When they reached the stone wall,[p. 108] later, they found Daddy Longlegs sunning himself. He seemed glad to see his callers. And when they asked him what it was that made him appear different, he threw back his head, as far as he could, and laughed heartily.
"Why—don't you know?" he said. "Can't you see I've lost a leg?"
Daddy's news made everyone gasp. And for a few moments not a soul could speak. But the callers all stared at Daddy. And then each one of them began to count aloud: "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven——"
They were counting Daddy's legs. And after they had counted seven they all saw that his eighth leg was missing—that is, all but Buster Bumblebee. Being a blundering sort of person, he made a mistake and counted one leg twice. But the other callers soon set him right.
[p. 109]"It's no wonder you look different," Daddy's friends began telling him. "How did you meet with such an awful accident?"
"I lost my leg trying to escape from Johnnie Green," Daddy explained. "Either he pulled the leg off my body, or I pulled my body off the leg—I haven't been able to decide which way it happened."
"You must miss your leg terribly!" several of the company cried.
"Not at all!" replied Daddy Longlegs cheerfully, to the great surprise of all those present. "I have seven legs left; and that ought to be enough for anybody. I should think."
But little Mrs. Ladybug couldn't help shuddering. "I think it's just too dreadful!" she cried. "Johnnie Green is a very careless boy."
[p. 110]"Oh, he didn't mean any harm, I know," Daddy Longlegs assured her. "He tried not to injure me.... But I'll admit there's one thing that has caused me a good deal of annoyance."