Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-09-28

meantime the rain fell faster and faster, and
no sound was heard in the forest save the
Eighing o. the wind and the water dripping
from the trees and bushes. Suddenly there
appeared under the toadstool a snail. who
said: "What dreadful weather this is. I
am an great haste to get to the village, but
no one can go beyond his strength, and then.
too, must always carry nv house on nv
back. While it may be convenient to have
shelter near, 1t Is no easy matter to travel
under such a load. With the permission of
the company shall come in and rest for a
couple of hours"
As no one objected, the snail entered and
took a seat near the table. When the five
wanderers had thus met in the forest, the
ant said: There is no need for us to be sad
and gloomy, for, although the rain is fall
ing, we have com ortable place here, and
we might spend a very pleasant evening TO-
gether. AT first ! thought each one might
relate his experiences of the day; but bet
Ter plan has come TO me. 1 see that the
cricket has his violin, and, if he is not too
tired, would ask him to furnish us music,
TO which the rest O. us could dance"
inns proposal Of the ants was received
with favor by all except the snail, who said:
Il am not accustomed to such rapid motion.
and Waltzlng always makes me dizzv. But
dance as much as you please; nv pleasure
shall be in watching you"
The cricket then took his violin and
played his gayest airs, while the ant
FREELY and beetle danced merrily. and
in their delight shouted SO lond
as TO be heard several ieet away, AS
the stormy evening was thus pleasantly and
rapidly passing, an unexpected interruption
broke In upon the gayety of the happy COM
pany. The toadstool under which the wan
derers had assembled belonged to an old
toad who on fine days would, as is the Gus
tom OF toads, sit ou the roof, and in bad
weather would crawl beneath TO be pro-
tected from the storm. Early in the alter
noon the toad had gone from her home TO
visit her aunt in the next forest, and had
DELAYED so long over the coffee and cake
that 1t was quite late when she returned.
she mad her workbag on her arm and in
her hand she carried a red umbrella with a
brass handle. When the toad saw the light
IN her house and heard the music and shouts
oi laughter she crept so quietly to the en-
trance that Tor moment no one knew OF
her presence. Then what a confusion there
WasI 1he beetle fell to the ground, and it
was fully five minutes before he could rise
again; the ant fell in a swoon, the cricket
let his violin fall, the frefly hastened to put
out the lantern that they might escape in
the darkness, and even the snail. who was
usually so composed, experienced violent
heart beating and quickly Withdrew into
his house, thinking that there he might be
safe. The toad gazed with astonishmeut on
the scene before her, and then began to swell
with rage. Swinging her umbrella in a
a threatening manner, she cried angrily:
"Out OF nv house, you vagabonds. Do
you think l keep lodgings for street
musicians and ragamufins? Quick. become
or shall make short work o. you.'
What could the poor creatures do9 The
rain was still falling in torrents; but thew
dared not ask mercy or shelter from the
toad, lest in her anger she would devour
them. Quietly gathering together their
belongings they went out into the storm and
darkness. They made q pitiful sight as
they plodded through the wet moss and