“When did this happen?” asked the mouse with a squeaky voice.
“About five or six hours ago,” answered the snail. “I was walkin’ near the creek when—”
“Five or six hours ago!” shouted the General, turning on the snail. “For the land’s sake, why didn’t you come immediately?”
“I-I-I did,” answered the snail, with an injured expression. “I came just as fast as I could crawl.”
“Of course you did,” said the General kindly. “I beg your pardon. I forgot for the moment that you do not move as fast as most of us.” The snail, who had rather a sensitive nature, was quite hurt by the General’s words and it instantly shrank back into its shell.
After some talk it was decided to scatter up and down the creek in search of the lost Teenie Weenies. The birds flew up and down the creek until it was quite too dark for them to see, while the little people and the rest of their friends hunted all through the night without a sign of the Lady of Fashion and the Poet.
Chapter Two
THE CAPTURED TEENIE WEENIES
While the Teenie Weenies were searching along the creek for the Lady of Fashion and the Poet, those two little people were being rapidly paddled down the stream and away from their friends.