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RIDE BY MOONLIGHT
It was not exactly a pleasant ride that Daddy Longlegs had in the toe of Peter Mink's shoe. Not only was it dark pocket inside the shoe, but it was so cramped that Daddy was most uncomfortable. And what was still worse, he hadn't even the faintest idea where he was going.
Sometimes Daddy was almost sure that Peter Mink was carrying him around Blue Mountain. And at other times he thought that Peter must be following Swift River—to see where it went, perhaps. Anyhow, Daddy suffered such a[p. 48] pitching and tossing and tumbling and jouncing as he had never known in all his life.
Then at last, to Daddy's great relief, Peter Mink kept quite still for a long time.
That was when Peter burrowed into a haystack to take a nap. And since it was then many hours past Daddy Longlegs' regular bedtime, he went to sleep too. But he awoke with a great start when Peter Mink crawled out of his shelter about dawn. And at first Daddy couldn't imagine what was happening. But after he had been bounced about a bit he remembered the terrible accident that had happened to him in Jimmy Rabbit's shoe shop in the meadow.
Suddenly Peter Mink stopped. And to Daddy Longlegs' great delight Peter began to take off his shoes.
[p. 49]Yes! Peter Mink removed his shoes. And then he removed himself. That is to say, he dropped his shoes carelessly upon the ground (for that was his way!) and took himself off.