"Our two children, Sammie and Fidelia, must go. I hope Miss Squeaky will teach music. Our children love to fiddle. We all enjoyed Mr. Squeaky"s band last summer. It was good news when we heard that you were coming back to the Lake."
Just then, Sammie Cricket hopped excitedly in.
"Oh, Dr. Whiskers, old Daddy Longlegs has had an accident! He wants you to come at once," cried Sammie.
Dr. Whiskers s.n.a.t.c.hed up his bag and rushed across the fields to Daddy Longleg"s home.
"I"ve broken one of my legs, Dr. Whiskers," cried Daddy Longlegs. "Can you mend it for me, or must I limp on a cane the rest of my days?"
"Mend it? Of course I can," laughed Dr. Whiskers. "Let me catch my breath.
I hustled some and am puffing considerable. Now then for some splints and a stout string. If you were younger, I"d rub in some cure-all salve and wait for another leg to grow, as Sir Spider"s has done. We"ll take no chances, however; I"ll mend your broken leg."
Dr. Whiskers worked deftly away, setting the broken limb and wrapping it neatly in splints and a white bandage. Now and then he whistled a bit of Mammy"s Lullaby, for he was happy in his work.
"It feels "most as good as new; just a bit stiff," declared Daddy Longlegs. "I don"t know how we have managed all these years without a doctor. Welcome to our village, Dr. Whiskers!"
"A beautiful village it is," replied Grand-daddy. "I like to spend my summers near Pond Lily Lake. Now I must say good-day. Don"t use that leg for a few days and it will mend all right. No crutches for old Daddy Longlegs this time."
That evening the whole family gathered at Gray Rock Bungalow. Dr. Whiskers had many stories to tell of his first day"s practice in the Lake village.
[Ill.u.s.tration: _Dr. Whiskers worked deftly away, setting the broken limb.]_
Uncle Squeaky brought out his fiddle and all the little mice stood around his arm-chair and sang their merry songs.
"Come, Dr. Whiskers," called Granny at last, "we must start home. You have had a busy day and Dot wants Limpy-toes to build her school-room tomorrow.
Good-night, folkses. Yes, Limpy-toes, I suppose I can ride in your automobile. But do be careful and not break your old Granny"s neck. We must all help Grand-daddy to keep his promise to fetch us all safely to our dear attic home before snow flies."
CHAPTER IV
DOT SQUEAKY"S SUMMER SCHOOL
The spot which Dot chose for her schoolroom was down in a lane behind Wild Rose Cottage.
Uncle Squeaky helped Scamper and Limpy-toes set four strong corner posts and made a roof of green boughs to shelter the kiddies when it rained; but there were no walls to shut out the fresh air and sunshine. There were rows of green mossy seats and a desk in which Dot could keep her books and papers.
Tiny, Teenty and Buster gathered wild flowers to decorate their pretty school-room.
Pete and d.i.c.kie Gra.s.shopper stopped on their way home from the Lake.
"May we come to school, Miss Dot?" asked d.i.c.kie.
"Surely; any one who wishes to learn to read and write may come. But you must obey your teacher."
"We could not come every day," said Pete.
"I shall not teach every day," smiled Dot. "One day is lesson day; the next is play day."
"I brought this stick for you," said d.i.c.kie, presenting Dot a smooth willow stick. "If Bobsey Rabbit or Tony Spider play any tricks, just give "em a walloping."
"Thank you, d.i.c.kie. I will hang it over my desk, but I think I shall not need to use it."
"She may wallop you, d.i.c.kie," laughed Pete as they hopped home.
At last the school-room was finished. Limpy-toes and Buster rode around the village in the automobile and invited the children to come to Miss Squeaky"s school. Limpy-toes got quite angry with Grandpa Bull Frog.
"He was ever so impolite, Mammy," he complained. "He said he"d never send his family to a Graymouse school. He said that Uncle Squeaky"s band couldn"t play as good as the Frog Orchestra, and that Uncle Squeaky didn"t know anything about the Lake, if he did make a raft and float around. Ah, Grandpa Bull Frog thinks he is a wonderful fellow!"
Granny Whiskers was interested in the pupils" names which Dot wrote in her school book.
"Pete and d.i.c.kie Gra.s.shopper and Sammie Cricket!" she exclaimed. "Why, Dot Squeaky, they are too old to begin school! Baby Wee Field-Mouse and little Squealer won"t do a thing but play and squeal."
"I think I can teach them all something, Granny," laughed Dot.
"There"s a good many Spider and Gra.s.shopper kiddies," said Silver Ears.
"Pete and d.i.c.kie have two sisters, Molly and Dolly. Hopsy Toad is a cute little fellow. Topsy Toad must be his twin sister. Webbie, Spinnie, Tony, and Patty Spider! You will have a big school, Cousin Dot."
"Fidelia Cricket is going with Sammie," added Granny. "Ah, I see that Mr.
Jack Rabbit is sending his two boys--Bunny and Bobsey. I fear you will have your paws full, Dot."
"If I can manage my two small brothers, I"ll not fear the others."
"Tiny and Teenty are great gigglers," said Silver Ears. "It takes Mammy Graymouse to teach them their lessons. If they don"t mind, just tell Mammy."
School began upon a lovely summer morning. Dot found many pupils waiting upon the green moss seats.
"What a splendid school! I am proud," she exclaimed as she tossed her pink sun hat upon her desk. "I shall soon teach you some pretty songs, but this morning Fidelia Cricket has promised to fiddle for us."
Fidelia tripped smilingly up to the desk and stood beside Miss Dot while she fiddled a cheery little tune.
Then Dot gave them all some paper and pencils and taught them to write A, B, C. Even d.i.c.kie Gra.s.shopper bent over his work, scowling eagerly as he tried to make the pretty letters.
To be sure, little Squealer would squeal every time little Wee pinched him, which was quite often, for Wee loved to hear him squeal.
And Bunny Rabbit had to keep trotting out to his lunch basket to nibble the nice yellow carrot that Mother Rabbit had put in for Bunny and Bobsey"s lunch.
"They are only babies after all," excused Dot. "They haven"t learned school ways and rules."
"Now we will do something else," said Dot by-and-by. "Put away your pencils and I will teach you some numbers. Listen. One and one are two.
Everybody say it."
The noisy chorus was almost deafening as they all shouted, "One and one are two!"
"If I should give Hopsy Toad one piece of candy and d.i.c.kie Gra.s.shopper should give him one piece, how many would he have?" asked Dot.