Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-10-01
CHAPTER I.
The Call of the Crickets.

|
sMeetly to sleep, when all at once
she reused up wide-awake. The
"Creek-creek-creek-c eek'' was
bringing message to her much like
the tick-tick-tick of telegraph in
strument brings a message over the
wires. Only in this case she could
make out the words clearly and
didn't have to change them from
dots and dashes into letters and
sentences.
Come, Princess Peggy, to the
birds carnival. There's going to be
frolicking in the moonlight tonight
Oil the green at the fifth hole of the
golf course"
"Of course, I'll come, just as
quickly as | can get dressed" cried
Peggy.
Princess Peggy sends her COM
pliments to Birdland and says she
will come as soon as she can get
dressed" sounded the cricket tele-
graph. A cricket farther away
caught up the message and passed it
along. A third got it still farther
away, and so it went far out of
hearing.
That's a regular wireless tele-
graph" thought Peggy. 81 never
knew before that a cricket's chirp
was the slightest use"
As she was dressing she heard a
message coming back, sounding in
distinctly far away, and then loudly
and clearly as it came near.
Princess Peggy, dress up funny
| AS a chicken or bunny:
| Every one will gaily rollick
At our yearly harvest frolic."
"And | haven't a single fancy
dress to wear" said Peggy in dis
may. IF | could only get into my
dolls clothes I'd be fixed fine"
Were here at your service, Prin-
cess Peggy" called a voice from
outside, and there was her aerial
chariot borne by the Whip-Poor-
wills and Night Hawks, which had
served as her flying horses when
she flew to battle with old King
Crow.
"Goodyr cried Peggy. "And I'm
sure you have fairy ring grass to
make me small"
She looked beneath the seat of
the chariot and true enough, there
was blade OF fairy ring grass. 1t
took her only moment to nibble it
and quick as a wink she was the
size of her dolls. Now Peggy had
a wide assortment of frocks from
which to choose. The one that
caught her eye, however, was a gay
parrot costume she had made out
of colored paper.
what joke it will be to 60 as
strange bird. Then I'll fool them
ALL" she giggled to herself.
The parrot dress fit her perfect
ly. As she looked into the mirror to
see the effect she nearly fell back
ward in amazement. She looked ex-
actly like a real Parrot.
IF could only squawk and
screech like a Parrot I'd be all
fixed,' she Uttered. This is better
than going as chicken or a bunny
and it certainly will give those Birds
scare"
Among her toys was tiny auto
horn. There's my squawker," she
thought, as she quickly tucked it
beneath her wing. Nov, I'm
ready"
Outside the window sill was her
aerial chariot. As Peggy stepped in
to view she squawked a greeting
with the horn. The effect was not
what she expected. Instead of
laughing back at her, the Whip
Poor-Wills and Night-Hawks gave
one look at this strange and awful
looking Bird and dashed away with
loud screeches of fear. Peggy had
to call to them again and again be-
fore they would believe that it was
really she and not a fierce, wild
Parrot.
When the aerial chariot drew cau-
tiously near again, Peggy seated her
self on the throne and away they
went for the carnival.
As they passed over a black clump
Of trees, a dark cloud suddenly
whirred up toward them.
"The Bats! The Bats!" shrieked
the Night-Hawks. "And we can't
fight because we are harnessed to
this chariot"
Squeak! Squeak! Now we've
got these Night Birds where we
want Them" shrieked the Bats, rush
ing to the attack Things looked
pretty bad for Peggy, for she knew
that the Birds couldn't fight unless
they dropped her, and if they did
drop her she would be smashed on
the gound far below. Then she
thought of her horn. "Squawk!
Squawk! Squawkw it sounded with
such alarming suddenness that the
Night Birds ierked the chariot as