.«

»But what can we pay with?« asked Cricket. »I’ve nothing.«

The animals stopped nibbling and began to think of how they could pay.

»What do Children of Men like?« asked Badger at last.

»Sensible animal,« cried Hedgehog in admiration, but it was as hard to think of what Children of Men would like as it was to think of pay. Some of the things were dreadful, such as dogs and cats. Some of the things were difficult, such as mothers and play.

»Why, we wouldn’t dare find a dog for them,« said Squirrel, »and how can we get play for them? That’s what they love, but we can’t get it.«

»I know! Oh, be still, and do let me know!« squeaked clever Mouse. »I know a bit about this play. Once I went creeping into a nursery, and saw the Children all dressed up and play acting. It’s really quite easy. All you must do is pretend to be what you’re not, and talk a lot.«

»And once,« added Squirrel, »I was in a tree and watched the Children of Men looking at some wooden children who had a thing they called a Theatre. They did that play acting just as the Mouse says. We could have a Theatre and some play acting.«

»But we haven’t a Theatre and we haven’t a play, and I hate Children,« chirped Cricket. »They poke straws into the ground where I sleep, and turn me on my back.«

»Oh, don’t be such a grumble-body,« croaked Frog. »We’ll have play acting. I’ve watched the big Men do it on the balcony above the lily pool. I really know all about it. We’ll give the Children of Men a great performance.«

»Where? Where?« asked Dragon Fly.

»In the Theatre we’ll build in the clearing,« answered Hare. »The Carpenter Bug has been listening, and I know he’ll build us a lovely one.«

»I was hoping you’d ask me to build the Theatre,« cried Carpenter Bug. »I’d be badly disappointed if I couldn’t.«

»I’ll weave a curtain of silver threads,« said Spider. »Like this!« She began spinning a web over the opening of the water jug to show her skill. The