Tilly Titter flew as she never flew before and in a short time she landed on the ground beside the shoe house, her feathers all ruffled up with excitement. “I’ve got news,” she shouted, as the little women gathered about her. “I’ve just come from the General and the army will be home in about three days.”
 
“Is my husband well?” shouted Mrs. Lover.
“He’s as healthy as a dandelion and as pink as a rose bud,” answered Tilly.
“How’s the Poet and the Lady of Fashion?” asked Grandpa.
“Well and ’appy,” cried Tilly. “As I was a sayin’, the army will be ’ome in about three days. The General said to tell you that they would arrive on Friday afternoon if everthing goes well. He says for you to have a good supper ready for the boys and to have plenty, for they will be as hungry as young robins.”
“Is the Sailor getting along nicely?” asked Miss Guff.
“Fine as a fiddle! Fine as a fiddle!” answered the sparrow. “Wants to walk, ’e’s feelin’ so well, but the Doctor makes ’im stay in the litter and ride.”
“Well, we have got to get busy and do somethin’ for the boys,” cried Grandpa. “We’ve got to give ’em a big feed and decorate the place with flags and show ’em we’re glad to see ’em.”
“We’ll get up a grand supper for them,” cried Mrs. Lover, “and we’ll have a dance afterwards.”
“I’ll bring over a big chunk of cheese,” cried the mouse that had joined the crowd.
“I’ll get some fat worms for the supper,” cried Tilly, and instantly she blushed a deep brown. “Oh, I forget you don’t eat worms. Well, I’ll get some sunflower seeds.”
“I’ll donate a few nuts,” said Nick, the squirrel, who had been hoping for a chance to speak.
“Oh, I forgot to say that the General said ’e would come in ahead of the army so ’e could review them as they marched into the village,” cried Tilly.
“He’s going to review the troops, did you say?” asked Grandpa, who was hard of hearing.
“Yes!” shouted Tilly, right into the old gentleman’s ear. “The General is goin’ to review the army.”
“Well, we got to get a reviewing stand ready for him,” cried Grandpa.
“I’ll help,” shouted the mouse, “and I’ll get some mice to help, too.”
“All right, get ’em!” cried Grandpa. “The sooner we get to work the better it will be.”
In a short time the Teenie Weenies were as busy as bees in a clover field. The little women set to work cooking and baking. They made cakes and cookies by the thimble full. They made ginger cookies, nut cookies, chocolate cake, fruit cake and half an English walnut full of doughnuts, besides all sorts of other good things.
Grandpa put eight mice, a chipmunk and half a dozen bugs to work getting the place ready for the returning soldiers. They cleaned up the rubbish under the rose-bush, they moved all the desks out of the schoolhouse, where the dinner and dance were to be held, and they made a reviewing stand out of the top of a candy box.
Nick, the squirrel, worked hard opening nuts. He gnawed so many his teeth became sore, but he never complained, for he was a very p............