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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/15281-h.zip b/15281-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..491acd9 --- /dev/null +++ b/15281-h.zip diff --git a/15281-h/15281-h.htm b/15281-h/15281-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..95f9bc8 --- /dev/null +++ b/15281-h/15281-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,5299 @@ +<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?> +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> + <head> + <title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of Uncle Wiggily's Adventures, by Howard R. Garis. + </title> + <style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ +<!-- + p { margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; + } + hr { width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + clear: both; + } + + table {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;} + + body{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + } + + .linenum {position: absolute; top: auto; left: 4%;} /* poetry number */ + .blockquot{margin-left: 5%; margin-right: 10%;} + .pagenum {position: absolute; left: 92%; font-size: smaller; text-align: right;} /* page numbers */ + .sidenote {width: 20%; padding-bottom: .5em; padding-top: .5em; + padding-left: .5em; padding-right: .5em; margin-left: 1em; + float: right; clear: right; margin-top: 1em; + font-size: smaller; background: #eeeeee; border: dashed 1px;} + img {border: 0;} + .bb {border-bottom: solid 2px;} + .bl {border-left: solid 2px;} + .bt {border-top: solid 2px;} + .br {border-right: solid 2px;} + .bbox {border: solid 2px;} + + .center {text-align: center;} + .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + + .caption {font-weight: bold;} + + .figcenter {margin: auto; text-align: center;} + + .figleft {float: left; clear: left; margin-left: 0; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: + 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding: 0; text-align: center;} + + .figright {float: right; clear: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; + margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0; padding: 0; text-align: center;} + + .footnotes {border: dashed 1px;} + .footnote {margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; font-size: 0.9em;} + .footnote .label {position: absolute; right: 84%; text-align: right;} + .fnanchor {vertical-align: super; font-size: .8em; text-decoration: none;} + ins {text-decoration:none; border-bottom: thin dotted gray;} + .poem {margin-left:10%; margin-right:10%; text-align: left;} + .poem br {display: none;} + .poem .stanza {margin: 1em 0em 1em 0em;} + .poem span {display: block; margin: 0; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;} + .poem span.i2 {display: block; margin-left: 2em;} + .poem span.i4 {display: block; margin-left: 4em;} + // --> + /* XML end ]]>*/ + </style> + </head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Uncle Wiggily's Adventures, by Howard R. Garis + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Uncle Wiggily's Adventures + +Author: Howard R. Garis + +Release Date: March 7, 2005 [EBook #15281] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK UNCLE WIGGILY'S ADVENTURES *** + + + + +Produced by Clare Boothby, David Newman, Emmy and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team.(https://www.pgdp.net) + + + + + + +</pre> + + + +<p class="figcenter"><a href="./images/1.jpg"><img src="./images/1-tb.jpg" alt="Cover" title="Cover" /></a></p> + +<h1>UNCLE WIGGILY'S</h1> +<h1>ADVENTURES</h1> + +<h3>By</h3> +<h2>HOWARD R. GARIS</h2> + +<p class="center"><i>Author of "Sammie and Susie Littletail," "Johnnie and Billie +Bushytail." "Lulu, Alice and Jimmie Wibblewobble," +"Jackie and Peetie Bow-Wow," "Those Smith +Boys," "The Island Boys" etc.</i></p> + +<p class="center">Illustrations by</p> + +<p class="center">LOUIS WISA</p> + +<p class="center">A.L. BURT COMPANY</p> + +<p class="center">PUBLISHERS NEW YORK</p> + +<hr style='width: 65%;' /> +<h3>THE FAMOUS</h3> + +<h2>BED TIME SERIES</h2> + +<p class="center">Five groups of books, intended for reading +aloud to the little folks each night. Each +volume contains 8 colored illustrations, 31 +stories, one for each day of the month. Handsomely +bound in cloth. Size 6-1/2 x 8-1/4.</p> + +<h4>HOWARD R. GARIS</h4> + + +<h4><b>Bed Time Animal Stories</b></h4> + + +<div class="center"> +<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="5" summary="Bed-Time Animal Stories"> +<tr><td align='left'>No. 1.</td><td align='left'>SAMMIE AND SUSIE LITTLETAIL</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>No. 2.</td><td align='left'>JOHNNY AND BILLY BUSHYTAIL</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>No. 3.</td><td align='left'>LULU, ALICE & JIMMIE WIBBLEWOBBLE</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>No. 5.</td><td align='left'>JACKIE AND PEETIE BOW-WOW</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>No. 7.</td><td align='left'>BUDDY AND BRIGHTEYES PIGG</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>No. 9.</td><td align='left'>JOIE, TOMMIE AND KITTIE KAT</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>No. 10</td><td align='left'>CHARLIE AND ARABELLA CHICK</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>No. 14</td><td align='left'>NEDDIE AND BECKIE STUBTAIL</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>No. 16</td><td align='left'>BULLY AND BAWLY NO-TAIL</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>No. 20</td><td align='left'>NANNIE AND BILLIE WAGTAIL</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>No. 28</td><td align='left'>JOLLIE AND JILLIE LONGTAIL</td></tr> +</table> +</div> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<h4><b>Uncle Wiggily Bed Time Stories</b></h4> + +<div class="center"> +<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="5" summary="Uncle Wiggily Storis"> +<tr><td align='left'>No. 4</td><td align='left'> UNCLE WIGGILY'S ADVENTURES</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>No. 6</td><td align='left'> UNCLE WIGGILY'S TRAVELS</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>No. 8</td><td align='left'> UNCLE WIGGILY'S FORTUNE</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>No. 11</td><td align='left'> UNCLE WIGGILY'S AUTOMOBILE</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>No. 19</td><td align='left'> UNCLE WIGGILY AT THE SEASHORE</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>No. 21</td><td align='left'> UNCLE WIGGILY'S AIRSHIP</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>No. 27</td><td align='left'> UNCLE WIGGILY IN THE COUNTRY</td></tr> +</table> +</div> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p class="center">For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt +of price by the publishers</p> + +<p class="center"><b>A.L. BURT CO., 114-120 East 23d St., New York</b></p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p class="center">COPYRIGHT, 1912 By<br /> +R.F. FENNO & COMPANY<br /> +<i>Uncle Wiggily's Adventures</i></p> +<hr style='width: 65%;' /> + +<div class="center"> +<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary="Contents"> +<tr><td align='left'> <a href="#STORY_I"><b>STORY I</b></a></td><td align='left'> UNCLE WIGGILY STARTS OFF</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'> <a href="#STORY_II"><b>STORY II </b></a></td><td align='left'> UNCLE WIGGILY GOES FISHING</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'> <a href="#STORY_III"><b>STORY III</b></a></td><td align='left'> UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE BLACK CROW</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'> <a href="#STORY_IV"><b>STORY IV</b></a></td><td align='left'> UNCLE WIGGILY AND FIDO FLIP-FLOP</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'> <a href="#STORY_V"><b>STORY V</b></a></td><td align='left'> UNCLE WIGGILY DOES SOME TRICKS</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'> <a href="#STORY_VI"><b>STORY VI</b></a></td><td align='left'> UNCLE WIGGILY AT THE PARTY</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'> <a href="#STORY_VII"><b>STORY VII</b></a></td><td align='left'> UNCLE WIGGILY IN A PARADE</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'> <a href="#STORY_VIII"><b>STORY VIII </b></a></td><td align='left'> UNCLE WIGGILY IN THE FOUNTAIN</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'> <a href="#STORY_IX"><b>STORY IX</b></a></td><td align='left'> UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE DOG</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'> <a href="#STORY_X"><b>STORY X</b></a></td><td align='left'> UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE MONKEY</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'> <a href="#STORY_XI"><b>STORY XI</b></a></td><td align='left'> UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE BOYS</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'> <a href="#STORY_XII"><b>STORY XII</b></a></td><td align='left'> UNCLE WIGGILY IN A BALLOON</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'> <a href="#STORY_XIII"><b>STORY XIII</b></a></td><td align='left'> UNCLE WIGGILY IN AN AUTO</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'> <a href="#STORY_XIV"><b>STORY XIV</b></a></td><td align='left'> UNCLE WIGGILY IN A BOAT</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'> <a href="#STORY_XV"><b>STORY XV</b></a></td><td align='left'> UNCLE WIGGILY MAKES A PIE</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'> <a href="#STORY_XVI"><b>STORY XVI</b></a></td><td align='left'> UNCLE WIGGILY AND PERCIVAL</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'> <a href="#STORY_XVII"><b>STORY XVII</b></a></td><td align='left'> UNCLE WIGGILY IN A WELL</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'> <a href="#STORY_XVIII"><b>STORY XVIII</b></a></td><td align='left'> UNCLE WIGGILY AND JENNIE CHIPMUNK</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'> <a href="#STORY_XIX"><b>STORY XIX</b></a></td><td align='left'> UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE LANTERN</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'> <a href="#STORY_XX"><b>STORY XX</b></a></td><td align='left'> UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE PAPER HOUSE</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'> <a href="#STORY_XXI"><b>STORY XXI</b></a></td><td align='left'> UNCLE WIGGILY IN A PAPER BOAT</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'> <a href="#STORY_XXII"><b>STORY XXII</b></a></td><td align='left'>UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE MUD PIE</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'> <a href="#STORY_XXIII"><b>STORY XXIII</b></a></td><td align='left'> UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE ELEPHANT</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'> <a href="#STORY_XXIV"><b>STORY XXIV</b></a></td><td align='left'> UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE CHERRY TREE</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'> <a href="#STORY_XXV"><b>STORY XXV</b></a></td><td align='left'> UNCLE WIGGILY AND GRANDPA GOOSEY</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'> <a href="#STORY_XXVI"><b>STORY XXVI</b></a></td><td align='left'> UNCLE WIGGILY'S ICE CREAM CONES</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'> <a href="#STORY_XXVII"><b>STORY XXVII</b></a></td><td align='left'> UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE RED ANTS</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'> <a href="#STORY_XXVIII"><b>STORY XXVIII</b></a></td><td align='left'> UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE BAD GIANT</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'> <a href="#STORY_XXIX"><b>STORY XXIX</b></a></td><td align='left'>UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE GOOD GIANT</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'> <a href="#STORY_XXX"><b>STORY XXX</b></a></td><td align='left'> UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE GIANT'S BOY</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'> <a href="#STORY_XXXI"><b>STORY XXXI</b></a></td><td align='left'> UNCLE WIGGILY AND DADDY LONGLEGS</td></tr> +</table> +</div> + + +<h2>UNCLE WIGGILY'S ADVENTURES</h2> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="STORY_I" id="STORY_I" />STORY I</h2> + +<h3>UNCLE WIGGILY STARTS OFF</h3> + + +<p>Uncle Wiggily Longears, the nice old gentleman rabbit, hopped out of bed +one morning and started to go to the window, to see if the sun was +shining. But, no sooner had he stepped on the floor, than he cried out:</p> + +<p>"Oh! Ouch! Oh, dear me and a potato pancake! Oh, I believe I stepped on a +tack! Sammie Littletail must have left it there! How careless of him!"</p> + +<p>You see this was the same Uncle Wiggily, of whom I have told you in the +Bedtime Books—the very same Uncle Wiggily. He was an Uncle to Sammie and +Susie Littletail, the rabbit children, and also to Billie and Johnnie +Bushytail, the squirrel boys, and to Alice and Lulu and Jimmie +Wibblewobble, the duck children, and I have written for you, books about +all those characters. Now I thought I would write something just about +Uncle Wiggily himself, though of course I'll tell you what all his nephews +and nieces did, too.</p> + +<p>Well, when Uncle Wiggily felt that sharp pain, he stood still for a +moment, and wondered what could have happened.</p> + +<p>"Yes, I'm almost sure it was a tack," he said. "I must pick it up so no +one else will step on it."</p> + +<p>So Uncle Wiggily looked on the floor, but there was no tack there, only +some crumbs from a sugar cookie that Susie Littletail had been eating the +night before, when her uncle had told her a go-to-sleep story.</p> + +<p>"Oh, I know what it was; it must have been my rheumatism that gave me the +pain!" said the old gentleman rabbit as he looked for his red, white and +blue crutch, striped like a barber pole. He found it under the bed, and +then he managed to limp to the window. Surely enough, the sun was shining.</p> + +<p>"I'll certainly have to do something about this rheumatism," said Uncle +Wiggily as he carefully shaved himself by looking in the glass. "I guess +I'll see Dr. Possum."</p> + +<p>So after breakfast, when Sammie and Susie had gone to school, Dr. Possum +was telephoned for, and he called to see Uncle Wiggily.</p> + +<p>"Ha! Hum!" exclaimed the doctor, looking very wise. "You have the +rheumatism very bad, Mr. Longears."</p> + +<p>"Why, I knew that before you came," said the old gentleman rabbit, +blinking his eyes. "What I want is something to cure it."</p> + +<p>"Ha! Hum!" said Dr. Possum, again looking very wise. "I think you need a +change of air. You must travel about. Go on a journey, get out and see +strange birds, and pick the pretty flowers. You don't get exercise +enough."</p> + +<p>"Exercise enough!" cried Uncle Wiggily. "Why, my goodness me sakes alive +and a bunch of lilacs! Don't I play checkers almost every night with +Grandfather Goosey Gander?"</p> + +<p>"That is not enough," said the doctor, "you must travel here and there, +and see things."</p> + +<p>"Very well," said Uncle Wiggily, "then I will travel. I'll pack my valise +at once, and I'll go off and seek my fortune, and maybe, on the way, I can +lose this rheumatism."</p> + +<p>So the next day Uncle Wiggily started out with his crutch, and his valise +packed full of clean clothes, and something in it to eat.</p> + +<p>"Oh, we are very sorry to have you go, dear uncle," said Susie Littletail, +"but we hope you'll come back good and strong."</p> + +<p>"Thank you," said Uncle Wiggily, as he kissed the two rabbit children and +their mamma, and shook hands with Papa Littletail. Then off the old +gentleman bunny hopped with his crutch.</p> + +<p>Well, he went along for quite a distance, over the hills, and down the +road, and through the woods, and, as the sun got higher and warmer, his +rheumatism felt better.</p> + +<p>"I do believe Dr. Possum was right!" said Uncle Wiggily. "Traveling is +just the thing for me," and he felt so very jolly that he whistled a +little tune about a peanut wagon, which roasted lemonade, and boiled and +frizzled Easter eggs that Mrs. Cluk-Cluk laid.</p> + +<p>"Ha! Where are you going?" suddenly asked a voice, as Uncle Wiggily +finished the tune.</p> + +<p>"I'm going to seek my fortune," replied Uncle Wiggily. "Who are you, +pray?"</p> + +<p>"Oh, I'm a friend of yours," said the voice, and Uncle Wiggily looked all +around, but he couldn't discover any one.</p> + +<p>"But where are you?" the puzzled old gentleman rabbit wanted to know. "I +can't see you."</p> + +<p>"No, and for a very good reason," answered the voice. "You see I have very +weak eyes, and if I came out in the sun, without my smoked glasses on, I +might get blind. So I have to hide down in this hollow stump."</p> + +<p>"Then put on your glasses and come out where I can see you," invited the +old gentleman rabbit, and all the while he was trying to remember where he +had heard that voice before. At first he thought it might be Grandfather +Goosey Gander, or Uncle Butter, the goat, yet it didn't sound like either +of them.</p> + +<p>"I have sent my glasses to the store to be fixed, so I can't wear them and +come out," went on the voice. "But if you are seeking your fortune I know +the very place where you can find it."</p> + +<p>"Where?" asked Uncle Wiggily, eagerly.</p> + +<p>"Right down in this hollow stump," was the reply. "There are all kinds of +fortunes here, and you may take any kind you like Mr. Longears."</p> + +<p>"Ha! That is very nice," thought the rabbit. "I have not had to travel far +before finding my fortune. I wonder if there is a cure for rheumatism in +that stump, too?" So he asked about it.</p> + +<p>"Of course, your rheumatism can be cured in here," came the quick answer. +"In fact, I guarantee to cure any disease—measles, chicken-pox, mumps and +even toothache. So if you have any friends you want cured send them to +me."</p> + +<p>"I wish I could find out who you were," spoke the rabbit. "I seem to know +your voice, but I can't think of your name."</p> + +<p>"Oh, you'll know me as soon as you see me," said the voice. "Just hop +down inside this hollow stump, and your fortune is as good as made, and +your rheumatism will soon be gone. Hop right down."</p> + +<p>Well, Uncle Wiggily didn't like the looks of the black hole down inside +the stump, and he peered into it to see what he could see, but it was so +black that all he could make out was something like a lump of coal.</p> + +<p>"Well, Dr. Possum said I needed to have a change of scene, and some +adventures," said the rabbit, "so I guess I'll chance it. I'll go down, +and perhaps I may find my fortune."</p> + +<p>Then, carefully holding his crutch and his satchel, Uncle Wiggily hopped +down inside the stump. He felt something soft, and furry, and fuzzy, +pressing close to him, and at first he thought he had bumped into Dottie +or Willie Lambkin.</p> + +<p>But then, all of a sudden, a harsh voice cried out:</p> + +<p>"Ha! Now I have you! I was just wishing some one would come along with my +dinner, and you did! Get in there, and see if you can find your fortune, +Uncle Wiggily!" And with that what should happen but that big, black bear, +who had been hiding in the stump, pushed Uncle Wiggily into a dark closet, +and locked the door! And there the poor rabbit was, and the bear was +getting ready to eat him up.</p> + +<p>But don't worry, I'll find a way to get him out, and in case we have ice +cream pancakes for supper I'll tell you, in the next story, how Uncle +Wiggily got out of the bear's den, and how he went fishing—I mean Uncle +Wiggily went fishing, not the bear.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="STORY_II" id="STORY_II" />STORY II</h2> + +<h3>UNCLE WIGGILY GOES FISHING</h3> + + +<p>At first, after he found himself shut up in the bear's dark closet, where +we left him in the story before this, poor Uncle Wiggily didn't know what +to think. He just sat there, on the edge of a chair, and he tried to look +around, and see something, but it was too black, so he couldn't.</p> + +<p>"Perhaps this is only a joke," thought the old gentleman rabbit, "though I +never knew a black bear to joke before. But perhaps it is. I'll ask him."</p> + +<p>So Uncle Wiggily called out:</p> + +<p>"Is this a joke, Mr. Bear?"</p> + +<p>"Not a bit of it!" was the growling answer. "You'll soon see what's going +to happen to you! I'm getting the fire ready now."</p> + +<p>"Getting the fire ready for what; the adventure, or for my fortune?" asked +the rabbit, for he still hoped the bear was only joking with him.</p> + +<p>"Ready to cook you!" was the reply. "That's what the fire is for!" and +the bear gnashed his teeth together something terrible, and, with his +sharp claws, he clawed big splinters off the stump, and with them he +started the fire in the stove, with the splinters, I mean, not his claws.</p> + +<p>The blazing fire made it a little brighter in the hollow stump, which was +the black bear's den, and Uncle Wiggily could look out of a crack in the +door, and see what a savage fellow the shaggy bear was. You see, that bear +just hid in the stump, waiting for helpless animals to come along, and +then he'd trick them into jumping down inside of it, and there wasn't a +word of truth about him having sore eyes, or about him having to wear dark +spectacles, either.</p> + +<p>"Oh, my! I guess this is the end of my adventures," thought the rabbit. "I +should have been more careful. Well, I wish I could see Sammie and Susie +before he eats me, but I'm afraid I can't. I shouldn't have jumped down +here."</p> + +<p>But as Uncle Wiggily happened to think of Sammie Littletail, the boy +rabbit, he also thought of something else. And this was that Sammie had +put something in the old gentleman rabbit's valise that morning, before +his uncle had started off.</p> + +<p>"If you ever get into trouble, Uncle Wiggily," Sammie had said, "this may +come in useful for you." Uncle Wiggily didn't look at the time to see +what it was that his nephew put in the valise, but he made up his mind he +would do so now. So he opened his satchel, and there, among other things, +was a long piece of thin, but strong rope. And pinned to it was a note +which read:</p> + +<p>"Dear Uncle Wiggily. This is good to help you get out of a window, in case +of fire."</p> + +<p>"My goodness!" exclaimed Uncle Wiggily, "that's fine. There the bear is +making a fire to cook me, and with this rope I can get away from it. Now +if there's only a window in this closet I'm all right."</p> + +<p>So he looked, and sure enough there was a window. And with his crutch +Uncle Wiggily raised it. Then he threw out his satchel, and he tied the +rope to a hook on the window sill, and, being a strong old gentleman, he +crawled out of the window, and slid down the cord.</p> + +<p>And Uncle Wiggily got out just as the bear opened the closet door to grab +him, and put him in the pot, and when the savage black creature saw his +fine rabbit dinner getting away he was as angry as anything, really he +was.</p> + +<p>"Here! Come back here!" cried the bear, but of course Uncle Wiggily knew +better than to come back. He slid down the rope to the ground, and then he +cut off as much of the rope as he could, and put it in his pocket, for he +didn't know when he might need it again. Then, catching up his valise, he +ran on and on, before the bear could get to him.</p> + +<p>It was still quite a dark place in which Uncle Wiggily was, for you see he +was underground, down by the roots of the stump. But he looked ahead and +he saw a little glimmer of light, and then he knew he could get out.</p> + +<p>Limping on his crutch, and carrying his valise, he went on and on, and +pretty soon he came out of a dark cave and found himself on the bank of a +nice little brook, that was running over mossy, green stones.</p> + +<p>"Ha! This is better than being in a bear's den!" exclaimed the old +gentleman rabbit. "My, I was so frightened that I forgot about my +rheumatism hurting me. That was an adventure all right, and Sammie was a +good boy to think of that strong cord. Now what shall I do next?"</p> + +<p>Well, Uncle Wiggily sat down on the bank of the brook, and he looked in +the water. Then he happened to see a fish jump up to catch a bug, so he +said to himself:</p> + +<p>"I guess I will go fishing, just for fun. But if I do happen to catch any +fish I'll put them right back in the water again. For I don't need any +fish, as I have some lettuce and cabbage sandwiches, and some +peanut-butter cakes, that Susie's mamma put up in a cracker-box for me."</p> + +<p>Well, Uncle Wiggily looked in his valise, to make sure his lunch was safe, +and then, taking a bent pin from under his vest, he fastened it to a part +of the string Sammie had given him. Then he fastened the string to a pole, +and he was ready to fish, but he needed something to make the fishes +bite—that is, bite the pinhook, not bite him, you know.</p> + +<p>"Oh, I guess they'll like a bit of sweet cracker," Uncle Wiggily thought; +so he put some on the end of the pin-hook, and threw it toward the water.</p> + +<p>It fell in with a splash, and made a lot of little circles, like +ring-around the rosies, and the rabbit sat there looking at them, sort of +nodding, and half asleep and wondering what adventure would happen to him +next, and where he would stay that night. All of a sudden he felt +something tugging at the hook and line.</p> + +<p>"Oh, I've got a fish! I've got a fish!" he cried, as he lifted up the +pole. Up out of the water with a sizzling rush flew the string and the +sweet cracker bait, and the next minute out leaped the big, savage +alligator that had escaped from a circus.</p> + +<p>"Oh, ho! So you tried to catch me, eh?" the alligator shouted at Uncle +Wiggily.</p> + +<p>"No—no, if you please," said the rabbit. "I was after fish."</p> + +<p>"And I'm after you!" cried the alligator, and, scrambling up the bank, he +made a jump for Uncle Wiggily, and with one sweep of his kinky, scaly +tail he flopped and he threw the old gentleman rabbit and his crutch and +valise right up into a big tree that grew near the brook.</p> + +<p>"There you'll stay until I get ready to eat you!" exclaimed the alligator, +as he stood up on the end of his tail under the tree, and opened his mouth +as wide as he could so that if Uncle Wiggily fell down he'd fall into it, +just like down a funnel, you know.</p> + +<p>Well, the poor gentleman rabbit clung to the topmost tree branch, +wondering how in the world he was going to escape from the alligator. Oh, +it was a dreadful position to be in!</p> + +<p>But please don't worry or stay awake over it, for I'll find a way to get +him down safely. And in the story after this, if the milkman doesn't leave +us sour cream for our lemonade, I'll tell you about Uncle Wiggily and the +black crow.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="STORY_III" id="STORY_III" />STORY III</h2> + +<h3>UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE BLACK CROW</h3> + + +<p>Let me see, where did I leave off in the last story? Oh! I remember. It +was about Uncle Wiggily Longears being up in the top of the tall tree, and +the alligator keeping guard down below, ready to eat him.</p> + +<p>Well, the old gentleman rabbit was wondering how he could ever escape, and +he felt quite badly about it.</p> + +<p>"I guess this is the end of my adventures," he said to himself. "It would +have been much better had I stayed at home with Sammie and Susie." And as +he thought of the two rabbit children he felt still sadder, and very +lonely.</p> + +<p>"I wonder if Susie could have put anything in my satchel with which to +scare an alligator," thought Uncle Wiggily. "I guess I'll look." So he +looked, and what should he find but a bottle of toothache drops. Yes, +there it was, and wrapped ground it was a little note Susie had written.</p> + +<p>"Dear Uncle Wiggily," she said in the note, "if you ever get the +toothache on your travels, this will stop it."</p> + +<p>"Ha! That is very kind of Susie, I'm sure," said the rabbit, "but I don't +see how that is going to make the alligator go away. And, even if he does +go, I wonder how I'm to get down out of this tall tree, with my crutch, my +valise and my rheumatism?"</p> + +<p>Well, just then the alligator got tired of standing on the end of his +tail, with his mouth open, and he began crawling around. Then he thought +of what a good supper he was going to have of Uncle Wiggily, and that +alligator said:</p> + +<p>"I guess I'll sharpen my teeth so I can eat him better," and with that the +savage and unpleasant creature began to gnaw on a stone, to sharpen his +teeth. Then he stood up on the end of his tail once more, under the tree, +and opened his mouth as wide as he could.</p> + +<p>"Come on now!" he called to Uncle Wiggily. "Jump down and have it over +with."</p> + +<p>"Oh, but I don't want to," objected the rabbit.</p> + +<p>"You'll have to, whether you want to or not," went on the alligator. "If +you don't come down, I'll take my scaly, naily tail, and I'll saw down the +tree, and then you'll fall."</p> + +<p>"Oh, dear!" exclaimed Uncle Wiggily. "What shall I do?"</p> + +<p>Then he happened to think of the bottle of toothache medicine that he held +in his hand, and, taking out the cork, he dropped the bottle, medicine and +all, right into the open mouth of the alligator, who was again up on his +tail.</p> + +<p>And the alligator thought it was Uncle Wiggily falling into his jaws, and +he shut them quickly like a steel trap and chewed on that bottle of hot +toothache drops before he knew what it was.</p> + +<p>Well, you can just imagine what happened. The medicine was as hot as +pepper and mustard and vinegar and cloves and horse radish all made into +one! My! how it did burn that alligator's mouth.</p> + +<p>"Oh my! I'm shot! I'm poisoned! I'm bitten by a mosquito! I'm stabbed! I'm +all scrambled up" cried the alligator. "Water, water, quick! I must have +water!"</p> + +<p>Then he gave a big jump, and, with his kinkery-scalery tail, he leaped +into a big puddle of water, and went away down in under, out of sight, to +cool off his mouth.</p> + +<p>"Oh, now is my chance! If I could only get down out of the tree!" +exclaimed Uncle Wiggily. "But with my rheumatism I'm afraid I'll fall. Oh +dear! What shall I do?"</p> + +<p>"Don't be afraid, I'll help you!" exclaimed a kind voice, and then the +voice went on: "Caw! Caw! Caw!" and Uncle Wiggily, looking up, saw a big +black crow perched on a limb over his head.</p> + +<p>"Oh, how do you do!" spoke Uncle Wiggily, making a bow as well as he +could. "Can you really help me down?'</p> + +<p>"Yes," said the crow, "I can. Wait until I get my market basket. I was +just going to the grocery, but I'm in no hurry. I'll save you first."</p> + +<p>So that crow flew off, and in a moment he came back with a big basket in +its bill.</p> + +<p>"Hop in!" the black crow called to Uncle Wiggily, "and I'll fly down to +the ground with you, and you can run off before the alligator comes out of +the water. I saw what you did to him with those toothache drops, and it +served him right. Come on, hop in the basket."</p> + +<p>So Uncle Wiggily got in the basket, and the crow, taking the handle in his +strong beak, flew safely to the ground with him. And that's how the old +gentleman rabbit got down out of the tree, just as I told you he would.</p> + +<p>So he and the crow walked on some distance through the woods together, +after Uncle Wiggily had picked up his crutch and valise, which had fallen +out of the basket, and they got safely away before the alligator came out +of the water. And wasn't he the provoked old beastie, though, when he saw +that his rabbit supper was gone?</p> + +<p>"Where are you going?" asked the crow of Uncle Wiggily, after a bit, when +they got to a nice big stone, and sat down for a rest.</p> + +<p>"I am seeking my fortune," replied the old gentleman rabbit, "and trying +to get better of my rheumatism. Dr. Possum told me to travel, and have +adventures, and I've had quite a few already."</p> + +<p>"Well, I hope you find your fortune and that it turns out to be a very +good one," said the kind crow. "But it is coming on night now. Have you +any place to stay?"</p> + +<p>"No," replied the rabbit, "I haven't. I never thought about that. What +shall I do?"</p> + +<p>"Oh, don't worry," said the crow. "I'd let you stay in my nest, but it is +up a high tree, and you would have trouble climbing in and out. But near +my nest-house is an old hollow stump, and you can stay in that very +nicely."</p> + +<p>"Are there any bears in it?" asked Uncle Wiggily, careful-like.</p> + +<p>"Oh, no; not a one. It is very safe."</p> + +<p>So the crow showed Uncle Wiggily where the hollow stump was, and he slept +there all night, on a soft bed of leaves. And when he awakened in the +morning he had breakfast with the crow and once more started off to seek +his fortune.</p> + +<p>Well, pretty soon, in a short while, not so very long, he came to a little +house made of bark, standing in the middle of a deep, dark, dismal woods. +And on the door of the house was a sign which read:</p> + +<p>"If you want to be surprised, open this door and come in."</p> + +<p>"Perhaps I can find my fortune in there, and get rid of the rheumatism," +thought Uncle Wiggily, so he hopped forward. And just as he did so he +heard a voice calling to him:</p> + +<p>"Don't go in! Don't go in there, Uncle Wiggily!"</p> + +<p>The rabbit looked up, and saw Johnnie Bushytail, the squirrel boy, waving +his paws at him. Well, Uncle Wiggily started to jump back away from the +door of the little house, but it was too late. Out came a +scraggily-raggily claw, which grabbed him, while a voice cried out:</p> + +<p>"Ah, ha! Now I have you! Come right in!"</p> + +<p>And then, before you could shake a stick at a bad dog, the door was +slammed shut and locked, and there Uncle Wiggily was inside the house, and +Johnnie Bushytail was crying outside.</p> + +<p>"That's the end of poor Uncle Wiggily!" said Johnnie. But it wasn't. For +I'll not leave the old gentleman rabbit alone in the house with that clawy +creature. And in the next story, providing our wash lady doesn't put my +new straw hat in the soap suds, and take all the color out of the ribbon, +I'll tell you about Uncle Wiggily and Fido Flip-Flop.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="STORY_IV" id="STORY_IV" />STORY IV</h2> + +<h3>UNCLE WIGGILY AND FIDO FLIP-FLOP</h3> + + +<p>Well, as soon as Uncle Wiggily found himself inside the bear's den—oh, +just listen to me! That was in the other story, wasn't it? Yes, we left +him in the funny little house in the woods, with the clawy creature +grabbing him.</p> + +<p>Now, what do you suppose that clawy creature was? Why, a great, big owl, +to be sure, with round, staring, yellow eyes, and he had grabbed Uncle +Wiggily in his claws, and pulled him inside the house.</p> + +<p>"Now, I've got you!" cried the owl. "I was just wishing some one would +come along, and you did. Some of my friends are coming to tea this +afternoon, and you'll do very nicely made up into sandwiches."</p> + +<p>Wasn't that a perfectly dreadful way to talk about our Uncle Wiggily? +Well, I guess yes!</p> + +<p>"Now you're here, make yourself at home," went on the owl, sarcastic-like, +as he locked the front door and put the key in his pocket. "Did you see +the sign?"</p> + +<p>"Yes," said Uncle Wiggily, "I did. But I don't call it fair. I thought I +would find my fortune in here."</p> + +<p>"The sign says you'll be surprised, and I guess you are surprised, aren't +you?" asked the owl.</p> + +<p>"Yes," answered the rabbit, "very much so. But I'd rather have a nice +surprise party, with peanuts and lemonade, than this."</p> + +<p>"No matter," said the owl, snapping his beak like a pair of shears, "here +you are and here you'll stay! My friends will soon arrive. I'll now put +the kettle on, to boil for tea."</p> + +<p>Well, poor Uncle Wiggily didn't know what to do. He couldn't look in his +valise to see if there was anything in it by which he might escape, for he +had dropped the satchel outside when the owl grabbed him, and he only had +his barber-pole crutch.</p> + +<p>"Oh, this is worse and worse!" thought the poor old rabbit.</p> + +<p>But listen, Johnnie Bushytail is outside the owl's house, and he's going +to do a wonderful trick.</p> + +<p>As soon as he saw the door shut on Uncle Wiggily, that brave squirrel boy +began to plan how he could save him, and the first thing he did was to +gather up a lot of acorns.</p> + +<p>Then he perched himself in a tree, right in front of the owl's door, and +Johnnie began throwing acorns at it. "Rat-a-tat-tat!" went the acorns on +the wooden panels.</p> + +<p>"Ha! Those must be my friends!" exclaimed the bad owl, opening the door a +little crack so he could peek out, but taking care to stand in front of +it, so that Uncle Wiggily couldn't slip out. But, of course, the owl saw +no one. "It must have been the wind," he said as he shut the door.</p> + +<p>Then Johnnie Bushytail threw some more acorns at the door. +"Pitter-patter-patter-pit!" they went, like hailstones in an ice cream +can.</p> + +<p>"Ah, there are my friends, sure, this time!" thought the owl, and once +more he peered out, but no one was there. "It must have been a tree branch +hitting against the door," said the owl, as he sharpened a big knife with +which to make the sandwiches. Then Johnnie threw some more acorns, and the +owl now thought positively his friends were there, and when he opened it +and saw no one he was real mad.</p> + +<p>"Some one is playing tricks on me!" exclaimed the savage bird. "I'll catch +them next time!"</p> + +<p>Now this was just what Johnnie Bushytail wanted, so he threw a whole +double handful of acorns at the door, and when the owl heard them +pattering against the wood he rushed out.</p> + +<p>"Now, I've got you!" he cried, but he hadn't, for Johnnie was up a tree. +And, for the moment, the owl forgot about Uncle Wiggily, and there the +door was wide open.</p> + +<p>"Run out, Uncle Wiggily! Run out!" cried Johnnie, and out the old +gentleman rabbit hopped, catching up his valise, and away into the woods +he ran, with Johnnie scurrying along in the tree tops above him, and +laughing at the owl, who flew back to his house, but too late to catch the +bunny.</p> + +<p>"That's what you get for fooling people so they'll come into your house," +called the squirrel boy. "It serves you right, Mr. Owl. Come on, Uncle +Wiggily, we'll get away from here."</p> + +<p>So they went on together until it was time for Johnnie to go home, and he +said he'd tell Uncle Wiggily's friends that he had met the old gentleman +rabbit, and that he hadn't found his fortune yet, but that he was looking +for it every minute, and had had many adventures.</p> + +<p>Well, Uncle Wiggily went on some more, for quite a distance, until it was +noon time, and then he sat down in the cool, green woods, where there were +some jacks-in-the-pulpit growing near some ferns, and there Uncle Wiggily +ate his lunch of lettuce sandwiches, with carrot butter on them, and +gnawed on a bit of potato. Just as he was almost through, he heard a +rustling in the bushes, and a voice exclaimed:</p> + +<p>"Oh, dear!"</p> + +<p>"Why, what's the matter?" asked Uncle Wiggily, thinking perhaps an +adventure was going to happen to him. "Who are you?"</p> + +<p>"Oh, dear!" exclaimed the voice again.</p> + +<p>Then, before the old rabbit could jump up and run away, even if he had +wanted to, out from under a big bush came a little white poodle dog, with +curly, silky hair. He walked right up to Uncle Wiggily, that dog did, and +the rabbit wasn't a bit afraid, for the dog wasn't much bigger than he +was, and looked very kind.</p> + +<p>"What do you want, doggie?" gently asked Uncle Wiggily.</p> + +<p>The dog didn't answer, but he gave a little short bark, and then he began +turning somersaults. Over and over he went, sometimes backward and +sometimes frontward, and sometimes sideways. And when he was finished, he +made a low bow, and walked around on his two hind legs, just to show he +wasn't proud or stuck up.</p> + +<p>"There!" exclaimed the poodle doggie. "Is that worth something to eat, Mr. +Rabbit?"</p> + +<p>"Indeed it is," answered Uncle Wiggily, "but I would have given you +something to eat without you doing all those tricks, though I enjoyed them +very much. Where did you learn to do them?"</p> + +<p>"Oh, in the circus where I used to be, I always had to do tricks for my +dinner," said the doggie.</p> + +<p>"What is your name?" asked Uncle Wiggily.</p> + +<p>"Fido Flip-Flop," was the answer. "You see they call me that because I +turn so many flip-flops," and then Uncle Wiggily gave him some lunch, and +told the dog about how he, himself, was traveling all over in search of +his fortune.</p> + +<p>"Why, that's just what I'm doing, too," exclaimed Fido Flip-Flop. "Suppose +we travel together? and maybe we'll each find a fortune."</p> + +<p>"That's just what we'll do," agreed Uncle Wiggily.</p> + +<p>And then, all of a sudden, before you could open your eyes and shut them +again, two savage foxes jumped out from behind a big stump.</p> + +<p>"You grab the dog and I'll grab the rabbit," called the biggest fox, and +right at Uncle Wiggily and Fido they sprang, gnashing their teeth.</p> + +<p>But don't worry. I'll find a way to save them, and if the canary bird +doesn't take my lead pencil and stick it in his seed dish I'll tell you in +the following story about Uncle Wiggily doing some tricks.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="STORY_V" id="STORY_V" />STORY V</h2> + +<h3>UNCLE WIGGILY DOES SOME TRICKS</h3> + + +<p>When those two savage ducks—oh, I mean foxes—when those two savage foxes +jumped out of the bushes at Uncle Wiggily Longears and Fido Flip-Flop, as +I told you in the other story, the rabbit and the poodle doggie didn't +know what in the world to do.</p> + +<p>"Run this way!" called Fido, starting off to the left.</p> + +<p>"No, hop this way!" said Uncle Wiggily, hopping to the right.</p> + +<p>"Stand right where you are!" ordered the two foxes together. And with that +one made a grab for Uncle Wiggily. But what did that brave rabbit +gentleman do but stick his red-white-and-blue crutch out in front of him, +and the fox bit on that instead of on Uncle Wiggily. Right into the crutch +the fox's teeth sank, and for a moment Uncle Wiggily was safe. But not for +long.</p> + +<p>"Ah, you fooled me that time, but now I'll get you!" cried the fox, and, +letting go of the crutch, he made another grab for the rabbit.</p> + +<p>But at that instant Fido Flip-Flop, who had been jumping about, keeping +out of the way of the fox that was after him, cried out quite loudly:</p> + +<p>"Look here, everybody but Uncle Wiggily, and, as for you, shut both your +eyes tight."</p> + +<p>Now the old gentleman rabbit couldn't imagine why he was to shut his eyes +tight, but he did so, and then what do you s'pose Fido Flip-Flop did? Why, +he began turning somersaults so fast that he looked just like a pinwheel +going around, or an automobile tire whizzing along. Faster and faster did +Fido Flip-Flop turn around, and then, all of a sudden, he began chasing +his tail, making motions just like a merry-go-round in a circus, until +those two foxes were fairly dizzy from watching him.</p> + +<p>"Stop! Stop!" cried one fox.</p> + +<p>"Yes do stop! We're so dizzy that we can't stand up!" cried the other fox, +staggering about. "Stop!"</p> + +<p>"No, I'll not!" answered Fido Flip-Flop, and he went around faster that +ever, faster and faster and faster, until those two bad foxes got so +dizzy-izzy that they fell right over on their backs, with their legs +sticking straight up in the air like clothes posts, and their tails were +wiggling back and forth in the dirt, like dusting brushes. Oh, but they +were the dizzy foxes, though.</p> + +<p>"Now's your chance! Run! Run! Uncle Wiggily! Run!" called Fido Flip-Flop +"Open your eyes and run!"</p> + +<p>So the old gentleman rabbit opened his eyes, took up his valise which he +had dropped, and, hopping on his crutch, he and the poodle doggie ran on +through the woods, leaving the two surprised and disappointed foxes still +lying on their backs, wiggling their tails in the dust, and too dizzy, +from having watched Fido Flip-Flop do somersaults, and chase his tail, to +be able to get up.</p> + +<p>"Why did you want me to shut my eyes?" asked Uncle Wiggily, when they were +so far away from the foxes that there was no more danger.</p> + +<p>"That was so <i>you</i> wouldn't get dizzy from watching me do the flip-flops," +answered the doggie. "My, but that was a narrow escape, though. Have you +had many adventures like that since you started out to seek your fortune?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, several," answered the rabbit. "But turning flip-flops is a very +good thing to know how to do. I wonder if you could teach me, so that when +any more foxes or alligators chase me I can make them dizzy by turning +around? Can you teach me?"</p> + +<p>"I'm sure I can," said Fido. "Here, this is the way to begin," and he did +some flip-flops slow and easy-like. Then Uncle Wiggily tried them, and, +though he couldn't do them very well at first, he practised until he was +quite good at it. Then Fido showed him how to stand on one ear, and wiggle +the other, and how to blink his eyes while standing on the end of his +little tail, and then Uncle Wiggily thought of a new trick, all by +himself.</p> + +<p>"I'll stick my crutch in the ground, like a clothes pole," he said to +Fido, "and then I'll hop up on it and sing a song," which he did, singing +a song that went like this:</p> + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">"Did you ever see a rabbit</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 4em;">Do a flipper-flopper-flap?</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">If not just kindly watch me,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 4em;">As I wear my baseball cap.</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">"It's very strange, some folks may say,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 4em;">And also rather funny,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">To see a kinky poodle dog</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 4em;">Play with a flip-flop bunny.</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">"But we are on our travels,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 4em;">Adventures for to seek,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">We may find one, or two, or three,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 4em;">'Most any day next week."</span><br /> +</p> + +<p>And then Uncle Wiggily hopped down, and waved both ears backward and +forward, and made a low bow to a make-believe crowd of people, only, of +course, there were none there.</p> + +<p>"Fine! Fine!" cried Fido Flip-Flop. "That's better than I did when I was +in the circus. Now I'll tell you what let's do."</p> + +<p>"What?" asked Uncle Wiggily.</p> + +<p>"Let's go around and give little shows and entertainments, for little +folks to see," went on the poodle doggie. "I can turn flip-flops, and you +can stand on your head on your crutch, and sing a song, and then we'll +take up a collection. I'll pass my hat, and perhaps we may make our +fortune—who knows?"</p> + +<p>"Who, indeed?" said Uncle Wiggily. "We'll do it."</p> + +<p>So off they started together to give a little show, and make some money, +and, as they went on through the woods, they practised doing the tricks +Uncle Wiggily had learned.</p> + +<p>Well, in a little while, not so very long, they came to a nice place in +the forest—an open place where no trees grew.</p> + +<p>"Here is a good spot for our show," said Uncle Wiggily.</p> + +<p>"But there is no one to see us do the tricks," objected Fido.</p> + +<p>"Oh, yes, there are some ants, and an angle worm, and a black bug and a +grasshopper," said Uncle Wiggily. "They will do to start on, and after +they see us do the tricks they'll tell other folks, and we'll have quite a +crowd."</p> + +<p>So they started in to do their tricks. Fido turned a lot of flip-flops, +and Uncle Wiggily did a dance on the end of his crutch, and sang a song +about a monkey-doodle, which the angle worm said was just fine, being +quite cute, and the grasshopper made believe play a fiddle with his two +hind legs, scratching one on the other, and making lovely music.</p> + +<p>But, all of a sudden, just as Uncle Wiggily was standing on his left ear, +and wiggling his feet in the air, which is a very hard trick for a rabbit, +what should happen but that out of the woods sprang two boys.</p> + +<p>"There's the dog! Grab him!" cried one boy. "Never mind about the rabbit! +Get the trick dog!" And the boys rushed right up, knocking Uncle Wiggily +down, and grabbing Fido Flip-Flop. And they started off through the woods +with him, while Uncle Wiggily cried out for them to come back. But they +wouldn't.</p> + +<p>Now please don't feel badly, for I'm going to tell you in the next story +how Uncle Wiggily saved Fido, and also how the rabbit went to Arabella +Chick's surprise party—that is I will if our automobile doesn't turn +upside down, and break my ice cream cone.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="STORY_VI" id="STORY_VI" />STORY VI</h2> + +<h3>UNCLE WIGGILY AT THE PARTY</h3> + + +<p>Well, when Uncle Wiggily Longears found that the elephant wouldn't get off +his trunk—oh, listen to me! What I meant to say was, that when Uncle +Wiggily saw those two boys running off with Fido Flip-Flop, the little +trick dog, as I told you about in the story before this, the old gentleman +rabbit was so surprised at first that he didn't know what to do.</p> + +<p>"Won't you please come back with that little doggie?" begged Uncle +Wiggily, but the bad boys kept right on. I guess they knew how smart Fido +was, and they wanted to get up a show with him. Anyhow, they kept on +running through the woods, holding him tightly in their <ins title="Transcriber's Note: original reads 'rams'">arms</ins> +.</p> + +<p>"Oh, dear! This is terrible!" exclaimed Uncle Wiggily. "I'll never get any +good fortune if Fido has such bad luck. And it was partly my fault, too, +for if we hadn't been doing tricks, we would have heard these boys coming, +and could have run away. Well, now I must save Fido."</p> + +<p>So Uncle Wiggily sat down on a stump, and thought, and thought, and +thought of all the plans he could think of, to save the doggie from the +two boys, and at last he decided the only way to do was to scare them.</p> + +<p>"Then they'll drop Fido, and run away," said the old gentleman rabbit. +"Let me see, how can I scare them? I know, I'll make believe I'm a tiger!"</p> + +<p>So what did that brave Uncle Wiggily do? but go to a mud hole, and with +his crutch dipped into the mud, he made himself all striped over like a +tiger that you see in a circus. Oh, he was a most ferocious sight when he +finished decorating himself! Then he hid his satchel in the bushes, and he +started off on a short cut through the woods, to get ahead of the boys. +Faster and faster through the woods went Uncle Wiggily, and he looked so +peculiarly terrifying that all the animals who saw him were scared out of +their wits, and one old blue-jay bird was so frightened that he wiggled +his tail up and down, and hid his head in a hollow tree.</p> + +<p>Well, by and by, after a while, Uncle Wiggily got to a place in the woods +where he knew those boys, with Fido Flip-Flop, would soon come by. Then +the rabbit hid himself in the bushes, so that his long ears wouldn't show. +For he knew that if the boys saw them, they would know right away he +wasn't a tiger, no matter if he was striped like one.</p> + +<p>In a few minutes along came the boys, and they were talking about what +they were going to do to Fido, and how they would put him in a cage, and +make him do lots of tricks. All of a sudden there was a rustling in the +bushes, and Uncle Wiggily just stuck out his head and part of his body, +laying his ears flat back where they could not be seen. But the boys could +see the mud stripes, only they didn't know they were just mud, you +understand.</p> + +<p>"Oh! See that!" cried one boy.</p> + +<p>"Yes, it's a tigery-tiger!" exclaimed the other boy.</p> + +<p>"Let's run!" shouted both the boys together. "The tiger will eat us up!"</p> + +<p>And just then Uncle Wiggily growled as loudly as he could, a real fierce +growl, and he rattled the bushes and stuck out his striped paws, and those +boys dropped Fido Flip-Flop, and ran away, as hard as they could through +the woods, leaving Fido to join the rabbit.</p> + +<p>"Thank you very much for saving me, Uncle Wiggily," said the dog, as soon +as he got over being frightened. "That was a good trick, to pretend you +were a tiger. But I knew you right away, only, of course, I wasn't going +to tell those boys who you were. It served them right, for squeezing me +the way they did. Now we'll go on, and see if we can find a fortune for +you."</p> + +<p>So they went back to where Uncle Wiggily had left his valise, and there it +was safe and sound, and inside it were some nice things to eat, and the +rabbit and doggie had a dinner there in the woods, after the mud stripes +were washed off.</p> + +<p>Then they went on and on, for ever so long, and nothing happened, except +that a mosquito bit Fido on the end of his nose, and every time he sneezed +it tickled him.</p> + +<p>"Well, I guess we won't have any more adventures to-day, Uncle Wiggily," +spoke the doggie, but, a moment later, they heard a rustling in the bushes +and, before they could hide themselves, out jumped Arabella Chick, the +sister of Charlie, the rooster boy.</p> + +<p>"Oh, you dear Uncle Wiggily!" she exclaimed, "you're just in time."</p> + +<p>"What for?" asked Uncle Wiggily; "for the train?"</p> + +<p>"No, for my party," answered Arabella. "I'm going to have one for all my +friends, and I want you to come. Will you?"</p> + +<p>"Oh, I guess so, Arabella. But you see, I have a friend with me, and——"</p> + +<p>"Oh, he can come too," spoke Arabella, making a bow to Fido Flip-Flop. So +Uncle Wiggily introduced the doggie to the chickie girl, and the chickie +girl to the doggie.</p> + +<p>Then they went on together to the party, which was held in a nice big +chicken coop.</p> + +<p>Oh, I wish you could have been there! It was just too nice for anything! +Sammie and Susie Littletail were there, and they were so glad to see Uncle +Wiggily again. He said he hadn't been very lucky in finding his fortune so +far, but his rheumatism was not much worse, and he was going to keep on +traveling. He sent his love to all the folks, and said he'd be home some +time later.</p> + +<p>Then, of course, all the other animal friends were at the party and they +played games—games of all kinds, including a new one called "Please don't +sit on my hat, and I won't sit on yours." It was too funny for anything, +really it was.</p> + +<p>Then, of course, there were good things to eat. Buddy Pigg passed around +the ice cream, and just as he was handing a plate of it to Jennie Chipmunk +it slipped—I mean the ice cream slipped—and went right into Uncle +Butter's lap. But the old goat didn't care a bit. He said it reminded him +of a pail of paste, and he ate the ice cream, and Nurse Jane Fuzzy-Wuzzy +got Jennie some more.</p> + +<p>Then Flip-Flop and Uncle Wiggily did some of their tricks, and every one +said they were fine, and they thought it was the best party they had ever +been at.</p> + +<p>But all of a sudden, just as they were playing the game called "Jump on +the piano, and play a queer tune," there came a knock at the door.</p> + +<p>"Who's there?" asked Arabella Chick.</p> + +<p>"I am," answered a voice, "and I want Uncle Wiggily Longears instantly! He +must come with me!" And they all looked from the window, and there stood a +big dog, dressed up like a soldier, and he had a gun with him. And he +wanted Uncle Wiggily to come out, and every one was frightened, for fear +he'd shoot the old gentleman rabbit.</p> + +<p>But please don't you get alarmed. I wouldn't have that happen for worlds, +and in the next story, if I catch a fish in the milk bottle, and he +doesn't bite my finger, I'll tell you about Uncle Wiggily in a parade. And +it will be a Decoration Day story.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="STORY_VII" id="STORY_VII" />STORY VII</h2> + +<h3>UNCLE WIGGILY IN A PARADE</h3> + + +<p>Arabella Chick's party seemed to break up very suddenly when the guests +saw that soldier-dog with the gun waiting outside the door. Buddy Pigg +slipped out of a back window, and ran home with his tail behind him. Oh, +excuse me, guinea pigs don't have a tail, do they? Anyhow he ran home, and +so did Sammie and Susie Littletail, and Johnnie and Billie Bushytail, and +the Wibblewobble children, and Peetie and Jackie Bow Wow too.</p> + +<p>But, of course, Arabella Chick couldn't run home because she was at home +already, so she just looked out of the window once more, and there the +dog-soldier stood, and he was looking in his gun to see if it was loaded.</p> + +<p>"Well, is Uncle Wiggily coming out?" called the dog again.</p> + +<p>"I guess I am—that is—are you sure you want me?" asked the poor old +gentleman rabbit, puzzled like.</p> + +<p>"Yes, of course I want you," replied the dog.</p> + +<p>"Then I guess I've got to go!" exclaimed Uncle Wiggily, as he looked for +his crutch and valise. "I guess this is the end of my fortune-hunting. +Goodbye everybody!" And he felt so badly that two big tears rolled down +his ears—I mean his eyes.</p> + +<p>Well, he bravely walked out of the door, and as he did so the dog-soldier, +with the gun, exclaimed:</p> + +<p>"Ah, here you are at last! Now hurry up, Uncle Wiggily, or we'll be late +for the parade!"</p> + +<p>And, would you believe it? that dog was good, kind, old Percival, who used +to be in a circus. And of course he wouldn't hurt the rabbit gentleman for +anything. Percival just put his gun to his shoulder, and said:</p> + +<p>"Come on, we'll get in the parade now."</p> + +<p>"Parade? What parade?" asked Uncle Wiggily. "Oh my! how you frightened +me!"</p> + +<p>"Why the Decoration Day parade," answered Percival. "To-day is the day +when we put flowers on the soldiers' graves, and remember them for being +so brave as to go to war. All old soldiers march in the parade, and so do +all their friends. I'm going to march, and I'm going to put flowers on a +lot of soldiers' graves. I happened to remember that you were once in the +war, so I came for you. I didn't mean to scare you. You were in the war, +weren't you?"</p> + +<p>"Yes," said Uncle Wiggily, happy now because he knew he wasn't going to +get shot, "I once went to war, and killed a lot of mosquitoes."</p> + +<p>"Good! I thought so!" exclaimed Percival. "Well, I met Grandfather Goosey +Gander, and he said he thought you were at this party, so I came for you. +Come on, now, the parade is almost ready to start."</p> + +<p>"Oh, how you did frighten us!" exclaimed Arabella, whose heart was still +going pitter-patter. "We thought you were going to hurt Uncle Wiggily, +Percival."</p> + +<p>"Oh, I'm so sorry I alarmed you," spoke the circus dog politely. "I won't +do it again."</p> + +<p>Well, in a little while Percival and Uncle Wiggily were at the parade. The +old gentleman rabbit left his satchel at Arabella's house, and only took +his crutch. But he limped along just like a real soldier, and Percival +carried his gun as bravely as one could wish.</p> + +<p>Oh, I wish you could have heard the bands playing, and the drums +beating—the little kind that sound like when you drop beans on the +kitchen oil-cloth, and the big drums, that go "Boom-boom!" like thunder +and lightning, and the fifes that squeak like a mouse in the cheese trap, +and then the big blaring horns, that make a sound like a circus +performance.</p> + +<p>They were all there, and there were lots of soldiers and horses and wagons +filled with flowers to put on the graves of the soldiers, who were so +brave that they didn't mind going to war to fight for their country, +though war is a terrible thing.</p> + +<p>Then the march began, and Uncle Wiggily and Percival stepped out as brave +as anyone in all the parade. Oh, how fine they looked! and, when they +marched past, all the animal people, and some real boys and girls, and +papas and mammas clapped their hands and cried "Hurrah!" at the sight of +the old gentleman rabbit limping along on his crutch, with the dog-soldier +marching beside him.</p> + +<p>"Who knows," whispered Percival to Uncle Wiggily, "who knows but what you +may discover your fortune to-day?"</p> + +<p>"Indeed I may," answer Uncle Wiggily. "Who knows?"</p> + +<p>Well, that was a fine parade. But something happened. I was afraid it +would, but I'll tell you all about it, and you can see for yourself +whether or not I was right.</p> + +<p>All of a sudden one man, with a big horn—a horn large enough to put a +loaf of mother's bread down inside the noisy end—all of a sudden this man +blew a terrible blast—"Umpty-umpty-Umph! Umph!" My, what a noise he made +on that horn.</p> + +<p>Now, right in front of this man was a little boy-duck riding on a pony. +Yes, you've guessed who he was—he was Jimmy Wibblewobble. And when that +man blew the loud blast, the pony was frightened, and ran away with Jimmie +on his back.</p> + +<p>Faster and faster ran the pony, and Jimmie Wibblewobble clung to his back, +fearing every moment he would be thrown off. In and out among the people +and animals in the parade, in and out among trolley cars and automobiles, +in and out, and from one side to another of the street ran the frightened +pony.</p> + +<p>"Oh, poor Jimmie will be killed!" cried Percival.</p> + +<p>"No, he will not, for I will save him!" shouted Uncle Wiggily. So that +brave rabbit ran right out to where he saw Munchie Trot, the little pony +boy.</p> + +<p>"Let me jump on your back, Munchie," said Uncle Wiggily, "and then we'll +race after that runaway pony and grab off poor Jimmie. And run as fast as +you can, Munchie!"</p> + +<p>"I certainly will!" cried Munchie. So Uncle Wiggily got on Munchie's back, +and away they started after the runaway pony.</p> + +<p>Faster and faster ran Munchie, and by this time the other little horsie +was getting tired. Jimmie was still clinging to his back, and asking him +not to run so fast, but the pony was so frightened he didn't listen to the +duck-boy.</p> + +<p>Then, just as he was going to run into a hot peanut wagon, and maybe toss +Jimmie off into the red-hot roaster, all at once Uncle Wiggily, on +Munchie's back, galloped up alongside of the runaway pony. And as quick as +you can drink a glass of lemonade, Uncle Wiggily grabbed Jimmie up on +Munchie's back beside him, and so saved the duck-boy's life. And then the +runaway pony stopped short, all of a sudden, and didn't bump into the hot +peanut wagon, after all, and he was sorry he had run away, and scared +folks.</p> + +<p>Then the Decoration Day parade went on, and everyone said how brave Uncle +Wiggily was. But he hadn't yet found his fortune, and so in the story +after this in case our front porch doesn't run away, and take the back +steps with it, so I have to sleep on the doormat, I'll tell you about +Uncle Wiggily in the fountain.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="STORY_VIII" id="STORY_VIII" />STORY VIII</h2> + +<h3>UNCLE WIGGILY IN THE FOUNTAIN</h3> + + +<p>Well, after the Decoration Day parade, and the things that happened in it, +such as the pony running away with Jimmie Wibblewobble, Uncle Wiggily +Longears thought he'd like to go off to some quiet place and rest.</p> + +<p>"Oh, can't you come with me?" asked Percival, the old circus dog. "We'll +go to the Bow-Wows house, and have something to eat."</p> + +<p>"No, I'm afraid I can't go," replied the old gentleman rabbit. "You see I +must travel on to seek my fortune, for I haven't found it yet, and I still +have the rheumatism."</p> + +<p>"Why don't you try to lose that rheumatism somewhere?" asked Percival. "I +would, if it's such a bother."</p> + +<p>"Oh, I've tried and tried and tried, but I can't seem to lose it," replied +Uncle Wiggily. "So I think I'll travel on. I'm much obliged to you for +letting me march in the parade."</p> + +<p>Then the old gentleman rabbit got his valise, and, with his crutch, he +once more started off. He went on and on, up one hill and down another, +over the fields where the horses and cows and sheep were pulling up the +grass, and chewing it, so the man wouldn't have to cut it with the lawn +mower; on and on he went. Then Uncle Wiggily reached the woods, where the +ferns and wild flowers grow.</p> + +<p>"This is a fine place," he said as he sat down on a flat stump. "I think I +will eat my dinner," so he opened the satchel, and took out a sandwich +made of yellow carrots and red beets, and very pretty they looked on the +white bread, let me tell you; very nice indeed!</p> + +<p>Uncle Wiggily was eating away, and he was brushing the crumbs off his nose +by wiggling his ears, when, all of a sudden, he heard a cat crying. Oh, +such a loud cry as it was!</p> + +<p>"Why, some poor kittie must be lost," thought the old gentleman rabbit. +"I'll see if I can find it."</p> + +<p>Then the cry sounded again, and, in another moment, out of a tree flew a +big bird.</p> + +<p>"Oh, maybe that bird stuck his sharp beak in the kittie and made it cry," +thought Uncle Wiggily. "Bird, did you do that?" he asked, calling to the +bird, who was flying around in the air.</p> + +<p>"Did I do what?" asked the bird.</p> + +<p>"Did you stick the kittie, and make it cry?"</p> + +<p>"Oh, no," answered the bird. "I made that cat-crying noise myself. I am a +cat-bird, you know," and surely enough that bird went "Mew! Mew! Mew!" +three times, just like that, exactly as if a cat had cried under your +window, when you were trying to go to sleep.</p> + +<p>"Ha! That is very strange!" exclaimed the rabbit. "So you are a cat-bird."</p> + +<p>"Yes, and my little birds are kittie-birds," was the answer. "I'll show +you."</p> + +<p>So the bird went "Mew! Mew! Mew!" again, and a lot of the little birds +came flying around and they all went "Mew! Mew!" too, just like kitties. +Oh, I tell you cat-birds are queer things! and how they do love cherries +when they are ripe! Eh?</p> + +<p>"That is very good crying, birdies," said Uncle Wiggily, "and I think I'll +give you something to eat, to pay for it." So he took out from his valise +some peanuts, that Percival, the circus dog, had given him, and Uncle +Wiggily fed them to the cat-bird and her kittie-birds.</p> + +<p>"You are very kind," said the mamma bird, "and if we can ever do you a +favor we will."</p> + +<p>And now listen, as the telephone girl says, those birds are going to do +Uncle Wiggily a favor in a short time—a very short time indeed.</p> + +<p>Well, after the birds had eaten all the peanuts they flew away, and Uncle +Wiggily started off once more. He hadn't gone very far before he came to +a fountain. You know what that is. It's a thing in a park that squirts up +water, just like when you fill a rubber ball with milk or lemonade and +squeeze it. Only a fountain is bigger, of course.</p> + +<p>This fountain that Uncle Wiggily came to had no water in it, for it was +being cleaned. There was a big basin, with a pipe up through the middle, +and this was where the water spouted up when it was running.</p> + +<p>"This is very strange," said Uncle Wiggily, for he had never seen a +fountain before, "perhaps I can find my fortune in here. I'll go look." So +down he jumped into the big empty fountain basin, which was as large as +seven wash tubs made into one. And it was so nice and comfortable there, +and so shady, for there were trees near it, that, before he knew it, Uncle +Wiggily fell fast asleep, with his head on his satchel for a pillow.</p> + +<p>And then he had a funny dream. He dreamed that it was raining, and that +his umbrella turned inside out, and got full of holes, and that he was +getting all wet.</p> + +<p>"My!" exclaimed Uncle Wiggily, as he gave a big sneeze. "This is a very +real dream. I actually believe I <i>am</i> wet!"</p> + +<p>Then he got real wide awake all of a sudden, and he found that he was +right in the middle of a lot of wetness, for the man had turned the water +on in the fountain unexpectedly, not knowing that the old gentleman +rabbit was asleep there.</p> + +<p>"I must get out of here!" cried Uncle Wiggily, as he grabbed up his valise +and crutch. Then the water came up to his little short, stumpy tail. Next +it rose higher, up to his knees. Then it rose still faster up to his front +feet and then almost up to his chin.</p> + +<p>"Oh, I'm afraid I'm going to drown!" he cried. "I must get out!" So he +tried to swim to the edge of the fountain, but you can't swim very well +with a crutch and a valise, you know, and Uncle Wiggily didn't want to +lose either one. Then the water from the top of the fountain splashed in +his eyes and he couldn't see which way to swim.</p> + +<p>"Oh, help! Help!" he cried. "Will no one help me?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, we will help you!" answered a voice, and up flew the big cat-bird, +and her little kitten-birds. "Quick, children!" she cried, "we must save +Uncle Wiggily, who was so kind to us! Every one of you get a stick, and +we'll make a little boat, or raft, for him!"</p> + +<p>Well, I wish you could have seen how quickly the mamma cat-bird and her +kittie-birds gathered a lot of sticks, and twigs, and laid them together +crossways on the water in that fountain basin, until they had a regular +little boat. Upon this Uncle Wiggily climbed, with his crutch and valise, +and then the mamma cat-bird flew on ahead, and pulled the boat by a string +to the edge of the fountain, where the rabbit could safely get out.</p> + +<p>So that's how the bunny was saved from drowning in the water, and in the +next story, if a big, red ant doesn't crawl upon our porch and carry away +the hammock, I'll tell you another adventure Uncle Wiggily had. It will be +a story of the old gentleman rabbit and the bad dog.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="STORY_IX" id="STORY_IX" />STORY IX</h2> + +<h3>UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE DOG</h3> + + +<p>Uncle Wiggily's rheumatism was quite bad after he got wet in the fountain, +as I told you in the other story, and when he thanked the mamma cat-bird +and her kitten-birds for saving him, he found that he could hardly walk, +much less carry his heavy valise.</p> + +<p>"Oh, we'll help you," said Mrs. Cat-Bird. "Here, Flitter and Flutter, you +carry the satchel for Uncle Wiggily, and we'll take him to our house."</p> + +<p>"But, mamma," said Flutter, who was getting to be quite a big bird-boy, +"Uncle Wiggily can't climb up a tree to our nest."</p> + +<p>"No, but we can make him a nice warm bed on the ground," said the mamma +bird. "So you and Flitter carry the satchel. Put a long blade of grass +through the handle, and then each of you take hold of one end of the grass +in your bills, and fly away with it. Skimmer, you and Dartie go on ahead, +and get something ready to eat, and I'll show Uncle Wiggily the way."</p> + +<p>So Flitter and Flutter, the two boy birds, flew away with the satchel, and +Skimmer and Dartie, the girl birds, flew on ahead to set the table, and +put on the teakettle on the stove to boil, and Mrs. Cat-Bird flew slowly +on over Uncle Wiggily, to show him the way.</p> + +<p>Well, pretty soon, not so so very long, they came to where the birds +lived. And those good children had already started to make a nest on the +ground for the old gentleman rabbit. They had it almost finished, and by +the time supper was ready it was all done. Then came the meal, and those +birds couldn't do enough for Uncle Wiggily, because they liked him so.</p> + +<p>When it got dark, they covered him all up, with soft leaves in the nest on +the ground, and there he slept until morning. His rheumatism wasn't quite +so bad when, after breakfast, he had sat out in the warm sun for a while, +and after a bit he said:</p> + +<p>"Well, I think I'll travel along now, and see if I can find my fortune +to-day. Perhaps I may, and if I do I'll come back and bring you more +peanuts."</p> + +<p>"Oh, that'll be fine and dandy!" cried Flitter and Flutter, and Skimmer +and Dartie. So they said good-by to the old gentleman rabbit, and once +more he started off.</p> + +<p>"My! I'm certainly getting to be a great traveler," he thought as he +walked along through the woods and over the fields. "But I don't ever +seem to get to any place. Something always happens to me. I hope +everything goes along nicely to-day."</p> + +<p>But you just wait and see what takes place. I'm afraid something is going +to happen very shortly, but it's not my fault, and all I can do is to tell +you exactly all about it. Wait! There, it's beginning to happen now.</p> + +<p>All of a sudden, as Uncle Wiggily was traveling along, he came to a place +in the woods where a whole lot of Gypsies had their wagons and tents. And +on one tent, in which was an old brown and wrinkled Gypsy lady, there was +a sign which read:</p> + +<p class="center">FORTUNES TOLD HERE.</p> + +<p>"Ha! If they tell fortunes in that tent, perhaps the Gypsy lady can tell +me where to find mine," thought Uncle Wiggily. "I'll go up and ask her."</p> + +<p>Well, he was just going to the tent when he happened to think that perhaps +the Gypsy woman wouldn't understand rabbit talk. So he sat there in the +bushes thinking what he had better do, when all at once, before he could +wiggle his ears more than four times, a great big, bad, ugly dog sprang at +him, barking, oh! so loudly.</p> + +<p>"Come on, Browser!" cried this dog to another one. "Here is a fat rabbit +that we can catch for dinner. Come on, let's chase him!"</p> + +<p>Well, you can just imagine how frightened Uncle Wiggily was. He didn't sit +there, waiting for that dog to catch him, either. No, indeed, and a bag of +popcorn besides! Up jumped Uncle Wiggily, with his crutch and his valise, +and he hopped as hard and as fast as he could run. My! How his legs did +twist in and out.</p> + +<p>"Come on! Come!" barked the first dog to the second one.</p> + +<p>"I'm coming! I'm coming! Woof! Woof! Bow-w-w Bow-wow!" barked the second +dog.</p> + +<p>Poor Uncle Wiggily's heart beat faster and faster, and he didn't know +which way to run. Every way he turned the dogs were after him, and soon +more of the savage animals came to join the first two, until all the dogs +in that Gypsy camp were chasing the poor old gentleman rabbit.</p> + +<p>"I guess I'll have to drop my satchel or my crutch," thought Uncle +Wiggily. "I can't carry them much farther. Still, I don't want to lose +them." So he held on to them a little longer, took a good breath and ran +on some more.</p> + +<p>He thought he saw a chance to escape by <ins title="Transcriber's Note: original reads 'runing'">running</ins> + across in front of the +fortune-telling tent, and he started that way, but a Gypsy man, with a +gun, saw him and fired at him. I'm glad to say, however, that he didn't +shoot Uncle Wiggily, or else I couldn't tell any more stories about him.</p> + +<p>Uncle Wiggily got safely past the tent, but the dogs were almost up to him +now. One of them was just going to catch him by his left hind leg, when +one of the Gypsy men cried out:</p> + +<p>"Grab him, Biter! Grab him! We'll have rabbit potpie for dinner; that's +what we'll have!"</p> + +<p>Wasn't that a perfectly dreadful way to talk about our Uncle Wiggily? But +just wait, if you please.</p> + +<p>Biter, the bad dog, was just going to grab the rabbit, when all of a +sudden, Uncle Wiggily saw a big hole in the ground.</p> + +<p>"That's what I'm looking for!" he exclaimed. "I'm going down there, and +hide away from these dogs!"</p> + +<p>So into the hole he popped, valise, crutch and all, and oh! how glad he +was to get into the cool, quiet darkness, leaving those savage, barking +dogs outside. But wait a moment longer, if you please.</p> + +<p>Biter and Browser stopped short at the hole.</p> + +<p>"He's gone—gotten clean away!" exclaimed Browser. "Isn't that too bad?"</p> + +<p>"No, we'll get him yet!" cried Biter. "Here, you watch at this hole, while +I go get a pail of water. We'll pour the water down, under the ground +where the rabbit is, and that will make him come out, and we'll eat him."</p> + +<p>"Good!" cried Browser. So while he stood there and watched, Biter went +for the water. But, mind you, Uncle Wiggily had sharp ears and he heard +what they were saying, and what do you think he did?</p> + +<p>Why, with his sharp claws he went right to work, and he dug, and dug, and +dug in the back part of that underground place, until he had made another +hole, far off from the first one, and he crawled out of that, with his +crutch and valise, just as Biter was pouring the water down the first +hole.</p> + +<p>"Ah, ha! I think this will astonish those dogs!" thought Uncle Wiggily, +and he took a peep at them from behind a bush where they couldn't see him, +and then he hopped on through the woods, to look for more adventures, +leaving the dogs still pouring water.</p> + +<p>And one happened to him shortly after that, as I shall tell you on the +next page, when, in case the rocking chair doesn't tip over backwards and +spill out the sofa cushion into the rubber plant, the story will be about +Uncle Wiggily and the monkey.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="STORY_X" id="STORY_X" />STORY X</h2> + +<h3>UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE MONKEY</h3> + + +<p>Let me see, we left those two bad dogs pouring water down the hole, to get +Uncle Wiggily out, didn't we? And the old gentleman rabbit fooled them, +didn't he? He got out of another hole that he dug around by the back door, +you remember.</p> + +<p>Well, I just wish you could have seen those two dogs, after they had +poured pail after pail of water down the hole, and no rabbit came floating +up.</p> + +<p>"This hole must go all the way down to China!" said Browser, breathing +very fast.</p> + +<p>"Yes, I'm tired of carrying water," said Biter. And just then another dog +cried out:</p> + +<p>"Why, foolish dogs, the water's all running out the back way!" And, surely +enough, it was. Then they knew Uncle Wiggily had escaped, and they were as +angry as anything, but it served them right, I think.</p> + +<p>"My! I wonder what will happen next?" thought the old gentleman rabbit, as +he hopped along. "That was a narrow escape."</p> + +<p>So, having nothing else to do, Uncle Wiggily sat down on a nice, smooth +stump, and he ate some lunch out of his valise. And a red ant came up, and +very politely asked if she might not pick up the crumbs which the old +rabbit dropped.</p> + +<p>"Of course you may," said Uncle Wiggily kindly. "And I'll give you a whole +slice of bread and butter, also."</p> + +<p>"Oh, you are too generous," spoke the red ant. "I never could carry a +slice of bread and butter. But if you will leave it on the stump I'll get +some of my friends, and we'll bite off little crumbs, a few at a time, and +in that way carry it to our houses."</p> + +<p>So that's what Uncle Wiggily did, and the ants had a fine feast, and they +were very thankful. Uncle Wiggily asked them if they knew where he could +find his fortune.</p> + +<p>"Why don't you go to work, instead of traveling around so much?" asked the +biggest red ant. "The best fortune is the one you work for."</p> + +<p>"Is it? I never thought of that," said Uncle Wiggily. "I will look for +work at once. I wonder if you ants have any for me."</p> + +<p>"We'd like to help you," they said, "but you see you are so large that you +couldn't get into our houses to do any work. You had much better travel +along, and work for some one larger than we are."</p> + +<p>"I will," decided the old gentleman rabbit. "I'll ask every one I meet if +they want me to work for them."</p> + +<p>So he started off once more, and the first place he came to was a house +where a mouse lady lived.</p> + +<p>"Have you any work I can do?" asked Uncle Wiggily politely.</p> + +<p>"What work can you do?" asked the mouse lady.</p> + +<p>"Well, I can peel carrots or turnips with my teeth," said Uncle Wiggily, +"and I can look after children, and tell them stories, and I can do some +funny tricks——"</p> + +<p>"Then you had better go join a circus," interrupted the mouse lady. "I +have no children, and I can peel my own carrots, thank you. As for +turnips, I never eat them."</p> + +<p>"Then I must go on a little further," said Uncle Wiggily, as he picked up +his valise, and walked off on his crutch. So he went on, until he came to +another house in the woods, and he knocked on the door.</p> + +<p>"Have you any work I can do?" inquired Uncle Wiggily politely.</p> + +<p>"No! Get away and don't bother me!" growled a most unpleasant voice, and +the rabbit was just going down the steps, when the door opened a crack, +and a long, sharp nose and a mouth full of sharp teeth, and some long +legs with sharp claws on them, were stuck out.</p> + +<p>"Oh, hold on!" cried the voice. "I guess I can find some work for you +after all. You can get up a dinner for me!" and then the savage creature, +who had opened the door, made a grab for the rabbit and nearly caught him. +Only Uncle Wiggily jumped away, just in time, and the wolf, for he it was +who had called out, caught his own tail in the crack of the door and +howled most frightfully.</p> + +<p>"Come back! Come back!" cried the wolf, but, of course, Uncle Wiggily +wouldn't do such a foolish thing as that, and the wolf couldn't chase +after him, for his tail was fast in the door hinge.</p> + +<p>"My, I must be more careful after this how I knock at doors, and ask for +work," the old gentleman rabbit thought. "I was nearly caught that time. +I'll try again, and I may have better luck."</p> + +<p>So he walked along through the woods, and pretty soon he heard a voice +singing, and this is the song, as nearly as I can remember it:</p> + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Here I sit and wonder</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">What I'm going to do.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">I've no one to help me,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">I think it's sad; don't you?</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">I have to play the fiddle,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">But still I'd give a cent</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">To any one who'd keep the boys</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">From crawling in the tent.</span><br /> +</p> + +<p>"Well, I wonder who that can be?" thought Uncle Wiggily. "He'll give a +cent, eh? to any one who keeps the boys from crawling in the tent. Now, if +that isn't a bear or a fox or a wolf maybe I can work for him, and earn +that money. I'll try."</p> + +<p>So he peeped out of the bushes, and there he saw a nice monkey, all +dressed up in a clown's suit, spotted red, white and blue. And the monkey +was playing a tune on a fiddle. Then, all of a sudden, he laid aside the +fiddle, and began to beat the bass drum. Then he blew on a horn, next he +jumped up and down, and turned a somersault, and then, finally, he grabbed +up a whip with a whistle in the tail—I mean in the end—and that monkey +began to pretend he was chasing make-believe boys from around a real tent +that was in a little place under the trees.</p> + +<p>"Oh, I guess that monkey won't hurt me," said Uncle Wiggily as he stepped +boldly out, and as soon as the monkey saw the rabbit, he called most +politely:</p> + +<p>"Well, what do you want?"</p> + +<p>"I want to earn a cent, by chasing boys from out the tent," replied Uncle +Wiggily.</p> + +<p>"Good!" cried the monkey. "So you heard me sing? I'm tired of being the +whole show. I need some one to help me. Come over here and I'll explain +all about it. If you like it, you can go to work for me, and if you do, +your fortune is as good as made."</p> + +<p>"That's fine!" cried Uncle Wiggily. "And I can do tricks in the show, +too."</p> + +<p>"Fine!" exclaimed the monkey, hanging by his tail from a green apple tree. +"Now, I'll explain."</p> + +<p>But, just as he was going to do so, out jumped a big black bear from the +bushes, making a grab for Uncle Wiggily. He might have caught him, too, +only the monkey picked up a cocoanut pie off the ground and hit the bear +so hard on the head, that the savage creature was frightened, and ran +away, sneezing, leaving the monkey and the rabbit alone by the show-tent.</p> + +<p>"Now, we'll get ready to have some fun," said the monkey, and what he and +Uncle Wiggily did I'll tell you in the following story which will be about +the old gentleman rabbit and the boys—that is, if the molasses jug +doesn't tip over on my plate, and spoil my bread and butter peanut +sandwich.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="STORY_XI" id="STORY_XI" />STORY XI</h2> + +<h3>UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE BOYS</h3> + + +<p>"Well," said the monkey after the bear had run away. "I guess we can now +sit down and talk quietly together; eh, Uncle Wiggily?"</p> + +<p>"Yes," said the old gentleman rabbit. "But what is it that you want me to +do? I heard you sing that funny little song, about the boys coming in the +tent. But I don't exactly understand."</p> + +<p>"That's just it," replied the monkey. "You see, it's this way. I have a +little sort of a circus-show here, and the troublesome boys don't want to +pay any money to get in. So when my back is turned they crawl under the +tent, and so they see the show for nothing—just like at the circus."</p> + +<p>"Oh, so that's how it is?" asked Uncle Wiggily. "And you want me to keep +out the boys?"</p> + +<p>"That's it," said the monkey. "Here's a big stick, with which to tickle +the boys who crawl in under the tent without paying. Now I'll practice my +tricks."</p> + +<p>So the monkey did a lot of tricks. He stood on his head, and he hung by +his tail, and he danced around in a circle. Then he pounded the drum, not +so hard as to hurt it, but hard enough to make a noise, and he played the +fiddle and blew on the horn, and then he ran inside the tent and jumped +over a bench, making believe it was an elephant, and he did all sorts of +funny tricks like that. He even stood on his head, and made a funny face.</p> + +<p>"That will make a very nice show," said Uncle Wiggily after he had watched +the monkey. "Now I'll stay outside, and keep the boys from coming in +unless they pay their money. And you can be inside, doing the tricks."</p> + +<p>"And I'll give you money for working for me," said the monkey. "Then +perhaps you can make your fortune, and, besides that, I'll give you a +cocoanut, and you can make a cocoanut pie with it."</p> + +<p>"That will be fine!" cried Uncle Wiggily. So he and the monkey practiced +to get ready for their show. It was a nice little tent in which it was to +be given, and there were seats for the people, who would come, and a +platform, and flying rings and trapeze bars and paper hoops, and all +things like that, just the same as in a real circus. Well, finally the +time came for the show. It was the day after Uncle Wiggily got to the +place where the tent was, and he had slept that night in a hammock, put +up between two trees.</p> + +<p>"Now we're almost ready for the show," said the monkey to the old +gentleman rabbit, after a bit, "so I hope you will be sure to keep out the +troublesome boys. They always creep under the tent, and see the show for +nothing. I can't have that going on if I'm to make any money."</p> + +<p>"Oh, I'll stop 'em!" declared Uncle Wiggily.</p> + +<p>"And here's the club to do it with," said the monkey, handing Uncle +Wiggily a stick.</p> + +<p>"Oh, I don't know about that," answered the rabbit. "I never hurt boys if +I can help it. Perhaps I shan't need the club. I'll leave it here."</p> + +<p>So Uncle Wiggily hid the club under an apple tree, but the monkey said it +would be needed, and he wanted Uncle Wiggily to keep it, and take a whip, +too. But the old rabbit shook his head.</p> + +<p>"I'll try being kind to the boys," he said. "You let me have my way, Mr. +Monkey."</p> + +<p>Well, pretty soon, not so very long, the show began. The monkey went +inside the tent, and he blew on the horn, and he made music on the fiddle, +and sang a funny song about a little great big pussy, who had a red +balloon. She stuck a pin inside it, and it played a go-bang! tune.</p> + +<p>Of course, as soon as the show started the people came crowding up to the +tent, just as they do at the circus. There were men and women, and little +boys and girls, and big boys and girls, and they all wanted to get inside +to see what the monkey was doing. But, do you know, I believe all that he +was doing was playing monkey-doodle tricks—but, of course, I might be +mistaken.</p> + +<p>Well, as it always happens, some boys didn't have any money with which to +pay their way inside the tent. And, of course, as it will sometimes +happen, one boy said to another:</p> + +<p>"Hey! I know a way we can crawl in under the tent, and see the show, and +not have anything to pay."</p> + +<p>"But that wouldn't be fair," spoke the other boy. "It would be cheating, +and there's nothing meaner in this world than to cheat, whether it's +playing a baseball game or going to a circus."</p> + +<p>"I guess you're right," said the first boy. "What shall we do, though? I +want to see the show."</p> + +<p>"Well, we must be fair, anyhow," spoke the second boy. "We can't crawl in +under the tent, but perhaps if we ask the monkey to let us in for nothing +he'll do it."</p> + +<p>"Very well, we will," said the first boy. So they went up to the monkey +and asked if they could go in for nothing, but, of course, he wouldn't let +them.</p> + +<p>"May we crawl in under the tent, then?" asked the second boy.</p> + +<p>"If Uncle Wiggily will let you," answered the monkey, blinking his two +eyes and wrapping his tail around his neck.</p> + +<p>So those boys tried to crawl in under the tent, and as soon as Uncle +Wiggily saw them he rushed up and cried out:</p> + +<p>"Hey! Hold on there! Nobody must go under the tent. You must buy a +ticket," and he shook a feather at the boys and, instead of hitting them, +he only tickled them, and didn't hurt them a bit, for they sneezed.</p> + +<p>Well, those boys were very troublesome. They kept on trying to crawl under +the tent, and Uncle Wiggily rushed here, there and around the corner +trying to stop them, and he cracked the lash on his whip, just like the +man in the circus ring. But those boys kept on trying to crawl under the +tent, for the monkey had given them permission, you see.</p> + +<p>So finally Uncle Wiggily said:</p> + +<p>"I'll give those boys a little show myself, outside the tent, for nothing. +Then maybe they'll stop bothering me."</p> + +<p>So he stood on his left ear, and then on his right ear, and then he jumped +through a hoop, and rolled over, and barked liked a dog, and all the boys +that had tried to crawl under the tent to see the monkey-show for nothing, +ran out to see Uncle Wiggily's show.</p> + +<p>And he did lots of tricks and kept them all from crawling in under the +tent, and he even ate a popcorn ball, standing on his hind legs, and +wiggling his left ear with a pin-wheel on it. Then, after a while, the +monkey-show was all over, and the monkey said:</p> + +<p>"Uncle Wiggily, you did very well. You treated those troublesome boys just +fine! So I'll give you ten pennies, and perhaps they will make you have a +good fortune."</p> + +<p>Then the monkey gave Uncle Wiggily ten pennies, and he went to sleep in a +feather bed, while the old gentleman rabbit went down to the drug store to +get an ice cream soda.</p> + +<p>And what happened after the show was over, and what Uncle Wiggily did +after he had his ice cream, I'll tell you in the next story which will be +about Uncle Wiggily in a balloon. That is, if our pussy cat doesn't get +all covered with red paint, and look like a tomato growing on a strawberry +vine. So watch out, and don't let that happen.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="STORY_XII" id="STORY_XII" />STORY XII</h2> + +<h3>UNCLE WIGGILY IN A BALLOON</h3> + + +<p>Well, just as I expected, something happened to my pussy-cat named Peter. +He didn't fall into the pot of red paint, but he either ran away, or else +some one took him. So now I have no pussy-cat. But I'll tell you a story +about Uncle Wiggily just the same.</p> + +<p>The old gentleman rabbit stayed with the monkey for several days, and he +was so kind and good to the troublesome boys—Uncle Wiggily was, I +mean—and he did such funny tricks for them, that they didn't crawl under +the tent any more, and the monkey could do his tricks in peace and +quietness.</p> + +<p>"Oh, you have been a great help to me," said the monkey to the rabbit, +"and I would like you to work for me all Summer. I am now going to travel +on to the next town, and if you like you may go with me and keep the boys +there from crawling under the tent."</p> + +<p>"No, I thank you," replied Uncle Wiggily slowly, as he put some bread and +butter, and a piece of pie, into his satchel. "I think I will travel +farther on by myself, and seek my fortune."</p> + +<p>"Well, I'm sorry to see you go," said the monkey. "And here is fifty cents +for your work. I hope you have good luck."</p> + +<p>And then Uncle Wiggily started off again, over the fields and through the +woods, seeking his fortune, while the monkey got ready to move his show to +the next town.</p> + +<p>Well, for some time nothing happened to the old gentleman rabbit. He +walked on and on, and once he saw a little red ant, trying to drag a piece +of cake home for dinner. The cake was so big that the ant was having a +dreadful time with it, but Uncle Wiggily took his left ear, and just +brushed that cake into the ant's house as easily as anything.</p> + +<p>"My, how strong and brave you are," cried the little red ant. "Won't you +let me get you a glass of water?"</p> + +<p>"I would like it," said the rabbit, "for it is quite warm to-day."</p> + +<p>Well, that ant got Uncle Wiggily a glass of water, but you know how it +is—an ant's glass is so very small that it only holds as much water as +you could put on the point of a pin, and really, I'm not exaggerating a +bit, when I say that Uncle Wiggily drank seventeen thousand four hundred +and twenty-six and a half ant-glasses of water before he had enough. It +took all the ants for a mile around to bring the water to him, but they +didn't mind, because they liked him.</p> + +<p>Then the old gentleman rabbit traveled on again, and when it came night he +slept under a haystack.</p> + +<p>"I am sure I'll find my fortune to-day," thought Uncle Wiggily as he got +up and brushed the hay seed out of his ears the next morning.</p> + +<p>It was a bright, beautiful day, and he hadn't gone very far before he +heard some fine music.</p> + +<p>"My, there must be a hand-organ around here," he said to himself. "And +perhaps there is another monkey. I'll watch out."</p> + +<p>So he stood on his hind legs, Uncle Wiggily did, and the music played +louder, and all of a sudden the rabbit looked down the road, and there was +a nice circus, with the white tents, all covered with flags, and bands +playing, and elephants squirting water through their long noses over their +backs to wash the dust off. And lions and tigers were roaring, and the +horses were running, and the fat lady was drinking pink lemonade, and Oh! +it was fine!</p> + +<p>"I've got fifty cents, and I guess I'll go to the circus," thought Uncle +Wiggily, and he was just entering the big tent when he happened to see a +man with a lot of red and green and yellow and pink balloons. Now, you +would have thought that man would have been happy, having so many +balloons, but he wasn't. He looked very sad, that man did, and he was +almost crying.</p> + +<p>"Poor man!" thought Uncle Wiggily. "Perhaps he has no money to go in the +circus. I'll give him mine. Here is fifty cents, Mr. Man," said the old +gentleman rabbit, kindly. "Take it and go see the elephant eat peanuts."</p> + +<p>"Oh, that is very good of you," spoke the balloon man, "but I don't want +to go to the circus. I want to sell my balloons, but no one will buy +them."</p> + +<p>"Why not?" asked the rabbit.</p> + +<p>"Oh, because there are so many other things to buy," said the man, "red +peanuts and lemonade in shells—oh, I've got that wrong, it is red +lemonade, isn't it? And peanuts in shells. But no matter. What I need," +said the man, "is to get the people to listen to me—I need to make them +look at me, and when they see what fine balloons I have they'll buy some. +But there are so many other things to look at that they never look toward +me at all."</p> + +<p>"Ha! I know the very thing!" cried Uncle Wiggily. "You ought to have some +one go up in a balloon. That would surprise the people like anything. +They'd be sure to look at that, and they'd all run over here and buy all +your balloons."</p> + +<p>"Yes, but who can I get to go up in a balloon?" asked the man.</p> + +<p>"I will!" cried Uncle Wiggily bravely. "Perhaps I may find my fortune up +in the sky, so I'll go in a balloon."</p> + +<p>Well, the man thought that was fine. So he made a little basket for the +rabbit to sit in, and he fastened the basket to a big red balloon, and +then he took care of the rabbit's valise for him, while Uncle Wiggily got +ready to go toward the clouds, taking only his crutch with him.</p> + +<p>When the man had everything fixed and when the rabbit was sitting in the +basket as easily as in a soft chair at home, the man cried:</p> + +<p>"Over here! Over here, everybody! Over here, people! A rabbit is going up +in a balloon! A most wonderful sight! Over here!"</p> + +<p>And then the man let go of the balloon, and Uncle Wiggily shot right up +toward the sky, only, of course, the man had a string fast to the balloon +to pull it down again. Up and up went the balloon carrying Uncle Wiggily. +Up and up!</p> + +<p>And my! how surprised the people were. They rushed over and bought so many +balloons that the man couldn't take in the money fast enough. And Uncle +Wiggily stayed up there, high in the air, looking for his fortune.</p> + +<p>And then, all of a sudden, a bad boy, with a bean shooter, shot at the +balloon, and "bang!" it burst, with a big hole in it. Down came Uncle +Wiggily, head over heels, bursted balloon, basket, crutch and all.</p> + +<p>"Oh, he'll be killed! He'll be killed!" cried all the people.</p> + +<p>"No, he'll not! We'll save him!" cried Dickie and Nellie Chip-Chip, the +boy and girl sparrow, who happened to be at the circus. "We'll save Uncle +Wiggily!"</p> + +<p>So up into the air they flew, and before Uncle Wiggily could fall to the +ground Dickie and Nellie grabbed the basket in their bills, and, by +fluttering their wings, they let it come very gently to earth just like a +feather falling, and the rabbit wasn't hurt a bit. But, of course, the +balloon was broken.</p> + +<p>So that's how Uncle Wiggily went up in a balloon and came down again, but +he hadn't yet found his fortune. And now in the next story, if our fire +shovel doesn't go out to play in the sand pile, and get its ears full of +dirt, I'll tell you about Uncle Wiggily in an automobile.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="STORY_XIII" id="STORY_XIII" />STORY XIII</h2> + +<h3>UNCLE WIGGILY IN AN AUTO</h3> + + +<p>Well, after Uncle Wiggily had been saved from the falling balloon by +Dickie and Nellie Chip-Chip, the sparrow children, the people were so +excited that they wanted the bad boy arrested for making a hole in the +balloon with his bean-shooter.</p> + +<p>"No, let him go," said the rabbit gentleman, kindly. "I'm sure he won't do +it again." And do you know, that boy never did. It was a good lesson to +him.</p> + +<p>Then the people bought all the balloons, until the man had none left, and +I guess if he could have sent for forty-'leven more he would have sold +them also.</p> + +<p>"I will pay you good wages to stay with me, and go up in a balloon every +day," said the man to the rabbit. "You would help me do lots of business."</p> + +<p>"No," said Uncle Wiggily. "I must travel on and seek my fortune. I didn't +find it up in the air."</p> + +<p>But before the old gentleman rabbit traveled on, he went into the circus +with Dickie and Nellie. For they had an extra ticket that Bully the frog +was going to use, only Bully went in swimming and caught cold, and had to +stay home. So Uncle Wiggily enjoyed the show very much in his place.</p> + +<p>"Give my love to Sammie and Susie Littletail and to all my friends," said +the rabbit, as he took his crutch and valise, after the circus was over, +and started to travel on, looking for his fortune.</p> + +<p>Well, the first place he came to that day was an old hollow stump, and on +the door was a card which read:</p> + +<p class="center">COME IN.</p> + +<p>"Ha! Come in; eh?" said Uncle Wiggily. "I guess not much! You can't fool +me again. There is a bad bear, or a savage owl inside that stump, and they +want to eat me. I'll just stay outside."</p> + +<p>He was just hurrying past, when the door of the stump-house opened, and an +old grandfather fox stuck out his head. This fox was almost blind, and he +had no teeth, and he had no claws, and his tail was just like a last +year's dusting brush, that the moths have eaten most up, and altogether +that fox was so old and feeble that he couldn't have hurt a mosquito. So +Uncle Wiggily wasn't a bit afraid of him.</p> + +<p>"I say, is there anything good to eat out there?" asked the fox, looking +over the tops of his spectacles at the rabbit. "Anything nice and juicy to +eat?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, I am good to eat," said Uncle Wiggily, "but you are not going to eat +me. Good-by!"</p> + +<p>"Hold on!" cried the old fox, "don't be afraid. I can only eat soup, for I +have no teeth to chew with, so unless you are soup you are of no use to +me."</p> + +<p>"Well, I'm not soup, but I know how to make some," replied the rabbit, for +he felt sorry for the grandfather fox.</p> + +<p>So what do you think our Uncle Wiggily did? Why, he went into the fox's +stump-house and made a big pot full of the finest kind of soup, and the +rabbit and the fox ate it all up, and, because the fox had no teeth or +claws, he couldn't hurt his visitor.</p> + +<p>"I wish you would stay with me forever," said the old fox, as he blinked +his eyes at Uncle Wiggily. "I have a young and strong grandson coming home +soon, and you might show him how to make soup."</p> + +<p>"No, thank you," replied the rabbit. "I'm afraid that young and strong +grandson of yours would want to eat me instead of the soup, I guess I'll +travel on." So the old gentleman rabbit took his crutch and valise and +traveled on.</p> + +<p>Well, pretty soon, it began to get dark, and Uncle Wiggily knew night was +coming on. And he wondered where he could stay, for he didn't see any +haystacks to sleep under. He was thinking that he'd have to dig a burrow +in the ground for himself, and he was looking for a soft place to begin, +when, all at once, he heard a loud "Honk-Honk!" back of him in the road.</p> + +<p>"Ha, an automobile is coming!" said Uncle Wiggily. "I must get out of the +way!" So he hopped on ahead, going down the road quite fast, until he got +to a place where there were prickly briar bushes on both sides of the +highway.</p> + +<p>"My! I'll have to keep in the middle of the road if I don't want to get +scratched," said the rabbit. And then the automobile horn behind him +honked louder than ever.</p> + +<p>"They are certainly coming along fast," thought Uncle Wiggily. "If I don't +look out I'll be run over." So he hopped along quicker than before, until, +all of a sudden, as he looked down the road, he saw a savage dog standing +there.</p> + +<p>"Well, now! Isn't that just my bad luck!" cried Uncle Wiggily. "If I go on +the dog will catch me, and if I stand here the auto will run on top of me. +I just guess I'll run back and see if there is a hole where I can crawl +through the bushes."</p> + +<p>So he started to run back, but, no sooner had he done so, than the dog saw +him, and came rushing at him with a loud, "Bow-wow-wow! Bow-wow-wow!"</p> + +<p>"My, but he's savage!" thought the rabbit. "I wonder if I can get away in +time?"</p> + +<p>And then the auto honked louder than before, and all of a sudden it came +whizzing down the road, right toward the rabbit.</p> + +<p>"Oh, dear; I'm going to be caught, sure!" cried Uncle Wiggily, and indeed +it did look so, for there was the dog running from one direction, and the +auto coming in the other, and prickly briar bushes were on both sides of +the road, and Uncle Wiggily couldn't crawl through them without pulling +all the fur off his back, and his ears, too.</p> + +<p>"Honk-Honk!" went the auto.</p> + +<p>"Bow-wow!" went the dog.</p> + +<p>"Oh, dear!" cried Uncle Wiggily. Then he thought of a plan. "I'll give a +big run and a long jump and maybe I can jump over the auto, and then the +auto will bump into the dog, and I will be safe!" he cried.</p> + +<p>So he took a long run, and just as the auto was going to hit him, Uncle +Wiggily gave a big jump, right up into the air. He didn't jump quite +quickly enough, however, for one of the big rubber tires ran over his toe, +but he wasn't much hurt. And what do you think he did? Why, he landed +right in the auto, on the seat beside a little boy.</p> + +<p>And that dog was so frightened of the automobile that he howled and +yowled, and his teeth chattered, and he tucked his tail between his legs, +and ran home.</p> + +<p>"Oh, the bunny! The bunny!" cried the little boy, as he saw Uncle Wiggly. +"May we keep him, papa?"</p> + +<p>"I guess so," said the boy's papa. "Anyhow his foot is hurt, and we'll +take care of him until it gets well. My, but he is a good jumper, though!"</p> + +<p>So the man stopped the auto, and picked up Uncle Wiggily's crutch and +valise, which the old gentleman rabbit had dropped when he jumped upon the +seat beside the boy, and then the car went on. And Uncle Wiggily wasn't a +bit frightened at being in an auto, for he knew the boy and man would be +kind to him.</p> + +<p>"Perhaps I shall find my fortune now," the rabbit gentleman said. And the +little boy patted him on the back, and stroked his long ears.</p> + +<p>Now, in the story after this I'll tell you what happened to Uncle Wiggily +at the little boy's house, and in case our door key doesn't get locked +out, and have to sleep in the park, you are going to hear about Uncle +Wiggily in a boat.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="STORY_XIV" id="STORY_XIV" />STORY XIV</h2> + +<h3>UNCLE WIGGILY IN A BOAT</h3> + + +<p>"Poor rabbit!" exclaimed the little boy in the automobile, as he rubbed +Uncle Wiggily's ears. "I wonder if his foot is much hurt, papa?"</p> + +<p>"I don't know," answered the man, as he steered the machine down the road. +"I'll have the doctor look at it."</p> + +<p>"Oh, indeed, it isn't hurt much," spoke up Uncle Wiggily. "The rubber tire +was soft, you see. But my rheumatism is much worse on account of running +so fast."</p> + +<p>"What's this? Well, of all things! This rabbit can talk!" cried the man in +surprise.</p> + +<p>"Of course he can, papa," said the boy. "Lots of rabbits can talk. Why, +there's Sammie and Susie Littletail; they can talk, and maybe this rabbit +knows them."</p> + +<p>"I'm their uncle," said the old gentleman rabbit, making a bow.</p> + +<p>"Oh, then, you must be Uncle Wiggily Longears!" cried the little boy. +"Oh, I've always wanted to see you, and now I can!"</p> + +<p>"Well, it is very strange to meet you this way," said the man. "Still, I +am glad you are not hurt, Uncle Wiggily. And so you are out seeking your +fortune," for the rabbit had told them about his travels. "Perhaps you +would like to rest at our house for a few days. We can give you a nice +room, with a brass bed, and a bath-tub to yourself, and you can have your +meals in bed, if you can't come down stairs."</p> + +<p>"Oh, I am not used to that kind of a life," said the old gentleman rabbit. +"I would rather live out of doors. If you can get me some clean straw to +lie on, and once in a while a carrot or a turnip, and a bit of lettuce and +some cabbage leaves now and then, I'll be all right. And as soon as my +foot is well I'll travel on."</p> + +<p>"Oh, what good times we'll have!" cried the little boy. "Our house is near +a lake, and I have a motor boat. And I'll give you a ride in it."</p> + +<p>Well, Uncle Wiggily thought that would be nice, and he was rather glad, +after all, that he had jumped into the auto. So pretty soon they came to +the place where the boy lived. Oh, it was a fine, large house, with lots +of grounds, lawns and gardens all around it. And there were several dogs +on the place, but the little boy spoke to them all, telling them that the +rabbit was his friend Uncle Wiggily, who must not be bitten or barked at +on any account.</p> + +<p>"Oh, we heard about him from Fido Flip-Flop," said big dog Rover. "We +wouldn't hurt Uncle Wiggily for two worlds, and part of another one, and a +bag of peanuts."</p> + +<p>So Uncle Wiggily was given a nice bed of straw in one of the empty +dog-houses, and the boy got him some cabbage and lettuce, and the rabbit +made himself a sandwich of them, with some bread and butter which he had +in his satchel.</p> + +<p>Then the rabbit and the dogs talked together, and the rabbit told of his +travels, and what had happened to him so far.</p> + +<p>"Wonderful! Wonderful!" exclaimed the old dog Rover. "You should write a +book about your fortune."</p> + +<p>"I haven't found it yet, but perhaps I may, and then I'll write the book," +said Uncle Wiggily, combing out his whiskers.</p> + +<p>That night the boy put a soft rag and some salve on the rabbit's sore +foot, and he also gave him some liniment for his rheumatism, and in the +morning Uncle Wiggily was much better. He and the boy and the dogs had +lots of fun playing together on the smooth, green, grassy lawn. They +played tag, and hide-and-go-seek, and a new game called "Don't Let the +Ragman Take Your Rubber Boots." And the dog Rover pretended he was the +ragman.</p> + +<p>"Now, then, we'll all go out in my motor boat," said the boy, so he and +Uncle Wiggily and the dogs went down to the lake and, surely enough, there +was the boat, the nicest one you could wish for. There was a little cabin +in it, and seats out on deck, and a little engine that went "choo-choo!" +and pushed the boat through the water.</p> + +<p>In the boat they all had a fine ride around the lake, which was almost +like the one where you go to a Sunday-school picnic, and then it was time +for dinner. And, as a special treat, when they got on shore, Uncle Wiggily +was given carrot ice cream, with chopped-up turnips in it. And oh, how +good it was to him!</p> + +<p>Well, the days passed, and Uncle Wiggily was getting so he could walk +along pretty well, for his foot was all cured, and he began to think of +going on once more to seek his fortune. And then something happened. One +day the boy went out alone in a rowboat to see if he could find any fish. +And before he knew it his boat had tipped over, spilling him out into the +water, and he couldn't swim. Wasn't that dreadful?</p> + +<p>"Oh! Help! Help!" he cried, as the water came up to his chin.</p> + +<p>My, but it's awful to be tipped over in a boat! and I and I hope if you +can't swim you'll never go out in one alone. And there was that poor boy +splashing around in the water, and almost drowned.</p> + +<p>"Save me! Save me!" the boy cried. "Oh, save me!"</p> + +<p>Well, as it happened, Uncle Wiggily was walking along the shore of the +lake just then. He saw the little boy fall out of the boat, and he heard +him cry.</p> + +<p>"I'll save you if I can!" exclaimed the brave old rabbit. "Come on, Rover, +we'll go out in the motor boat and rescue him."</p> + +<p>"Bow-wow! Bow-wow! Sure! Sure!" cried Cover, wagging his tail.</p> + +<p>So he and Uncle Wiggily ran down, and jumped into the motor boat. And they +knew just how to start the engine and run it, for the boy had showed them.</p> + +<p>"Bang-bang!" went the engine. "Whizz-whizz!" went the boat through the +water.</p> + +<p>"Faster! Faster!" cried Uncle Wiggily, who was steering the boat, while +Rover ran the engine. "Go faster!"</p> + +<p>So Rover made it go as fast as he could, and then all of a sudden that boy +went down under the water, out of sight.</p> + +<p>"Oh, he's drowned!" cried Uncle Wiggily sorrowfully.</p> + +<p>But he wasn't, I'm glad to say. Just then along came Nurse Jane +Fuzzy-Wuzzy, the muskrat, swimming. And she dived away down under and +helped bring that boy up to the top of the water, and then Uncle Wiggily +and Cover grabbed him as the muskrat lifted him up, and they pulled him +into the motor boat, and so saved his life. And oh! how thankful he was +when he was safe on shore, and he was careful never to fall in the water +again.</p> + +<p>Now, in case the clothes wringer doesn't squeeze all the juice out of my +breakfast orange, I'll tell you in the next story about Uncle Wiggily +making a cherry pie.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="STORY_XV" id="STORY_XV" />STORY XV</h2> + +<h3>UNCLE WIGGILY MAKES A PIE</h3> + + +<p>Do you remember the little boy whom Uncle Wiggily helped save after he +fell out of the boat? Well, that boy's papa was so glad because Uncle +Wiggily had helped save the little chap from drowning that he couldn't do +enough for the old gentleman rabbit.</p> + +<p>"You can stay here forever, and have carrot ice cream every day if you +like," the man said.</p> + +<p>"Oh, thank you very much, but I think I'll travel on," replied Uncle +Wiggily. "I have still to seek my fortune."</p> + +<p>"Why, <i>I</i> will give you a fortune!" said the boy's papa. "I will give you +a thousand million dollars, and a penny besides."</p> + +<p>"That would be a fine fortune," spoke the rabbit, "but I would much rather +find my own. It is no fun when you get a thing given to you. It is better +to earn it yourself, and then you think more of it."</p> + +<p>"Yes, that is so," said the man. "Well, we will be sorry to see you go."</p> + +<p>Uncle Wiggily started off the next day, once more to seek his fortune, and +the little boy felt so sad at seeing him go that he cried, and put his +arms around the old gentleman rabbit, and kissed him between the ears. And +Uncle Wiggily felt badly, too.</p> + +<p>Well, the old gentleman rabbit traveled on and on for several days after +that, sleeping under hay stacks part of the time, or in empty hollow +stumps, and sometimes he dug a burrow for himself in the soft ground.</p> + +<p>And one afternoon, just as the sun was getting ready to go to bed for the +night, Uncle Wiggily came to an open place in the woods where there was a +cave, made of a lot of little stones piled up together.</p> + +<p>"My! I wonder who lives there?" thought the rabbit. "It is too small for a +giant to live in, but there may be a bad bear or a savage fox in there. I +guess I'd better get away from here."</p> + +<p>Well, Uncle Wiggily was just going, when, all at once, a voice cried out:</p> + +<p>"Here, hold on there!"</p> + +<p>The rabbit looked back, and he saw a great big porcupine, or hedgehog—you +know, those animals like a big gray rabbit, only their fur is the +stickery-prickery kind, like needles, and the quills come out and stick in +anybody who bites a hedgehog. So I hope none of you ever bite one. And +they won't bite you if you don't bother them.</p> + +<p>So as soon as Uncle Wiggily saw that it was Mr. Hedgehog who was speaking +he wasn't a bit afraid, for he knew him.</p> + +<p>"Oh, it's you, is it?" asked the rabbit. "I'm real glad to see you. I was +going to travel on, but——"</p> + +<p>"Don't say another word!" cried the hedgehog heartily. "You can stay in my +cave all night. I have two beds, and it's a good thing I have, for if you +slept with me you might get full of my stickery-stickers."</p> + +<p>"Yes, I guess I had better sleep alone," said Uncle Wiggily, with a laugh. +"But it seems to me, Mr. Hedgehog, that you are not looking well."</p> + +<p>"I'm not," answered the porcupine, as he shivered so that several of his +quills fell out on the grass. "I'm suffering for some cherry pie. Oh, +cherry pie! If I only had some I know I'd feel better at once. I just love +it!"</p> + +<p>"Why don't you make some yourself?" asked Uncle Wiggily.</p> + +<p>"I have tried," replied the hedgehog. "I've tried and tried again, but, +somehow, it never comes out right. Here, I'll show you. I made a cherry +pie just before I looked out of the door and saw you. I'll show it to +you."</p> + +<p>He went into his little stone house, and Uncle Wiggily went with him.</p> + +<p>"There's the pie—it's no good!" cried the porcupine, as he pointed to +something on the table. Well, as soon as Uncle Wiggily saw it he laughed +so hard that his ears waved back and forth.</p> + +<p>"What's the matter? I don't see anything funny," asked Mr. Hedgehog, +shivering so that more quills fell out.</p> + +<p>"Why, you've gone and put the cherry pits into the pie instead of the +cherries," said the rabbit. "That's no way to do. You must take out the +stones from inside the cherries and put the outside part of them inside +the pie, and throw the inside or stony part of the cherries away."</p> + +<p>"Oh, good land!" cried the hedgehog, "no wonder I couldn't eat the pie. +You see, I thought cherries were like peanuts. For you know you throw away +the outside part of the peanut, and eat the inside."</p> + +<p>"Yes, and cherries are just the opposite," said the rabbit, laughing +again. "For you eat the outside of a cherry and throw away the pit or +stone that is inside. Now, I'll make you a cherry pie."</p> + +<p>"I wish you would," said the porcupine. "I'll go get the cherries."</p> + +<p>So he went out in the orchard, and he shot his sharp stickery quills, like +little arrows at the cherries on the tree, and they fell down, so he +could pick them up in a basket. I mean the cherries fell down, though of +course the quills did also though the hedgehog didn't pick them up.</p> + +<p>And while he was doing that Uncle Wiggily was making the pie crust. He +took flour and lard and water, and mixed them together, and then he put in +other things—Oh, well, you just ask your mamma or the cook what they +were, for I might get it wrong—and soon the pie crust was ready. Then +Uncle Wiggily built a hot fire in the stove, and he waited for Mr. +Hedgehog to come in with the cherries.</p> + +<p>And pretty soon the porcupine came back with his basket full, and he and +Uncle Wiggily shelled the peanuts—I mean the cherries—taking out the +pits.</p> + +<p>"Now I'll put them in the pie, and put sugar on them, bake it in the oven, +and soon it will be done, and we can eat it," said the rabbit.</p> + +<p>"Oh, joy!" cried the hedgehog. "That will be fine!"</p> + +<p>So Uncle Wiggily put the cherries in the pie, and threw the pits away, and +he put the pie in the oven, and then he and Mr. Hedgehog sat down to wait +for it to bake. And oh, how delicious and scrumptious it did smell! if you +will excuse me for saying so.</p> + +<p>Well, in a little while, the pie was baked, and Uncle Wiggily took it from +the oven.</p> + +<p>"I can hardly wait to eat it!" cried the hedgehog, and just then there +came a terribly loud knock on the door.</p> + +<p>"Oh, maybe it's that bad fox come for some of my pie!" exclaimed the +hedgehog. "If it is, I'll stick him full of stickery-stickers." But when +he went to the door there stood old Percival, the circus dog, and he was +crying as hard as he could cry.</p> + +<p>"Come in," invited Uncle Wiggily. "Come in, and have some cherry pie, and +you'll feel better." So Percival came in, and they all three sat down, and +ate the cherry pie all up, and sure enough Percival did feel better, and +stopped crying.</p> + +<p>Then the circus dog and Uncle Wiggily stayed all night with Mr. Hedgehog, +and they had more cherry pie next day, and it was very fine and sweet.</p> + +<p>Now, if our cook makes some nice watermelon sandwiches, with maple syrup +on them, for supper, I'll tell you in the next story about Uncle Wiggily +and old dog Percival, and why Percival cried.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="STORY_XVI" id="STORY_XVI" />STORY XVI</h2> + +<h3>UNCLE WIGGILY AND PERCIVAL</h3> + + +<p>Now I'm going to tell you, before I forget it, why old dog Percival was +crying that time when he came to the little stone house where the hedgehog +lived, and where Uncle Wiggily gave him some cherry pie. And the reason +Percival was crying, was because he had stepped on a sharp stone, and hurt +his foot.</p> + +<p>"But I don't in the least mind now," said Percival, after he had eaten +about sixty-'leven pieces of the pie. "My foot is all better."</p> + +<p>"I should think that cherry pie would make almost any one better," said +the hedgehog, laughing with joy, for he felt better, too. "I know some bad +boys to whom I'm going to give some cherry pie, and I hope it makes them +better. And to think I threw away the good part of the cherries and cooked +the stones in the pie. Oh, excuse me while I laugh again!"</p> + +<p>And the hedgehog laughed so hard that he spilled some of the red cherry +pie juice on his shirt front, but he didn't care, for he had another +shirt.</p> + +<p>Well, Uncle Wiggily and Percival, the old circus dog, stayed for some days +at the home of the hedgehog, and they had cherry pie, or fritters with +maple syrup, at almost every meal. Then, finally, Uncle Wiggily said:</p> + +<p>"Well, I guess I must travel on. I can't find my fortune here. I must +start off to-morrow."</p> + +<p>"And I'll go with you," spoke Percival. "We'll go together, and see what +we can find."</p> + +<p>Well, he and Uncle Wiggily went on together for some time, and nothing +happened, except that they met a poor pussy cat without any tail, and +Uncle Wiggily gave her some of the pie. And the next day they met a cat +and seven little kittens, and they all had tails, so they had to have some +pie, too.</p> + +<p>But one night, after Percival and Uncle Wiggily had been traveling all +day, they came to a deep, dark, dismal woods.</p> + +<p>"Oh, have we got to go through that forest?" asked the old gentleman +rabbit, wrinkling up his ears—I mean his nose.</p> + +<p>"I guess we have," replied the circus dog. "We may find our fortunes in +there."</p> + +<p>"It is a pretty dark spot to look for money, or fortunes," said the +rabbit. "The best thing we can do is to look for a place to sleep, and in +the morning we will hurry out of the woods."</p> + +<p>Well, the two animal friends started into the grove of trees, and they +hadn't gone very far before it got so dark that they couldn't see to go +any farther. Oh, but it was black and lonesome and sort of scary-like! and +Uncle Wiggily said:</p> + +<p>"Let's stay here, Percival. We'll make a little bed under the trees to +sleep in, and we'll build a fire to keep us warm, and cook a little +supper."</p> + +<p>So Percival thought that would be nice, and soon he and the rabbit had a +cheerful little fire blazing, and then it wasn't quite so lonely. Only +there was a big owl in a tree, and he kept hollering "Who? Who? Who?" and +Percival thought it meant him, and Uncle Wiggily thought it meant him, and +they were rather frightened, so they didn't either of them answer the owl, +who kept on calling "Who? Who? Who?"</p> + +<p>They were just cooking their supper, and cutting up the cherry pie, and +putting it on some oak leaves for plates, and they had picked out a nice +smooth stump for a table, when, all of a sudden, they heard a voice +saying:</p> + +<p>"Now you make a jump and grab the rabbit and I'll take the dog. Then we +can carry them off to our dens, and that will be the last of them. Get +ready now!"</p> + +<p>"Did you hear that?" asked Uncle Wiggily of the circus dog.</p> + +<p>"Indeed I did," replied Percival. "I wonder if it can be those owls?"</p> + +<p>"It doesn't sound like them," said Uncle Wiggily. "I think it is a bad +fox, or maybe two of them."</p> + +<p>And just then they looked off through the woods, and by the light of the +fire they saw two big, savage, ugly wolves. Oh, how their sharp teeth +gleamed in the dancing flames, and how red their tongues were!</p> + +<p class="figcenter"><a href="./images/104.jpg"><img src="./images/104-tb.jpg" alt="Uncle Wiggily and Percival and the Wolves" title="Uncle Wiggily and Percival and the Wolves" /></a></p> + +<p>"Come on! Grab 'em both!" cried one savage wolf. "Grab the rabbit and the +dog!"</p> + +<p>"Sure! I'm with you!" growled the other savage wolf.</p> + +<p>"Oh, what shall we do, Uncle Wiggily?" asked Percival. "They'll eat us up!</p> + +<p>"Let me think a minute," said the rabbit. So he thought for maybe half a +minute, and then exclaimed: "Oh! I know a good thing to do."</p> + +<p>"What?" asked Percival. "Say it quickly, Uncle Wiggily, for those wolves +are creeping up on us, and it's so dark we can't see to run away."</p> + +<p>And surely enough, those wolves were sneaking up, with their red tongues +hanging out longer than ever, for all the world just as if they had eaten +cherry pie.</p> + +<p>"We must do some funny tricks!" exclaimed Uncle Wiggily. "You know how, +Percival, for you were once in a circus, and I learned some when I was +with the monkey, and with Fido Flip-Flop. Do some tricks, and maybe these +wolves will feel so good-natured that they won't bite us."</p> + +<p>So brave Uncle Wiggily stood up on one ear and waved his feet in the air. +Then he stood on his nose and turned a somersault. Next he went around and +around as fast as a pinwheel, and he whistled a funny tune about a little +rubber ball that flew into the air, and when it landed on the ground it +would not stay down there.</p> + +<p>But I wish you could have seen the tricks Percival did. He jumped through +between Uncle Wiggily's long ears, and he walked on his hind legs, and on +his front ones. Then he stood on his head, and he made believe he was +begging for something to eat, and Uncle Wiggily fed him a carrot, and a +piece of pie. Then he put a piece of bread on his nose, tossed it up into +the air—tossed the bread, I mean, not his nose—and when it came down he +caught it and ate it. Oh, it was great!</p> + +<p>Well, those wolves were too surprised for anything. They had never seen +tricks like those. First they smiled a bit. Then they smiled some more. +Then one laughed, then the other laughed, and finally, when Uncle Wiggily +and Percival took turns jumping over each other's backs, the wolves +thought it so funny that they had to lie down on the leaves and roll over +and over because they were laughing so hard.</p> + +<p>And, of course, after that they didn't feel like hurting Uncle Wiggily or +Percival. And just then the big alligator came along and chased the wolves +away, so the rabbit and dog had no one to bother them except the +alligator, and, as he had just had his supper, he wasn't hungry, so he +didn't eat them.</p> + +<p>So Uncle Wiggily and Percival went to sleep, and so must you, and if the +vegetable man brings me a pumpkin Jack o' Lantern, with a pink ribbon on +the end of the stem, I'll tell you in the next story about Uncle Wiggily +in a well.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="STORY_XVII" id="STORY_XVII" />STORY XVII</h2> + +<h3>UNCLE WIGGILY IN A WELL</h3> + + +<p>Well, I didn't get the pumpkin Jack o' Lantern with the pink ribbon on, +but some one mailed me an ice cream cone, so it's just as well. That is, I +suppose it was an ice cream cone when it started on its journey, but when +I got it there was only the cone part left. Maybe the postman took out the +ice cream, with which to stick a stamp on the letter.</p> + +<p>But there, I must tell you what happened to Uncle Wiggily after he and +Percival did those tricks, and made the wolves laugh so hard. The rabbit +and the circus dog stayed in the woods all that night, and nothing +bothered them.</p> + +<p>"Now, Percival, you make the coffee, and I'll spread the bread and butter +for breakfast," said Uncle Wiggily the next morning.</p> + +<p>"Where are you going to get the bread and butter?" asked the dog.</p> + +<p>"Oh, I have it in my satchel," spoke the old rabbit, and, surely enough, +he did have several large, fine slices. So he and Percival ate their +breakfast, and then they started off again.</p> + +<p>They hadn't gone very far before they met a grasshopper, who was limping +along on top of a fence rail, and looking quite sad—I mean the +grasshopper was looking sad, not the fence rail.</p> + +<p>"What is the matter?" asked Uncle Wiggily, kindly. "Are you sad and +lonesome because you can't have some cherry pie, or some bread and butter; +or because you can't see any funny tricks? If you are, don't worry, Mr. +Grasshopper, for Percival and I can give you something to eat, and also do +some tricks to make you laugh."</p> + +<p>"No, I am not sad about any of those things," replied the grasshopper, +"but you see I gave a big jump over a large stone a little while ago, and +I sprained my left hind leg. Now I can't jump any more, and here it is +Summer, and, of course, we grasshoppers have to hop, or we don't make any +money."</p> + +<p>"Oh, don't let a little thing like that worry you," spoke Uncle Wiggily. +"I have some very nice salve, that a gentleman and his boy gave me when +their automobile ran over me, and it cured my sore toe, so I think it will +cure your left hind leg."</p> + +<p>Then he put some salve on the grasshopper's leg, and in a little while it +was much better.</p> + +<p>"Now we must travel on again, to seek our fortune," said Uncle Wiggily. +"Come, Percival."</p> + +<p>"I will just do one little trick, to make the grasshopper feel better +before we leave," said the circus dog, so he stood up on the end of his +tail, and went around and around, and winked first one eye and then the +other, it was too funny for anything, really it was.</p> + +<p>Well, the alligator laughed at that—oh there I go again—I mean the +grasshopper laughed, and then Uncle Wiggily and Percival went off +together, very glad indeed that they had had a chance to do a kindness, +even to a grasshopper.</p> + +<p>Pretty soon they came to a place where there were two roads branching off, +one to the right hand and the other to the left, like the letter "Y."</p> + +<p>"I'll tell you what we'll do," said Percival, "you go to the right, Uncle +Wiggily, and I'll go to the left, and, later on, we'll meet by the mill +pond, and perhaps each of us may have found his fortune by that time."</p> + +<p>"Good!" cried Uncle Wiggily. "We'll do it!"</p> + +<p>So he went off one way, and the circus dog took the other path through the +woods, and now I must tell you what happened to the old gentleman rabbit.</p> + +<p>Uncle Wiggily went along for some time, and just as he got to a place +where there was a large stone, all of a sudden out popped a big fat toad. +And it wasn't a nice toad, either, but a bad toad.</p> + +<p>"Hello, Uncle Wiggily," said the squatty-watty toad. "I haven't seen you +in some time. I guess you must be getting pretty old. You can't jump as +good as you once could, can you?"</p> + +<p>"Of course, I can," exclaimed the rabbit, a bit pettish-like, for he +didn't care to have even a toad think he couldn't jump as well as ever he +could.</p> + +<p>"I'd like to see you," went on the toad. "See if you jump from here over +on that pile of leaves," and he pointed to them with his warty toes.</p> + +<p>"I'll do it," exclaimed Uncle Wiggily. So he laid aside his crutch and his +valise, gave a little run and a big jump, and then he came down kerthump +on the pile of leaves.</p> + +<p>But wait. Oh! I have something sad to tell you. That toad was only playing +a trick on the rabbit, and those leaves were right over a big, deep, dark +well. And as soon as Uncle Wiggily landed on the leaves he fell through, +for there were no boards under them to cover up the well, and down, down, +down he went, and if there had been water in the well he would have been +drowned. But the well was dry, I'm glad to say. Still Uncle Wiggily had a +great fall—almost like the tumble of Humpty-Dumpty.</p> + +<p>"Ah, ha!" exclaimed the mean, squatty-squirmy toad. "Now you are in the +well, and I'm going off, and tell the wolves, so they can come and get +you out, and eat you. Ah, ha!" Oh! but wasn't that toad a most unpleasant +one? You see, he used to work for the wolves, doing all sorts of mean +things for them, and trapping all the animals he could for them.</p> + +<p>So off the toad hopped, to call the wolves to come and get Uncle Wiggily, +and the poor rabbit was left alone at the bottom of the well. He tried his +best to get up, but he couldn't.</p> + +<p>"I guess I'll have to stay here until the wolves come," he thought, sadly. +"But I'll call for help, and see what happens." So he called: "Help! Help! +Help!" as loudly as he could.</p> + +<p>And all of a sudden a voice answered and asked:</p> + +<p>"Where are you?"</p> + +<p>"In the well," shouted Uncle Wiggily, and he was afraid it was the wolves +coming to eat him. But it wasn't, it was the limpy grasshopper, and he +tried to pull Uncle Wiggily out of the well, but, of course, he wasn't +strong enough.</p> + +<p>"But I'll get Percival, the circus dog, and he'll pull you out before the +wolves come," said the grasshopper. "Now I have a chance to do you a +kindness for the one you did me." So he hopped off, as his leg was nearly +all better, and he found Percival on the left road and told him what had +happened.</p> + +<p>And, my! how that circus dog did rush back to help Uncle Wiggily. And he +got him out of the well in no time, by lowering a long rope to him, and +pulling the rabbit gentleman up, and then the rabbit and dog ran away, +before the toad could come back with the savage wolves, who didn't get any +supper out of the well, after all, and it served them right.</p> + +<p>So that's all of this story, but I have some more, about the adventures of +Uncle Wiggily, and next, in case the load of hay doesn't fall on my +puppy-dog, and break off his curly tail, I'll tell you about Uncle Wiggily +and Jennie Chipmunk.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="STORY_XVIII" id="STORY_XVIII" />STORY XVIII</h2> + +<h3>UNCLE WIGGILY AND JENNIE CHIPMUNK</h3> + + +<p>After Uncle Wiggily had been pulled up out of the well by Percival, the +old circus dog, and they had run far enough off so that the wolves +couldn't get them, the rabbit and the grasshopper and Percival sat down on +the ground to rest. For you see Uncle Wiggily was tired from having fallen +down the well, and the grasshopper was tired from having run so fast to +call back Percival, and of course Percival was tired from having pulled up +the old gentleman rabbit. So they were all pretty well tired out.</p> + +<p>"I'm sure I can't thank you enough for what you did for me," said Uncle +Wiggily to Percival, and the grasshopper. "And as a little treat I'm going +to give you some cherry pie that I made for the hedgehog."</p> + +<p>So they ate some cherry pie, and then they felt better. And they were just +going to travel on together again, when, all at once, there was a rustling +in the bushes, and out flew Dickie Chip-Chip, the sparrow boy.</p> + +<p>"Oh, my" cried Uncle Wiggily, wrinkling up his nose. "At first I thought +you were a savage owl."</p> + +<p>"Oh, no, I'm not an owl," said Dickie. "But I'm in a great hurry, and +perhaps I made a noise like an owl. Percival, you must come back home to +the Bow Wow house right away."</p> + +<p>"Why?" asked Percival, sticking up his two ears so that he could hear +better.</p> + +<p>"Because Peetie Bow Wow is very ill with the German measles, and he wants +to see you do some of your funny circus tricks," spoke Dickie. "He thinks +that will make him better."</p> + +<p>"Ha! I've no doubt that it will!" exclaimed Uncle Wiggily. "If I were not +traveling about, seeking my fortune, I'd go back with you, Percival. I +love Peetie Bow Wow, and Jackie, too."</p> + +<p>"Oh, I'll go," said the grasshopper. "I will play Peetie a funny fiddle +tune, on my left hind leg, and that may make him laugh."</p> + +<p>"And Nellie and I will sail through the air, and go off to find some +pretty flowers for him," said Dickie.</p> + +<p>So the sparrow boy, the grasshopper and old Percival, the circus dog, +started off together to see poor sick Peetie Bow Wow, leaving Uncle +Wiggily there on the grass.</p> + +<p>"Give my love to Peetie!" called the old gentleman rabbit after them, +"and tell him that I'll come and see him as soon as I find my fortune."</p> + +<p>Uncle Wiggily felt a little bit sad and lonely when his friends were gone, +but he ate another piece of cherry pie, taking care to get none of the +juice, on his blue necktie, and then he was a little happier.</p> + +<p>"Now to start off once more," he said. "I wonder what will happen next? +But I know one thing, I'm never going to do any jumping for any squatty +old toads any more."</p> + +<p>So Uncle Wiggily traveled on and on, and when it came night he didn't have +any place to sleep. But as it happened he met a kind old water snake, who +had a nice house in an old pile of wood, and there the rabbit stayed until +morning, when the water snake got him a nice breakfast of pond lilies, +with crinkly eel-grass sauce on.</p> + +<p>Pretty soon it was nearly noon that day, and Uncle Wiggily was about to +sit down on a nice green mossy bank in the woods—not a toy bank with +money in it, you understand, but a dirt-bank, with moss on it like a +carpet. That's where he was going to sit.</p> + +<p>"I think I'll eat my dinner," said the old gentleman rabbit as he opened +his valise, and just then he heard a voice in the woods singing. And this +was the song:</p> + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">"Oh dear! I'm lost, I know I am,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 3em;">I don't know what to do.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">I had a big red ribbon, and</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 3em;">I had one colored blue.</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">But now I haven't got a one</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 3em;">Because a savage bear</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Took both of them, and tied a string</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 3em;">Around my curly hair.</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">I wish I had a penny bright,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 3em;">To buy a trolley car.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">I'd ride home then, because, you see,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 3em;">To walk it is too far."</span><br /> +</p> + +<p>"I guess that's some one in trouble, all right," said Uncle Wiggily, as he +cautiously peeped through the bushes. "Though, perhaps, it is a little +wolf boy, or a fox." But when he looked, whom should he see but little +Jennie Chipmunk, and she was crying as hard as she could cry, so she +couldn't sing any more.</p> + +<p>"Why, Jennie, what is the matter?" kindly asked Uncle Wiggily.</p> + +<p>"Oh, I came out in the woods to gather acorns in a little basket for +supper," she said, "and I guess I must have come too far. The first thing +I knew a big bear jumped out of the bushes at me, and he took off both my +nice, new hair ribbons and put on this old string."</p> + +<p>And, sure enough, there was only just an old black shoestring on Jennie's +nice hair.</p> + +<p>"Where is that bear?" asked Uncle Wiggily, quite savage like. "Just tell +me where he is, and I'll make him give you back those ribbons, and then +I'll show you the way home."</p> + +<p>"Oh, the bear ran off after he scared me," said the little chipmunk girl. +"Please don't look for him, Uncle Wiggily, or he might eat you all up."</p> + +<p>"Pooh!" exclaimed the old gentleman rabbit. "I'm not afraid of a bear. I +have traveled around a great deal of late, and I have had many adventures. +It takes more than a bear to scare me!"</p> + +<p>"Oh, it does; does it?" suddenly cried a growly-scowly voice, and, would +you believe me? right out from the bushes jumped that savage bear! And he +had Jennie's blue ribbon tied on his left ear, and the red one tied on his +right ear, and he looked too queer for anything. "I can't scare you; eh?" +he cried to the rabbit. "Well, I'm just going to eat you, and that +chipmunk girl all up, and maybe that will scare you!"</p> + +<p>So he made a jump for Uncle Wiggily, but do you s'pose the rabbit +gentleman was afraid? Not a bit of it. He knew what he was going to do.</p> + +<p>"Quick, Jennie!" called Uncle Wiggily. "Get in front of me. I'll fix this +bear all right." So Jennie got in front, and the rabbit turned his back on +the bear, and, then Uncle Wiggily began scratching in the dirt with his +sharp claws. My! how he did make the dirt fly. It was just like a regular +rain-shower of sand and gravel.</p> + +<p>And the dirt flew all over that bear; in his eyes and nose and mouth and +ears, it went, and he sneezed, and he couldn't see out of his eyes, and he +fairly howled. And by that time Uncle Wiggily had dug a big hole in the +ground with his feet, and he and Jennie hid there until the bear ran off +to get some water to wash the dirt off his face, and then the rabbit and +the chipmunk girl came out safely.</p> + +<p>Then Uncle Wiggily gave Jennie some pennies to buy two new hair ribbons, +and he showed her the way home with her basket of acorns, and he himself +went on with his travels. And he had another adventure the next day. Now +in case a cowboy doesn't come along, and take my little pussy cat off to +the wild west show I'll tell you next about Uncle Wiggily and the paper +lantern.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="STORY_XIX" id="STORY_XIX" />STORY XIX</h2> + +<h3>UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE LANTERN</h3> + + +<p>After Uncle Wiggily had taken Jennie Chipmunk home, so that the bear +couldn't get her, as I told you about in the story before this one, the +old gentleman rabbit walked on over the fields and through the woods, +seeking his fortune. He looked everywhere for it; down in hollow stumps, +behind big stones, and even in an old well, but you may be sure he didn't +jump down any more wells. No, I guess not!</p> + +<p>"Ha! Here is a little brook!" exclaimed Uncle Wiggily, after a while, as +he came to a small stream of water flowing over green, mossy stones, with +a nice gurgling sound like an ice cream soda, "perhaps I may find my +fortune here."</p> + +<p>But he looked and he looked in the water without seeing anything but a +goldfish.</p> + +<p>"I might sell the goldfish for money," thought the fortune-hunting rabbit, +"but it wouldn't be kind to take him out of the brook, so I won't. I'll +look a little farther, on the other side."</p> + +<p>Then, taking up his crutch and his valise, Uncle Wiggily gave a big jump, +and leaped safely across the water. Then, once more, he traveled on. +Pretty soon he came to a place where there was a tree, and on one branch +of this tree there hung a funny round ball, that looked as if it was made +of gray-colored paper. And there was a funny buzzing sound coming from it.</p> + +<p>"Ha! Do you see that?" asked a big, fat hop-toad, as he suddenly bobbed up +out of the grass. It was the same toad who had made the rabbit jump down +in the leaf-covered well. "Do you see that?" asked the toad.</p> + +<p>"Well, if you want to find your fortune, take a stick and hit that ball."</p> + +<p>"Indeed I will not!" cried the old gentleman rabbit. "I know you and your +tricks! That is a hornets' nest, and if I struck it they would fly out, +and sting me. Oh, no! You can't catch me again. Now you go away, or I'll +tell a policeman dog to arrest you."</p> + +<p>So the toad knew it was of no use to try to fool Uncle Wiggily again, and +he hopped away, scratching his warty back on a sharp stone.</p> + +<p>Well, the old gentleman rabbit traveled on and on, and when it came night +he wondered where he was going to stay, for he hadn't yet found his +fortune and the weather looked as if it was going to rain. Then, all of a +sudden, he heard voices calling like this:</p> + +<p>"Come on, Nannie, you've got to blind your eyes now, and I'll go hide."</p> + +<p>"All right, Billie," was the answer. "And after that we'll get Uncle +Butter to tell us a story."</p> + +<p>"I guess I know who those children are," thought Uncle Wiggily, though he +had not yet seen them. "That's Billie and Nannie Goat talking," and surely +enough it was, and, most unexpectedly the rabbit had come right up to the +house where they lived, on the edge of the woods.</p> + +<p>Well, you can just imagine how glad Billie and Nannie were to see Uncle +Wiggily.</p> + +<p>They danced all around him, and held him by the paws, and kissed him +between his long ears, and Billie carried his satchel for him.</p> + +<p>"Oh, we're so glad you are here!" they cried. "Mamma! Papa! Uncle Butter! +Here is Uncle Wiggily!"</p> + +<p>Well, the whole goat family was glad to see the rabbit-traveler, and after +supper he told them of his adventures, and how he was out seeking his +fortune.</p> + +<p>And Billie and Nannie told what they had been doing, and Nannie showed how +she could cut things out of paper, like the children do in the +kindergarten class in school. She could make little houses, with smoke +coming out of the chimney, and paper lanterns, and boxes, and, oh! ever so +many things. The lanterns she made were especially fine, just like Chinese +ones.</p> + +<p>Then it came time to go to bed, and in the night a very strange thing +happened, and I'm going to tell you all about it.</p> + +<p>Along about 12 o'clock, when all was still and quiet, and when the little +mice were beginning to think it was time for them to creep, creep out of +their holes, and hunt for bread and cheese; about this time there sounded +a queer noise down at the front door of the goat-house.</p> + +<p>"Ha! What is that?" asked Mrs. Goat.</p> + +<p>"I guess it was the cats," said Mr. Goat, getting ready to go to sleep +again.</p> + +<p>"No, I'm sure it was a burglar-fox!" said the lady goat. "Please get up +and look."</p> + +<p>Well, of course, Mr. Goat had to do so, after his wife asked him like +that. So he poked his head out of the upstairs window, over the front +door, and he called out:</p> + +<p>"Who is down there?"</p> + +<p>"I'm a burglar-fox!" was the answer. "I'm coming to rob you."</p> + +<p>"Oh, my!" cried Mrs. Goat, when she heard that. "Get a gun, and shoot him, +Mr. Goat."</p> + +<p>And at that Billie and Nannie began to cry, for they were afraid of +burglars, and Uncle Butter got up, and began looking for a whistle, with +which to call a policeman dog, but he couldn't find it.</p> + +<p>Then the burglar-fox started in breaking down the door, so that he could +get in, and still Mr. Goat couldn't find his gun.</p> + +<p>"Oh, we'll all be killed!" cried Mrs. Goat. "Oh, if some one would only +help us!"</p> + +<p>"Ha! I will help you!" cried Uncle Wiggily jumping out of bed. "I'll scare +that fox so that he'll run away."</p> + +<p>"But I can't find my gun," said Mr. Goat.</p> + +<p>"No matter," answered the brave rabbit. "I can scare him with a paper +lantern such as Nannie can make. Quick, Nannie, make me a big paper +lantern."</p> + +<p>Well, the little goat girl stopped crying then, and she got her paper, and +her scissors, and the paste pot, and she began to make a paper lantern, as +big as a water pail. Uncle Wiggily and Billie helped her. And all the +while the burglar-fox was banging on the door, and crying out:</p> + +<p>"Let me in! Let me in!"</p> + +<p>"Quick! is the lantern ready?" Asked Uncle Wiggily, jumping around in a +circle like "Ring Around the Rosie."</p> + +<p>"Here it is," said Nannie. So the rabbit gentleman took it, all nicely +made as it was, and inside of it he put a hot, blazing candle. And the +lantern was so big that the candle didn't burn the sides of the paper.</p> + +<p>Then Uncle Wiggily tied the lantern to a string, and he lowered it right +down out of the window; down in front of the burglar-fox, and the hot +candle in the lantern burned the fox's nose, and he thought it was a +policeman climbing down out of a tree to catch him, and before you could +count forty-'leven the bad burglar-fox ran away, and so he didn't rob the +goats after all. And, oh! how thankful Nannie and Billie and their papa +and mamma were to Uncle Wiggily.</p> + +<p>Now, in case the little boy next door doesn't take our clothes line, to +make a swing for his puppy dog, I'll tell you about Uncle Wiggily and the +paper house in the following story.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="STORY_XX" id="STORY_XX" />STORY XX</h2> + +<h3>UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE PAPER HOUSE</h3> + + +<p>Bright and early next morning Uncle Wiggily got up, and he took a careful +look around to see if there were any signs of the burglar-fox, about whom +I told you in another story.</p> + +<p>"I guess he's far enough off by this time," said Billie Goat, as he +polished his horns with a green leaf.</p> + +<p>"Yes, indeed," spoke Uncle Wiggily. "It is a good thing that Nannie knew +how to make a paper lantern."</p> + +<p>"Oh, I can make lots of things out of paper," said the little goat girl. +"Our teacher in school shows us how. Why I can even make a paper house."</p> + +<p>"Can you, indeed?" asked the old gentleman rabbit, as he washed his paws +and face for breakfast. "Now I should dearly like to know how to make a +paper house."</p> + +<p>"Why?" asked Billie Goat, curious like.</p> + +<p>"So that when I am traveling about, looking for my fortune, and night +comes on, and I have no place to stay, then I could make me a paper house, +and be all nice and dry in case it rained," replied the rabbit.</p> + +<p>"Oh, but the water would soon soak through the paper," said Billie. "I +know, for once I made a paper boat, and sailed it on the pond, and soon it +was soaked through, and sank away down."</p> + +<p>"Oh, but if I use that funny, greasy paper which comes inside cracker +boxes—the kind with wax on it—that wouldn't wet through," spoke the +rabbit as he went inside the goat-house with the children, for Mrs. Goat +had called them in to breakfast.</p> + +<p>"That would be just fine!" exclaimed Nannie, as she passed some apple +sauce and oatmeal to Uncle Wiggily. "After breakfast I'll show you how to +make a paper house."</p> + +<p>Well, surely enough, as soon as breakfast was over, and before she and +Billie had gone to school, Nannie showed the old gentleman rabbit how to +make a paper house. You take some paper and some scissors, and you cut out +the sides of the house and the roof, and you make windows and doors in +these sides, and then you make a chimney, and you fasten them all +together, with paste or glue, and, there you are. Isn't it easy?</p> + +<p>And if you only make the paper house large enough, you can get inside of +it and have a play party, and perhaps you can make paper dishes and knives +and forks; but listen! If you make paper things to eat, like cake or +cookies or anything like that, please only make-believe to eat them, for +they are bad for the digestion if you <i>really</i> chew them.</p> + +<p>"Well, I think I'll travel along now, and once more seek my fortune," said +Uncle Wiggily, when Billie and Nannie were ready to go to school. So Mrs. +Goat packed up for the rabbit a nice lunch in his valise, and Nannie gave +him some waxed paper, that the rain wouldn't melt, and Billie gave his +uncle a pair of scissors, and off Mr. Longears started.</p> + +<p>Well, he traveled on and on, over the fields and through the woods, and +across little brooks, and pretty soon it was coming on dark night, and the +rabbit gentleman hadn't found his fortune.</p> + +<p>"Now I wonder where I can stay to-night?" thought Uncle Wiggily, as he +looked about him. He could see nothing but an old stump, which was not +hollow, so he couldn't get inside of it, and the only other thing that +happened to be there was a flat stone, and he couldn't get under that.</p> + +<p>"I guess I must make me a paper house," said the old gentleman rabbit. +"Then I can sleep in it in peace and quietness, and I'll travel on again +in the morning."</p> + +<p>So he got out the waxed paper, and he took the scissors, and, sitting down +on the green grass, he cut out the sides and roof of the paper house. Then +he made the chimney, and put it on the roof, and then he fastened the +house together, and crawled inside, with his valise and his barber-pole +crutch.</p> + +<p>"I guess I won't make too many windows or doors," thought Uncle Wiggily, +"for a savage bear or a burglar-fox might come along in the night, and try +to get in."</p> + +<p>So he only made one door, and one window in the house. But he made a +little fireplace out of stones, and built a little fire in it, to cook his +supper. But listen, you children must never, never make a fire, unless +some big person is near to put it out in case it happens to run away, and +chases after you, to catch you. Fires are dreadfully scary things for +little folks, so please be careful.</p> + +<p>Well, Uncle Wiggily cooked his supper, frying some carrots in a little tin +frying pan he had with him, and then he said his prayers, and went to bed. +Soon he was fast, fast asleep.</p> + +<p>Well, in the middle of the night, Uncle Wiggily was awakened in his paper +house by hearing a funny noise outside.</p> + +<p>"Ha! I wonder what that can be?" he exclaimed, sitting up, and reaching +out for his crutch. The noise kept on, "pitter-patter; +pitter-patter-patter-pitter; pat-pit-pat-pit."</p> + +<p>"Oh, that sounds like the toe nails of the burglar-fox, running around the +house!" said the rabbit. Then he listened more carefully, and suddenly he +laughed: "Ha! Ha!" Then he got up and looked out of the window. "Why, it's +only the rain drops pit-pattering on the roof," he said. "Isn't it jolly +to be in a house when it rains, and you can't get wet? After this every +night I'm going to always build a waxed-paper house," said Uncle Wiggily.</p> + +<p>So he listened to the rain drops, and he thought how nice it was not to be +wet, and he went to sleep again. And pretty soon he woke up once more, for +he heard another noise. This time it was a sniffing, snooping, woofing +sort of a noise, and Uncle Wiggily knew that it wasn't the rain.</p> + +<p>"I'm sure that's the burglar-fox," he said. "What shall I do? He can smash +my paper house with his teeth and claws, and then eat me. I should have +built a wooden house. But it's too late now. I know what I'll do. I'll dig +a cellar underneath my paper house, and I'll hide there, in case that fox +smashes the roof."</p> + +<p>So Uncle Wiggily got up very softly, and right in the middle of the dirt +floor of his paper house he began to burrow down to dig a cellar. My, how +his paws made the sand and gravel fly, and soon he had dug quite a large +cellar, in which to hide.</p> + +<p>And all this time the sniffing, snooping sound kept on, until, all of a +sudden a voice cried:</p> + +<p>"Let me in!"</p> + +<p>"Who are you?" asked Uncle Wiggily.</p> + +<p>"I'm the bad alligator," was the answer, "and if you don't let me in, I'll +smash down your paper house with one swoop of my scalery-ailery tail."</p> + +<p>"You can't come in!" cried the rabbit, and then that bad alligator gave +one swoop of his tail, and smashed Uncle Wiggily's nice paper house all to +pieces!</p> + +<p>But do you s'pose the rabbit was there? No, indeed. He just grabbed up his +crutch and valise, and ran down into his cellar as far and as fast as he +could run, just as the roof fell in. And the cellar wasn't big enough for +the alligator to get in, and so he had to stay outside, and he couldn't +get Uncle Wiggily.</p> + +<p>And then it rained, and thundered and lightninged, and the alligator got +scared, and ran off, but the rabbit gentleman was safe down in his cellar, +and he didn't get a bit wet, and went to sleep there for the rest of the +night. Now, please go to bed, and in case my toothbrush, doesn't go out +roller skating, and fall down and get bald-headed, I'll tell you next +about Uncle Wiggily and the paper boat.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="STORY_XXI" id="STORY_XXI" />STORY XXI</h2> + +<h3>UNCLE WIGGILY IN A PAPER BOAT</h3> + + +<p>When the morning dawned, after he had slept all night in the cellar under +his paper house, that the alligator, with his swooping scalery-ailery +tail, had knocked down, Uncle Wiggily awakened, brushed the dirt from his +ears, and crawled out.</p> + +<p>"My!" he exclaimed as he saw the paper house all flat on the ground, like +a pancake, "Nannie Goat would certainly be sorry to see this. But I +suppose it can't be helped. Anyhow, it's a good thing that I am not +squashed as flat as that house is. Now I'll see about my breakfast, and +then I'll travel on again."</p> + +<p>So the old gentleman rabbit got his breakfast, eating almost the last +piece of the cherry pie, which he had left from the time when he made some +for the hedgehog, and then, taking his crutch, striped red, white and +blue, like a barber pole, off he started.</p> + +<p>Well, pretty soon, in a little while, not so very long, Uncle Wiggily +came to a pond of water, and, looking down into it, he saw the most +beautiful goldfish that you can imagine. It was a big fish, too, and the +scales on it were as round as gold dollars.</p> + +<p>"My!" exclaimed the rabbit. "If I had that fish, and I could take him to a +jewelry shop, and sell him, I would get so much money that my fortune +would be made, and I wouldn't have to travel any farther. But I guess the +fish would rather stay in the pond than in a jewelry shop."</p> + +<p>"Indeed, I would," answered the fish, looking up. "And I am glad you are +so kind as to be thoughtful of my feelings. Perhaps I may be able to help +you, some day."</p> + +<p>And with that the fish dived away down under the water, after calling +good-bye to the rabbit, and then Uncle Wiggily hopped on, and he didn't +think any more about the goldfish, until some time after that.</p> + +<p>Well, as soon as the elephant had his trunk packed—Oh, hold on, if you +please. I wonder what's the matter with me? There's no elephant in this +story. He comes in it about five pages farther on.</p> + +<p>Well, after traveling for several hours, Uncle Wiggily ate his dinner, +then he hopped on some more, and he looked all around for his fortune, but +he couldn't find it. Then it began to get dark, and he wondered where he +could stay that night.</p> + +<p>"I might build a paper house," he said, "but if I do the alligator might +come along and smash it, and this time he would probably catch me. I +wonder what I'd better do?"</p> + +<p>So he looked ahead, and there he saw a stream of water. It was quite a +wide brook, but on the other side of it he saw a nice little wooden house, +that no one lived in.</p> + +<p>"Now, if I could only get over there I'd be safe," said the old gentleman +rabbit. "I guess I'll wade across."</p> + +<p>Well, he started to do so, but he soon found that the water was too deep +for him to wade. It was over his head.</p> + +<p>"I'll have to swim across," said Uncle Wiggily.</p> + +<p>But, as soon as he got ready to do that, he found himself in more trouble. +For he couldn't carry his crutch and valise across with him if he swam, +and he didn't like to leave them on the shore, for fear the alligator +would get them.</p> + +<p>"Oh, I certainly am in great trouble," said the rabbit. "It's getting +darker and darker, and I have no place to stay. I haven't even any paper +with which to make me a paper house, but if I could only get across to the +wooden house, I'd be safe."</p> + +<p>And, just as he spoke, there came a little puff of wind, and lo and +behold! a nice piece of paper was blown right down out of a tree, where it +had been caught on a branch. Right at Uncle Wiggily's side it fell; that +paper did.</p> + +<p>"Oh, joy!" the rabbit gentleman cried. "Here is paper to make me a house +with." But when he looked more closely at it, he saw that it wasn't big +enough for a house, and it wasn't the kind of paper that would keep out +the rain, either.</p> + +<p>"That will never do," said Uncle Wiggily, sadly. "Ah! But I have an idea. +I will make me a paper boat, as Billie Goat once did, and in the boat I'll +sail across the stream, and sleep in the little wooden house."</p> + +<p>So he folded up the paper, first like a soldier's hat, and then like a +fireman's hat, and then he pulled on the two ends, and, presto change! he +had a paper boat. Then he took his crutch, and stuck it up in the middle +of the boat, and put a piece of paper on the crutch, and he had a sail. +Then he put the boat in the water, and got in it himself. I mean he got in +the boat, not the water—with his valise.</p> + +<p>"Here we go!" cried the old gentleman rabbit, and he shoved the boat out +from the shore. The wind caught in the little paper sail, and away Uncle +Wiggily went, as fine as fine could be.</p> + +<p>"I'll soon be on the other shore," he said, and just then he looked down, +and he saw some water coming inside the boat. "Hum! That's bad," he cried. +"I'm afraid my boat is leaking."</p> + +<p>The wind blew harder, and the boat went faster, but more water came in, +for you see the paper was sort of melting, and falling apart, like an ice +cream cone, for it wasn't the waxed kind of paper from the inside of +cracker boxes—the kind that water won't hurt.</p> + +<p>Well, the boat began to sink, and the water came up to Uncle Wiggily's +knees, and then, all of a sudden there was a funny sound on shore, a +snipping snooping woofing-woofing sound, and into the water jumped the +alligator with the skiller-scalery, swooping tail.</p> + +<p>"Now I've got you!" he cried, snapping his jaws at the poor old gentleman +rabbit. And really it did seem as if Uncle Wiggily would be eaten up. But +you never can tell what is going to happen in this world; never indeed.</p> + +<p>All of a sudden, just as the paper boat was melting all to pieces, and +Uncle Wiggily was trying, as best he could, to swim to shore with his +crutch and valise, and just as the alligator was going to grab him, along +came the big, kind goldfish.</p> + +<p>"Jump on my back, Uncle Wiggily!" cried the fish, and the rabbit did so, +in the twinkling of an eye. And before the alligator could grab Uncle +Wiggily, the goldfish swam to shore with him, and he was safe. And the +alligator got some soap in his eye, from washing his face too hard, and +went sloshing away as mad as could be, but it served him right. And Uncle +Wiggily slept safely in the wooden house all night, and dreamed about +finding a gold dollar.</p> + +<p class="figcenter"><a href="./images/132.jpg"><img src="./images/132-tb.jpg" alt="Uncle Wiggily and the Goldfish and the Alligator" title="Uncle Wiggily and the Goldfish and the Alligator" /></a></p> + + +<p>Now in case the banana man brings me some pink oranges for the elephant's +little boy, I'll <ins title="Transcriber's Note: original does not have this word">tell</ins> + you in another story about Uncle Wiggily and the mud +pie.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="STORY_XXII" id="STORY_XXII" />STORY XXII</h2> + +<h3>UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE MUD PIE</h3> + + +<p>Uncle Wiggily slept very soundly that night in the little wooden house, +across on the other side of the brook, where the alligator tried to catch +him, but didn't. And when he awakened in the morning the rabbit traveler +wondered what he was going to have for breakfast. But he didn't wonder +very long.</p> + +<p>For, as soon as he had gotten up, and had washed his paws and face, and +combed out his ears—oh, dear me—I mean his whiskers—as soon as he had +done that, he heard a knock on the door.</p> + +<p>"Oh, my, suz dud and a bottle of milk!" exclaimed the old gentleman +rabbit. "I hope that isn't the scary-flary alligator again."</p> + +<p>So he peeped out of the window, but to his surprise, he didn't see any +one.</p> + +<p>"I'm sure I heard a knock," he said, "but I guess I was mistaken."</p> + +<p>Well, he was going over to his valise to see if it had in it anything to +eat, when the knock again sounded on the door.</p> + +<p>"No, I wasn't mistaken," said Uncle Wiggily. "I wonder who that can be? +I'll peep, and find out."</p> + +<p>So he hid behind the window curtain, and kept a close watch, and the first +things he saw were some little stones flying through the air. And they hit +against the front door with a rattlety-bang, and it was these stones that +had made the sound that was like a knock.</p> + +<p>"Oh! it must be some bad boys after me," thought the poor old gentleman +rabbit. "My! I do seem to be having a dreadful time seeking my fortune. +There is always some kind of trouble."</p> + +<p>And then more stones came through the air, and banged on the door and this +time Uncle Wiggily saw that they came from the stream, and, what is more, +he saw the goldfish throwing the stones and pebbles out of the brook with +his tail. Then the rabbit knew it was all right, for the goldfish was a +friend of his, so he ran out.</p> + +<p>"Were you throwing stones at the house?" asked Uncle Wiggily.</p> + +<p>"Yes," replied the fish, "it was the only way in which I could knock on +your door. You see I dare not leave the water, and I wanted you to know +that I had some breakfast for you."</p> + +<p>And with that the kind goldfish took a little basket, made of watercress, +from off his left front fin, and handed Uncle Wiggily the basket, not his +fin, for he needed that to swim with.</p> + +<p>"You'll find some cabbage-salad with snorkery-snickery ell-grass dressing +on it, some water-lily cake, and some moss covered eggs for your +breakfast," said the fish. "And I wish you good luck on your travels +to-day."</p> + +<p>"Thank you very much," said Uncle Wiggily, "and I am very much obliged to +you for saving me from the alligator last night."</p> + +<p>"Pray do not mention it," spoke the fish most condescendingly. "I always +like to help my friends." And with that he swam away, and Uncle Wiggily +ate his breakfast, and then, taking his crutch and valise, he set off on +his travels again.</p> + +<p>He hopped on for some time, and finally he came to a place where there +were some high, prickly bramble-briar bushes.</p> + +<p>"I will rest here in their shade a bit," thought the old gentleman rabbit, +"and then I will go on."</p> + +<p>So he sat down, and, as the sun was quite warm, he fell asleep before he +knew it. But he was suddenly awakened by a hissing sound, just like when +steam comes out of the parlor radiator on a frosty night. Then a voice +cried:</p> + +<p>"Now I've got you!"</p> + +<p>Uncle Wiggily looked up, and there was a big snake, just going to grab +him. But do you s'pose the rabbit waited for that snake? Not a bit of it. +Catching up his crutch and valise, he gave one tremendous and +extraordinary springery-spring, and over the prickery stickery briar and +bramble bushes he went, flying through the air, and the snake couldn't get +him.</p> + +<p>But when Uncle Wiggily came down on the other side of the bushes! Oh, my! +that was a different story. For where do you imagine he landed? Where, +indeed, but right in the middle of a big mud pie that two little hedgehog +boys were making there. Yes, sir, right into the middle of that +squasher-squawshery mud pie fell Uncle Wiggily.</p> + +<p>Oh! How the mud splashed up! It went all over the rabbit, and some got on +the two little hedgehog boys.</p> + +<p>Well, they were as surprised as anything when they saw a nice old +gentleman rabbit come down in the middle of their pie, and at first they +thought he had done it on purpose.</p> + +<p>"Let's stick him full of our stickery-stockery quills," said one hedgehog +boy.</p> + +<p>"Yes, and then let's pull his ears," said the other hedgehog boy. But, +mind you, they didn't really mean anything bad, only, perhaps, they +thought Uncle Wiggily was a savage fox, or a little white bear.</p> + +<p>"Oh, boys, I'm sorry!" said the old gentleman rabbit as soon as he could +dig the mud out of his mouth.</p> + +<p>"What made you do it?" asked the biggest hedgehog boy, wiping some mud out +of his eye.</p> + +<p>"Yes, our pie is all spoiled," said his brother, "and we were just going +to bake it."</p> + +<p>"Oh, it is too bad!" said Uncle Wiggily, sorrowfully, "but you see I had +to get away from that snake, and I didn't have time to look where I was +jumping. I'm glad, though, that I left the snake on the other side of the +bushes."</p> + +<p>"So are we," said the two hedgehog boys.</p> + +<p>"But you didn't leave me there. I'm here!" suddenly cried a voice, and out +wiggled the snake again. He started to catch the rabbit, but those two +brave hedgehog boys grabbed up a lot of mud, and plastered it in that +snake's eyes so that he couldn't see, and he had to wiggle down to the +pond to wash it out.</p> + +<p>Then Uncle Wiggily and the boys were safe, and he helped them to make +another mud pie, with stones in for raisins, and he gave them some of his +real cherry pie, and oh! how they liked it! Then they were all happy, and +Uncle Wiggily stayed at the hedgehog's house until the next morning.</p> + +<p>Now, in case the little girl in the next house brings me a watermelon ice +cream cone with a rose on top, I'll tell you on the next page about Uncle +Wiggily and the elephant.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="STORY_XXIII" id="STORY_XXIII" />STORY XXIII</h2> + +<h3>UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE ELEPHANT</h3> + + +<p>Uncle Wiggily didn't sleep very well at the hedgehog's house that night, +and the reason for it was this: You see they didn't have many beds there, +and first the rabbit gentleman lay down with the smallest little porcupine +boy, in his bed.</p> + +<p>But pretty soon, along about in the middle of the night, this little boy +got to dreaming that he was a rubber ball. And he rolled over in the bed, +and he rolled up against Uncle Wiggily, and the stickery-stickers from the +little hedgehog chap stuck in the old gentleman rabbit.</p> + +<p>"Oh, dear!" cried Uncle Wiggily, "I think I'll have to go and sleep with +your brother Jimmie."</p> + +<p>So he went over to the other hedgehog boy's bed, but land sakes flopsy-dub +and a basket of soap bubbles!</p> + +<p>As soon as the rabbit got in there that other hedgehog chap began to dream +that he was a jumping jack, and so he jumped up and down, and he jumped +on top of Uncle Wiggily, and stuck more stickery-stickers in him, until at +last the rabbit got up and said:</p> + +<p>"Oh, dear, I guess I'll have to go to sleep on the floor."</p> + +<p>So he did that, putting his head on his satchel for a pillow and pulling +his red-white-and-blue-striped-barber-pole crutch over him for a cover. +And, in the morning, he felt a little better.</p> + +<p>"Well, I think I will travel on once more," said Uncle Wiggily after a +breakfast of strawberries, and mush and milk. "I may find my fortune +to-day."</p> + +<p>The hedgehog boys wanted him to stay with them, and make more mud pies, or +even a cherry one, but the rabbit gentleman said he had no time. So off he +went over hills and down dales, and along through the woods.</p> + +<p>Pretty soon, not so very long, just as Uncle Wiggily was walking behind a +big rock, as large as a house, he heard some one crying. Oh, such a loud +crying voice as it was, and the old rabbit gentleman was a bit frightened.</p> + +<p>"For it sounds like a giant crying," he said to himself. "And if it's a +giant he may be a bad one, who would hurt me. I guess I'll run back the +other way."</p> + +<p>Well, he started to run, but, just as he did so, he heard the voice +crying again, and this time it said:</p> + +<p>"Oh, dear me! Oh, if some one would only help me! Oh, I am in such +trouble!"</p> + +<p>"Come, I don't believe that is a giant after all," thought the rabbit. "It +may be Sammie Littletail, who has grown to be such a big boy that I won't +know him any more." So he took a careful look, but instead of seeing his +little rabbit nephew, he saw a big elephant, sitting on the ground, crying +as hard as he could cry.</p> + +<p>Now, you know, when an elephant cries it isn't like when you cry once in a +great while, or when baby cries every day. No, indeed! An elephant cries +so very many tears that if you don't have a water pail near you, to catch +them, you may get your feet wet; that is, if you don't have on rubbers.</p> + +<p>Well, that's the way it was this time. The elephant was crying big, salty +tears, about the size of rubber balls, and they were rolling down from his +eyes and along his trunk, which was like a fire engine hose, until there +was quite a little stream of water flowing down the hill toward the +rabbit.</p> + +<p>"Oh, please don't cry any more!" called Uncle Wiggily.</p> + +<p>"Why not?" asked the elephant, sadly-like, and he cried harder than +before.</p> + +<p>"Because if you do," replied the rabbit, "I will have to get a pair of +rubber boots, in which to wade out to see you."</p> + +<p>"I'll try to stop," said the big animal, but, instead, he cried harder +than before, boo-hooing and hoo-booing, until you would have thought it +was raining, and Uncle Wiggily wished he had an umbrella.</p> + +<p>"Why, whatever is the matter?" asked the rabbit.</p> + +<p>"Oh, I stepped on a tack," answered the elephant, "and it is sticking in +my foot. I can't walk, and I can't dance and I can't get back to the +circus. Oh, dear! Oh, dear me, suz-dud and a red balloon! Oh, how +miserable I am!"</p> + +<p>"Too bad," said Uncle Wiggily. "Was it a large tack that you stepped on?"</p> + +<p>"Was it?" asked the elephant, sort of painful-like. "Why, it feels as big +as a dishpan in my foot. Here, you look, and perhaps you can pull it out."</p> + +<p>He raised up one of his big feet, which were about as large as a washtub +full of clothes, on Monday morning, and he held it out to Uncle Wiggily.</p> + +<p>"Why, I can't see anything here," said the rabbit, looking at the big foot +through his spectacles.</p> + +<p>"Oh, dear! It's there all right!" cried the elephant. "It feels like two +wash tubs now," and he began to cry some more.</p> + +<p>"Here! Hold on, if you please!" shouted Uncle Wiggily. "I'll have to make +a boat, if you keep on shedding so many tears, for there will be a lake +here. Wait, I'll look once more."</p> + +<p>So he looked again, and this time he saw just the little, tiniest, +baby-tack you can imagine—about the size of a pinhead—sticking in the +elephant's foot.</p> + +<p>"Wait! I have it! Was this it?" suddenly asked the rabbit, as he took hold +of the tack in his paw and pulled it out.</p> + +<p>"That's it!" exclaimed the elephant, waving his trunk. "It's out! Oh, how +much better I feel. Whoop-de-doodle-do!" and then he felt so fine that he +began to dance. Then, all of a sudden, he began to cry once more.</p> + +<p>"Why, what in the world is the matter now?" asked Uncle Wiggily, wishing +he had a pail, so that he might catch the elephant's salty tears.</p> + +<p>"Oh, I feel so happy that I can't help crying, because my pain is gone!" +exclaimed the big creature. Then he cried about forty-'leven bushels of +tears, and a milk bottle full besides, and there was a little pond around +him, and Uncle Wiggily was in it up to his neck.</p> + +<p>Then, all of a sudden, in came swimming the alligator, right toward the +rabbit.</p> + +<p>"Ah, now I'll get you!" cried the skillery-scalery beast.</p> + +<p>"No you won't!" shouted the elephant, "Uncle Wiggily is my friend!" So he +put his trunk down in the water, and sucked it all up, and then he +squirted it over the trees. That left the alligator on dry land, and then +the elephant grabbed the alligator up in his strong trunk, and tossed him +into the briar bushes, scalery-ailery tail and all, and the alligator +crawled away after a while.</p> + +<p>So that's how Uncle Wiggily was saved from the alligator by the crying +elephant, and the rabbit and elephant traveled on together for some days. +Now, as I see the sand man coming, I must stop.</p> + +<p>But, in case I don't fall into the washtub with my new suit on, and get it +all colored sky-blue-pink, so I can't go to the picnic, I'll tell you next +about Uncle Wiggily and the cherry tree.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="STORY_XXIV" id="STORY_XXIV" />STORY XXIV</h2> + +<h3>UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE CHERRY TREE</h3> + + +<p>Uncle Wiggily Longears and the crying elephant were walking along together +one day, talking about the weather, and wondering if it would rain, and +all things like that. Only the elephant wasn't crying any more, for the +rabbit had pulled the tack that was hurting him, out of the big beast's +foot, you remember.</p> + +<p>"We'll travel on together to find our fortune, and look for adventures," +said the elephant, as he capered about, and stood on his hind legs, +because he felt so jolly. "Won't we have fun, Uncle Wiggily?"</p> + +<p>"Well, we may," spoke the old gentleman rabbit, "but I don't see how we +are going to carry along on our travels enough for us to eat. Of course, +<i>I</i> don't need much, but <i>you</i> are such a big chap that you will have to +have quite a lot, and my valise is small."</p> + +<p>"Don't worry about that," replied the elephant. "Of course you might think +I could carry a lot of pie and cake and bread and butter in my trunk, but +really I can't you know, for about all that my trunk will hold is water. +However, I think I can pick what hay and grass I want from along the +road."</p> + +<p>"Yes, and perhaps we may meet a man with a hot peanut wagon, once in a +while," suggested Uncle Wiggily, "and he may give you some peanuts."</p> + +<p>"Oh, joy! I hope he does!" cried the big fellow. "I just love hot +peanuts!" Well, they went on together for some time, when, all of a sudden +a man jumped out from behind the bushes, and exclaimed:</p> + +<p>"Ha, Mr. Elephant! I've been looking for you. Now you come right back with +me to the circus where you belong." And he went up to the elephant and +took hold of his trunk.</p> + +<p>"Oh, I don't want to go," whined the tremendous creature. "I want to stay +with Uncle Wiggily, and have some fun."</p> + +<p>"But you can't," said the man. "You are needed in the circus. A lot of +boys and girls are waiting in the tent, to give you peanuts and popcorn."</p> + +<p>"Well, then, I s'pose I'd better go back," sighed the wobbly animal with +the long tusks. "I'll see you again, Uncle Wiggily." So the elephant said +good-bye to the rabbit, and went back to the circus with the man, while +the rabbit gentleman hopped on by himself.</p> + +<p>He hadn't gone very far before he heard a loud "Honk-honk!" in the bushes.</p> + +<p>"Oh, there is another one of those terrible automobiles!" thought the +rabbit. But it wasn't at all. No, it was Grandfather Goosey Gander, and +there he sat on a flat stone, "honk-honking" through his yellow bill as +hard as he could, and, at the same time crying salty tears that ran down +his nose, making it all wet.</p> + +<p>"Why, whatever is the matter?" asked Uncle Wiggily, as he went up to his +friend, the duck-drake gentleman. "Have you stepped on a tack, too?"</p> + +<p>"No, it isn't that," was the answer. "But I am so sick that I don't know +what to do, and I'm far from my home, and from my friends, the +Wibblewobble family, and, oh, dear! it's just awful."</p> + +<p>"Let me look at your tongue," said the rabbit, and when Grandfather Goosey +Gander stuck it out, Uncle Wiggily said:</p> + +<p>"Why, you have the epizootic very bad. Very bad, indeed! But perhaps I can +cure you. Let me see, I think you need some bread and butter, and a cup of +catnip tea. I'll make you some."</p> + +<p>So Uncle Wiggily made a little fire of sticks, and then he found an empty +tin tomato can, and he boiled some water in it over the fire, and made the +catnip tea. Then he gave some to Grandfather Goosey Gander, together with +some bread and butter.</p> + +<p>"Well, I feel a little better," said the old gentleman duck-drake, when he +had eaten, "but I am not well yet. It seems to me that if I could have +some cherry pie I would feel better."</p> + +<p>"Perhaps you would," agreed Uncle Wiggily, "but, though I know how to make +nice cherry pie, and though I made some for the hedgehog, I don't see any +cherry trees around here, so I can't make you one. There are no cherry +trees."</p> + +<p>"Yes, there is one over there," said the duck-drake, and he waved one foot +toward it, while he quacked real faint and sorrowful-like.</p> + +<p>"Sure enough, that <i>is</i> a cherry tree," said Uncle Wiggily, as he hopped +over and looked at it. "And the cherries are ripe, too. Now, if I could +only get some of them down I could make a cherry pie, and cure Grandfather +Goosey Gander."</p> + +<p>But it wasn't easy to get the cherries off the tree, and Uncle Wiggily +couldn't climb up after them. So he sat down and looked up at them, hoping +some would fall off the stems. But none did.</p> + +<p>"Oh, dear, I wonder how I'm going to get them?" sighed the rabbit. +"Perhaps I can knock off some with a stone."</p> + +<p>So he threw a stone, but no cherries came down. The stone did, though, +and hit Uncle Wiggily on the nose, making him sneeze.</p> + +<p>"Stones are no good!" exclaimed the rabbit. "I'll throw up my crutch." So +he threw that into the tree, but it brought no cherries down, and the +crutch, in falling, nearly hit Grandfather Goosey Gander, and almost gave +him the measles and mumps.</p> + +<p>"Well, I'll try and see what throwing up my valise will do," said the +rabbit, and he tossed up the satchel, but bless you, that stayed up in the +tree, and didn't come down at all, neither did any cherries.</p> + +<p>"Oh, I'll have to give up," said Uncle Wiggily. "I'm afraid you can't have +any cherry pie, Grandfather Goosey."</p> + +<p>"Oh, then I'll never get well," said the old duck-drake gentleman +sorrowfully.</p> + +<p>"Yes, you will, too!" suddenly cried out a voice, and out from the bushes +ran the elephant. "I'll pick the cherries off the tree with my long, nosey +trunk," he said, "and you can make all the pie you want to, Uncle +Wiggily."</p> + +<p>"Why, I thought you went back to the circus," said the rabbit.</p> + +<p>"No, I ran away from the man," spoke the elephant. Then he reached up with +his long nose, and he picked a bushel of red, ripe, sweet delicious +cherries in less than a minute. Then he pulled down Uncle Wiggily's +valise out of the tree and then the old gentleman rabbit made three cherry +pies. One for Grandfather Goosey Gander, and another, a tremendous big +one, as large as a washtub, for the elephant, and a little one for +himself. Then they ate their pies, and the old gentleman duck-drake got +well almost at once. So all three of them traveled on together, to help +the rabbit seek his fortune.</p> + +<p>Now in case the ice cream man brings some nice, hot roast chestnuts for +our canary bird, I'll tell you in another story about Uncle Wiggily, and +Grandfather Goosey Gander.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="STORY_XXV" id="STORY_XXV" />STORY XXV</h2> + +<h3>UNCLE WIGGILY AND GRANDPA GOOSEY</h3> + + +<p>One day, not very long after the elephant had picked the cherries off the +tree, so that Uncle Wiggily could make the cherry pies for Grandpa Goosey, +the three friends were traveling along together through a deep, dark, +dismal woods.</p> + +<p>"Where are we going?" asked the elephant, who had run away from the circus +man to travel by himself.</p> + +<p>"Oh, to some place where we may find our fortune," said the old gentleman +rabbit.</p> + +<p>"I would much rather find some snails to eat," said Grandfather Goosey +Gander, the old gentleman duck, as I shall call him for short. "For I am +very hungry."</p> + +<p>"What's that?" cried the rabbit. "Hungry after the nice pie I made for +you?"</p> + +<p>"Oh, that was some time ago. I could eat another pie right now," spoke the +old duck. But there wasn't any pie for him, so he had to eat a cornmeal +sandwich with watercress salad on, and Uncle Wiggily ate some carrots and +cabbage, and the elephant ate a lot of grass from a field—oh! a terrible +lot—about ten bushels, I guess.</p> + +<p>Then, all at once, as they were walking along over a bridge, a man +suddenly jumped out from behind a tree, and cried:</p> + +<p>"Ah, ha! Now you won't get away from me, Mr. Elephant. This time I am +surely going to take you back to the circus." And with that he threw a +rope around the elephant's trunk, and led him away. The elephant cried so +many tears that there was a muddy puddle right near the bridge, and the +big animal begged to be allowed to stay with Uncle Wiggily and Grandpa +Goosey Gander, but the man said it could not be done.</p> + +<p>"Well, then, you and I will have to go on together," said the old +gentleman rabbit to the duck, after a bit. "Perhaps we may find our +fortune."</p> + +<p>"I think I could make money calling out 'honk-honk!' on an automobile," +said the grandfather. "Jimmie Wibblewobble once did that for a man. I +think I'll look for a nice automobile gentleman to work for, and if I get +money enough we'll be rich."</p> + +<p>Well, he looked and looked, but no one seemed to want an old duck for an +auto horn, and the rabbit and Grandfather Goosey Gander kept on traveling +together, over the fields and through the woods.</p> + +<p>Pretty soon they came to a place where a June bug was sitting on the edge +of a stone wall, buzzing his wings.</p> + +<p>"Let's ask him where we can find our fortunes," said Uncle Wiggily. So +they asked the June bug.</p> + +<p>"Well," replied the buzzing creature, "I am not sure, but a little way +from here are two roads. One or the other might bring you to your fortune. +One goes to the right, the other to the left hand."</p> + +<p>"We will take the left hand road," said Uncle Wiggily. "We will go down +that for some distance, and if we do not find a pot of gold, or some ice +cream cones at the end of it, we will come back, and try the other road."</p> + +<p>So Uncle Wiggily and Grandfather Goosey Gander went down the left road. On +and on they went, walking in the dust when there was any dust, and in the +mud when there was any mud. But they didn't find any gold.</p> + +<p>"Oh, let's go back and try the other road," said the rabbit gentleman +after a bit. "Perhaps that will be better."</p> + +<p>So back they went, stopping on the way to look at a big apple tree, to see +if there were any ripe apples on it. But there was none, so they didn't +eat any. And I hope you children do the same this summer. Never eat green +apples, never, never, never! Wait until they are ripe.</p> + +<p>Well, by and by, after a while, not so very long, Uncle Wiggily, who was +hopping along on his crutch, suddenly exclaimed:</p> + +<p>"Oh, I've lost my valise! What shall I do? I can't go on without it, for +it has our lunch in it."</p> + +<p>"I think you left it under the green-apple tree," said the duck. "You had +better go back for it, and I will wait here in the shade," for Grandpa +Goosey knew the rabbit could hop faster than he could waddle.</p> + +<p>Back Uncle Wiggily started, and, surely enough, he found his valise under +the apple tree, where he had forgotten it. He picked it up, and was +walking along with it back to where Grandfather Goosey Gander was waiting +for him when, all of a sudden, out from behind a stump came Jennie +Chipmunk, with a basket of popcorn balls.</p> + +<p>"Oh, Uncle Wiggily!" she exclaimed. "Don't you want to buy some popcorn +balls? Our church is having a little fair, and we are all trying to earn +some money. I am selling popcorn, to help the little heathen children buy +red-colored handkerchiefs."</p> + +<p>"Of course, I'll take some," said the old gentleman rabbit, "popcorn +balls, I mean—not children, or hankerchiefs," he said quickly. So he +bought a pink one, and a white one, and a chocolate colored one, popcorn +balls you know—not children—and put them in his valise.</p> + +<p>Then Uncle Wiggily sent his love to Sammie and Susie Littletail, by Jennie +Chipmunk, and off he started to go back to where Grandfather Goosey Gander +was waiting for him.</p> + +<p>Well, something terrible was happening to the poor old gentleman duck, and +I'll tell you all about it. No sooner had the rabbit gotten near the shady +tree under which the grandfather gentleman was resting, than he heard a +cry:</p> + +<p>"Help! Help! Help!" called the duck. "Oh, help me quickly, somebody!"</p> + +<p>"What is the matter?" asked Uncle Wiggily, limping along as fast as he +could.</p> + +<p>"Oh, a bad snake has caught me!" cried the duck. "He has wound himself +around my legs, and I can't walk, and he is going to eat me up! He jumped +on me out of the bushes. He will eat me!"</p> + +<p class="figcenter"><a href="./images/158.jpg"><img src="./images/158-tb.jpg" alt="Uncle Wiggily and Grandfather Gander and the Snake" title="Uncle Wiggily and Grandfather Gander and the Snake" /></a></p> + +<p>"He shall never do that!" cried the rabbit, bravely. "I will save you." So +he ran up to that snake, but the snake stuck out his tongue, like a fork, +at the rabbit, and Uncle Wiggily was frightened. Then he tried to hit the +snake with a stick, but the crawly creature hid down behind Grandfather +Goosey, and so got out of the way.</p> + +<p>"I have it!" suddenly cried Uncle Wiggily. "The popcorn balls. Snakes love +them! I'll make him eat them, and then he'll let Grandpa Goosey go." So +from his valise the brave rabbit took the red and the white and the +chocolate colored popcorn balls, and he rolled them along the ground, +close to the snake's nose. And the snake smelled them, and he was so +hungry for them that he uncoiled himself from Grandfather Goosey's legs, +and let the old gentleman duck go. And the snake chased after the corn +balls and ate them all up, and then he didn't want anything more for a +long while, and he went to sleep for six months and dreamed about turning +into a hoop, and so he didn't bother anybody.</p> + +<p>So that's how Uncle Wiggily saved the duck, and next, in case the pretty +baby across the street doesn't fall down and bump its nose, I'll tell you +about Uncle Wiggily and the ice cream cones.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="STORY_XXVI" id="STORY_XXVI" />STORY XXVI</h2> + +<h3>UNCLE WIGGILY'S ICE CREAM CONES</h3> + + +<p>It didn't take Uncle Wiggily and Grandfather Goosey Gander long to get +away from the place where the bad snake was, let me tell you, even if the +crawly creature had eaten three popcorn balls, and would sleep for six +months.</p> + +<p>"This is no place for us," said the rabbit. "We must see if we can't find +our fortune somewhere else."</p> + +<p>"I believe you," spoke Grandfather Goosey, rubbing his yellow legs, where +the snake had wound tight around him like a clothesline. "We'll look for a +place in which to stay to-night, and we'll see what we can find +to-morrow."</p> + +<p>Well, they hurried on for some time, and pretty soon it began to get dark, +and they couldn't find any place to stay.</p> + +<p>"I guess I'll have to dig a hole in the ground, and make a burrow," said +the rabbit.</p> + +<p>"Oh, but I couldn't stay underground," said the duck. "I'm used to +sleeping in a wooden house."</p> + +<p>"That's so," said Uncle Wiggily. "Well, if I had some paper I could make +you a paper house, but I haven't any, so I don't know what to do."</p> + +<p>And just then, away in the air, there sounded a voice saying:</p> + +<p>"Caw! Caw! Caw!"</p> + +<p>"Ha! That's a crow," exclaimed Uncle Wiggily. "There must be green corn +that is ready to pull up somewhere around here."</p> + +<p>"There is," said the black crow, flying down. "I know a nice field of corn +that a farmer has planted, and to-morrow I am going to pick some."</p> + +<p>"But aren't you afraid of the scarecrow?" asked the duck.</p> + +<p>"No; I'm not," said the crow. "The scarecrow is only some old clothes +stuffed with straw, and it is set out in the field to drive us crows away. +We're not a bit afraid of it. Would you be?"</p> + +<p>"No, of course not," answered Grandfather Goosey Gander. "But then, you +see, I'm not a crow—the scary figure wasn't meant for me."</p> + +<p>"Then you can stay in one of the pockets of the scarecrow's coat all +night," said the crow. "It will be a good place for you to sleep."</p> + +<p>"The very thing!" cried Uncle Wiggily. So that night he dug himself a +little house under the ground, and the duck gentleman flew up, and got +inside the pocket of the old coat which the scarecrow figure wore, and +there the duck stayed all night, sleeping very soundly.</p> + +<p>"Well, now we'll travel on again," said Uncle Wiggily, the next morning +after breakfast. So he and Grandfather Goosey started off. Well, pretty +soon it became hotter and hotter, for the sun was just beaming down as +hard as it could, and Uncle Wiggily exclaimed:</p> + +<p>"I know what would taste good! An ice cream cone for each of us. Wait +here, grandfather, and I'll get two of them."</p> + +<p>"Fine!" cried the grandfather duck. "But you seem to do all the hopping +around, Uncle Wiggily. Why can't I go, while you rest?"</p> + +<p>"Oh, I don't in the least mind going," replied the kind rabbit. "Besides, +while I do not say it to be proud, and far be it from me to boast, I can +go a little faster than you can in one hop. So I'll go."</p> + +<p>And go he did, leaving his valise in charge of Grandfather Goosey, who sat +down with it, under a shady tree. Pretty soon the old gentleman rabbit +came to a little ice cream store, that stood beside the road, right near a +little pond of water, where the ice-cream-man could wash his dishes when +he had to make them clean.</p> + +<p>"I'll have two, nice, big, cold strawberry ice cream cones, and please put +plenty of ice cream in them," said Uncle Wiggily to the man.</p> + +<p>"Right you are!" cried the ice-cream-man in a jolly voice, and, say, I +just wish you could have seen those cones! They were piled up heaping full +of ice cream. Oh, my! It just makes me hungry to write about them.</p> + +<p>Well, Uncle Wiggily, carefully carrying the cones, started to hop back to +where he had left Grandfather Goosey. He hadn't gone far before he heard a +growling voice cry out:</p> + +<p>"Hold on there a moment, Uncle Wiggily!"</p> + +<p>"Why?" asked the rabbit.</p> + +<p>"Because I want to see what you've got," was the answer. "Ah, I see ice +cream cones!" and with that a great, big, black bear jumped out of the +bushes, and stood right in front of Uncle Wiggily.</p> + +<p>"Let me pass!" cried the rabbit, holding the ice cream cones so that the +bear couldn't get them.</p> + +<p>"Indeed I will not!" cried the furry creature. "Ice cream cones, indeed! +If there is one thing that I'm fonder of than another, ice cream cones is +it! Let me taste one!"</p> + +<p>Then before the rabbit could do anything, that bad bear took one ice cream +cone right away from him. And that bear did more than that, so he did. He +stuck his long, red tongue down inside the cone, and he licked out every +bit of cream, with one, long lick.</p> + +<p>"My but that's good!" he cried, smacking his lips. "I guess I'll try the +second one," he said, and he dropped the empty cone, not eating it, mind +you, and he took the other full cone away from poor Uncle Wiggily before +the rabbit gentleman could stand on his head, or even wave his short tail.</p> + +<p>"Oh, don't eat that cone. It belongs to Grandfather Goosey," cried the +rabbit, sadly-like.</p> + +<p>"Too late!" cried the bear, in a growlery voice. "Here it goes!" and with +that he stuck his long, red tongue down inside the second cone, and with +one lick he licked all the ice cream out and threw the empty cone on the +ground.</p> + +<p>"Now I feel good and hungry, and I guess I'll eat you," cried the bear. He +made a grab for the poor gentleman rabbit, and folded him tight in his +paws. But before that Uncle Wiggily had reached down and had picked up the +two empty ice cream cones.</p> + +<p>"Oh, let me go!" cried Uncle Wiggily to the bear.</p> + +<p>"Indeed I'll not!" shouted the savage creature. "I want you for supper."</p> + +<p>Well, he was just going to eat Uncle Wiggily up, when that brave rabbit +just took the sharp points of those two empty ice cream cones, and he +stuck them in the bear's ticklish ribs, and Uncle Wiggily tickled the bear +so that the furry, savage creature sneezed out loud, and laughed so hard +that Uncle Wiggily easily slipped out of his paws, and hopped away before +he could be caught again.</p> + +<p>So that's how the rabbit got safely away, and the empty ice cream cones +were of some use after all. But Uncle Wiggily wondered how he could get a +full one for Grandfather Goosey Gander, and how he did I'll tell you +pretty soon, when, in case a butterfly doesn't bite a hole in my straw +hat, the next story will be about Uncle Wiggily and the red ants.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="STORY_XXVII" id="STORY_XXVII" />STORY XXVII</h2> + +<h3>UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE RED ANTS</h3> + + +<p>When Uncle Wiggily got to where Grandfather Goosey Gander was waiting for +him, under the shady tree, the old gentleman duck jumped up and cried out:</p> + +<p>"Oh, how glad I am to see you! I've just been wishing you would hurry back +with those ice cream cones. My! I never knew the weather to be so warm at +this time of the year. Oh, won't they taste most delicious—those cones!"</p> + +<p>You see he didn't yet know what the bear had done—eaten all the ice cream +out of the cones, as I told you in the other story.</p> + +<p>"Oh, dear!" cried the rabbit. "How sorry I am to have to disappoint you, +Grandfather, but there is no ice cream!"</p> + +<p>"No ice cream!" cried the alligator—oh, dear me! I mean the duck. "No ice +cream?"</p> + +<p>"Not a bit," said Uncle Wiggily, and then he told about what the savage +bear-creature had done, and also how he had used the cones to tickle him.</p> + +<p>"Well, that's too bad," said Grandfather Goosey, "but here, I'll give you +money to buy more cones with," and he put his hand in his pocket, but lo +and behold! he had lost all his money.</p> + +<p>"Never mind, perhaps <i>I</i> have some pennies," said the rabbit; so he +looked, but, oh, dear me, suz-dud and the mustard pot! All of Uncle +Wiggily's money was gone, too.</p> + +<p>"Well, I guess we can't get any ice cream cones this week," said the old +gentleman duck. "We'll have to drink water."</p> + +<p>"Oh, no you won't," said a buzzing voice. "I'll get you each an ice cream +cone, because you have always been so kind—both of you." And with that +out from the bushes flew a big, sweet, honey bee, with a load of honey.</p> + +<p>"Have you got any ice cream cones, Mr. Bee?" asked the rabbit.</p> + +<p>"No, but I have sweet honey, and if I go down to the ice cream cone store, +and give the man some of my honey he'll give me three cones, and there'll +be one for you and one for me and——"</p> + +<p>"One for Sister Sallie!" interrupted Grandfather Goosey. "I wish she was +here now."</p> + +<p>"She could have a cone if she was here," said the honey bee, "as I could +get four. But, as long as she is not, the extra cone will go to you, +Grandpa. Now, come on, and I'll take my honey to the ice-cream-cone-man."</p> + +<p>So they went with him and on the way the bee sung a funny little song like +this:</p> + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">"I buzz, buzz, buzz</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 3em;">All day long.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">I make my honey</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 3em;">Good and strong.</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">I fly about</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 3em;">To every flower</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">And sometimes stay</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 3em;">'Most half an hour."</span><br /> +</p> + +<p>Uncle Wiggily didn't know whether or not the bee was really in earnest +about what he said, but, surely enough, when they got to the ice cream +store, the man took the bee's honey, and handed out four ice cream cones, +each larger than the first ones. Two were for the duck as he was so fond +of them.</p> + +<p>"Oh, let's eat them here, so that if the bear meets us he can't take them +away," suggested Grandfather Goosey, and they did. Then the bee flew home +to his hive, and Uncle Wiggily and the old gentleman duck found a nice +place to sleep under a haystack.</p> + +<p>In the morning Grandfather Goosey said he thought he had better go back +home, as he had traveled enough. He wanted the rabbit to come with him, +but Uncle Wiggily said:</p> + +<p>"No, I have not yet found my fortune, and until I do I will keep on +traveling." So he kept on, and the duck went home.</p> + +<p>Well, it was about two days after that when, along toward evening, as +Uncle Wiggily was walking down the road, he saw a real big house standing +beside a lake. Oh, it was a very big house, about as big as a mountain, +and the chimney on it was so tall as almost to reach the sky.</p> + +<p>"Hum! I wonder who lives there?" said Uncle Wiggily. "Perhaps I can find +my fortune in that house."</p> + +<p>"Oh, no; never go there!" cried a voice down on the ground, and, looking +toward his toes, Uncle Wiggily saw a little red ant.</p> + +<p>"Ah, ha! Why shouldn't I go up to the big house, little red ant?" asked +the rabbit.</p> + +<p>"Because a monstrous giant lives there," was the answer, "and he could eat +you up at one mouthful. So stay away."</p> + +<p>"I guess I will," said the rabbit. "But I wonder where I can sleep +to-night. I guess I'll go——"</p> + +<p>"Oh, look out! Look out!" cried another red ant. "There is the giant +coming now."</p> + +<p>Uncle Wiggily looked, and he saw something like a big tree moving, and +that was the giant. Then he felt the ground trembling as if a railroad +train was rumbling past, and he heard a noise like thunder, and that was +the giant walking and speaking:</p> + +<p>"I smell rabbits! I smell rabbits!" cried the giant. "I must have them for +supper!" Then he came on straight to where Uncle Wiggily was, but he +hadn't yet seen him.</p> + +<p>"Oh, what shall I do? What shall I do?" cried the bunny. "Let me hide +behind that stone." He made a jump for a rock, taking his valise and +crutch with him, but the first red ant said:</p> + +<p>"It is no good hiding there, Uncle Wiggily, for the giant can see you."</p> + +<p>"Oh, what shall I do?" he asked again, trembling with fear.</p> + +<p>"I know!" cried the second little red ant. "Let's all bring grains of +sand, and cover Uncle Wiggily up, leaving just a little hole for his nose, +so he can breathe. Then the giant won't see him. It will be like down at +the seashore, when they cover people on the beach up with the sand."</p> + +<p>"Oh, it will take many grains of sand to cover the rabbit," said the first +red ant, but still they were not discouraged. The first two ants called +their brothers and sisters, and aunts, and uncles, and papas, and mammas, +and cousins, and nephews, and forty-second granduncles. Soon there were +twenty-two million four hundred and sixty-seven thousand, eight hundred +and ninety-one ants, and a little baby ant, who counted as a half a one, +and he carried baby grains of dirt.</p> + +<p>Then each big ant took up a grain of sand, and then they all hurried up, +and put them on Uncle Wiggily, who stretched out in the grass. Now all +those ants together could carry lots of sand, you see, and soon the rabbit +was completely buried from sight, all but the tip of his nose, so he could +breathe, and when the giant came rumbling, stumbling by, he couldn't see +the bunny, and so he didn't eat him. And, of course, the giant didn't eat +the ants, either for he didn't like them.</p> + +<p>"Hum! I thought I smelled a rabbit, but I guess I was mistaken," said the +giant, grumbling and growling, as he tramped around.</p> + +<p>And that's how Uncle Wiggily was saved, and pretty soon, if there isn't +any sand in my rice pudding, I'll tell you about Uncle Wiggily and the bad +giant.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="STORY_XXVIII" id="STORY_XXVIII" />STORY XXVIII</h2> + +<h3>UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE BAD GIANT</h3> + + +<p>Do you remember about the giant, of whom I told you a little while ago, +and how he couldn't find Uncle Wiggily, because the rabbit was covered +with sand that the ants carried? Yes, I guess you do remember. Well, now +I'm going to tell you what that giant did.</p> + +<p>At first he was real surprised, because he couldn't find the bunny-rabbit, +and he tramped around, making the ground shake with his heavy steps, and +growling in his rumbling voice until you would have thought that it was +thundering.</p> + +<p>"My, my!" growled the giant. "To think that I can't have a rabbit supper +after all. Oh, I'm so hungry that I could eat fourteen thousand, seven +hundred and eighty-seven rabbits, and part of another one. But I guess +I'll have to take a barrel of milk and a wagon load of crackers for my +supper."</p> + +<p>So that's what he did, and my how much he ate!</p> + +<p>Well, after the giant had gone away, Uncle Wiggily crawled out from under +the sand, and he said to the ants:</p> + +<p>"I guess I'd better not stay around here, for it is too dangerous. I'll +never find my fortune here, and if that giant were to see me he'd step on +me, and make me as flat as a sheet of paper. I'm going."</p> + +<p>"But wait," said the biggest ant of all. "You know there are two giants +around here. One is a good one, and one is bad. Now if you go to the good +giant I'm sure he will help you find your fortune."</p> + +<p>"I'll try it," said the rabbit. "Where does the good giant live?"</p> + +<p>"Just up the hill, in that house where you see the flag," said the big +ant, as she ate two crumbs of bread and jam. "That's where the good giant +lives. You must go where you see the fluttering flag, and you may find +your fortune."</p> + +<p>"I will," said Uncle Wiggily, "I'll go in the morning, the first thing +after breakfast."</p> + +<p>So the next morning he started off. But in the night something had +happened and the rabbit didn't know a thing about it. After dark the bad +giant got up, and he went over, and took the flag from the pole in front +of the house of the good giant, and hoisted it up over his own house.</p> + +<p>"I haven't any flag of my own," said the bad giant, "so I will take his." +For you see, the two giants lived not far apart. In fact they were +neighbors, but they were very different, one from the other, for one was +kind and the other was cruel.</p> + +<p>So it happened, that when Uncle Wiggily started to go to the giant's house +he looked for the fluttering flag, and when he saw it on the bad giant's +house he didn't know any better, but he thought it was the home of the +good giant.</p> + +<p>Well, the old gentleman rabbit walked on and on, having said good-by to +the ants, and pretty soon he was right close to the bad giant's house. +But, all the while, he thought it was the good giant's place—so don't +forget that.</p> + +<p>"I wonder what sort of a fortune he'll give me," thought the rabbit. "I +hope I soon get rich, so I can stop traveling, for I am tired."</p> + +<p>Well, as he came near the place where the bad giant lived he heard a voice +singing. And the song, which was sung in a deep, gruff, grumbling, +growling voice, went something like this:</p> + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">"Oh, bing bang, bung!</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Look out of the way for me.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 3em;">For I'm so mad,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 3em;">I feel so bad,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">I could eat a hickory tree!</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Oh, snip, snap, snoop!</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Get off my big front stoop,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 3em;">Or I'll tear my hair</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 3em;">In wild despair,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">And burn you with hot soup!"</span><br /> +</p> + +<p>"My, that's a queer song for a good giant to sing," thought Uncle Wiggily. +"But perhaps he just sings that for fun. I'm sure I'll find him a jolly +enough fellow, when I get to know him."</p> + +<p>Well, he went on a little farther, and pretty soon he came to the gate of +the castle where the bad giant lived. The rabbit looked about, and saw no +one there, so he kept right on, until, all of a sudden, he felt as if a +big balloon had swooped down out of the sky, and had lifted him up. Higher +and higher he went, until he found himself away up toward the roof of the +castle, and then he looked and he saw two big fingers, about as big as a +trolley car, holding him just as you would hold a bug.</p> + +<p>"Oh, who has me?" cried Uncle Wiggily, very much frightened. "Let me go, +please. Who are you?"</p> + +<p>"I am the bad giant," was the answer, "and if I let you go now you'd fall +to the ground and be killed. So I'll hold on to you."</p> + +<p>"Are you the bad giant?" asked the rabbit. "Why, I thought I was coming +to the good giant's house. Oh, please let me go!"</p> + +<p>"No, I'm going to keep you," said the giant. "I just took the good giant's +flag to fool you. Now, let me see, I think I'll just sprinkle sugar on you +and eat you all up—no, I'll use salt—no, I think pepper would be better; +I feel like pepper to-day."</p> + +<p>So the bad giant started toward the cupboard to get the pepper caster, and +poor Uncle Wiggily thought it was all up with him.</p> + +<p>"Oh, I wish I'd never thought of coming to see any giant, good or bad," +the rabbit gentleman said. "Now good-by to all my friends!"</p> + +<p>"Hum! Let me see," spoke the bad giant, standing still. "Pepper—no, I +think I'll put some mustard on you—no, I'll try ketchup—no, I mean +horseradish. Oh, dear, I can't seem to make up my mind what to flavor you +with," and he held Uncle Wiggily there in his fingers, away up about a +hundred feet high in the air, and wondered what he'd do with the old +gentleman rabbit.</p> + +<p>And it's a good thing he didn't eat him right away, for that was the means +of saving Uncle Wiggily's life. Right after breakfast the good giant found +out that his bad neighbor had taken his flag, so he went and told the ants +all about it.</p> + +<p>"Oh, then Uncle Wiggily must have been mixed up about the flag, and he has +gone to the wrong place, and he'll be eaten," said the big ant. "We must +save him. Come on, everybody!"</p> + +<p>So all the ants hurried along together, and crawled to the castle of the +bad giant, and they got there just as he was putting some molasses on +Uncle Wiggily to eat him. And those ants crawled all over the giant, on +his legs and arms, and nose and ears and toes, and they tickled him so +that he squiggled and wiggled and squirreled and whirled, and finally he +let Uncle Wiggily fall on a feather bed, not hurting him a bit, and the +rabbit gentleman hopped safely away and the ants crawled with him far from +the castle of the bad giant.</p> + +<p>So Uncle Wiggily was saved by the ants, and in case the trolley car +doesn't run over my stick of peppermint candy, and make it look like a +lolly-pop, I'll tell you soon about Uncle Wiggily and the good giant.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="STORY_XXIX" id="STORY_XXIX" />STORY XXIX</h2> + +<h3>UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE GOOD GIANT</h3> + + +<p>Now what do you s'pose that bad giant had for supper the night after the +ants helped Uncle Wiggily get away? You'd never guess, so I'll tell you. +It was beans—just baked beans, and that giant was so disappointed, and +altogether so cut-up about not having rabbit stew, that he ate so many +beans, that I'm almost afraid to tell you just how many.</p> + +<p>But if all the boys in your school were to take their bean shooters, and +shoot beans out of a bag for a million years, and Fourth of July also, +that giant could eat all of them, and more too—that is, if he could get +the beans after the boys shot them away.</p> + +<p>"Well, I certainly must be more careful after this," said Uncle Wiggily to +the ants, as they crawled along down the hill with him, when he hopped +away from the bad giant's house.</p> + +<p>"Oh, it wasn't your fault," said the second size big red ant, with black +and yellow stripes on his stockings. "That bad giant changed the flags, +and that's what fooled you. But I guess the good giant will have his flag +back by to-morrow, and then you can go to the right house. We'll go along +and show you, and you may get your fortune from him."</p> + +<p>So, surely enough, the next day, the good giant went over and took his +flag away from the bad giant, and put it upon his own house.</p> + +<p>"Now you'll be all right," said the pink ant, with purple spots on his +necktie. "You won't make any mistake now, Uncle Wiggily. I'm sure the good +giant will give you a good fortune."</p> + +<p>"Yes, and he'll give you lots to eat," said the black ant with white rings +around his nose.</p> + +<p>Well, Uncle Wiggily took his valise and his crutch and up toward the good +giant's house he went, with the ants crawling along in the sand to show +him the way.</p> + +<p>Pretty soon they came to a big bridge, over a stream of water, and this +was the beginning of the place where the good giant lived.</p> + +<p>"We'll all have to go back now," said the purple ant, with the green +patchwork squares on his checks. "If we crossed over the bridge we might +fall off and be drowned. We'll go back, but you go ahead, and we wish you +good luck, Uncle Wiggily."</p> + +<p>"Indeed we do," said a white ant with gold buckles on her shoes.</p> + +<p>Well, after a little while Uncle Wiggily found himself right inside the +good giant's house. And oh! what a big place it was. Why, even the door +mat was so big that it took the rabbit three hops to get to the top of it. +And that front door! I wish you could have seen it! It was as large as one +of your whole houses, and it was only a door, mind you.</p> + +<p>"Hello! hello!" cried Uncle Wiggily, as he pounded with his crutch on the +floor. "Is any one at home?"</p> + +<p>"But no one answered, and there wasn't a sound except the ticking of the +clock, and that made as much noise as a railroad train going over a +bridge, for the clock was a big as a church steeple.</p> + +<p>"Hum! No one is home," said Uncle Wiggily. "I'll just sit down and make +myself comfortable." So he sat down on the floor by the table that was +away over his head, and waited for the giant to come back.</p> + +<p>And, all of a sudden, the rabbit heard a noise like a steam engine going, +and he was quite surprised, until he happened to look up, and there stood +a pussy cat as big as a cow, and the cat was purring, which made the noise +like a steam engine.</p> + +<p>"My, if that's the size of the cat, what must the giant be," thought the +rabbit. "I do hope he's good-natured when he comes home."</p> + +<p>Well, pretty soon, in a little while, as Uncle Wiggily was sitting there, +listening to the big cat purr, he felt sleepy, and he was just going to +sleep, when he heard a gentle voice singing:</p> + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">"Oh, see the blackbird, sitting in the tree,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Hear him singing, jolly as can be.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Now he'll whistle a pretty little tune,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Isn't it delicious in the month of June?</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">"Hear the bees a-buzzing, hour by hour,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Gathering the honey from every little flower.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">The katydid is singing by his own front door,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Now I'll have to stop this song—I don't know any more."</span><br /> +</p> + +<p>"Well, whoever that is, he's a jolly chap," said the rabbit, and with that +who should come in but the giant himself.</p> + +<p>"Ho! Ho! Whom have we here?" the giant asked, looking at Uncle Wiggily. +"What do you want, my little furry friend with the long ears? You must be +able to hear very well with them."</p> + +<p>"I can hear pretty well," said the rabbit. "But I came to seek my +fortune."</p> + +<p>"Fine," cried the good giant, for he it was. "I'll do all I can for you," +and he laughed so long and hard that part of the ceiling and the gas +chandelier fell down, but the giant caught them in his strong hands, and +not even the pussy cat was hurt. Then the giant sung another song, like +the first, only different, and he fixed the broken ceiling, and said:</p> + +<p>"Now for something to eat! Then we'll talk about your fortune. I'll get +you some carrots." So he went out, and pretty soon he came back, carrying +ten barrels of carrots in one hand and seventeen bushels of cabbage in the +other.</p> + +<p>"Here's a little light lunch for you," he said to Uncle Wiggily. "Eat +this, and I'll get you some more, when we have a regular meal."</p> + +<p>"Oh, why this is more than I could eat in a year," said the rabbit, "but I +thank you very much," so he nibbled at one carrot, while the good giant +ate fifteen thousand seven hundred and eight loaves of bread, and two +million bushels of jam. Then he felt better.</p> + +<p>"So you want to find your fortune, eh?" the giant said to the rabbit. +"Well, now I'll help you all I can. How would you like to stay here and +work for me? You have good ears, and you could listen for burglars in the +night when I am asleep. Will you?"</p> + +<p>"I think I will," said Uncle Wiggily. And he was just reaching for +another carrot, when suddenly from outside sounded a terrible racket.</p> + +<p>"Where is he? Let me get at him! I want him right away—that rabbit I +mean!" cried a voice, and Uncle Wiggily jumped up in great fright, and +looked for some place to hide. The giant jumped up, too, and grabbed his +big club.</p> + +<p>But don't be alarmed. Nothing bad is going to happen to our Uncle +Wiggily—in fact he is going to have lots of fun soon.</p> + +<p>So if my motorboat doesn't turn upside down and spill out the pink +lemonade, I'll tell you in the next story about Uncle Wiggily and the +giant's little boy.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="STORY_XXX" id="STORY_XXX" />STORY XXX</h2> + +<h3>UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE GIANT'S BOY</h3> + + +<p>Let me see, I believe I left off where Uncle Wiggily was in the house of +the good giant, and the old gentleman rabbit heard a terrible noise. +Didn't I?</p> + +<p>"My goodness!" exclaimed the rabbit, jumping up so quickly that he upset +one of the giant's toothpicks, on which he had been sitting for a chair, +for the giant's toothpicks were as large as a big chestnut tree. "My +goodness!" cried Uncle Wiggily, "what in the world is that?"</p> + +<p>"I guess it's my little boy coming home from school," said the good giant +as softly as he could, but, even then, his voice was like thunder. "He +must have heard that you were here."</p> + +<p>"Will he hurt me? Does he love animals?" asked the rabbit, for he was +getting frightened. "Will your little boy be kind to me?"</p> + +<p>"Oh, indeed he will!" cried the good giant. "I have taught him to love +animals, for you know he is so big and strong, even though I do call him +my <i>little</i> boy, that it would be no trouble for him to take a bear or a +lion, and squeeze him in one hand so that the bear or lion would never +hurt any one any more. But, just because he is big and strong, though not +so big and strong as I am, I have taught my boy to be kind to the little +animals."</p> + +<p>"Then I will have no fear," said Uncle Wiggily, winking his nose—I mean +his eyes—and just then the door of the giant's house opened and in came +his little boy.</p> + +<p>Well, at first Uncle Wiggily was so frightened that he did not know what +to do. I wonder what you would say if you were suddenly to see a boy +almost as big as your house, or mine, walk into the parlor, and sit down +at the piano? Well, that's what the old gentleman rabbit saw.</p> + +<p>"Ah, my little boy is home from school," said the giant, kindly. "Did you +have your lessons, my son?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, father, I did," was the answer. "And I learned a new song. I'll sing +it for you."</p> + +<p>So he began to play the piano with his little finger nail, and still, and +with all that, he made as much noise as a circus band of music can make on +a hot day in the tent. Oh, he played terribly loud, the giant's boy did, +and Uncle Wiggily had to put his paws over his ears, or he might have been +made deaf. Then the giant's little boy sang, and even when he hummed it +the noise was like a thunder storm, only different. Now, this is the boy +giant's song, and you will have to sing it with all your might, as hard as +you can, but not if the baby is asleep.</p> + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">"I am a little fellow,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 3em;">But soon I will grow big.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">And then I'll sit beside the sea,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 3em;">And in the white sand dig.</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">"I'll make a hole so very deep,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 3em;">To China it will go.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">And then I'll fill it up with shells</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 3em;">Wherein the wild waves blow."</span><br /> +</p> + +<p>And with that the giant's little boy banged so hard on the piano with his +little finger nail that he broke a string, and made a funny sound, like a +banjo out of tune.</p> + +<p>"Oh, I didn't mean to do that!" the giant's boy cried. "I'm sorry!"</p> + +<p>"Dear me! I wonder when you'll grow up?" asked the giant, sort of +sad-like.</p> + +<p>"I think he's pretty big now," said Uncle Wiggily. And, indeed, the +boy-giant was so tall that when the rabbit stood up as high as he could +stand, he only came up to the tip end of the shoe laces on the giant +boy's big shoes.</p> + +<p>"Oh, he grows very slowly," said the giant, and then the boy noticed the +rabbit for the first time. Well, that boy-giant wanted to know all about +Uncle Wiggily, where he came from and where he was going, and all that, +and Uncle Wiggily told about how he was traveling around to seek his +fortune.</p> + +<p>"Oh, I believe I know where you can find lots of money, Uncle Wiggily," +said the giant's boy kindly, as he reached over and stroked the rabbit's +ears. "I have always heard that there is a pot of gold at the end of the +rainbow. The next time we see one, you and I will go out and search for +the money. Then you will have your fortune, and you won't have to travel +around any more."</p> + +<p>"That will be fine!" cried the rabbit, "for, to tell you the truth, I am +getting pretty tired of going about the country. Still, I will not give up +until I find my fortune."</p> + +<p>"All right. But we will have to wait until it rains, and then we'll see +where the end of the rainbow is," said the giant's boy. "Now we will have +some games together. Let's play tag."</p> + +<p>Well, they started to play that, but, land's sake, flopsy dub and a basket +of ice cream cones! Uncle Wiggily ran here, and there, and everywhere, and +he jumped and leaped about so that the giant's little boy couldn't catch +him, for the big-little fellow wasn't very spry on his feet.</p> + +<p>"Oh, I guess we had better not play that game any more," said the boy +giant, as he accidentally nearly stepped on Uncle Wiggily's left ear. "I +might hurt you. Let's play hide-and-go-seek."</p> + +<p>But Uncle Wiggily was even better at this game than he had been at tag, +for he could hide in such small holes that the boy giant couldn't even see +them, so of course that wouldn't do for a game. It was no fun.</p> + +<p>Then all at once it began to rain. My! how it did pour! It rained snips +and snails and puppy dogs' tails, with the puppies fast to the tails, of +course, and the streets were covered with them. Then it rained a few ice +cream cones, and Uncle Wiggily and the giant boy had all they wanted to +eat, the giant eating fourteen thousand seven hundred and eighty-six, and +part of another one, while Uncle Wiggily had only two cones.</p> + +<p>"Oh, there is the rainbow!" cried the boy giant at last, as he saw the +beautiful gold and green and orange and red colors in the sky. "Now for +the pot of gold."</p> + +<p class="figcenter"><a href="./images/184.jpg"><img src="./images/184-tb.jpg" alt="Uncle Wiggily and Giant's Boy" title="Uncle Wiggily and Giant's Boy" /></a></p> + +<p>So he and Uncle Wiggily started off together to find it. But they had not +gone very far through the woods before they met the papa giant.</p> + +<p>"Where are you going?" he asked of them.</p> + +<p>"To the end of the rainbow to get the pot of gold," said the giant's +little boy.</p> + +<p>"You don't need to," said the giant, "for there is none there. That is +only a fairy story. Wait, I'll show you."</p> + +<p>So he stretched out his long arm as far as it would go and he reached away +down to the end of the rainbow and he felt all around with his long +fingers, and sure enough, there wasn't a bit of gold there, for his hand +came back empty.</p> + +<p>"It's too bad," said the giant's little boy to Uncle Wiggily. "There is +nothing there for you. But perhaps you will find your fortune to-morrow. +Come and stay with me until morning."</p> + +<p>So Uncle Wiggily went back to the giant's house, and the next day quite a +surprising adventure occurred to him, and in case the gasoline in my +motorboat doesn't wash all the paint off my red necktie I'll tell you next +about Uncle Wiggily and Grand-daddy Longlegs.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="STORY_XXXI" id="STORY_XXXI" />STORY XXXI</h2> + +<h3>UNCLE WIGGILY AND DADDY LONGLEGS</h3> + + +<p>Uncle Wiggily got up early the morning after the good giant had shown him +that there wasn't any gold at the end of the rainbow. The old gentleman +rabbit looked where a place had been set for him at the table, but alas +and alack a-day, the table was almost as high from the floor as the church +steeple is from the ground, and Uncle Wiggily could not reach up to it.</p> + +<p>"Hum, let's see what we will do," spoke the papa giant. "I know, I'll get +a spool of thread from the lady giant next door, and that will answer for +a table for you, Uncle Wiggily, and you can use another toothpick for a +chair."</p> + +<p>So while the boy giant went for the spool of thread, the papa giant served +Uncle Wiggily's breakfast. First he brought in a washtub full of milk and +a bushel basket full of oatmeal.</p> + +<p>"What is that for?" asked the rabbit in surprise.</p> + +<p>"That is for your breakfast," was the answer. "Isn't it enough? Because I +can get you more in a jiffy, if you want it."</p> + +<p>"Oh, it is entirely too much," said Uncle Wiggily. "I can only take a +little of that oatmeal."</p> + +<p>"Very well, then, I will take this myself, and get you a small dish full," +spoke the papa giant, and he ate all that oatmeal and milk up at one +mouthful, but even then it was hardly enough to fill his hollow tooth.</p> + +<p>Then the boy giant came back with the spool, which was as big as the +dining-room table in a rabbit's house. Up at this new table the traveling +uncle sat, and he ate a very good breakfast indeed.</p> + +<p>"Now I must start off again to seek my fortune," he said, as he took his +crutch, striped red, green and yellow, like a cow's horn. Oh, excuse me! I +was thinking of circus balloons, I guess. Anyhow Uncle Wiggily took his +crutch and valise, and, as he was about to start off, the boy giant said:</p> + +<p>"I will walk along a short distance with you, and in case any bad animals +try to hurt you I'll drive them away."</p> + +<p>"Oh, I don't believe any one will harm me," spoke the rabbit, but +nevertheless something did happen to him. As he and the boy giant were +walking along, all of a sudden there was a noise from behind a big, black +stump, and out jumped a big, black bear. He rushed right at the rabbit, +and called out:</p> + +<p>"Ha! Now I have you! I've been waiting a long while for you, and I thought +you'd never come. But, better late than never. Now for my dinner! I've had +the fire made for some time to cook you, and the kettle is boiling for +tea." He was just going to grab our Uncle Wiggily, when the giant's little +boy called out:</p> + +<p>"Here, you let that rabbit alone! He's a friend of mine!" But, listen to +this, the bear never thought a thing about a boy giant being with Uncle +Wiggily, and he never even looked up at him. Only when the bear heard the +giant's boy speaking he thought it was distant thunder, and he said:</p> + +<p>"Oh, I must hurry home with that rabbit before it rains. I don't like to +get wet!"</p> + +<p>"Yes, I guess you <i>will</i> hurry home!" cried the giant's boy, and with that +he reached over, and he grabbed that black, ugly bear by his short, stumpy +tail and he flung him away over the tree tops, like a skyrocket, and it +was some time before that bear came down. And when he did, he didn't feel +like bothering Uncle Wiggily any more.</p> + +<p>"Now I guess you'll be all right for a while on your travels," said the +boy giant as he called good-by to the old gentleman rabbit. "Send me a +souvenir postal when you find your fortune, and if any bad animals bother +you, just telephone for me, and I'll come and serve them as I did the +bear."</p> + +<p>Then the old gentleman rabbit thanked the boy giant, and started off +again. He traveled on and on, over hills and down in little valleys, and +across brooks that flowed over green mossy stones in the meadow, and +pretty soon Uncle Wiggily came to a big gray stone in the middle of a +field. And, as he looked at the stone, the old gentleman rabbit saw +something red fluttering behind it, and he heard a noise like some one +crying.</p> + +<p>"Ha! Here is where I must be careful!" exclaimed the rabbit to himself. +"Perhaps that is a red fox behind the stone, and he is making believe cry, +so as to bring me up close, and then he'll jump out and grab me. No +indeed, I'm going to run back."</p> + +<p>Well, Uncle Wiggily was just going to run back, when he happened to look +again, and there, instead of a fox behind the stone, it was a little boy, +with red trousers on, and he was crying as hard as he could cry, that boy +was.</p> + +<p>"What is the matter, my little chap?" asked the rabbit kindly. "Are you +crying because you have on red trousers instead of blue? I think red is a +lovely color myself. I wish I had red ears, as well as red eyes."</p> + +<p>"Oh, I am not crying for that," said the little boy, wiping away his +tears on a big green leaf, "but you see I am like Bo-peep, only I have +lost my cows, instead of my sheep, and I don't know where to find them."</p> + +<p>"Oh, I'll help you look," said Uncle Wiggily. "I am pretty good at finding +lost cows. Come, we'll hunt farther." So off they started together, Uncle +Wiggily holding the little boy by one of his paws—one of the rabbit's +paws, I mean.</p> + +<p>Well, they looked and looked, but they couldn't seem to find those cows. +They looked at one hill, and on top of another hill, and down in the +hollows, and under the trees by the brook, but no cows were to be seen.</p> + +<p>"Oh, dear!" cried the little boy, "if I don't find them soon there'll be +no milk for dinner."</p> + +<p>"And I am very thirsty, too," said the rabbit. "I wish I had a drink of +milk. But where in the world can those cows be?" and he looked up into the +sky, not because he thought the cows were there, but so that he might +think better. Then he looked down at the ground, and, as he did so he saw +a little red creature with eight long legs, and the creature wiggled one +leg at the rabbit friendly-like as if to shake hands.</p> + +<p>"Why don't you ask me where the cows are?" said the long-legged insect.</p> + +<p>"Why, can you tell?" inquired Uncle Wiggily.</p> + +<p>"Of course I can. I'm a grand-daddy longlegs, and I can always tell where +the cows are," was the reply. "Just you ask me."</p> + +<p>So Uncle Wiggily and the little boy, both together, politely asked where +they could find the cows, and the grand-daddy just pointed with one long +leg off toward the woods where the rabbit and boy hadn't thought of +looking before that.</p> + +<p>"You'll find your cows there," said grand-daddy longlegs, and then he +hurried home to his dinner. And Uncle Wiggily and the boy went over to the +woods, and there in the shade by a brook—sure enough were the cows, +chewing their gum—I mean their cuds. And they were just waiting to be +driven home.</p> + +<p>So Uncle Wiggily, and the boy with the red trousers, drove the cows home, +and they were milked, and the old gentleman rabbit had several glasses +full—glasses full of milk, not cows, you know. Goodness me! A cow +couldn't get into a glass could it? I guess not!</p> + +<p>And after that Uncle Wiggily——</p> + +<p>Well, but see here now. I think I've put enough adventures about Uncle +Wiggily in this book, and I must save some for another one. So I think I +will call the following book "Uncle Wiggily's Travels," for he still kept +on traveling after his fortune you know. And he found it, too, which is +the best part of it. Oh, my yes! He found his fortune all right. Don't +worry about that. And in the next book, the very first thing he did, was +to have an adventure with a red squirrel-girl, who was some relation to +Johnnie and Billie Bushytail.</p> + +<p>So that's all there is to Uncle Wiggily, for a little while, if you +please, but if you want to hear anything else about him I'll try, later +on, to tell you some more stories. And now, dear children, good-bye.</p> + +<h2>THE END.</h2> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Uncle Wiggily's Adventures, by Howard R. 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Garis + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Uncle Wiggily's Adventures + +Author: Howard R. Garis + +Release Date: March 7, 2005 [EBook #15281] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK UNCLE WIGGILY'S ADVENTURES *** + + + + +Produced by Clare Boothby, David Newman, Emmy and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team.(https://www.pgdp.net) + + + + + + + + +UNCLE WIGGILY'S +ADVENTURES + +By +HOWARD R. GARIS + +_Author of "Sammie and Susie Littletail," "Johnnie and Billie +Bushytail." "Lulu, Alice and Jimmie Wibblewobble," +"Jackie and Peetie Bow-Wow," "Those Smith +Boys," "The Island Boys" etc._ + +Illustrations by + +LOUIS WISA + +A.L. BURT COMPANY + +PUBLISHERS NEW YORK + +THE FAMOUS + +BED TIME SERIES + +Five groups of books, intended for reading +aloud to the little folks each night. Each +volume contains 8 colored illustrations, 31 +stories, one for each day of the month. Handsomely +bound in cloth. Size 6-1/2 x 8-1/4. + +HOWARD R. GARIS + + +=Bed Time Animal Stories= + +No. 1. SAMMIE AND SUSIE LITTLETAIL +No. 2. JOHNNY AND BILLY BUSHYTAIL +No. 3. LULU, ALICE & JIMMIE WIBBLEWOBBLE +No. 5. JACKIE AND PEETIE BOW-WOW +No. 7. BUDDY AND BRIGHTEYES PIGG +No. 9. JOIE, TOMMIE AND KITTIE KAT +No. 10 CHARLIE AND ARABELLA CHICK +No. 14 NEDDIE AND BECKIE STUBTAIL +No. 16 BULLY AND BAWLY NO-TAIL +No. 20 NANNIE AND BILLIE WAGTAIL +No. 28 JOLLIE AND JILLIE LONGTAIL + + +=Uncle Wiggily Bed Time Stories= + + +No. 4 UNCLE WIGGILY'S ADVENTURES +No. 6 UNCLE WIGGILY'S TRAVELS +No. 8 UNCLE WIGGILY'S FORTUNE +No. 11 UNCLE WIGGILY'S AUTOMOBILE +No. 19 UNCLE WIGGILY AT THE SEASHORE +No. 21 UNCLE WIGGILY'S AIRSHIP +No. 27 UNCLE WIGGILY IN THE COUNTRY + + * * * * * + +For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt +of price by the publishers + +=A.L. BURT CO., 114-120 East 23d St., New York= + + * * * * * + +COPYRIGHT, 1912 By +R.F. FENNO & COMPANY +_Uncle Wiggily's Adventures_ + + + + +=UNCLE WIGGILY'S ADVENTURES= + + + + +STORY I + +UNCLE WIGGILY STARTS OFF + + +Uncle Wiggily Longears, the nice old gentleman rabbit, hopped out of bed +one morning and started to go to the window, to see if the sun was +shining. But, no sooner had he stepped on the floor, than he cried out: + +"Oh! Ouch! Oh, dear me and a potato pancake! Oh, I believe I stepped on a +tack! Sammie Littletail must have left it there! How careless of him!" + +You see this was the same Uncle Wiggily, of whom I have told you in the +Bedtime Books--the very same Uncle Wiggily. He was an Uncle to Sammie and +Susie Littletail, the rabbit children, and also to Billie and Johnnie +Bushytail, the squirrel boys, and to Alice and Lulu and Jimmie +Wibblewobble, the duck children, and I have written for you, books about +all those characters. Now I thought I would write something just about +Uncle Wiggily himself, though of course I'll tell you what all his nephews +and nieces did, too. + +Well, when Uncle Wiggily felt that sharp pain, he stood still for a +moment, and wondered what could have happened. + +"Yes, I'm almost sure it was a tack," he said. "I must pick it up so no +one else will step on it." + +So Uncle Wiggily looked on the floor, but there was no tack there, only +some crumbs from a sugar cookie that Susie Littletail had been eating the +night before, when her uncle had told her a go-to-sleep story. + +"Oh, I know what it was; it must have been my rheumatism that gave me the +pain!" said the old gentleman rabbit as he looked for his red, white and +blue crutch, striped like a barber pole. He found it under the bed, and +then he managed to limp to the window. Surely enough, the sun was shining. + +"I'll certainly have to do something about this rheumatism," said Uncle +Wiggily as he carefully shaved himself by looking in the glass. "I guess +I'll see Dr. Possum." + +So after breakfast, when Sammie and Susie had gone to school, Dr. Possum +was telephoned for, and he called to see Uncle Wiggily. + +"Ha! Hum!" exclaimed the doctor, looking very wise. "You have the +rheumatism very bad, Mr. Longears." + +"Why, I knew that before you came," said the old gentleman rabbit, +blinking his eyes. "What I want is something to cure it." + +"Ha! Hum!" said Dr. Possum, again looking very wise. "I think you need a +change of air. You must travel about. Go on a journey, get out and see +strange birds, and pick the pretty flowers. You don't get exercise +enough." + +"Exercise enough!" cried Uncle Wiggily. "Why, my goodness me sakes alive +and a bunch of lilacs! Don't I play checkers almost every night with +Grandfather Goosey Gander?" + +"That is not enough," said the doctor, "you must travel here and there, +and see things." + +"Very well," said Uncle Wiggily, "then I will travel. I'll pack my valise +at once, and I'll go off and seek my fortune, and maybe, on the way, I can +lose this rheumatism." + +So the next day Uncle Wiggily started out with his crutch, and his valise +packed full of clean clothes, and something in it to eat. + +"Oh, we are very sorry to have you go, dear uncle," said Susie Littletail, +"but we hope you'll come back good and strong." + +"Thank you," said Uncle Wiggily, as he kissed the two rabbit children and +their mamma, and shook hands with Papa Littletail. Then off the old +gentleman bunny hopped with his crutch. + +Well, he went along for quite a distance, over the hills, and down the +road, and through the woods, and, as the sun got higher and warmer, his +rheumatism felt better. + +"I do believe Dr. Possum was right!" said Uncle Wiggily. "Traveling is +just the thing for me," and he felt so very jolly that he whistled a +little tune about a peanut wagon, which roasted lemonade, and boiled and +frizzled Easter eggs that Mrs. Cluk-Cluk laid. + +"Ha! Where are you going?" suddenly asked a voice, as Uncle Wiggily +finished the tune. + +"I'm going to seek my fortune," replied Uncle Wiggily. "Who are you, +pray?" + +"Oh, I'm a friend of yours," said the voice, and Uncle Wiggily looked all +around, but he couldn't discover any one. + +"But where are you?" the puzzled old gentleman rabbit wanted to know. "I +can't see you." + +"No, and for a very good reason," answered the voice. "You see I have very +weak eyes, and if I came out in the sun, without my smoked glasses on, I +might get blind. So I have to hide down in this hollow stump." + +"Then put on your glasses and come out where I can see you," invited the +old gentleman rabbit, and all the while he was trying to remember where he +had heard that voice before. At first he thought it might be Grandfather +Goosey Gander, or Uncle Butter, the goat, yet it didn't sound like either +of them. + +"I have sent my glasses to the store to be fixed, so I can't wear them and +come out," went on the voice. "But if you are seeking your fortune I know +the very place where you can find it." + +"Where?" asked Uncle Wiggily, eagerly. + +"Right down in this hollow stump," was the reply. "There are all kinds of +fortunes here, and you may take any kind you like Mr. Longears." + +"Ha! That is very nice," thought the rabbit. "I have not had to travel far +before finding my fortune. I wonder if there is a cure for rheumatism in +that stump, too?" So he asked about it. + +"Of course, your rheumatism can be cured in here," came the quick answer. +"In fact, I guarantee to cure any disease--measles, chicken-pox, mumps and +even toothache. So if you have any friends you want cured send them to +me." + +"I wish I could find out who you were," spoke the rabbit. "I seem to know +your voice, but I can't think of your name." + +"Oh, you'll know me as soon as you see me," said the voice. "Just hop +down inside this hollow stump, and your fortune is as good as made, and +your rheumatism will soon be gone. Hop right down." + +Well, Uncle Wiggily didn't like the looks of the black hole down inside +the stump, and he peered into it to see what he could see, but it was so +black that all he could make out was something like a lump of coal. + +"Well, Dr. Possum said I needed to have a change of scene, and some +adventures," said the rabbit, "so I guess I'll chance it. I'll go down, +and perhaps I may find my fortune." + +Then, carefully holding his crutch and his satchel, Uncle Wiggily hopped +down inside the stump. He felt something soft, and furry, and fuzzy, +pressing close to him, and at first he thought he had bumped into Dottie +or Willie Lambkin. + +But then, all of a sudden, a harsh voice cried out: + +"Ha! Now I have you! I was just wishing some one would come along with my +dinner, and you did! Get in there, and see if you can find your fortune, +Uncle Wiggily!" And with that what should happen but that big, black bear, +who had been hiding in the stump, pushed Uncle Wiggily into a dark closet, +and locked the door! And there the poor rabbit was, and the bear was +getting ready to eat him up. + +But don't worry, I'll find a way to get him out, and in case we have ice +cream pancakes for supper I'll tell you, in the next story, how Uncle +Wiggily got out of the bear's den, and how he went fishing--I mean Uncle +Wiggily went fishing, not the bear. + + + + +STORY II + +UNCLE WIGGILY GOES FISHING + + +At first, after he found himself shut up in the bear's dark closet, where +we left him in the story before this, poor Uncle Wiggily didn't know what +to think. He just sat there, on the edge of a chair, and he tried to look +around, and see something, but it was too black, so he couldn't. + +"Perhaps this is only a joke," thought the old gentleman rabbit, "though I +never knew a black bear to joke before. But perhaps it is. I'll ask him." + +So Uncle Wiggily called out: + +"Is this a joke, Mr. Bear?" + +"Not a bit of it!" was the growling answer. "You'll soon see what's going +to happen to you! I'm getting the fire ready now." + +"Getting the fire ready for what; the adventure, or for my fortune?" asked +the rabbit, for he still hoped the bear was only joking with him. + +"Ready to cook you!" was the reply. "That's what the fire is for!" and +the bear gnashed his teeth together something terrible, and, with his +sharp claws, he clawed big splinters off the stump, and with them he +started the fire in the stove, with the splinters, I mean, not his claws. + +The blazing fire made it a little brighter in the hollow stump, which was +the black bear's den, and Uncle Wiggily could look out of a crack in the +door, and see what a savage fellow the shaggy bear was. You see, that bear +just hid in the stump, waiting for helpless animals to come along, and +then he'd trick them into jumping down inside of it, and there wasn't a +word of truth about him having sore eyes, or about him having to wear dark +spectacles, either. + +"Oh, my! I guess this is the end of my adventures," thought the rabbit. "I +should have been more careful. Well, I wish I could see Sammie and Susie +before he eats me, but I'm afraid I can't. I shouldn't have jumped down +here." + +But as Uncle Wiggily happened to think of Sammie Littletail, the boy +rabbit, he also thought of something else. And this was that Sammie had +put something in the old gentleman rabbit's valise that morning, before +his uncle had started off. + +"If you ever get into trouble, Uncle Wiggily," Sammie had said, "this may +come in useful for you." Uncle Wiggily didn't look at the time to see +what it was that his nephew put in the valise, but he made up his mind he +would do so now. So he opened his satchel, and there, among other things, +was a long piece of thin, but strong rope. And pinned to it was a note +which read: + +"Dear Uncle Wiggily. This is good to help you get out of a window, in case +of fire." + +"My goodness!" exclaimed Uncle Wiggily, "that's fine. There the bear is +making a fire to cook me, and with this rope I can get away from it. Now +if there's only a window in this closet I'm all right." + +So he looked, and sure enough there was a window. And with his crutch +Uncle Wiggily raised it. Then he threw out his satchel, and he tied the +rope to a hook on the window sill, and, being a strong old gentleman, he +crawled out of the window, and slid down the cord. + +And Uncle Wiggily got out just as the bear opened the closet door to grab +him, and put him in the pot, and when the savage black creature saw his +fine rabbit dinner getting away he was as angry as anything, really he +was. + +"Here! Come back here!" cried the bear, but of course Uncle Wiggily knew +better than to come back. He slid down the rope to the ground, and then he +cut off as much of the rope as he could, and put it in his pocket, for he +didn't know when he might need it again. Then, catching up his valise, he +ran on and on, before the bear could get to him. + +It was still quite a dark place in which Uncle Wiggily was, for you see he +was underground, down by the roots of the stump. But he looked ahead and +he saw a little glimmer of light, and then he knew he could get out. + +Limping on his crutch, and carrying his valise, he went on and on, and +pretty soon he came out of a dark cave and found himself on the bank of a +nice little brook, that was running over mossy, green stones. + +"Ha! This is better than being in a bear's den!" exclaimed the old +gentleman rabbit. "My, I was so frightened that I forgot about my +rheumatism hurting me. That was an adventure all right, and Sammie was a +good boy to think of that strong cord. Now what shall I do next?" + +Well, Uncle Wiggily sat down on the bank of the brook, and he looked in +the water. Then he happened to see a fish jump up to catch a bug, so he +said to himself: + +"I guess I will go fishing, just for fun. But if I do happen to catch any +fish I'll put them right back in the water again. For I don't need any +fish, as I have some lettuce and cabbage sandwiches, and some +peanut-butter cakes, that Susie's mamma put up in a cracker-box for me." + +Well, Uncle Wiggily looked in his valise, to make sure his lunch was safe, +and then, taking a bent pin from under his vest, he fastened it to a part +of the string Sammie had given him. Then he fastened the string to a pole, +and he was ready to fish, but he needed something to make the fishes +bite--that is, bite the pinhook, not bite him, you know. + +"Oh, I guess they'll like a bit of sweet cracker," Uncle Wiggily thought; +so he put some on the end of the pin-hook, and threw it toward the water. + +It fell in with a splash, and made a lot of little circles, like +ring-around the rosies, and the rabbit sat there looking at them, sort of +nodding, and half asleep and wondering what adventure would happen to him +next, and where he would stay that night. All of a sudden he felt +something tugging at the hook and line. + +"Oh, I've got a fish! I've got a fish!" he cried, as he lifted up the +pole. Up out of the water with a sizzling rush flew the string and the +sweet cracker bait, and the next minute out leaped the big, savage +alligator that had escaped from a circus. + +"Oh, ho! So you tried to catch me, eh?" the alligator shouted at Uncle +Wiggily. + +"No--no, if you please," said the rabbit. "I was after fish." + +"And I'm after you!" cried the alligator, and, scrambling up the bank, he +made a jump for Uncle Wiggily, and with one sweep of his kinky, scaly +tail he flopped and he threw the old gentleman rabbit and his crutch and +valise right up into a big tree that grew near the brook. + +"There you'll stay until I get ready to eat you!" exclaimed the alligator, +as he stood up on the end of his tail under the tree, and opened his mouth +as wide as he could so that if Uncle Wiggily fell down he'd fall into it, +just like down a funnel, you know. + +Well, the poor gentleman rabbit clung to the topmost tree branch, +wondering how in the world he was going to escape from the alligator. Oh, +it was a dreadful position to be in! + +But please don't worry or stay awake over it, for I'll find a way to get +him down safely. And in the story after this, if the milkman doesn't leave +us sour cream for our lemonade, I'll tell you about Uncle Wiggily and the +black crow. + + + + +STORY III + +UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE BLACK CROW + + +Let me see, where did I leave off in the last story? Oh! I remember. It +was about Uncle Wiggily Longears being up in the top of the tall tree, and +the alligator keeping guard down below, ready to eat him. + +Well, the old gentleman rabbit was wondering how he could ever escape, and +he felt quite badly about it. + +"I guess this is the end of my adventures," he said to himself. "It would +have been much better had I stayed at home with Sammie and Susie." And as +he thought of the two rabbit children he felt still sadder, and very +lonely. + +"I wonder if Susie could have put anything in my satchel with which to +scare an alligator," thought Uncle Wiggily. "I guess I'll look." So he +looked, and what should he find but a bottle of toothache drops. Yes, +there it was, and wrapped ground it was a little note Susie had written. + +"Dear Uncle Wiggily," she said in the note, "if you ever get the +toothache on your travels, this will stop it." + +"Ha! That is very kind of Susie, I'm sure," said the rabbit, "but I don't +see how that is going to make the alligator go away. And, even if he does +go, I wonder how I'm to get down out of this tall tree, with my crutch, my +valise and my rheumatism?" + +Well, just then the alligator got tired of standing on the end of his +tail, with his mouth open, and he began crawling around. Then he thought +of what a good supper he was going to have of Uncle Wiggily, and that +alligator said: + +"I guess I'll sharpen my teeth so I can eat him better," and with that the +savage and unpleasant creature began to gnaw on a stone, to sharpen his +teeth. Then he stood up on the end of his tail once more, under the tree, +and opened his mouth as wide as he could. + +"Come on now!" he called to Uncle Wiggily. "Jump down and have it over +with." + +"Oh, but I don't want to," objected the rabbit. + +"You'll have to, whether you want to or not," went on the alligator. "If +you don't come down, I'll take my scaly, naily tail, and I'll saw down the +tree, and then you'll fall." + +"Oh, dear!" exclaimed Uncle Wiggily. "What shall I do?" + +Then he happened to think of the bottle of toothache medicine that he held +in his hand, and, taking out the cork, he dropped the bottle, medicine and +all, right into the open mouth of the alligator, who was again up on his +tail. + +And the alligator thought it was Uncle Wiggily falling into his jaws, and +he shut them quickly like a steel trap and chewed on that bottle of hot +toothache drops before he knew what it was. + +Well, you can just imagine what happened. The medicine was as hot as +pepper and mustard and vinegar and cloves and horse radish all made into +one! My! how it did burn that alligator's mouth. + +"Oh my! I'm shot! I'm poisoned! I'm bitten by a mosquito! I'm stabbed! I'm +all scrambled up" cried the alligator. "Water, water, quick! I must have +water!" + +Then he gave a big jump, and, with his kinkery-scalery tail, he leaped +into a big puddle of water, and went away down in under, out of sight, to +cool off his mouth. + +"Oh, now is my chance! If I could only get down out of the tree!" +exclaimed Uncle Wiggily. "But with my rheumatism I'm afraid I'll fall. Oh +dear! What shall I do?" + +"Don't be afraid, I'll help you!" exclaimed a kind voice, and then the +voice went on: "Caw! Caw! Caw!" and Uncle Wiggily, looking up, saw a big +black crow perched on a limb over his head. + +"Oh, how do you do!" spoke Uncle Wiggily, making a bow as well as he +could. "Can you really help me down?' + +"Yes," said the crow, "I can. Wait until I get my market basket. I was +just going to the grocery, but I'm in no hurry. I'll save you first." + +So that crow flew off, and in a moment he came back with a big basket in +its bill. + +"Hop in!" the black crow called to Uncle Wiggily, "and I'll fly down to +the ground with you, and you can run off before the alligator comes out of +the water. I saw what you did to him with those toothache drops, and it +served him right. Come on, hop in the basket." + +So Uncle Wiggily got in the basket, and the crow, taking the handle in his +strong beak, flew safely to the ground with him. And that's how the old +gentleman rabbit got down out of the tree, just as I told you he would. + +So he and the crow walked on some distance through the woods together, +after Uncle Wiggily had picked up his crutch and valise, which had fallen +out of the basket, and they got safely away before the alligator came out +of the water. And wasn't he the provoked old beastie, though, when he saw +that his rabbit supper was gone? + +"Where are you going?" asked the crow of Uncle Wiggily, after a bit, when +they got to a nice big stone, and sat down for a rest. + +"I am seeking my fortune," replied the old gentleman rabbit, "and trying +to get better of my rheumatism. Dr. Possum told me to travel, and have +adventures, and I've had quite a few already." + +"Well, I hope you find your fortune and that it turns out to be a very +good one," said the kind crow. "But it is coming on night now. Have you +any place to stay?" + +"No," replied the rabbit, "I haven't. I never thought about that. What +shall I do?" + +"Oh, don't worry," said the crow. "I'd let you stay in my nest, but it is +up a high tree, and you would have trouble climbing in and out. But near +my nest-house is an old hollow stump, and you can stay in that very +nicely." + +"Are there any bears in it?" asked Uncle Wiggily, careful-like. + +"Oh, no; not a one. It is very safe." + +So the crow showed Uncle Wiggily where the hollow stump was, and he slept +there all night, on a soft bed of leaves. And when he awakened in the +morning he had breakfast with the crow and once more started off to seek +his fortune. + +Well, pretty soon, in a short while, not so very long, he came to a little +house made of bark, standing in the middle of a deep, dark, dismal woods. +And on the door of the house was a sign which read: + +"If you want to be surprised, open this door and come in." + +"Perhaps I can find my fortune in there, and get rid of the rheumatism," +thought Uncle Wiggily, so he hopped forward. And just as he did so he +heard a voice calling to him: + +"Don't go in! Don't go in there, Uncle Wiggily!" + +The rabbit looked up, and saw Johnnie Bushytail, the squirrel boy, waving +his paws at him. Well, Uncle Wiggily started to jump back away from the +door of the little house, but it was too late. Out came a +scraggily-raggily claw, which grabbed him, while a voice cried out: + +"Ah, ha! Now I have you! Come right in!" + +And then, before you could shake a stick at a bad dog, the door was +slammed shut and locked, and there Uncle Wiggily was inside the house, and +Johnnie Bushytail was crying outside. + +"That's the end of poor Uncle Wiggily!" said Johnnie. But it wasn't. For +I'll not leave the old gentleman rabbit alone in the house with that clawy +creature. And in the next story, providing our wash lady doesn't put my +new straw hat in the soap suds, and take all the color out of the ribbon, +I'll tell you about Uncle Wiggily and Fido Flip-Flop. + + + + +STORY IV + +UNCLE WIGGILY AND FIDO FLIP-FLOP + + +Well, as soon as Uncle Wiggily found himself inside the bear's den--oh, +just listen to me! That was in the other story, wasn't it? Yes, we left +him in the funny little house in the woods, with the clawy creature +grabbing him. + +Now, what do you suppose that clawy creature was? Why, a great, big owl, +to be sure, with round, staring, yellow eyes, and he had grabbed Uncle +Wiggily in his claws, and pulled him inside the house. + +"Now, I've got you!" cried the owl. "I was just wishing some one would +come along, and you did. Some of my friends are coming to tea this +afternoon, and you'll do very nicely made up into sandwiches." + +Wasn't that a perfectly dreadful way to talk about our Uncle Wiggily? +Well, I guess yes! + +"Now you're here, make yourself at home," went on the owl, sarcastic-like, +as he locked the front door and put the key in his pocket. "Did you see +the sign?" + +"Yes," said Uncle Wiggily, "I did. But I don't call it fair. I thought I +would find my fortune in here." + +"The sign says you'll be surprised, and I guess you are surprised, aren't +you?" asked the owl. + +"Yes," answered the rabbit, "very much so. But I'd rather have a nice +surprise party, with peanuts and lemonade, than this." + +"No matter," said the owl, snapping his beak like a pair of shears, "here +you are and here you'll stay! My friends will soon arrive. I'll now put +the kettle on, to boil for tea." + +Well, poor Uncle Wiggily didn't know what to do. He couldn't look in his +valise to see if there was anything in it by which he might escape, for he +had dropped the satchel outside when the owl grabbed him, and he only had +his barber-pole crutch. + +"Oh, this is worse and worse!" thought the poor old rabbit. + +But listen, Johnnie Bushytail is outside the owl's house, and he's going +to do a wonderful trick. + +As soon as he saw the door shut on Uncle Wiggily, that brave squirrel boy +began to plan how he could save him, and the first thing he did was to +gather up a lot of acorns. + +Then he perched himself in a tree, right in front of the owl's door, and +Johnnie began throwing acorns at it. "Rat-a-tat-tat!" went the acorns on +the wooden panels. + +"Ha! Those must be my friends!" exclaimed the bad owl, opening the door a +little crack so he could peek out, but taking care to stand in front of +it, so that Uncle Wiggily couldn't slip out. But, of course, the owl saw +no one. "It must have been the wind," he said as he shut the door. + +Then Johnnie Bushytail threw some more acorns at the door. +"Pitter-patter-patter-pit!" they went, like hailstones in an ice cream +can. + +"Ah, there are my friends, sure, this time!" thought the owl, and once +more he peered out, but no one was there. "It must have been a tree branch +hitting against the door," said the owl, as he sharpened a big knife with +which to make the sandwiches. Then Johnnie threw some more acorns, and the +owl now thought positively his friends were there, and when he opened it +and saw no one he was real mad. + +"Some one is playing tricks on me!" exclaimed the savage bird. "I'll catch +them next time!" + +Now this was just what Johnnie Bushytail wanted, so he threw a whole +double handful of acorns at the door, and when the owl heard them +pattering against the wood he rushed out. + +"Now, I've got you!" he cried, but he hadn't, for Johnnie was up a tree. +And, for the moment, the owl forgot about Uncle Wiggily, and there the +door was wide open. + +"Run out, Uncle Wiggily! Run out!" cried Johnnie, and out the old +gentleman rabbit hopped, catching up his valise, and away into the woods +he ran, with Johnnie scurrying along in the tree tops above him, and +laughing at the owl, who flew back to his house, but too late to catch the +bunny. + +"That's what you get for fooling people so they'll come into your house," +called the squirrel boy. "It serves you right, Mr. Owl. Come on, Uncle +Wiggily, we'll get away from here." + +So they went on together until it was time for Johnnie to go home, and he +said he'd tell Uncle Wiggily's friends that he had met the old gentleman +rabbit, and that he hadn't found his fortune yet, but that he was looking +for it every minute, and had had many adventures. + +Well, Uncle Wiggily went on some more, for quite a distance, until it was +noon time, and then he sat down in the cool, green woods, where there were +some jacks-in-the-pulpit growing near some ferns, and there Uncle Wiggily +ate his lunch of lettuce sandwiches, with carrot butter on them, and +gnawed on a bit of potato. Just as he was almost through, he heard a +rustling in the bushes, and a voice exclaimed: + +"Oh, dear!" + +"Why, what's the matter?" asked Uncle Wiggily, thinking perhaps an +adventure was going to happen to him. "Who are you?" + +"Oh, dear!" exclaimed the voice again. + +Then, before the old rabbit could jump up and run away, even if he had +wanted to, out from under a big bush came a little white poodle dog, with +curly, silky hair. He walked right up to Uncle Wiggily, that dog did, and +the rabbit wasn't a bit afraid, for the dog wasn't much bigger than he +was, and looked very kind. + +"What do you want, doggie?" gently asked Uncle Wiggily. + +The dog didn't answer, but he gave a little short bark, and then he began +turning somersaults. Over and over he went, sometimes backward and +sometimes frontward, and sometimes sideways. And when he was finished, he +made a low bow, and walked around on his two hind legs, just to show he +wasn't proud or stuck up. + +"There!" exclaimed the poodle doggie. "Is that worth something to eat, Mr. +Rabbit?" + +"Indeed it is," answered Uncle Wiggily, "but I would have given you +something to eat without you doing all those tricks, though I enjoyed them +very much. Where did you learn to do them?" + +"Oh, in the circus where I used to be, I always had to do tricks for my +dinner," said the doggie. + +"What is your name?" asked Uncle Wiggily. + +"Fido Flip-Flop," was the answer. "You see they call me that because I +turn so many flip-flops," and then Uncle Wiggily gave him some lunch, and +told the dog about how he, himself, was traveling all over in search of +his fortune. + +"Why, that's just what I'm doing, too," exclaimed Fido Flip-Flop. "Suppose +we travel together? and maybe we'll each find a fortune." + +"That's just what we'll do," agreed Uncle Wiggily. + +And then, all of a sudden, before you could open your eyes and shut them +again, two savage foxes jumped out from behind a big stump. + +"You grab the dog and I'll grab the rabbit," called the biggest fox, and +right at Uncle Wiggily and Fido they sprang, gnashing their teeth. + +But don't worry. I'll find a way to save them, and if the canary bird +doesn't take my lead pencil and stick it in his seed dish I'll tell you in +the following story about Uncle Wiggily doing some tricks. + + + + +STORY V + +UNCLE WIGGILY DOES SOME TRICKS + + +When those two savage ducks--oh, I mean foxes--when those two savage foxes +jumped out of the bushes at Uncle Wiggily Longears and Fido Flip-Flop, as +I told you in the other story, the rabbit and the poodle doggie didn't +know what in the world to do. + +"Run this way!" called Fido, starting off to the left. + +"No, hop this way!" said Uncle Wiggily, hopping to the right. + +"Stand right where you are!" ordered the two foxes together. And with that +one made a grab for Uncle Wiggily. But what did that brave rabbit +gentleman do but stick his red-white-and-blue crutch out in front of him, +and the fox bit on that instead of on Uncle Wiggily. Right into the crutch +the fox's teeth sank, and for a moment Uncle Wiggily was safe. But not for +long. + +"Ah, you fooled me that time, but now I'll get you!" cried the fox, and, +letting go of the crutch, he made another grab for the rabbit. + +But at that instant Fido Flip-Flop, who had been jumping about, keeping +out of the way of the fox that was after him, cried out quite loudly: + +"Look here, everybody but Uncle Wiggily, and, as for you, shut both your +eyes tight." + +Now the old gentleman rabbit couldn't imagine why he was to shut his eyes +tight, but he did so, and then what do you s'pose Fido Flip-Flop did? Why, +he began turning somersaults so fast that he looked just like a pinwheel +going around, or an automobile tire whizzing along. Faster and faster did +Fido Flip-Flop turn around, and then, all of a sudden, he began chasing +his tail, making motions just like a merry-go-round in a circus, until +those two foxes were fairly dizzy from watching him. + +"Stop! Stop!" cried one fox. + +"Yes do stop! We're so dizzy that we can't stand up!" cried the other fox, +staggering about. "Stop!" + +"No, I'll not!" answered Fido Flip-Flop, and he went around faster that +ever, faster and faster and faster, until those two bad foxes got so +dizzy-izzy that they fell right over on their backs, with their legs +sticking straight up in the air like clothes posts, and their tails were +wiggling back and forth in the dirt, like dusting brushes. Oh, but they +were the dizzy foxes, though. + +"Now's your chance! Run! Run! Uncle Wiggily! Run!" called Fido Flip-Flop +"Open your eyes and run!" + +So the old gentleman rabbit opened his eyes, took up his valise which he +had dropped, and, hopping on his crutch, he and the poodle doggie ran on +through the woods, leaving the two surprised and disappointed foxes still +lying on their backs, wiggling their tails in the dust, and too dizzy, +from having watched Fido Flip-Flop do somersaults, and chase his tail, to +be able to get up. + +"Why did you want me to shut my eyes?" asked Uncle Wiggily, when they were +so far away from the foxes that there was no more danger. + +"That was so _you_ wouldn't get dizzy from watching me do the flip-flops," +answered the doggie. "My, but that was a narrow escape, though. Have you +had many adventures like that since you started out to seek your fortune?" + +"Yes, several," answered the rabbit. "But turning flip-flops is a very +good thing to know how to do. I wonder if you could teach me, so that when +any more foxes or alligators chase me I can make them dizzy by turning +around? Can you teach me?" + +"I'm sure I can," said Fido. "Here, this is the way to begin," and he did +some flip-flops slow and easy-like. Then Uncle Wiggily tried them, and, +though he couldn't do them very well at first, he practised until he was +quite good at it. Then Fido showed him how to stand on one ear, and wiggle +the other, and how to blink his eyes while standing on the end of his +little tail, and then Uncle Wiggily thought of a new trick, all by +himself. + +"I'll stick my crutch in the ground, like a clothes pole," he said to +Fido, "and then I'll hop up on it and sing a song," which he did, singing +a song that went like this: + + "Did you ever see a rabbit + Do a flipper-flopper-flap? + If not just kindly watch me, + As I wear my baseball cap. + + "It's very strange, some folks may say, + And also rather funny, + To see a kinky poodle dog + Play with a flip-flop bunny. + + "But we are on our travels, + Adventures for to seek, + We may find one, or two, or three, + 'Most any day next week." + +And then Uncle Wiggily hopped down, and waved both ears backward and +forward, and made a low bow to a make-believe crowd of people, only, of +course, there were none there. + +"Fine! Fine!" cried Fido Flip-Flop. "That's better than I did when I was +in the circus. Now I'll tell you what let's do." + +"What?" asked Uncle Wiggily. + +"Let's go around and give little shows and entertainments, for little +folks to see," went on the poodle doggie. "I can turn flip-flops, and you +can stand on your head on your crutch, and sing a song, and then we'll +take up a collection. I'll pass my hat, and perhaps we may make our +fortune--who knows?" + +"Who, indeed?" said Uncle Wiggily. "We'll do it." + +So off they started together to give a little show, and make some money, +and, as they went on through the woods, they practised doing the tricks +Uncle Wiggily had learned. + +Well, in a little while, not so very long, they came to a nice place in +the forest--an open place where no trees grew. + +"Here is a good spot for our show," said Uncle Wiggily. + +"But there is no one to see us do the tricks," objected Fido. + +"Oh, yes, there are some ants, and an angle worm, and a black bug and a +grasshopper," said Uncle Wiggily. "They will do to start on, and after +they see us do the tricks they'll tell other folks, and we'll have quite a +crowd." + +So they started in to do their tricks. Fido turned a lot of flip-flops, +and Uncle Wiggily did a dance on the end of his crutch, and sang a song +about a monkey-doodle, which the angle worm said was just fine, being +quite cute, and the grasshopper made believe play a fiddle with his two +hind legs, scratching one on the other, and making lovely music. + +But, all of a sudden, just as Uncle Wiggily was standing on his left ear, +and wiggling his feet in the air, which is a very hard trick for a rabbit, +what should happen but that out of the woods sprang two boys. + +"There's the dog! Grab him!" cried one boy. "Never mind about the rabbit! +Get the trick dog!" And the boys rushed right up, knocking Uncle Wiggily +down, and grabbing Fido Flip-Flop. And they started off through the woods +with him, while Uncle Wiggily cried out for them to come back. But they +wouldn't. + +Now please don't feel badly, for I'm going to tell you in the next story +how Uncle Wiggily saved Fido, and also how the rabbit went to Arabella +Chick's surprise party--that is I will if our automobile doesn't turn +upside down, and break my ice cream cone. + + + + +STORY VI + +UNCLE WIGGILY AT THE PARTY + + +Well, when Uncle Wiggily Longears found that the elephant wouldn't get off +his trunk--oh, listen to me! What I meant to say was, that when Uncle +Wiggily saw those two boys running off with Fido Flip-Flop, the little +trick dog, as I told you about in the story before this, the old gentleman +rabbit was so surprised at first that he didn't know what to do. + +"Won't you please come back with that little doggie?" begged Uncle +Wiggily, but the bad boys kept right on. I guess they knew how smart Fido +was, and they wanted to get up a show with him. Anyhow, they kept on +running through the woods, holding him tightly in their arms. + +"Oh, dear! This is terrible!" exclaimed Uncle Wiggily. "I'll never get any +good fortune if Fido has such bad luck. And it was partly my fault, too, +for if we hadn't been doing tricks, we would have heard these boys coming, +and could have run away. Well, now I must save Fido." + +So Uncle Wiggily sat down on a stump, and thought, and thought, and +thought of all the plans he could think of, to save the doggie from the +two boys, and at last he decided the only way to do was to scare them. + +"Then they'll drop Fido, and run away," said the old gentleman rabbit. +"Let me see, how can I scare them? I know, I'll make believe I'm a tiger!" + +So what did that brave Uncle Wiggily do? but go to a mud hole, and with +his crutch dipped into the mud, he made himself all striped over like a +tiger that you see in a circus. Oh, he was a most ferocious sight when he +finished decorating himself! Then he hid his satchel in the bushes, and he +started off on a short cut through the woods, to get ahead of the boys. +Faster and faster through the woods went Uncle Wiggily, and he looked so +peculiarly terrifying that all the animals who saw him were scared out of +their wits, and one old blue-jay bird was so frightened that he wiggled +his tail up and down, and hid his head in a hollow tree. + +Well, by and by, after a while, Uncle Wiggily got to a place in the woods +where he knew those boys, with Fido Flip-Flop, would soon come by. Then +the rabbit hid himself in the bushes, so that his long ears wouldn't show. +For he knew that if the boys saw them, they would know right away he +wasn't a tiger, no matter if he was striped like one. + +In a few minutes along came the boys, and they were talking about what +they were going to do to Fido, and how they would put him in a cage, and +make him do lots of tricks. All of a sudden there was a rustling in the +bushes, and Uncle Wiggily just stuck out his head and part of his body, +laying his ears flat back where they could not be seen. But the boys could +see the mud stripes, only they didn't know they were just mud, you +understand. + +"Oh! See that!" cried one boy. + +"Yes, it's a tigery-tiger!" exclaimed the other boy. + +"Let's run!" shouted both the boys together. "The tiger will eat us up!" + +And just then Uncle Wiggily growled as loudly as he could, a real fierce +growl, and he rattled the bushes and stuck out his striped paws, and those +boys dropped Fido Flip-Flop, and ran away, as hard as they could through +the woods, leaving Fido to join the rabbit. + +"Thank you very much for saving me, Uncle Wiggily," said the dog, as soon +as he got over being frightened. "That was a good trick, to pretend you +were a tiger. But I knew you right away, only, of course, I wasn't going +to tell those boys who you were. It served them right, for squeezing me +the way they did. Now we'll go on, and see if we can find a fortune for +you." + +So they went back to where Uncle Wiggily had left his valise, and there it +was safe and sound, and inside it were some nice things to eat, and the +rabbit and doggie had a dinner there in the woods, after the mud stripes +were washed off. + +Then they went on and on, for ever so long, and nothing happened, except +that a mosquito bit Fido on the end of his nose, and every time he sneezed +it tickled him. + +"Well, I guess we won't have any more adventures to-day, Uncle Wiggily," +spoke the doggie, but, a moment later, they heard a rustling in the bushes +and, before they could hide themselves, out jumped Arabella Chick, the +sister of Charlie, the rooster boy. + +"Oh, you dear Uncle Wiggily!" she exclaimed, "you're just in time." + +"What for?" asked Uncle Wiggily; "for the train?" + +"No, for my party," answered Arabella. "I'm going to have one for all my +friends, and I want you to come. Will you?" + +"Oh, I guess so, Arabella. But you see, I have a friend with me, and----" + +"Oh, he can come too," spoke Arabella, making a bow to Fido Flip-Flop. So +Uncle Wiggily introduced the doggie to the chickie girl, and the chickie +girl to the doggie. + +Then they went on together to the party, which was held in a nice big +chicken coop. + +Oh, I wish you could have been there! It was just too nice for anything! +Sammie and Susie Littletail were there, and they were so glad to see Uncle +Wiggily again. He said he hadn't been very lucky in finding his fortune so +far, but his rheumatism was not much worse, and he was going to keep on +traveling. He sent his love to all the folks, and said he'd be home some +time later. + +Then, of course, all the other animal friends were at the party and they +played games--games of all kinds, including a new one called "Please don't +sit on my hat, and I won't sit on yours." It was too funny for anything, +really it was. + +Then, of course, there were good things to eat. Buddy Pigg passed around +the ice cream, and just as he was handing a plate of it to Jennie Chipmunk +it slipped--I mean the ice cream slipped--and went right into Uncle +Butter's lap. But the old goat didn't care a bit. He said it reminded him +of a pail of paste, and he ate the ice cream, and Nurse Jane Fuzzy-Wuzzy +got Jennie some more. + +Then Flip-Flop and Uncle Wiggily did some of their tricks, and every one +said they were fine, and they thought it was the best party they had ever +been at. + +But all of a sudden, just as they were playing the game called "Jump on +the piano, and play a queer tune," there came a knock at the door. + +"Who's there?" asked Arabella Chick. + +"I am," answered a voice, "and I want Uncle Wiggily Longears instantly! He +must come with me!" And they all looked from the window, and there stood a +big dog, dressed up like a soldier, and he had a gun with him. And he +wanted Uncle Wiggily to come out, and every one was frightened, for fear +he'd shoot the old gentleman rabbit. + +But please don't you get alarmed. I wouldn't have that happen for worlds, +and in the next story, if I catch a fish in the milk bottle, and he +doesn't bite my finger, I'll tell you about Uncle Wiggily in a parade. And +it will be a Decoration Day story. + + + + +STORY VII + +UNCLE WIGGILY IN A PARADE + + +Arabella Chick's party seemed to break up very suddenly when the guests +saw that soldier-dog with the gun waiting outside the door. Buddy Pigg +slipped out of a back window, and ran home with his tail behind him. Oh, +excuse me, guinea pigs don't have a tail, do they? Anyhow he ran home, and +so did Sammie and Susie Littletail, and Johnnie and Billie Bushytail, and +the Wibblewobble children, and Peetie and Jackie Bow Wow too. + +But, of course, Arabella Chick couldn't run home because she was at home +already, so she just looked out of the window once more, and there the +dog-soldier stood, and he was looking in his gun to see if it was loaded. + +"Well, is Uncle Wiggily coming out?" called the dog again. + +"I guess I am--that is--are you sure you want me?" asked the poor old +gentleman rabbit, puzzled like. + +"Yes, of course I want you," replied the dog. + +"Then I guess I've got to go!" exclaimed Uncle Wiggily, as he looked for +his crutch and valise. "I guess this is the end of my fortune-hunting. +Goodbye everybody!" And he felt so badly that two big tears rolled down +his ears--I mean his eyes. + +Well, he bravely walked out of the door, and as he did so the dog-soldier, +with the gun, exclaimed: + +"Ah, here you are at last! Now hurry up, Uncle Wiggily, or we'll be late +for the parade!" + +And, would you believe it? that dog was good, kind, old Percival, who used +to be in a circus. And of course he wouldn't hurt the rabbit gentleman for +anything. Percival just put his gun to his shoulder, and said: + +"Come on, we'll get in the parade now." + +"Parade? What parade?" asked Uncle Wiggily. "Oh my! how you frightened +me!" + +"Why the Decoration Day parade," answered Percival. "To-day is the day +when we put flowers on the soldiers' graves, and remember them for being +so brave as to go to war. All old soldiers march in the parade, and so do +all their friends. I'm going to march, and I'm going to put flowers on a +lot of soldiers' graves. I happened to remember that you were once in the +war, so I came for you. I didn't mean to scare you. You were in the war, +weren't you?" + +"Yes," said Uncle Wiggily, happy now because he knew he wasn't going to +get shot, "I once went to war, and killed a lot of mosquitoes." + +"Good! I thought so!" exclaimed Percival. "Well, I met Grandfather Goosey +Gander, and he said he thought you were at this party, so I came for you. +Come on, now, the parade is almost ready to start." + +"Oh, how you did frighten us!" exclaimed Arabella, whose heart was still +going pitter-patter. "We thought you were going to hurt Uncle Wiggily, +Percival." + +"Oh, I'm so sorry I alarmed you," spoke the circus dog politely. "I won't +do it again." + +Well, in a little while Percival and Uncle Wiggily were at the parade. The +old gentleman rabbit left his satchel at Arabella's house, and only took +his crutch. But he limped along just like a real soldier, and Percival +carried his gun as bravely as one could wish. + +Oh, I wish you could have heard the bands playing, and the drums +beating--the little kind that sound like when you drop beans on the +kitchen oil-cloth, and the big drums, that go "Boom-boom!" like thunder +and lightning, and the fifes that squeak like a mouse in the cheese trap, +and then the big blaring horns, that make a sound like a circus +performance. + +They were all there, and there were lots of soldiers and horses and wagons +filled with flowers to put on the graves of the soldiers, who were so +brave that they didn't mind going to war to fight for their country, +though war is a terrible thing. + +Then the march began, and Uncle Wiggily and Percival stepped out as brave +as anyone in all the parade. Oh, how fine they looked! and, when they +marched past, all the animal people, and some real boys and girls, and +papas and mammas clapped their hands and cried "Hurrah!" at the sight of +the old gentleman rabbit limping along on his crutch, with the dog-soldier +marching beside him. + +"Who knows," whispered Percival to Uncle Wiggily, "who knows but what you +may discover your fortune to-day?" + +"Indeed I may," answer Uncle Wiggily. "Who knows?" + +Well, that was a fine parade. But something happened. I was afraid it +would, but I'll tell you all about it, and you can see for yourself +whether or not I was right. + +All of a sudden one man, with a big horn--a horn large enough to put a +loaf of mother's bread down inside the noisy end--all of a sudden this man +blew a terrible blast--"Umpty-umpty-Umph! Umph!" My, what a noise he made +on that horn. + +Now, right in front of this man was a little boy-duck riding on a pony. +Yes, you've guessed who he was--he was Jimmy Wibblewobble. And when that +man blew the loud blast, the pony was frightened, and ran away with Jimmie +on his back. + +Faster and faster ran the pony, and Jimmie Wibblewobble clung to his back, +fearing every moment he would be thrown off. In and out among the people +and animals in the parade, in and out among trolley cars and automobiles, +in and out, and from one side to another of the street ran the frightened +pony. + +"Oh, poor Jimmie will be killed!" cried Percival. + +"No, he will not, for I will save him!" shouted Uncle Wiggily. So that +brave rabbit ran right out to where he saw Munchie Trot, the little pony +boy. + +"Let me jump on your back, Munchie," said Uncle Wiggily, "and then we'll +race after that runaway pony and grab off poor Jimmie. And run as fast as +you can, Munchie!" + +"I certainly will!" cried Munchie. So Uncle Wiggily got on Munchie's back, +and away they started after the runaway pony. + +Faster and faster ran Munchie, and by this time the other little horsie +was getting tired. Jimmie was still clinging to his back, and asking him +not to run so fast, but the pony was so frightened he didn't listen to the +duck-boy. + +Then, just as he was going to run into a hot peanut wagon, and maybe toss +Jimmie off into the red-hot roaster, all at once Uncle Wiggily, on +Munchie's back, galloped up alongside of the runaway pony. And as quick as +you can drink a glass of lemonade, Uncle Wiggily grabbed Jimmie up on +Munchie's back beside him, and so saved the duck-boy's life. And then the +runaway pony stopped short, all of a sudden, and didn't bump into the hot +peanut wagon, after all, and he was sorry he had run away, and scared +folks. + +Then the Decoration Day parade went on, and everyone said how brave Uncle +Wiggily was. But he hadn't yet found his fortune, and so in the story +after this in case our front porch doesn't run away, and take the back +steps with it, so I have to sleep on the doormat, I'll tell you about +Uncle Wiggily in the fountain. + + + + +STORY VIII + +UNCLE WIGGILY IN THE FOUNTAIN + + +Well, after the Decoration Day parade, and the things that happened in it, +such as the pony running away with Jimmie Wibblewobble, Uncle Wiggily +Longears thought he'd like to go off to some quiet place and rest. + +"Oh, can't you come with me?" asked Percival, the old circus dog. "We'll +go to the Bow-Wows house, and have something to eat." + +"No, I'm afraid I can't go," replied the old gentleman rabbit. "You see I +must travel on to seek my fortune, for I haven't found it yet, and I still +have the rheumatism." + +"Why don't you try to lose that rheumatism somewhere?" asked Percival. "I +would, if it's such a bother." + +"Oh, I've tried and tried and tried, but I can't seem to lose it," replied +Uncle Wiggily. "So I think I'll travel on. I'm much obliged to you for +letting me march in the parade." + +Then the old gentleman rabbit got his valise, and, with his crutch, he +once more started off. He went on and on, up one hill and down another, +over the fields where the horses and cows and sheep were pulling up the +grass, and chewing it, so the man wouldn't have to cut it with the lawn +mower; on and on he went. Then Uncle Wiggily reached the woods, where the +ferns and wild flowers grow. + +"This is a fine place," he said as he sat down on a flat stump. "I think I +will eat my dinner," so he opened the satchel, and took out a sandwich +made of yellow carrots and red beets, and very pretty they looked on the +white bread, let me tell you; very nice indeed! + +Uncle Wiggily was eating away, and he was brushing the crumbs off his nose +by wiggling his ears, when, all of a sudden, he heard a cat crying. Oh, +such a loud cry as it was! + +"Why, some poor kittie must be lost," thought the old gentleman rabbit. +"I'll see if I can find it." + +Then the cry sounded again, and, in another moment, out of a tree flew a +big bird. + +"Oh, maybe that bird stuck his sharp beak in the kittie and made it cry," +thought Uncle Wiggily. "Bird, did you do that?" he asked, calling to the +bird, who was flying around in the air. + +"Did I do what?" asked the bird. + +"Did you stick the kittie, and make it cry?" + +"Oh, no," answered the bird. "I made that cat-crying noise myself. I am a +cat-bird, you know," and surely enough that bird went "Mew! Mew! Mew!" +three times, just like that, exactly as if a cat had cried under your +window, when you were trying to go to sleep. + +"Ha! That is very strange!" exclaimed the rabbit. "So you are a cat-bird." + +"Yes, and my little birds are kittie-birds," was the answer. "I'll show +you." + +So the bird went "Mew! Mew! Mew!" again, and a lot of the little birds +came flying around and they all went "Mew! Mew!" too, just like kitties. +Oh, I tell you cat-birds are queer things! and how they do love cherries +when they are ripe! Eh? + +"That is very good crying, birdies," said Uncle Wiggily, "and I think I'll +give you something to eat, to pay for it." So he took out from his valise +some peanuts, that Percival, the circus dog, had given him, and Uncle +Wiggily fed them to the cat-bird and her kittie-birds. + +"You are very kind," said the mamma bird, "and if we can ever do you a +favor we will." + +And now listen, as the telephone girl says, those birds are going to do +Uncle Wiggily a favor in a short time--a very short time indeed. + +Well, after the birds had eaten all the peanuts they flew away, and Uncle +Wiggily started off once more. He hadn't gone very far before he came to +a fountain. You know what that is. It's a thing in a park that squirts up +water, just like when you fill a rubber ball with milk or lemonade and +squeeze it. Only a fountain is bigger, of course. + +This fountain that Uncle Wiggily came to had no water in it, for it was +being cleaned. There was a big basin, with a pipe up through the middle, +and this was where the water spouted up when it was running. + +"This is very strange," said Uncle Wiggily, for he had never seen a +fountain before, "perhaps I can find my fortune in here. I'll go look." So +down he jumped into the big empty fountain basin, which was as large as +seven wash tubs made into one. And it was so nice and comfortable there, +and so shady, for there were trees near it, that, before he knew it, Uncle +Wiggily fell fast asleep, with his head on his satchel for a pillow. + +And then he had a funny dream. He dreamed that it was raining, and that +his umbrella turned inside out, and got full of holes, and that he was +getting all wet. + +"My!" exclaimed Uncle Wiggily, as he gave a big sneeze. "This is a very +real dream. I actually believe I _am_ wet!" + +Then he got real wide awake all of a sudden, and he found that he was +right in the middle of a lot of wetness, for the man had turned the water +on in the fountain unexpectedly, not knowing that the old gentleman +rabbit was asleep there. + +"I must get out of here!" cried Uncle Wiggily, as he grabbed up his valise +and crutch. Then the water came up to his little short, stumpy tail. Next +it rose higher, up to his knees. Then it rose still faster up to his front +feet and then almost up to his chin. + +"Oh, I'm afraid I'm going to drown!" he cried. "I must get out!" So he +tried to swim to the edge of the fountain, but you can't swim very well +with a crutch and a valise, you know, and Uncle Wiggily didn't want to +lose either one. Then the water from the top of the fountain splashed in +his eyes and he couldn't see which way to swim. + +"Oh, help! Help!" he cried. "Will no one help me?" + +"Yes, we will help you!" answered a voice, and up flew the big cat-bird, +and her little kitten-birds. "Quick, children!" she cried, "we must save +Uncle Wiggily, who was so kind to us! Every one of you get a stick, and +we'll make a little boat, or raft, for him!" + +Well, I wish you could have seen how quickly the mamma cat-bird and her +kittie-birds gathered a lot of sticks, and twigs, and laid them together +crossways on the water in that fountain basin, until they had a regular +little boat. Upon this Uncle Wiggily climbed, with his crutch and valise, +and then the mamma cat-bird flew on ahead, and pulled the boat by a string +to the edge of the fountain, where the rabbit could safely get out. + +So that's how the bunny was saved from drowning in the water, and in the +next story, if a big, red ant doesn't crawl upon our porch and carry away +the hammock, I'll tell you another adventure Uncle Wiggily had. It will be +a story of the old gentleman rabbit and the bad dog. + + + + +STORY IX + +UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE DOG + + +Uncle Wiggily's rheumatism was quite bad after he got wet in the fountain, +as I told you in the other story, and when he thanked the mamma cat-bird +and her kitten-birds for saving him, he found that he could hardly walk, +much less carry his heavy valise. + +"Oh, we'll help you," said Mrs. Cat-Bird. "Here, Flitter and Flutter, you +carry the satchel for Uncle Wiggily, and we'll take him to our house." + +"But, mamma," said Flutter, who was getting to be quite a big bird-boy, +"Uncle Wiggily can't climb up a tree to our nest." + +"No, but we can make him a nice warm bed on the ground," said the mamma +bird. "So you and Flitter carry the satchel. Put a long blade of grass +through the handle, and then each of you take hold of one end of the grass +in your bills, and fly away with it. Skimmer, you and Dartie go on ahead, +and get something ready to eat, and I'll show Uncle Wiggily the way." + +So Flitter and Flutter, the two boy birds, flew away with the satchel, and +Skimmer and Dartie, the girl birds, flew on ahead to set the table, and +put on the teakettle on the stove to boil, and Mrs. Cat-Bird flew slowly +on over Uncle Wiggily, to show him the way. + +Well, pretty soon, not so so very long, they came to where the birds +lived. And those good children had already started to make a nest on the +ground for the old gentleman rabbit. They had it almost finished, and by +the time supper was ready it was all done. Then came the meal, and those +birds couldn't do enough for Uncle Wiggily, because they liked him so. + +When it got dark, they covered him all up, with soft leaves in the nest on +the ground, and there he slept until morning. His rheumatism wasn't quite +so bad when, after breakfast, he had sat out in the warm sun for a while, +and after a bit he said: + +"Well, I think I'll travel along now, and see if I can find my fortune +to-day. Perhaps I may, and if I do I'll come back and bring you more +peanuts." + +"Oh, that'll be fine and dandy!" cried Flitter and Flutter, and Skimmer +and Dartie. So they said good-by to the old gentleman rabbit, and once +more he started off. + +"My! I'm certainly getting to be a great traveler," he thought as he +walked along through the woods and over the fields. "But I don't ever +seem to get to any place. Something always happens to me. I hope +everything goes along nicely to-day." + +But you just wait and see what takes place. I'm afraid something is going +to happen very shortly, but it's not my fault, and all I can do is to tell +you exactly all about it. Wait! There, it's beginning to happen now. + +All of a sudden, as Uncle Wiggily was traveling along, he came to a place +in the woods where a whole lot of Gypsies had their wagons and tents. And +on one tent, in which was an old brown and wrinkled Gypsy lady, there was +a sign which read: + +FORTUNES TOLD HERE. + +"Ha! If they tell fortunes in that tent, perhaps the Gypsy lady can tell +me where to find mine," thought Uncle Wiggily. "I'll go up and ask her." + +Well, he was just going to the tent when he happened to think that perhaps +the Gypsy woman wouldn't understand rabbit talk. So he sat there in the +bushes thinking what he had better do, when all at once, before he could +wiggle his ears more than four times, a great big, bad, ugly dog sprang at +him, barking, oh! so loudly. + +"Come on, Browser!" cried this dog to another one. "Here is a fat rabbit +that we can catch for dinner. Come on, let's chase him!" + +Well, you can just imagine how frightened Uncle Wiggily was. He didn't sit +there, waiting for that dog to catch him, either. No, indeed, and a bag of +popcorn besides! Up jumped Uncle Wiggily, with his crutch and his valise, +and he hopped as hard and as fast as he could run. My! How his legs did +twist in and out. + +"Come on! Come!" barked the first dog to the second one. + +"I'm coming! I'm coming! Woof! Woof! Bow-w-w Bow-wow!" barked the second +dog. + +Poor Uncle Wiggily's heart beat faster and faster, and he didn't know +which way to run. Every way he turned the dogs were after him, and soon +more of the savage animals came to join the first two, until all the dogs +in that Gypsy camp were chasing the poor old gentleman rabbit. + +"I guess I'll have to drop my satchel or my crutch," thought Uncle +Wiggily. "I can't carry them much farther. Still, I don't want to lose +them." So he held on to them a little longer, took a good breath and ran +on some more. + +He thought he saw a chance to escape by running across in front of the +fortune-telling tent, and he started that way, but a Gypsy man, with a +gun, saw him and fired at him. I'm glad to say, however, that he didn't +shoot Uncle Wiggily, or else I couldn't tell any more stories about him. + +Uncle Wiggily got safely past the tent, but the dogs were almost up to him +now. One of them was just going to catch him by his left hind leg, when +one of the Gypsy men cried out: + +"Grab him, Biter! Grab him! We'll have rabbit potpie for dinner; that's +what we'll have!" + +Wasn't that a perfectly dreadful way to talk about our Uncle Wiggily? But +just wait, if you please. + +Biter, the bad dog, was just going to grab the rabbit, when all of a +sudden, Uncle Wiggily saw a big hole in the ground. + +"That's what I'm looking for!" he exclaimed. "I'm going down there, and +hide away from these dogs!" + +So into the hole he popped, valise, crutch and all, and oh! how glad he +was to get into the cool, quiet darkness, leaving those savage, barking +dogs outside. But wait a moment longer, if you please. + +Biter and Browser stopped short at the hole. + +"He's gone--gotten clean away!" exclaimed Browser. "Isn't that too bad?" + +"No, we'll get him yet!" cried Biter. "Here, you watch at this hole, while +I go get a pail of water. We'll pour the water down, under the ground +where the rabbit is, and that will make him come out, and we'll eat him." + +"Good!" cried Browser. So while he stood there and watched, Biter went +for the water. But, mind you, Uncle Wiggily had sharp ears and he heard +what they were saying, and what do you think he did? + +Why, with his sharp claws he went right to work, and he dug, and dug, and +dug in the back part of that underground place, until he had made another +hole, far off from the first one, and he crawled out of that, with his +crutch and valise, just as Biter was pouring the water down the first +hole. + +"Ah, ha! I think this will astonish those dogs!" thought Uncle Wiggily, +and he took a peep at them from behind a bush where they couldn't see him, +and then he hopped on through the woods, to look for more adventures, +leaving the dogs still pouring water. + +And one happened to him shortly after that, as I shall tell you on the +next page, when, in case the rocking chair doesn't tip over backwards and +spill out the sofa cushion into the rubber plant, the story will be about +Uncle Wiggily and the monkey. + + + + +STORY X + +UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE MONKEY + + +Let me see, we left those two bad dogs pouring water down the hole, to get +Uncle Wiggily out, didn't we? And the old gentleman rabbit fooled them, +didn't he? He got out of another hole that he dug around by the back door, +you remember. + +Well, I just wish you could have seen those two dogs, after they had +poured pail after pail of water down the hole, and no rabbit came floating +up. + +"This hole must go all the way down to China!" said Browser, breathing +very fast. + +"Yes, I'm tired of carrying water," said Biter. And just then another dog +cried out: + +"Why, foolish dogs, the water's all running out the back way!" And, surely +enough, it was. Then they knew Uncle Wiggily had escaped, and they were as +angry as anything, but it served them right, I think. + +"My! I wonder what will happen next?" thought the old gentleman rabbit, as +he hopped along. "That was a narrow escape." + +So, having nothing else to do, Uncle Wiggily sat down on a nice, smooth +stump, and he ate some lunch out of his valise. And a red ant came up, and +very politely asked if she might not pick up the crumbs which the old +rabbit dropped. + +"Of course you may," said Uncle Wiggily kindly. "And I'll give you a whole +slice of bread and butter, also." + +"Oh, you are too generous," spoke the red ant. "I never could carry a +slice of bread and butter. But if you will leave it on the stump I'll get +some of my friends, and we'll bite off little crumbs, a few at a time, and +in that way carry it to our houses." + +So that's what Uncle Wiggily did, and the ants had a fine feast, and they +were very thankful. Uncle Wiggily asked them if they knew where he could +find his fortune. + +"Why don't you go to work, instead of traveling around so much?" asked the +biggest red ant. "The best fortune is the one you work for." + +"Is it? I never thought of that," said Uncle Wiggily. "I will look for +work at once. I wonder if you ants have any for me." + +"We'd like to help you," they said, "but you see you are so large that you +couldn't get into our houses to do any work. You had much better travel +along, and work for some one larger than we are." + +"I will," decided the old gentleman rabbit. "I'll ask every one I meet if +they want me to work for them." + +So he started off once more, and the first place he came to was a house +where a mouse lady lived. + +"Have you any work I can do?" asked Uncle Wiggily politely. + +"What work can you do?" asked the mouse lady. + +"Well, I can peel carrots or turnips with my teeth," said Uncle Wiggily, +"and I can look after children, and tell them stories, and I can do some +funny tricks----" + +"Then you had better go join a circus," interrupted the mouse lady. "I +have no children, and I can peel my own carrots, thank you. As for +turnips, I never eat them." + +"Then I must go on a little further," said Uncle Wiggily, as he picked up +his valise, and walked off on his crutch. So he went on, until he came to +another house in the woods, and he knocked on the door. + +"Have you any work I can do?" inquired Uncle Wiggily politely. + +"No! Get away and don't bother me!" growled a most unpleasant voice, and +the rabbit was just going down the steps, when the door opened a crack, +and a long, sharp nose and a mouth full of sharp teeth, and some long +legs with sharp claws on them, were stuck out. + +"Oh, hold on!" cried the voice. "I guess I can find some work for you +after all. You can get up a dinner for me!" and then the savage creature, +who had opened the door, made a grab for the rabbit and nearly caught him. +Only Uncle Wiggily jumped away, just in time, and the wolf, for he it was +who had called out, caught his own tail in the crack of the door and +howled most frightfully. + +"Come back! Come back!" cried the wolf, but, of course, Uncle Wiggily +wouldn't do such a foolish thing as that, and the wolf couldn't chase +after him, for his tail was fast in the door hinge. + +"My, I must be more careful after this how I knock at doors, and ask for +work," the old gentleman rabbit thought. "I was nearly caught that time. +I'll try again, and I may have better luck." + +So he walked along through the woods, and pretty soon he heard a voice +singing, and this is the song, as nearly as I can remember it: + + Here I sit and wonder + What I'm going to do. + I've no one to help me, + I think it's sad; don't you? + + I have to play the fiddle, + But still I'd give a cent + To any one who'd keep the boys + From crawling in the tent. + +"Well, I wonder who that can be?" thought Uncle Wiggily. "He'll give a +cent, eh? to any one who keeps the boys from crawling in the tent. Now, if +that isn't a bear or a fox or a wolf maybe I can work for him, and earn +that money. I'll try." + +So he peeped out of the bushes, and there he saw a nice monkey, all +dressed up in a clown's suit, spotted red, white and blue. And the monkey +was playing a tune on a fiddle. Then, all of a sudden, he laid aside the +fiddle, and began to beat the bass drum. Then he blew on a horn, next he +jumped up and down, and turned a somersault, and then, finally, he grabbed +up a whip with a whistle in the tail--I mean in the end--and that monkey +began to pretend he was chasing make-believe boys from around a real tent +that was in a little place under the trees. + +"Oh, I guess that monkey won't hurt me," said Uncle Wiggily as he stepped +boldly out, and as soon as the monkey saw the rabbit, he called most +politely: + +"Well, what do you want?" + +"I want to earn a cent, by chasing boys from out the tent," replied Uncle +Wiggily. + +"Good!" cried the monkey. "So you heard me sing? I'm tired of being the +whole show. I need some one to help me. Come over here and I'll explain +all about it. If you like it, you can go to work for me, and if you do, +your fortune is as good as made." + +"That's fine!" cried Uncle Wiggily. "And I can do tricks in the show, +too." + +"Fine!" exclaimed the monkey, hanging by his tail from a green apple tree. +"Now, I'll explain." + +But, just as he was going to do so, out jumped a big black bear from the +bushes, making a grab for Uncle Wiggily. He might have caught him, too, +only the monkey picked up a cocoanut pie off the ground and hit the bear +so hard on the head, that the savage creature was frightened, and ran +away, sneezing, leaving the monkey and the rabbit alone by the show-tent. + +"Now, we'll get ready to have some fun," said the monkey, and what he and +Uncle Wiggily did I'll tell you in the following story which will be about +the old gentleman rabbit and the boys--that is, if the molasses jug +doesn't tip over on my plate, and spoil my bread and butter peanut +sandwich. + + + + +STORY XI + +UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE BOYS + + +"Well," said the monkey after the bear had run away. "I guess we can now +sit down and talk quietly together; eh, Uncle Wiggily?" + +"Yes," said the old gentleman rabbit. "But what is it that you want me to +do? I heard you sing that funny little song, about the boys coming in the +tent. But I don't exactly understand." + +"That's just it," replied the monkey. "You see, it's this way. I have a +little sort of a circus-show here, and the troublesome boys don't want to +pay any money to get in. So when my back is turned they crawl under the +tent, and so they see the show for nothing--just like at the circus." + +"Oh, so that's how it is?" asked Uncle Wiggily. "And you want me to keep +out the boys?" + +"That's it," said the monkey. "Here's a big stick, with which to tickle +the boys who crawl in under the tent without paying. Now I'll practice my +tricks." + +So the monkey did a lot of tricks. He stood on his head, and he hung by +his tail, and he danced around in a circle. Then he pounded the drum, not +so hard as to hurt it, but hard enough to make a noise, and he played the +fiddle and blew on the horn, and then he ran inside the tent and jumped +over a bench, making believe it was an elephant, and he did all sorts of +funny tricks like that. He even stood on his head, and made a funny face. + +"That will make a very nice show," said Uncle Wiggily after he had watched +the monkey. "Now I'll stay outside, and keep the boys from coming in +unless they pay their money. And you can be inside, doing the tricks." + +"And I'll give you money for working for me," said the monkey. "Then +perhaps you can make your fortune, and, besides that, I'll give you a +cocoanut, and you can make a cocoanut pie with it." + +"That will be fine!" cried Uncle Wiggily. So he and the monkey practiced +to get ready for their show. It was a nice little tent in which it was to +be given, and there were seats for the people, who would come, and a +platform, and flying rings and trapeze bars and paper hoops, and all +things like that, just the same as in a real circus. Well, finally the +time came for the show. It was the day after Uncle Wiggily got to the +place where the tent was, and he had slept that night in a hammock, put +up between two trees. + +"Now we're almost ready for the show," said the monkey to the old +gentleman rabbit, after a bit, "so I hope you will be sure to keep out the +troublesome boys. They always creep under the tent, and see the show for +nothing. I can't have that going on if I'm to make any money." + +"Oh, I'll stop 'em!" declared Uncle Wiggily. + +"And here's the club to do it with," said the monkey, handing Uncle +Wiggily a stick. + +"Oh, I don't know about that," answered the rabbit. "I never hurt boys if +I can help it. Perhaps I shan't need the club. I'll leave it here." + +So Uncle Wiggily hid the club under an apple tree, but the monkey said it +would be needed, and he wanted Uncle Wiggily to keep it, and take a whip, +too. But the old rabbit shook his head. + +"I'll try being kind to the boys," he said. "You let me have my way, Mr. +Monkey." + +Well, pretty soon, not so very long, the show began. The monkey went +inside the tent, and he blew on the horn, and he made music on the fiddle, +and sang a funny song about a little great big pussy, who had a red +balloon. She stuck a pin inside it, and it played a go-bang! tune. + +Of course, as soon as the show started the people came crowding up to the +tent, just as they do at the circus. There were men and women, and little +boys and girls, and big boys and girls, and they all wanted to get inside +to see what the monkey was doing. But, do you know, I believe all that he +was doing was playing monkey-doodle tricks--but, of course, I might be +mistaken. + +Well, as it always happens, some boys didn't have any money with which to +pay their way inside the tent. And, of course, as it will sometimes +happen, one boy said to another: + +"Hey! I know a way we can crawl in under the tent, and see the show, and +not have anything to pay." + +"But that wouldn't be fair," spoke the other boy. "It would be cheating, +and there's nothing meaner in this world than to cheat, whether it's +playing a baseball game or going to a circus." + +"I guess you're right," said the first boy. "What shall we do, though? I +want to see the show." + +"Well, we must be fair, anyhow," spoke the second boy. "We can't crawl in +under the tent, but perhaps if we ask the monkey to let us in for nothing +he'll do it." + +"Very well, we will," said the first boy. So they went up to the monkey +and asked if they could go in for nothing, but, of course, he wouldn't let +them. + +"May we crawl in under the tent, then?" asked the second boy. + +"If Uncle Wiggily will let you," answered the monkey, blinking his two +eyes and wrapping his tail around his neck. + +So those boys tried to crawl in under the tent, and as soon as Uncle +Wiggily saw them he rushed up and cried out: + +"Hey! Hold on there! Nobody must go under the tent. You must buy a +ticket," and he shook a feather at the boys and, instead of hitting them, +he only tickled them, and didn't hurt them a bit, for they sneezed. + +Well, those boys were very troublesome. They kept on trying to crawl under +the tent, and Uncle Wiggily rushed here, there and around the corner +trying to stop them, and he cracked the lash on his whip, just like the +man in the circus ring. But those boys kept on trying to crawl under the +tent, for the monkey had given them permission, you see. + +So finally Uncle Wiggily said: + +"I'll give those boys a little show myself, outside the tent, for nothing. +Then maybe they'll stop bothering me." + +So he stood on his left ear, and then on his right ear, and then he jumped +through a hoop, and rolled over, and barked liked a dog, and all the boys +that had tried to crawl under the tent to see the monkey-show for nothing, +ran out to see Uncle Wiggily's show. + +And he did lots of tricks and kept them all from crawling in under the +tent, and he even ate a popcorn ball, standing on his hind legs, and +wiggling his left ear with a pin-wheel on it. Then, after a while, the +monkey-show was all over, and the monkey said: + +"Uncle Wiggily, you did very well. You treated those troublesome boys just +fine! So I'll give you ten pennies, and perhaps they will make you have a +good fortune." + +Then the monkey gave Uncle Wiggily ten pennies, and he went to sleep in a +feather bed, while the old gentleman rabbit went down to the drug store to +get an ice cream soda. + +And what happened after the show was over, and what Uncle Wiggily did +after he had his ice cream, I'll tell you in the next story which will be +about Uncle Wiggily in a balloon. That is, if our pussy cat doesn't get +all covered with red paint, and look like a tomato growing on a strawberry +vine. So watch out, and don't let that happen. + + + + +STORY XII + +UNCLE WIGGILY IN A BALLOON + + +Well, just as I expected, something happened to my pussy-cat named Peter. +He didn't fall into the pot of red paint, but he either ran away, or else +some one took him. So now I have no pussy-cat. But I'll tell you a story +about Uncle Wiggily just the same. + +The old gentleman rabbit stayed with the monkey for several days, and he +was so kind and good to the troublesome boys--Uncle Wiggily was, I +mean--and he did such funny tricks for them, that they didn't crawl under +the tent any more, and the monkey could do his tricks in peace and +quietness. + +"Oh, you have been a great help to me," said the monkey to the rabbit, +"and I would like you to work for me all Summer. I am now going to travel +on to the next town, and if you like you may go with me and keep the boys +there from crawling under the tent." + +"No, I thank you," replied Uncle Wiggily slowly, as he put some bread and +butter, and a piece of pie, into his satchel. "I think I will travel +farther on by myself, and seek my fortune." + +"Well, I'm sorry to see you go," said the monkey. "And here is fifty cents +for your work. I hope you have good luck." + +And then Uncle Wiggily started off again, over the fields and through the +woods, seeking his fortune, while the monkey got ready to move his show to +the next town. + +Well, for some time nothing happened to the old gentleman rabbit. He +walked on and on, and once he saw a little red ant, trying to drag a piece +of cake home for dinner. The cake was so big that the ant was having a +dreadful time with it, but Uncle Wiggily took his left ear, and just +brushed that cake into the ant's house as easily as anything. + +"My, how strong and brave you are," cried the little red ant. "Won't you +let me get you a glass of water?" + +"I would like it," said the rabbit, "for it is quite warm to-day." + +Well, that ant got Uncle Wiggily a glass of water, but you know how it +is--an ant's glass is so very small that it only holds as much water as +you could put on the point of a pin, and really, I'm not exaggerating a +bit, when I say that Uncle Wiggily drank seventeen thousand four hundred +and twenty-six and a half ant-glasses of water before he had enough. It +took all the ants for a mile around to bring the water to him, but they +didn't mind, because they liked him. + +Then the old gentleman rabbit traveled on again, and when it came night he +slept under a haystack. + +"I am sure I'll find my fortune to-day," thought Uncle Wiggily as he got +up and brushed the hay seed out of his ears the next morning. + +It was a bright, beautiful day, and he hadn't gone very far before he +heard some fine music. + +"My, there must be a hand-organ around here," he said to himself. "And +perhaps there is another monkey. I'll watch out." + +So he stood on his hind legs, Uncle Wiggily did, and the music played +louder, and all of a sudden the rabbit looked down the road, and there was +a nice circus, with the white tents, all covered with flags, and bands +playing, and elephants squirting water through their long noses over their +backs to wash the dust off. And lions and tigers were roaring, and the +horses were running, and the fat lady was drinking pink lemonade, and Oh! +it was fine! + +"I've got fifty cents, and I guess I'll go to the circus," thought Uncle +Wiggily, and he was just entering the big tent when he happened to see a +man with a lot of red and green and yellow and pink balloons. Now, you +would have thought that man would have been happy, having so many +balloons, but he wasn't. He looked very sad, that man did, and he was +almost crying. + +"Poor man!" thought Uncle Wiggily. "Perhaps he has no money to go in the +circus. I'll give him mine. Here is fifty cents, Mr. Man," said the old +gentleman rabbit, kindly. "Take it and go see the elephant eat peanuts." + +"Oh, that is very good of you," spoke the balloon man, "but I don't want +to go to the circus. I want to sell my balloons, but no one will buy +them." + +"Why not?" asked the rabbit. + +"Oh, because there are so many other things to buy," said the man, "red +peanuts and lemonade in shells--oh, I've got that wrong, it is red +lemonade, isn't it? And peanuts in shells. But no matter. What I need," +said the man, "is to get the people to listen to me--I need to make them +look at me, and when they see what fine balloons I have they'll buy some. +But there are so many other things to look at that they never look toward +me at all." + +"Ha! I know the very thing!" cried Uncle Wiggily. "You ought to have some +one go up in a balloon. That would surprise the people like anything. +They'd be sure to look at that, and they'd all run over here and buy all +your balloons." + +"Yes, but who can I get to go up in a balloon?" asked the man. + +"I will!" cried Uncle Wiggily bravely. "Perhaps I may find my fortune up +in the sky, so I'll go in a balloon." + +Well, the man thought that was fine. So he made a little basket for the +rabbit to sit in, and he fastened the basket to a big red balloon, and +then he took care of the rabbit's valise for him, while Uncle Wiggily got +ready to go toward the clouds, taking only his crutch with him. + +When the man had everything fixed and when the rabbit was sitting in the +basket as easily as in a soft chair at home, the man cried: + +"Over here! Over here, everybody! Over here, people! A rabbit is going up +in a balloon! A most wonderful sight! Over here!" + +And then the man let go of the balloon, and Uncle Wiggily shot right up +toward the sky, only, of course, the man had a string fast to the balloon +to pull it down again. Up and up went the balloon carrying Uncle Wiggily. +Up and up! + +And my! how surprised the people were. They rushed over and bought so many +balloons that the man couldn't take in the money fast enough. And Uncle +Wiggily stayed up there, high in the air, looking for his fortune. + +And then, all of a sudden, a bad boy, with a bean shooter, shot at the +balloon, and "bang!" it burst, with a big hole in it. Down came Uncle +Wiggily, head over heels, bursted balloon, basket, crutch and all. + +"Oh, he'll be killed! He'll be killed!" cried all the people. + +"No, he'll not! We'll save him!" cried Dickie and Nellie Chip-Chip, the +boy and girl sparrow, who happened to be at the circus. "We'll save Uncle +Wiggily!" + +So up into the air they flew, and before Uncle Wiggily could fall to the +ground Dickie and Nellie grabbed the basket in their bills, and, by +fluttering their wings, they let it come very gently to earth just like a +feather falling, and the rabbit wasn't hurt a bit. But, of course, the +balloon was broken. + +So that's how Uncle Wiggily went up in a balloon and came down again, but +he hadn't yet found his fortune. And now in the next story, if our fire +shovel doesn't go out to play in the sand pile, and get its ears full of +dirt, I'll tell you about Uncle Wiggily in an automobile. + + + + +STORY XIII + +UNCLE WIGGILY IN AN AUTO + + +Well, after Uncle Wiggily had been saved from the falling balloon by +Dickie and Nellie Chip-Chip, the sparrow children, the people were so +excited that they wanted the bad boy arrested for making a hole in the +balloon with his bean-shooter. + +"No, let him go," said the rabbit gentleman, kindly. "I'm sure he won't do +it again." And do you know, that boy never did. It was a good lesson to +him. + +Then the people bought all the balloons, until the man had none left, and +I guess if he could have sent for forty-'leven more he would have sold +them also. + +"I will pay you good wages to stay with me, and go up in a balloon every +day," said the man to the rabbit. "You would help me do lots of business." + +"No," said Uncle Wiggily. "I must travel on and seek my fortune. I didn't +find it up in the air." + +But before the old gentleman rabbit traveled on, he went into the circus +with Dickie and Nellie. For they had an extra ticket that Bully the frog +was going to use, only Bully went in swimming and caught cold, and had to +stay home. So Uncle Wiggily enjoyed the show very much in his place. + +"Give my love to Sammie and Susie Littletail and to all my friends," said +the rabbit, as he took his crutch and valise, after the circus was over, +and started to travel on, looking for his fortune. + +Well, the first place he came to that day was an old hollow stump, and on +the door was a card which read: + +COME IN. + +"Ha! Come in; eh?" said Uncle Wiggily. "I guess not much! You can't fool +me again. There is a bad bear, or a savage owl inside that stump, and they +want to eat me. I'll just stay outside." + +He was just hurrying past, when the door of the stump-house opened, and an +old grandfather fox stuck out his head. This fox was almost blind, and he +had no teeth, and he had no claws, and his tail was just like a last +year's dusting brush, that the moths have eaten most up, and altogether +that fox was so old and feeble that he couldn't have hurt a mosquito. So +Uncle Wiggily wasn't a bit afraid of him. + +"I say, is there anything good to eat out there?" asked the fox, looking +over the tops of his spectacles at the rabbit. "Anything nice and juicy to +eat?" + +"Yes, I am good to eat," said Uncle Wiggily, "but you are not going to eat +me. Good-by!" + +"Hold on!" cried the old fox, "don't be afraid. I can only eat soup, for I +have no teeth to chew with, so unless you are soup you are of no use to +me." + +"Well, I'm not soup, but I know how to make some," replied the rabbit, for +he felt sorry for the grandfather fox. + +So what do you think our Uncle Wiggily did? Why, he went into the fox's +stump-house and made a big pot full of the finest kind of soup, and the +rabbit and the fox ate it all up, and, because the fox had no teeth or +claws, he couldn't hurt his visitor. + +"I wish you would stay with me forever," said the old fox, as he blinked +his eyes at Uncle Wiggily. "I have a young and strong grandson coming home +soon, and you might show him how to make soup." + +"No, thank you," replied the rabbit. "I'm afraid that young and strong +grandson of yours would want to eat me instead of the soup, I guess I'll +travel on." So the old gentleman rabbit took his crutch and valise and +traveled on. + +Well, pretty soon, it began to get dark, and Uncle Wiggily knew night was +coming on. And he wondered where he could stay, for he didn't see any +haystacks to sleep under. He was thinking that he'd have to dig a burrow +in the ground for himself, and he was looking for a soft place to begin, +when, all at once, he heard a loud "Honk-Honk!" back of him in the road. + +"Ha, an automobile is coming!" said Uncle Wiggily. "I must get out of the +way!" So he hopped on ahead, going down the road quite fast, until he got +to a place where there were prickly briar bushes on both sides of the +highway. + +"My! I'll have to keep in the middle of the road if I don't want to get +scratched," said the rabbit. And then the automobile horn behind him +honked louder than ever. + +"They are certainly coming along fast," thought Uncle Wiggily. "If I don't +look out I'll be run over." So he hopped along quicker than before, until, +all of a sudden, as he looked down the road, he saw a savage dog standing +there. + +"Well, now! Isn't that just my bad luck!" cried Uncle Wiggily. "If I go on +the dog will catch me, and if I stand here the auto will run on top of me. +I just guess I'll run back and see if there is a hole where I can crawl +through the bushes." + +So he started to run back, but, no sooner had he done so, than the dog saw +him, and came rushing at him with a loud, "Bow-wow-wow! Bow-wow-wow!" + +"My, but he's savage!" thought the rabbit. "I wonder if I can get away in +time?" + +And then the auto honked louder than before, and all of a sudden it came +whizzing down the road, right toward the rabbit. + +"Oh, dear; I'm going to be caught, sure!" cried Uncle Wiggily, and indeed +it did look so, for there was the dog running from one direction, and the +auto coming in the other, and prickly briar bushes were on both sides of +the road, and Uncle Wiggily couldn't crawl through them without pulling +all the fur off his back, and his ears, too. + +"Honk-Honk!" went the auto. + +"Bow-wow!" went the dog. + +"Oh, dear!" cried Uncle Wiggily. Then he thought of a plan. "I'll give a +big run and a long jump and maybe I can jump over the auto, and then the +auto will bump into the dog, and I will be safe!" he cried. + +So he took a long run, and just as the auto was going to hit him, Uncle +Wiggily gave a big jump, right up into the air. He didn't jump quite +quickly enough, however, for one of the big rubber tires ran over his toe, +but he wasn't much hurt. And what do you think he did? Why, he landed +right in the auto, on the seat beside a little boy. + +And that dog was so frightened of the automobile that he howled and +yowled, and his teeth chattered, and he tucked his tail between his legs, +and ran home. + +"Oh, the bunny! The bunny!" cried the little boy, as he saw Uncle Wiggly. +"May we keep him, papa?" + +"I guess so," said the boy's papa. "Anyhow his foot is hurt, and we'll +take care of him until it gets well. My, but he is a good jumper, though!" + +So the man stopped the auto, and picked up Uncle Wiggily's crutch and +valise, which the old gentleman rabbit had dropped when he jumped upon the +seat beside the boy, and then the car went on. And Uncle Wiggily wasn't a +bit frightened at being in an auto, for he knew the boy and man would be +kind to him. + +"Perhaps I shall find my fortune now," the rabbit gentleman said. And the +little boy patted him on the back, and stroked his long ears. + +Now, in the story after this I'll tell you what happened to Uncle Wiggily +at the little boy's house, and in case our door key doesn't get locked +out, and have to sleep in the park, you are going to hear about Uncle +Wiggily in a boat. + + + + +STORY XIV + +UNCLE WIGGILY IN A BOAT + + +"Poor rabbit!" exclaimed the little boy in the automobile, as he rubbed +Uncle Wiggily's ears. "I wonder if his foot is much hurt, papa?" + +"I don't know," answered the man, as he steered the machine down the road. +"I'll have the doctor look at it." + +"Oh, indeed, it isn't hurt much," spoke up Uncle Wiggily. "The rubber tire +was soft, you see. But my rheumatism is much worse on account of running +so fast." + +"What's this? Well, of all things! This rabbit can talk!" cried the man in +surprise. + +"Of course he can, papa," said the boy. "Lots of rabbits can talk. Why, +there's Sammie and Susie Littletail; they can talk, and maybe this rabbit +knows them." + +"I'm their uncle," said the old gentleman rabbit, making a bow. + +"Oh, then, you must be Uncle Wiggily Longears!" cried the little boy. +"Oh, I've always wanted to see you, and now I can!" + +"Well, it is very strange to meet you this way," said the man. "Still, I +am glad you are not hurt, Uncle Wiggily. And so you are out seeking your +fortune," for the rabbit had told them about his travels. "Perhaps you +would like to rest at our house for a few days. We can give you a nice +room, with a brass bed, and a bath-tub to yourself, and you can have your +meals in bed, if you can't come down stairs." + +"Oh, I am not used to that kind of a life," said the old gentleman rabbit. +"I would rather live out of doors. If you can get me some clean straw to +lie on, and once in a while a carrot or a turnip, and a bit of lettuce and +some cabbage leaves now and then, I'll be all right. And as soon as my +foot is well I'll travel on." + +"Oh, what good times we'll have!" cried the little boy. "Our house is near +a lake, and I have a motor boat. And I'll give you a ride in it." + +Well, Uncle Wiggily thought that would be nice, and he was rather glad, +after all, that he had jumped into the auto. So pretty soon they came to +the place where the boy lived. Oh, it was a fine, large house, with lots +of grounds, lawns and gardens all around it. And there were several dogs +on the place, but the little boy spoke to them all, telling them that the +rabbit was his friend Uncle Wiggily, who must not be bitten or barked at +on any account. + +"Oh, we heard about him from Fido Flip-Flop," said big dog Rover. "We +wouldn't hurt Uncle Wiggily for two worlds, and part of another one, and a +bag of peanuts." + +So Uncle Wiggily was given a nice bed of straw in one of the empty +dog-houses, and the boy got him some cabbage and lettuce, and the rabbit +made himself a sandwich of them, with some bread and butter which he had +in his satchel. + +Then the rabbit and the dogs talked together, and the rabbit told of his +travels, and what had happened to him so far. + +"Wonderful! Wonderful!" exclaimed the old dog Rover. "You should write a +book about your fortune." + +"I haven't found it yet, but perhaps I may, and then I'll write the book," +said Uncle Wiggily, combing out his whiskers. + +That night the boy put a soft rag and some salve on the rabbit's sore +foot, and he also gave him some liniment for his rheumatism, and in the +morning Uncle Wiggily was much better. He and the boy and the dogs had +lots of fun playing together on the smooth, green, grassy lawn. They +played tag, and hide-and-go-seek, and a new game called "Don't Let the +Ragman Take Your Rubber Boots." And the dog Rover pretended he was the +ragman. + +"Now, then, we'll all go out in my motor boat," said the boy, so he and +Uncle Wiggily and the dogs went down to the lake and, surely enough, there +was the boat, the nicest one you could wish for. There was a little cabin +in it, and seats out on deck, and a little engine that went "choo-choo!" +and pushed the boat through the water. + +In the boat they all had a fine ride around the lake, which was almost +like the one where you go to a Sunday-school picnic, and then it was time +for dinner. And, as a special treat, when they got on shore, Uncle Wiggily +was given carrot ice cream, with chopped-up turnips in it. And oh, how +good it was to him! + +Well, the days passed, and Uncle Wiggily was getting so he could walk +along pretty well, for his foot was all cured, and he began to think of +going on once more to seek his fortune. And then something happened. One +day the boy went out alone in a rowboat to see if he could find any fish. +And before he knew it his boat had tipped over, spilling him out into the +water, and he couldn't swim. Wasn't that dreadful? + +"Oh! Help! Help!" he cried, as the water came up to his chin. + +My, but it's awful to be tipped over in a boat! and I and I hope if you +can't swim you'll never go out in one alone. And there was that poor boy +splashing around in the water, and almost drowned. + +"Save me! Save me!" the boy cried. "Oh, save me!" + +Well, as it happened, Uncle Wiggily was walking along the shore of the +lake just then. He saw the little boy fall out of the boat, and he heard +him cry. + +"I'll save you if I can!" exclaimed the brave old rabbit. "Come on, Rover, +we'll go out in the motor boat and rescue him." + +"Bow-wow! Bow-wow! Sure! Sure!" cried Cover, wagging his tail. + +So he and Uncle Wiggily ran down, and jumped into the motor boat. And they +knew just how to start the engine and run it, for the boy had showed them. + +"Bang-bang!" went the engine. "Whizz-whizz!" went the boat through the +water. + +"Faster! Faster!" cried Uncle Wiggily, who was steering the boat, while +Rover ran the engine. "Go faster!" + +So Rover made it go as fast as he could, and then all of a sudden that boy +went down under the water, out of sight. + +"Oh, he's drowned!" cried Uncle Wiggily sorrowfully. + +But he wasn't, I'm glad to say. Just then along came Nurse Jane +Fuzzy-Wuzzy, the muskrat, swimming. And she dived away down under and +helped bring that boy up to the top of the water, and then Uncle Wiggily +and Cover grabbed him as the muskrat lifted him up, and they pulled him +into the motor boat, and so saved his life. And oh! how thankful he was +when he was safe on shore, and he was careful never to fall in the water +again. + +Now, in case the clothes wringer doesn't squeeze all the juice out of my +breakfast orange, I'll tell you in the next story about Uncle Wiggily +making a cherry pie. + + + + +STORY XV + +UNCLE WIGGILY MAKES A PIE + + +Do you remember the little boy whom Uncle Wiggily helped save after he +fell out of the boat? Well, that boy's papa was so glad because Uncle +Wiggily had helped save the little chap from drowning that he couldn't do +enough for the old gentleman rabbit. + +"You can stay here forever, and have carrot ice cream every day if you +like," the man said. + +"Oh, thank you very much, but I think I'll travel on," replied Uncle +Wiggily. "I have still to seek my fortune." + +"Why, _I_ will give you a fortune!" said the boy's papa. "I will give you +a thousand million dollars, and a penny besides." + +"That would be a fine fortune," spoke the rabbit, "but I would much rather +find my own. It is no fun when you get a thing given to you. It is better +to earn it yourself, and then you think more of it." + +"Yes, that is so," said the man. "Well, we will be sorry to see you go." + +Uncle Wiggily started off the next day, once more to seek his fortune, and +the little boy felt so sad at seeing him go that he cried, and put his +arms around the old gentleman rabbit, and kissed him between the ears. And +Uncle Wiggily felt badly, too. + +Well, the old gentleman rabbit traveled on and on for several days after +that, sleeping under hay stacks part of the time, or in empty hollow +stumps, and sometimes he dug a burrow for himself in the soft ground. + +And one afternoon, just as the sun was getting ready to go to bed for the +night, Uncle Wiggily came to an open place in the woods where there was a +cave, made of a lot of little stones piled up together. + +"My! I wonder who lives there?" thought the rabbit. "It is too small for a +giant to live in, but there may be a bad bear or a savage fox in there. I +guess I'd better get away from here." + +Well, Uncle Wiggily was just going, when, all at once, a voice cried out: + +"Here, hold on there!" + +The rabbit looked back, and he saw a great big porcupine, or hedgehog--you +know, those animals like a big gray rabbit, only their fur is the +stickery-prickery kind, like needles, and the quills come out and stick in +anybody who bites a hedgehog. So I hope none of you ever bite one. And +they won't bite you if you don't bother them. + +So as soon as Uncle Wiggily saw that it was Mr. Hedgehog who was speaking +he wasn't a bit afraid, for he knew him. + +"Oh, it's you, is it?" asked the rabbit. "I'm real glad to see you. I was +going to travel on, but----" + +"Don't say another word!" cried the hedgehog heartily. "You can stay in my +cave all night. I have two beds, and it's a good thing I have, for if you +slept with me you might get full of my stickery-stickers." + +"Yes, I guess I had better sleep alone," said Uncle Wiggily, with a laugh. +"But it seems to me, Mr. Hedgehog, that you are not looking well." + +"I'm not," answered the porcupine, as he shivered so that several of his +quills fell out on the grass. "I'm suffering for some cherry pie. Oh, +cherry pie! If I only had some I know I'd feel better at once. I just love +it!" + +"Why don't you make some yourself?" asked Uncle Wiggily. + +"I have tried," replied the hedgehog. "I've tried and tried again, but, +somehow, it never comes out right. Here, I'll show you. I made a cherry +pie just before I looked out of the door and saw you. I'll show it to +you." + +He went into his little stone house, and Uncle Wiggily went with him. + +"There's the pie--it's no good!" cried the porcupine, as he pointed to +something on the table. Well, as soon as Uncle Wiggily saw it he laughed +so hard that his ears waved back and forth. + +"What's the matter? I don't see anything funny," asked Mr. Hedgehog, +shivering so that more quills fell out. + +"Why, you've gone and put the cherry pits into the pie instead of the +cherries," said the rabbit. "That's no way to do. You must take out the +stones from inside the cherries and put the outside part of them inside +the pie, and throw the inside or stony part of the cherries away." + +"Oh, good land!" cried the hedgehog, "no wonder I couldn't eat the pie. +You see, I thought cherries were like peanuts. For you know you throw away +the outside part of the peanut, and eat the inside." + +"Yes, and cherries are just the opposite," said the rabbit, laughing +again. "For you eat the outside of a cherry and throw away the pit or +stone that is inside. Now, I'll make you a cherry pie." + +"I wish you would," said the porcupine. "I'll go get the cherries." + +So he went out in the orchard, and he shot his sharp stickery quills, like +little arrows at the cherries on the tree, and they fell down, so he +could pick them up in a basket. I mean the cherries fell down, though of +course the quills did also though the hedgehog didn't pick them up. + +And while he was doing that Uncle Wiggily was making the pie crust. He +took flour and lard and water, and mixed them together, and then he put in +other things--Oh, well, you just ask your mamma or the cook what they +were, for I might get it wrong--and soon the pie crust was ready. Then +Uncle Wiggily built a hot fire in the stove, and he waited for Mr. +Hedgehog to come in with the cherries. + +And pretty soon the porcupine came back with his basket full, and he and +Uncle Wiggily shelled the peanuts--I mean the cherries--taking out the +pits. + +"Now I'll put them in the pie, and put sugar on them, bake it in the oven, +and soon it will be done, and we can eat it," said the rabbit. + +"Oh, joy!" cried the hedgehog. "That will be fine!" + +So Uncle Wiggily put the cherries in the pie, and threw the pits away, and +he put the pie in the oven, and then he and Mr. Hedgehog sat down to wait +for it to bake. And oh, how delicious and scrumptious it did smell! if you +will excuse me for saying so. + +Well, in a little while, the pie was baked, and Uncle Wiggily took it from +the oven. + +"I can hardly wait to eat it!" cried the hedgehog, and just then there +came a terribly loud knock on the door. + +"Oh, maybe it's that bad fox come for some of my pie!" exclaimed the +hedgehog. "If it is, I'll stick him full of stickery-stickers." But when +he went to the door there stood old Percival, the circus dog, and he was +crying as hard as he could cry. + +"Come in," invited Uncle Wiggily. "Come in, and have some cherry pie, and +you'll feel better." So Percival came in, and they all three sat down, and +ate the cherry pie all up, and sure enough Percival did feel better, and +stopped crying. + +Then the circus dog and Uncle Wiggily stayed all night with Mr. Hedgehog, +and they had more cherry pie next day, and it was very fine and sweet. + +Now, if our cook makes some nice watermelon sandwiches, with maple syrup +on them, for supper, I'll tell you in the next story about Uncle Wiggily +and old dog Percival, and why Percival cried. + + + + +STORY XVI + +UNCLE WIGGILY AND PERCIVAL + + +Now I'm going to tell you, before I forget it, why old dog Percival was +crying that time when he came to the little stone house where the hedgehog +lived, and where Uncle Wiggily gave him some cherry pie. And the reason +Percival was crying, was because he had stepped on a sharp stone, and hurt +his foot. + +"But I don't in the least mind now," said Percival, after he had eaten +about sixty-'leven pieces of the pie. "My foot is all better." + +"I should think that cherry pie would make almost any one better," said +the hedgehog, laughing with joy, for he felt better, too. "I know some bad +boys to whom I'm going to give some cherry pie, and I hope it makes them +better. And to think I threw away the good part of the cherries and cooked +the stones in the pie. Oh, excuse me while I laugh again!" + +And the hedgehog laughed so hard that he spilled some of the red cherry +pie juice on his shirt front, but he didn't care, for he had another +shirt. + +Well, Uncle Wiggily and Percival, the old circus dog, stayed for some days +at the home of the hedgehog, and they had cherry pie, or fritters with +maple syrup, at almost every meal. Then, finally, Uncle Wiggily said: + +"Well, I guess I must travel on. I can't find my fortune here. I must +start off to-morrow." + +"And I'll go with you," spoke Percival. "We'll go together, and see what +we can find." + +Well, he and Uncle Wiggily went on together for some time, and nothing +happened, except that they met a poor pussy cat without any tail, and +Uncle Wiggily gave her some of the pie. And the next day they met a cat +and seven little kittens, and they all had tails, so they had to have some +pie, too. + +But one night, after Percival and Uncle Wiggily had been traveling all +day, they came to a deep, dark, dismal woods. + +"Oh, have we got to go through that forest?" asked the old gentleman +rabbit, wrinkling up his ears--I mean his nose. + +"I guess we have," replied the circus dog. "We may find our fortunes in +there." + +"It is a pretty dark spot to look for money, or fortunes," said the +rabbit. "The best thing we can do is to look for a place to sleep, and in +the morning we will hurry out of the woods." + +Well, the two animal friends started into the grove of trees, and they +hadn't gone very far before it got so dark that they couldn't see to go +any farther. Oh, but it was black and lonesome and sort of scary-like! and +Uncle Wiggily said: + +"Let's stay here, Percival. We'll make a little bed under the trees to +sleep in, and we'll build a fire to keep us warm, and cook a little +supper." + +So Percival thought that would be nice, and soon he and the rabbit had a +cheerful little fire blazing, and then it wasn't quite so lonely. Only +there was a big owl in a tree, and he kept hollering "Who? Who? Who?" and +Percival thought it meant him, and Uncle Wiggily thought it meant him, and +they were rather frightened, so they didn't either of them answer the owl, +who kept on calling "Who? Who? Who?" + +They were just cooking their supper, and cutting up the cherry pie, and +putting it on some oak leaves for plates, and they had picked out a nice +smooth stump for a table, when, all of a sudden, they heard a voice +saying: + +"Now you make a jump and grab the rabbit and I'll take the dog. Then we +can carry them off to our dens, and that will be the last of them. Get +ready now!" + +"Did you hear that?" asked Uncle Wiggily of the circus dog. + +"Indeed I did," replied Percival. "I wonder if it can be those owls?" + +"It doesn't sound like them," said Uncle Wiggily. "I think it is a bad +fox, or maybe two of them." + +And just then they looked off through the woods, and by the light of the +fire they saw two big, savage, ugly wolves. Oh, how their sharp teeth +gleamed in the dancing flames, and how red their tongues were! + +"Come on! Grab 'em both!" cried one savage wolf. "Grab the rabbit and the +dog!" + +"Sure! I'm with you!" growled the other savage wolf. + +"Oh, what shall we do, Uncle Wiggily?" asked Percival. "They'll eat us up! + +"Let me think a minute," said the rabbit. So he thought for maybe half a +minute, and then exclaimed: "Oh! I know a good thing to do." + +"What?" asked Percival. "Say it quickly, Uncle Wiggily, for those wolves +are creeping up on us, and it's so dark we can't see to run away." + +And surely enough, those wolves were sneaking up, with their red tongues +hanging out longer than ever, for all the world just as if they had eaten +cherry pie. + +"We must do some funny tricks!" exclaimed Uncle Wiggily. "You know how, +Percival, for you were once in a circus, and I learned some when I was +with the monkey, and with Fido Flip-Flop. Do some tricks, and maybe these +wolves will feel so good-natured that they won't bite us." + +So brave Uncle Wiggily stood up on one ear and waved his feet in the air. +Then he stood on his nose and turned a somersault. Next he went around and +around as fast as a pinwheel, and he whistled a funny tune about a little +rubber ball that flew into the air, and when it landed on the ground it +would not stay down there. + +But I wish you could have seen the tricks Percival did. He jumped through +between Uncle Wiggily's long ears, and he walked on his hind legs, and on +his front ones. Then he stood on his head, and he made believe he was +begging for something to eat, and Uncle Wiggily fed him a carrot, and a +piece of pie. Then he put a piece of bread on his nose, tossed it up into +the air--tossed the bread, I mean, not his nose--and when it came down he +caught it and ate it. Oh, it was great! + +Well, those wolves were too surprised for anything. They had never seen +tricks like those. First they smiled a bit. Then they smiled some more. +Then one laughed, then the other laughed, and finally, when Uncle Wiggily +and Percival took turns jumping over each other's backs, the wolves +thought it so funny that they had to lie down on the leaves and roll over +and over because they were laughing so hard. + +And, of course, after that they didn't feel like hurting Uncle Wiggily or +Percival. And just then the big alligator came along and chased the wolves +away, so the rabbit and dog had no one to bother them except the +alligator, and, as he had just had his supper, he wasn't hungry, so he +didn't eat them. + +So Uncle Wiggily and Percival went to sleep, and so must you, and if the +vegetable man brings me a pumpkin Jack o' Lantern, with a pink ribbon on +the end of the stem, I'll tell you in the next story about Uncle Wiggily +in a well. + + + + +STORY XVII + +UNCLE WIGGILY IN A WELL + + +Well, I didn't get the pumpkin Jack o' Lantern with the pink ribbon on, +but some one mailed me an ice cream cone, so it's just as well. That is, I +suppose it was an ice cream cone when it started on its journey, but when +I got it there was only the cone part left. Maybe the postman took out the +ice cream, with which to stick a stamp on the letter. + +But there, I must tell you what happened to Uncle Wiggily after he and +Percival did those tricks, and made the wolves laugh so hard. The rabbit +and the circus dog stayed in the woods all that night, and nothing +bothered them. + +"Now, Percival, you make the coffee, and I'll spread the bread and butter +for breakfast," said Uncle Wiggily the next morning. + +"Where are you going to get the bread and butter?" asked the dog. + +"Oh, I have it in my satchel," spoke the old rabbit, and, surely enough, +he did have several large, fine slices. So he and Percival ate their +breakfast, and then they started off again. + +They hadn't gone very far before they met a grasshopper, who was limping +along on top of a fence rail, and looking quite sad--I mean the +grasshopper was looking sad, not the fence rail. + +"What is the matter?" asked Uncle Wiggily, kindly. "Are you sad and +lonesome because you can't have some cherry pie, or some bread and butter; +or because you can't see any funny tricks? If you are, don't worry, Mr. +Grasshopper, for Percival and I can give you something to eat, and also do +some tricks to make you laugh." + +"No, I am not sad about any of those things," replied the grasshopper, +"but you see I gave a big jump over a large stone a little while ago, and +I sprained my left hind leg. Now I can't jump any more, and here it is +Summer, and, of course, we grasshoppers have to hop, or we don't make any +money." + +"Oh, don't let a little thing like that worry you," spoke Uncle Wiggily. +"I have some very nice salve, that a gentleman and his boy gave me when +their automobile ran over me, and it cured my sore toe, so I think it will +cure your left hind leg." + +Then he put some salve on the grasshopper's leg, and in a little while it +was much better. + +"Now we must travel on again, to seek our fortune," said Uncle Wiggily. +"Come, Percival." + +"I will just do one little trick, to make the grasshopper feel better +before we leave," said the circus dog, so he stood up on the end of his +tail, and went around and around, and winked first one eye and then the +other, it was too funny for anything, really it was. + +Well, the alligator laughed at that--oh there I go again--I mean the +grasshopper laughed, and then Uncle Wiggily and Percival went off +together, very glad indeed that they had had a chance to do a kindness, +even to a grasshopper. + +Pretty soon they came to a place where there were two roads branching off, +one to the right hand and the other to the left, like the letter "Y." + +"I'll tell you what we'll do," said Percival, "you go to the right, Uncle +Wiggily, and I'll go to the left, and, later on, we'll meet by the mill +pond, and perhaps each of us may have found his fortune by that time." + +"Good!" cried Uncle Wiggily. "We'll do it!" + +So he went off one way, and the circus dog took the other path through the +woods, and now I must tell you what happened to the old gentleman rabbit. + +Uncle Wiggily went along for some time, and just as he got to a place +where there was a large stone, all of a sudden out popped a big fat toad. +And it wasn't a nice toad, either, but a bad toad. + +"Hello, Uncle Wiggily," said the squatty-watty toad. "I haven't seen you +in some time. I guess you must be getting pretty old. You can't jump as +good as you once could, can you?" + +"Of course, I can," exclaimed the rabbit, a bit pettish-like, for he +didn't care to have even a toad think he couldn't jump as well as ever he +could. + +"I'd like to see you," went on the toad. "See if you jump from here over +on that pile of leaves," and he pointed to them with his warty toes. + +"I'll do it," exclaimed Uncle Wiggily. So he laid aside his crutch and his +valise, gave a little run and a big jump, and then he came down kerthump +on the pile of leaves. + +But wait. Oh! I have something sad to tell you. That toad was only playing +a trick on the rabbit, and those leaves were right over a big, deep, dark +well. And as soon as Uncle Wiggily landed on the leaves he fell through, +for there were no boards under them to cover up the well, and down, down, +down he went, and if there had been water in the well he would have been +drowned. But the well was dry, I'm glad to say. Still Uncle Wiggily had a +great fall--almost like the tumble of Humpty-Dumpty. + +"Ah, ha!" exclaimed the mean, squatty-squirmy toad. "Now you are in the +well, and I'm going off, and tell the wolves, so they can come and get +you out, and eat you. Ah, ha!" Oh! but wasn't that toad a most unpleasant +one? You see, he used to work for the wolves, doing all sorts of mean +things for them, and trapping all the animals he could for them. + +So off the toad hopped, to call the wolves to come and get Uncle Wiggily, +and the poor rabbit was left alone at the bottom of the well. He tried his +best to get up, but he couldn't. + +"I guess I'll have to stay here until the wolves come," he thought, sadly. +"But I'll call for help, and see what happens." So he called: "Help! Help! +Help!" as loudly as he could. + +And all of a sudden a voice answered and asked: + +"Where are you?" + +"In the well," shouted Uncle Wiggily, and he was afraid it was the wolves +coming to eat him. But it wasn't, it was the limpy grasshopper, and he +tried to pull Uncle Wiggily out of the well, but, of course, he wasn't +strong enough. + +"But I'll get Percival, the circus dog, and he'll pull you out before the +wolves come," said the grasshopper. "Now I have a chance to do you a +kindness for the one you did me." So he hopped off, as his leg was nearly +all better, and he found Percival on the left road and told him what had +happened. + +And, my! how that circus dog did rush back to help Uncle Wiggily. And he +got him out of the well in no time, by lowering a long rope to him, and +pulling the rabbit gentleman up, and then the rabbit and dog ran away, +before the toad could come back with the savage wolves, who didn't get any +supper out of the well, after all, and it served them right. + +So that's all of this story, but I have some more, about the adventures of +Uncle Wiggily, and next, in case the load of hay doesn't fall on my +puppy-dog, and break off his curly tail, I'll tell you about Uncle Wiggily +and Jennie Chipmunk. + + + + +STORY XVIII + +UNCLE WIGGILY AND JENNIE CHIPMUNK + + +After Uncle Wiggily had been pulled up out of the well by Percival, the +old circus dog, and they had run far enough off so that the wolves +couldn't get them, the rabbit and the grasshopper and Percival sat down on +the ground to rest. For you see Uncle Wiggily was tired from having fallen +down the well, and the grasshopper was tired from having run so fast to +call back Percival, and of course Percival was tired from having pulled up +the old gentleman rabbit. So they were all pretty well tired out. + +"I'm sure I can't thank you enough for what you did for me," said Uncle +Wiggily to Percival, and the grasshopper. "And as a little treat I'm going +to give you some cherry pie that I made for the hedgehog." + +So they ate some cherry pie, and then they felt better. And they were just +going to travel on together again, when, all at once, there was a rustling +in the bushes, and out flew Dickie Chip-Chip, the sparrow boy. + +"Oh, my" cried Uncle Wiggily, wrinkling up his nose. "At first I thought +you were a savage owl." + +"Oh, no, I'm not an owl," said Dickie. "But I'm in a great hurry, and +perhaps I made a noise like an owl. Percival, you must come back home to +the Bow Wow house right away." + +"Why?" asked Percival, sticking up his two ears so that he could hear +better. + +"Because Peetie Bow Wow is very ill with the German measles, and he wants +to see you do some of your funny circus tricks," spoke Dickie. "He thinks +that will make him better." + +"Ha! I've no doubt that it will!" exclaimed Uncle Wiggily. "If I were not +traveling about, seeking my fortune, I'd go back with you, Percival. I +love Peetie Bow Wow, and Jackie, too." + +"Oh, I'll go," said the grasshopper. "I will play Peetie a funny fiddle +tune, on my left hind leg, and that may make him laugh." + +"And Nellie and I will sail through the air, and go off to find some +pretty flowers for him," said Dickie. + +So the sparrow boy, the grasshopper and old Percival, the circus dog, +started off together to see poor sick Peetie Bow Wow, leaving Uncle +Wiggily there on the grass. + +"Give my love to Peetie!" called the old gentleman rabbit after them, +"and tell him that I'll come and see him as soon as I find my fortune." + +Uncle Wiggily felt a little bit sad and lonely when his friends were gone, +but he ate another piece of cherry pie, taking care to get none of the +juice, on his blue necktie, and then he was a little happier. + +"Now to start off once more," he said. "I wonder what will happen next? +But I know one thing, I'm never going to do any jumping for any squatty +old toads any more." + +So Uncle Wiggily traveled on and on, and when it came night he didn't have +any place to sleep. But as it happened he met a kind old water snake, who +had a nice house in an old pile of wood, and there the rabbit stayed until +morning, when the water snake got him a nice breakfast of pond lilies, +with crinkly eel-grass sauce on. + +Pretty soon it was nearly noon that day, and Uncle Wiggily was about to +sit down on a nice green mossy bank in the woods--not a toy bank with +money in it, you understand, but a dirt-bank, with moss on it like a +carpet. That's where he was going to sit. + +"I think I'll eat my dinner," said the old gentleman rabbit as he opened +his valise, and just then he heard a voice in the woods singing. And this +was the song: + + "Oh dear! I'm lost, I know I am, + I don't know what to do. + I had a big red ribbon, and + I had one colored blue. + + But now I haven't got a one + Because a savage bear + Took both of them, and tied a string + Around my curly hair. + + I wish I had a penny bright, + To buy a trolley car. + I'd ride home then, because, you see, + To walk it is too far." + +"I guess that's some one in trouble, all right," said Uncle Wiggily, as he +cautiously peeped through the bushes. "Though, perhaps, it is a little +wolf boy, or a fox." But when he looked, whom should he see but little +Jennie Chipmunk, and she was crying as hard as she could cry, so she +couldn't sing any more. + +"Why, Jennie, what is the matter?" kindly asked Uncle Wiggily. + +"Oh, I came out in the woods to gather acorns in a little basket for +supper," she said, "and I guess I must have come too far. The first thing +I knew a big bear jumped out of the bushes at me, and he took off both my +nice, new hair ribbons and put on this old string." + +And, sure enough, there was only just an old black shoestring on Jennie's +nice hair. + +"Where is that bear?" asked Uncle Wiggily, quite savage like. "Just tell +me where he is, and I'll make him give you back those ribbons, and then +I'll show you the way home." + +"Oh, the bear ran off after he scared me," said the little chipmunk girl. +"Please don't look for him, Uncle Wiggily, or he might eat you all up." + +"Pooh!" exclaimed the old gentleman rabbit. "I'm not afraid of a bear. I +have traveled around a great deal of late, and I have had many adventures. +It takes more than a bear to scare me!" + +"Oh, it does; does it?" suddenly cried a growly-scowly voice, and, would +you believe me? right out from the bushes jumped that savage bear! And he +had Jennie's blue ribbon tied on his left ear, and the red one tied on his +right ear, and he looked too queer for anything. "I can't scare you; eh?" +he cried to the rabbit. "Well, I'm just going to eat you, and that +chipmunk girl all up, and maybe that will scare you!" + +So he made a jump for Uncle Wiggily, but do you s'pose the rabbit +gentleman was afraid? Not a bit of it. He knew what he was going to do. + +"Quick, Jennie!" called Uncle Wiggily. "Get in front of me. I'll fix this +bear all right." So Jennie got in front, and the rabbit turned his back on +the bear, and, then Uncle Wiggily began scratching in the dirt with his +sharp claws. My! how he did make the dirt fly. It was just like a regular +rain-shower of sand and gravel. + +And the dirt flew all over that bear; in his eyes and nose and mouth and +ears, it went, and he sneezed, and he couldn't see out of his eyes, and he +fairly howled. And by that time Uncle Wiggily had dug a big hole in the +ground with his feet, and he and Jennie hid there until the bear ran off +to get some water to wash the dirt off his face, and then the rabbit and +the chipmunk girl came out safely. + +Then Uncle Wiggily gave Jennie some pennies to buy two new hair ribbons, +and he showed her the way home with her basket of acorns, and he himself +went on with his travels. And he had another adventure the next day. Now +in case a cowboy doesn't come along, and take my little pussy cat off to +the wild west show I'll tell you next about Uncle Wiggily and the paper +lantern. + + + + +STORY XIX + +UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE LANTERN + + +After Uncle Wiggily had taken Jennie Chipmunk home, so that the bear +couldn't get her, as I told you about in the story before this one, the +old gentleman rabbit walked on over the fields and through the woods, +seeking his fortune. He looked everywhere for it; down in hollow stumps, +behind big stones, and even in an old well, but you may be sure he didn't +jump down any more wells. No, I guess not! + +"Ha! Here is a little brook!" exclaimed Uncle Wiggily, after a while, as +he came to a small stream of water flowing over green, mossy stones, with +a nice gurgling sound like an ice cream soda, "perhaps I may find my +fortune here." + +But he looked and he looked in the water without seeing anything but a +goldfish. + +"I might sell the goldfish for money," thought the fortune-hunting rabbit, +"but it wouldn't be kind to take him out of the brook, so I won't. I'll +look a little farther, on the other side." + +Then, taking up his crutch and his valise, Uncle Wiggily gave a big jump, +and leaped safely across the water. Then, once more, he traveled on. +Pretty soon he came to a place where there was a tree, and on one branch +of this tree there hung a funny round ball, that looked as if it was made +of gray-colored paper. And there was a funny buzzing sound coming from it. + +"Ha! Do you see that?" asked a big, fat hop-toad, as he suddenly bobbed up +out of the grass. It was the same toad who had made the rabbit jump down +in the leaf-covered well. "Do you see that?" asked the toad. + +"Well, if you want to find your fortune, take a stick and hit that ball." + +"Indeed I will not!" cried the old gentleman rabbit. "I know you and your +tricks! That is a hornets' nest, and if I struck it they would fly out, +and sting me. Oh, no! You can't catch me again. Now you go away, or I'll +tell a policeman dog to arrest you." + +So the toad knew it was of no use to try to fool Uncle Wiggily again, and +he hopped away, scratching his warty back on a sharp stone. + +Well, the old gentleman rabbit traveled on and on, and when it came night +he wondered where he was going to stay, for he hadn't yet found his +fortune and the weather looked as if it was going to rain. Then, all of a +sudden, he heard voices calling like this: + +"Come on, Nannie, you've got to blind your eyes now, and I'll go hide." + +"All right, Billie," was the answer. "And after that we'll get Uncle +Butter to tell us a story." + +"I guess I know who those children are," thought Uncle Wiggily, though he +had not yet seen them. "That's Billie and Nannie Goat talking," and surely +enough it was, and, most unexpectedly the rabbit had come right up to the +house where they lived, on the edge of the woods. + +Well, you can just imagine how glad Billie and Nannie were to see Uncle +Wiggily. + +They danced all around him, and held him by the paws, and kissed him +between his long ears, and Billie carried his satchel for him. + +"Oh, we're so glad you are here!" they cried. "Mamma! Papa! Uncle Butter! +Here is Uncle Wiggily!" + +Well, the whole goat family was glad to see the rabbit-traveler, and after +supper he told them of his adventures, and how he was out seeking his +fortune. + +And Billie and Nannie told what they had been doing, and Nannie showed how +she could cut things out of paper, like the children do in the +kindergarten class in school. She could make little houses, with smoke +coming out of the chimney, and paper lanterns, and boxes, and, oh! ever so +many things. The lanterns she made were especially fine, just like Chinese +ones. + +Then it came time to go to bed, and in the night a very strange thing +happened, and I'm going to tell you all about it. + +Along about 12 o'clock, when all was still and quiet, and when the little +mice were beginning to think it was time for them to creep, creep out of +their holes, and hunt for bread and cheese; about this time there sounded +a queer noise down at the front door of the goat-house. + +"Ha! What is that?" asked Mrs. Goat. + +"I guess it was the cats," said Mr. Goat, getting ready to go to sleep +again. + +"No, I'm sure it was a burglar-fox!" said the lady goat. "Please get up +and look." + +Well, of course, Mr. Goat had to do so, after his wife asked him like +that. So he poked his head out of the upstairs window, over the front +door, and he called out: + +"Who is down there?" + +"I'm a burglar-fox!" was the answer. "I'm coming to rob you." + +"Oh, my!" cried Mrs. Goat, when she heard that. "Get a gun, and shoot him, +Mr. Goat." + +And at that Billie and Nannie began to cry, for they were afraid of +burglars, and Uncle Butter got up, and began looking for a whistle, with +which to call a policeman dog, but he couldn't find it. + +Then the burglar-fox started in breaking down the door, so that he could +get in, and still Mr. Goat couldn't find his gun. + +"Oh, we'll all be killed!" cried Mrs. Goat. "Oh, if some one would only +help us!" + +"Ha! I will help you!" cried Uncle Wiggily jumping out of bed. "I'll scare +that fox so that he'll run away." + +"But I can't find my gun," said Mr. Goat. + +"No matter," answered the brave rabbit. "I can scare him with a paper +lantern such as Nannie can make. Quick, Nannie, make me a big paper +lantern." + +Well, the little goat girl stopped crying then, and she got her paper, and +her scissors, and the paste pot, and she began to make a paper lantern, as +big as a water pail. Uncle Wiggily and Billie helped her. And all the +while the burglar-fox was banging on the door, and crying out: + +"Let me in! Let me in!" + +"Quick! is the lantern ready?" Asked Uncle Wiggily, jumping around in a +circle like "Ring Around the Rosie." + +"Here it is," said Nannie. So the rabbit gentleman took it, all nicely +made as it was, and inside of it he put a hot, blazing candle. And the +lantern was so big that the candle didn't burn the sides of the paper. + +Then Uncle Wiggily tied the lantern to a string, and he lowered it right +down out of the window; down in front of the burglar-fox, and the hot +candle in the lantern burned the fox's nose, and he thought it was a +policeman climbing down out of a tree to catch him, and before you could +count forty-'leven the bad burglar-fox ran away, and so he didn't rob the +goats after all. And, oh! how thankful Nannie and Billie and their papa +and mamma were to Uncle Wiggily. + +Now, in case the little boy next door doesn't take our clothes line, to +make a swing for his puppy dog, I'll tell you about Uncle Wiggily and the +paper house in the following story. + + + + +STORY XX + +UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE PAPER HOUSE + + +Bright and early next morning Uncle Wiggily got up, and he took a careful +look around to see if there were any signs of the burglar-fox, about whom +I told you in another story. + +"I guess he's far enough off by this time," said Billie Goat, as he +polished his horns with a green leaf. + +"Yes, indeed," spoke Uncle Wiggily. "It is a good thing that Nannie knew +how to make a paper lantern." + +"Oh, I can make lots of things out of paper," said the little goat girl. +"Our teacher in school shows us how. Why I can even make a paper house." + +"Can you, indeed?" asked the old gentleman rabbit, as he washed his paws +and face for breakfast. "Now I should dearly like to know how to make a +paper house." + +"Why?" asked Billie Goat, curious like. + +"So that when I am traveling about, looking for my fortune, and night +comes on, and I have no place to stay, then I could make me a paper house, +and be all nice and dry in case it rained," replied the rabbit. + +"Oh, but the water would soon soak through the paper," said Billie. "I +know, for once I made a paper boat, and sailed it on the pond, and soon it +was soaked through, and sank away down." + +"Oh, but if I use that funny, greasy paper which comes inside cracker +boxes--the kind with wax on it--that wouldn't wet through," spoke the +rabbit as he went inside the goat-house with the children, for Mrs. Goat +had called them in to breakfast. + +"That would be just fine!" exclaimed Nannie, as she passed some apple +sauce and oatmeal to Uncle Wiggily. "After breakfast I'll show you how to +make a paper house." + +Well, surely enough, as soon as breakfast was over, and before she and +Billie had gone to school, Nannie showed the old gentleman rabbit how to +make a paper house. You take some paper and some scissors, and you cut out +the sides of the house and the roof, and you make windows and doors in +these sides, and then you make a chimney, and you fasten them all +together, with paste or glue, and, there you are. Isn't it easy? + +And if you only make the paper house large enough, you can get inside of +it and have a play party, and perhaps you can make paper dishes and knives +and forks; but listen! If you make paper things to eat, like cake or +cookies or anything like that, please only make-believe to eat them, for +they are bad for the digestion if you _really_ chew them. + +"Well, I think I'll travel along now, and once more seek my fortune," said +Uncle Wiggily, when Billie and Nannie were ready to go to school. So Mrs. +Goat packed up for the rabbit a nice lunch in his valise, and Nannie gave +him some waxed paper, that the rain wouldn't melt, and Billie gave his +uncle a pair of scissors, and off Mr. Longears started. + +Well, he traveled on and on, over the fields and through the woods, and +across little brooks, and pretty soon it was coming on dark night, and the +rabbit gentleman hadn't found his fortune. + +"Now I wonder where I can stay to-night?" thought Uncle Wiggily, as he +looked about him. He could see nothing but an old stump, which was not +hollow, so he couldn't get inside of it, and the only other thing that +happened to be there was a flat stone, and he couldn't get under that. + +"I guess I must make me a paper house," said the old gentleman rabbit. +"Then I can sleep in it in peace and quietness, and I'll travel on again +in the morning." + +So he got out the waxed paper, and he took the scissors, and, sitting down +on the green grass, he cut out the sides and roof of the paper house. Then +he made the chimney, and put it on the roof, and then he fastened the +house together, and crawled inside, with his valise and his barber-pole +crutch. + +"I guess I won't make too many windows or doors," thought Uncle Wiggily, +"for a savage bear or a burglar-fox might come along in the night, and try +to get in." + +So he only made one door, and one window in the house. But he made a +little fireplace out of stones, and built a little fire in it, to cook his +supper. But listen, you children must never, never make a fire, unless +some big person is near to put it out in case it happens to run away, and +chases after you, to catch you. Fires are dreadfully scary things for +little folks, so please be careful. + +Well, Uncle Wiggily cooked his supper, frying some carrots in a little tin +frying pan he had with him, and then he said his prayers, and went to bed. +Soon he was fast, fast asleep. + +Well, in the middle of the night, Uncle Wiggily was awakened in his paper +house by hearing a funny noise outside. + +"Ha! I wonder what that can be?" he exclaimed, sitting up, and reaching +out for his crutch. The noise kept on, "pitter-patter; +pitter-patter-patter-pitter; pat-pit-pat-pit." + +"Oh, that sounds like the toe nails of the burglar-fox, running around the +house!" said the rabbit. Then he listened more carefully, and suddenly he +laughed: "Ha! Ha!" Then he got up and looked out of the window. "Why, it's +only the rain drops pit-pattering on the roof," he said. "Isn't it jolly +to be in a house when it rains, and you can't get wet? After this every +night I'm going to always build a waxed-paper house," said Uncle Wiggily. + +So he listened to the rain drops, and he thought how nice it was not to be +wet, and he went to sleep again. And pretty soon he woke up once more, for +he heard another noise. This time it was a sniffing, snooping, woofing +sort of a noise, and Uncle Wiggily knew that it wasn't the rain. + +"I'm sure that's the burglar-fox," he said. "What shall I do? He can smash +my paper house with his teeth and claws, and then eat me. I should have +built a wooden house. But it's too late now. I know what I'll do. I'll dig +a cellar underneath my paper house, and I'll hide there, in case that fox +smashes the roof." + +So Uncle Wiggily got up very softly, and right in the middle of the dirt +floor of his paper house he began to burrow down to dig a cellar. My, how +his paws made the sand and gravel fly, and soon he had dug quite a large +cellar, in which to hide. + +And all this time the sniffing, snooping sound kept on, until, all of a +sudden a voice cried: + +"Let me in!" + +"Who are you?" asked Uncle Wiggily. + +"I'm the bad alligator," was the answer, "and if you don't let me in, I'll +smash down your paper house with one swoop of my scalery-ailery tail." + +"You can't come in!" cried the rabbit, and then that bad alligator gave +one swoop of his tail, and smashed Uncle Wiggily's nice paper house all to +pieces! + +But do you s'pose the rabbit was there? No, indeed. He just grabbed up his +crutch and valise, and ran down into his cellar as far and as fast as he +could run, just as the roof fell in. And the cellar wasn't big enough for +the alligator to get in, and so he had to stay outside, and he couldn't +get Uncle Wiggily. + +And then it rained, and thundered and lightninged, and the alligator got +scared, and ran off, but the rabbit gentleman was safe down in his cellar, +and he didn't get a bit wet, and went to sleep there for the rest of the +night. Now, please go to bed, and in case my toothbrush, doesn't go out +roller skating, and fall down and get bald-headed, I'll tell you next +about Uncle Wiggily and the paper boat. + + + + +STORY XXI + +UNCLE WIGGILY IN A PAPER BOAT + + +When the morning dawned, after he had slept all night in the cellar under +his paper house, that the alligator, with his swooping scalery-ailery +tail, had knocked down, Uncle Wiggily awakened, brushed the dirt from his +ears, and crawled out. + +"My!" he exclaimed as he saw the paper house all flat on the ground, like +a pancake, "Nannie Goat would certainly be sorry to see this. But I +suppose it can't be helped. Anyhow, it's a good thing that I am not +squashed as flat as that house is. Now I'll see about my breakfast, and +then I'll travel on again." + +So the old gentleman rabbit got his breakfast, eating almost the last +piece of the cherry pie, which he had left from the time when he made some +for the hedgehog, and then, taking his crutch, striped red, white and +blue, like a barber pole, off he started. + +Well, pretty soon, in a little while, not so very long, Uncle Wiggily +came to a pond of water, and, looking down into it, he saw the most +beautiful goldfish that you can imagine. It was a big fish, too, and the +scales on it were as round as gold dollars. + +"My!" exclaimed the rabbit. "If I had that fish, and I could take him to a +jewelry shop, and sell him, I would get so much money that my fortune +would be made, and I wouldn't have to travel any farther. But I guess the +fish would rather stay in the pond than in a jewelry shop." + +"Indeed, I would," answered the fish, looking up. "And I am glad you are +so kind as to be thoughtful of my feelings. Perhaps I may be able to help +you, some day." + +And with that the fish dived away down under the water, after calling +good-bye to the rabbit, and then Uncle Wiggily hopped on, and he didn't +think any more about the goldfish, until some time after that. + +Well, as soon as the elephant had his trunk packed--Oh, hold on, if you +please. I wonder what's the matter with me? There's no elephant in this +story. He comes in it about five pages farther on. + +Well, after traveling for several hours, Uncle Wiggily ate his dinner, +then he hopped on some more, and he looked all around for his fortune, but +he couldn't find it. Then it began to get dark, and he wondered where he +could stay that night. + +"I might build a paper house," he said, "but if I do the alligator might +come along and smash it, and this time he would probably catch me. I +wonder what I'd better do?" + +So he looked ahead, and there he saw a stream of water. It was quite a +wide brook, but on the other side of it he saw a nice little wooden house, +that no one lived in. + +"Now, if I could only get over there I'd be safe," said the old gentleman +rabbit. "I guess I'll wade across." + +Well, he started to do so, but he soon found that the water was too deep +for him to wade. It was over his head. + +"I'll have to swim across," said Uncle Wiggily. + +But, as soon as he got ready to do that, he found himself in more trouble. +For he couldn't carry his crutch and valise across with him if he swam, +and he didn't like to leave them on the shore, for fear the alligator +would get them. + +"Oh, I certainly am in great trouble," said the rabbit. "It's getting +darker and darker, and I have no place to stay. I haven't even any paper +with which to make me a paper house, but if I could only get across to the +wooden house, I'd be safe." + +And, just as he spoke, there came a little puff of wind, and lo and +behold! a nice piece of paper was blown right down out of a tree, where it +had been caught on a branch. Right at Uncle Wiggily's side it fell; that +paper did. + +"Oh, joy!" the rabbit gentleman cried. "Here is paper to make me a house +with." But when he looked more closely at it, he saw that it wasn't big +enough for a house, and it wasn't the kind of paper that would keep out +the rain, either. + +"That will never do," said Uncle Wiggily, sadly. "Ah! But I have an idea. +I will make me a paper boat, as Billie Goat once did, and in the boat I'll +sail across the stream, and sleep in the little wooden house." + +So he folded up the paper, first like a soldier's hat, and then like a +fireman's hat, and then he pulled on the two ends, and, presto change! he +had a paper boat. Then he took his crutch, and stuck it up in the middle +of the boat, and put a piece of paper on the crutch, and he had a sail. +Then he put the boat in the water, and got in it himself. I mean he got in +the boat, not the water--with his valise. + +"Here we go!" cried the old gentleman rabbit, and he shoved the boat out +from the shore. The wind caught in the little paper sail, and away Uncle +Wiggily went, as fine as fine could be. + +"I'll soon be on the other shore," he said, and just then he looked down, +and he saw some water coming inside the boat. "Hum! That's bad," he cried. +"I'm afraid my boat is leaking." + +The wind blew harder, and the boat went faster, but more water came in, +for you see the paper was sort of melting, and falling apart, like an ice +cream cone, for it wasn't the waxed kind of paper from the inside of +cracker boxes--the kind that water won't hurt. + +Well, the boat began to sink, and the water came up to Uncle Wiggily's +knees, and then, all of a sudden there was a funny sound on shore, a +snipping snooping woofing-woofing sound, and into the water jumped the +alligator with the skiller-scalery, swooping tail. + +"Now I've got you!" he cried, snapping his jaws at the poor old gentleman +rabbit. And really it did seem as if Uncle Wiggily would be eaten up. But +you never can tell what is going to happen in this world; never indeed. + +All of a sudden, just as the paper boat was melting all to pieces, and +Uncle Wiggily was trying, as best he could, to swim to shore with his +crutch and valise, and just as the alligator was going to grab him, along +came the big, kind goldfish. + +"Jump on my back, Uncle Wiggily!" cried the fish, and the rabbit did so, +in the twinkling of an eye. And before the alligator could grab Uncle +Wiggily, the goldfish swam to shore with him, and he was safe. And the +alligator got some soap in his eye, from washing his face too hard, and +went sloshing away as mad as could be, but it served him right. And Uncle +Wiggily slept safely in the wooden house all night, and dreamed about +finding a gold dollar. + +Now in case the banana man brings me some pink oranges for the elephant's +little boy, I'll tell you in another story about Uncle Wiggily and the mud +pie.[Transcriber's Note: in the above sentence, the word "tell" was +omitted in the original text.] + + + + +STORY XXII + +UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE MUD PIE + + +Uncle Wiggily slept very soundly that night in the little wooden house, +across on the other side of the brook, where the alligator tried to catch +him, but didn't. And when he awakened in the morning the rabbit traveler +wondered what he was going to have for breakfast. But he didn't wonder +very long. + +For, as soon as he had gotten up, and had washed his paws and face, and +combed out his ears--oh, dear me--I mean his whiskers--as soon as he had +done that, he heard a knock on the door. + +"Oh, my, suz dud and a bottle of milk!" exclaimed the old gentleman +rabbit. "I hope that isn't the scary-flary alligator again." + +So he peeped out of the window, but to his surprise, he didn't see any +one. + +"I'm sure I heard a knock," he said, "but I guess I was mistaken." + +Well, he was going over to his valise to see if it had in it anything to +eat, when the knock again sounded on the door. + +"No, I wasn't mistaken," said Uncle Wiggily. "I wonder who that can be? +I'll peep, and find out." + +So he hid behind the window curtain, and kept a close watch, and the first +things he saw were some little stones flying through the air. And they hit +against the front door with a rattlety-bang, and it was these stones that +had made the sound that was like a knock. + +"Oh! it must be some bad boys after me," thought the poor old gentleman +rabbit. "My! I do seem to be having a dreadful time seeking my fortune. +There is always some kind of trouble." + +And then more stones came through the air, and banged on the door and this +time Uncle Wiggily saw that they came from the stream, and, what is more, +he saw the goldfish throwing the stones and pebbles out of the brook with +his tail. Then the rabbit knew it was all right, for the goldfish was a +friend of his, so he ran out. + +"Were you throwing stones at the house?" asked Uncle Wiggily. + +"Yes," replied the fish, "it was the only way in which I could knock on +your door. You see I dare not leave the water, and I wanted you to know +that I had some breakfast for you." + +And with that the kind goldfish took a little basket, made of watercress, +from off his left front fin, and handed Uncle Wiggily the basket, not his +fin, for he needed that to swim with. + +"You'll find some cabbage-salad with snorkery-snickery ell-grass dressing +on it, some water-lily cake, and some moss covered eggs for your +breakfast," said the fish. "And I wish you good luck on your travels +to-day." + +"Thank you very much," said Uncle Wiggily, "and I am very much obliged to +you for saving me from the alligator last night." + +"Pray do not mention it," spoke the fish most condescendingly. "I always +like to help my friends." And with that he swam away, and Uncle Wiggily +ate his breakfast, and then, taking his crutch and valise, he set off on +his travels again. + +He hopped on for some time, and finally he came to a place where there +were some high, prickly bramble-briar bushes. + +"I will rest here in their shade a bit," thought the old gentleman rabbit, +"and then I will go on." + +So he sat down, and, as the sun was quite warm, he fell asleep before he +knew it. But he was suddenly awakened by a hissing sound, just like when +steam comes out of the parlor radiator on a frosty night. Then a voice +cried: + +"Now I've got you!" + +Uncle Wiggily looked up, and there was a big snake, just going to grab +him. But do you s'pose the rabbit waited for that snake? Not a bit of it. +Catching up his crutch and valise, he gave one tremendous and +extraordinary springery-spring, and over the prickery stickery briar and +bramble bushes he went, flying through the air, and the snake couldn't get +him. + +But when Uncle Wiggily came down on the other side of the bushes! Oh, my! +that was a different story. For where do you imagine he landed? Where, +indeed, but right in the middle of a big mud pie that two little hedgehog +boys were making there. Yes, sir, right into the middle of that +squasher-squawshery mud pie fell Uncle Wiggily. + +Oh! How the mud splashed up! It went all over the rabbit, and some got on +the two little hedgehog boys. + +Well, they were as surprised as anything when they saw a nice old +gentleman rabbit come down in the middle of their pie, and at first they +thought he had done it on purpose. + +"Let's stick him full of our stickery-stockery quills," said one hedgehog +boy. + +"Yes, and then let's pull his ears," said the other hedgehog boy. But, +mind you, they didn't really mean anything bad, only, perhaps, they +thought Uncle Wiggily was a savage fox, or a little white bear. + +"Oh, boys, I'm sorry!" said the old gentleman rabbit as soon as he could +dig the mud out of his mouth. + +"What made you do it?" asked the biggest hedgehog boy, wiping some mud out +of his eye. + +"Yes, our pie is all spoiled," said his brother, "and we were just going +to bake it." + +"Oh, it is too bad!" said Uncle Wiggily, sorrowfully, "but you see I had +to get away from that snake, and I didn't have time to look where I was +jumping. I'm glad, though, that I left the snake on the other side of the +bushes." + +"So are we," said the two hedgehog boys. + +"But you didn't leave me there. I'm here!" suddenly cried a voice, and out +wiggled the snake again. He started to catch the rabbit, but those two +brave hedgehog boys grabbed up a lot of mud, and plastered it in that +snake's eyes so that he couldn't see, and he had to wiggle down to the +pond to wash it out. + +Then Uncle Wiggily and the boys were safe, and he helped them to make +another mud pie, with stones in for raisins, and he gave them some of his +real cherry pie, and oh! how they liked it! Then they were all happy, and +Uncle Wiggily stayed at the hedgehog's house until the next morning. + +Now, in case the little girl in the next house brings me a watermelon ice +cream cone with a rose on top, I'll tell you on the next page about Uncle +Wiggily and the elephant. + + + + +STORY XXIII + +UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE ELEPHANT + + +Uncle Wiggily didn't sleep very well at the hedgehog's house that night, +and the reason for it was this: You see they didn't have many beds there, +and first the rabbit gentleman lay down with the smallest little porcupine +boy, in his bed. + +But pretty soon, along about in the middle of the night, this little boy +got to dreaming that he was a rubber ball. And he rolled over in the bed, +and he rolled up against Uncle Wiggily, and the stickery-stickers from the +little hedgehog chap stuck in the old gentleman rabbit. + +"Oh, dear!" cried Uncle Wiggily, "I think I'll have to go and sleep with +your brother Jimmie." + +So he went over to the other hedgehog boy's bed, but land sakes flopsy-dub +and a basket of soap bubbles! + +As soon as the rabbit got in there that other hedgehog chap began to dream +that he was a jumping jack, and so he jumped up and down, and he jumped +on top of Uncle Wiggily, and stuck more stickery-stickers in him, until at +last the rabbit got up and said: + +"Oh, dear, I guess I'll have to go to sleep on the floor." + +So he did that, putting his head on his satchel for a pillow and pulling +his red-white-and-blue-striped-barber-pole crutch over him for a cover. +And, in the morning, he felt a little better. + +"Well, I think I will travel on once more," said Uncle Wiggily after a +breakfast of strawberries, and mush and milk. "I may find my fortune +to-day." + +The hedgehog boys wanted him to stay with them, and make more mud pies, or +even a cherry one, but the rabbit gentleman said he had no time. So off he +went over hills and down dales, and along through the woods. + +Pretty soon, not so very long, just as Uncle Wiggily was walking behind a +big rock, as large as a house, he heard some one crying. Oh, such a loud +crying voice as it was, and the old rabbit gentleman was a bit frightened. + +"For it sounds like a giant crying," he said to himself. "And if it's a +giant he may be a bad one, who would hurt me. I guess I'll run back the +other way." + +Well, he started to run, but, just as he did so, he heard the voice +crying again, and this time it said: + +"Oh, dear me! Oh, if some one would only help me! Oh, I am in such +trouble!" + +"Come, I don't believe that is a giant after all," thought the rabbit. "It +may be Sammie Littletail, who has grown to be such a big boy that I won't +know him any more." So he took a careful look, but instead of seeing his +little rabbit nephew, he saw a big elephant, sitting on the ground, crying +as hard as he could cry. + +Now, you know, when an elephant cries it isn't like when you cry once in a +great while, or when baby cries every day. No, indeed! An elephant cries +so very many tears that if you don't have a water pail near you, to catch +them, you may get your feet wet; that is, if you don't have on rubbers. + +Well, that's the way it was this time. The elephant was crying big, salty +tears, about the size of rubber balls, and they were rolling down from his +eyes and along his trunk, which was like a fire engine hose, until there +was quite a little stream of water flowing down the hill toward the +rabbit. + +"Oh, please don't cry any more!" called Uncle Wiggily. + +"Why not?" asked the elephant, sadly-like, and he cried harder than +before. + +"Because if you do," replied the rabbit, "I will have to get a pair of +rubber boots, in which to wade out to see you." + +"I'll try to stop," said the big animal, but, instead, he cried harder +than before, boo-hooing and hoo-booing, until you would have thought it +was raining, and Uncle Wiggily wished he had an umbrella. + +"Why, whatever is the matter?" asked the rabbit. + +"Oh, I stepped on a tack," answered the elephant, "and it is sticking in +my foot. I can't walk, and I can't dance and I can't get back to the +circus. Oh, dear! Oh, dear me, suz-dud and a red balloon! Oh, how +miserable I am!" + +"Too bad," said Uncle Wiggily. "Was it a large tack that you stepped on?" + +"Was it?" asked the elephant, sort of painful-like. "Why, it feels as big +as a dishpan in my foot. Here, you look, and perhaps you can pull it out." + +He raised up one of his big feet, which were about as large as a washtub +full of clothes, on Monday morning, and he held it out to Uncle Wiggily. + +"Why, I can't see anything here," said the rabbit, looking at the big foot +through his spectacles. + +"Oh, dear! It's there all right!" cried the elephant. "It feels like two +wash tubs now," and he began to cry some more. + +"Here! Hold on, if you please!" shouted Uncle Wiggily. "I'll have to make +a boat, if you keep on shedding so many tears, for there will be a lake +here. Wait, I'll look once more." + +So he looked again, and this time he saw just the little, tiniest, +baby-tack you can imagine--about the size of a pinhead--sticking in the +elephant's foot. + +"Wait! I have it! Was this it?" suddenly asked the rabbit, as he took hold +of the tack in his paw and pulled it out. + +"That's it!" exclaimed the elephant, waving his trunk. "It's out! Oh, how +much better I feel. Whoop-de-doodle-do!" and then he felt so fine that he +began to dance. Then, all of a sudden, he began to cry once more. + +"Why, what in the world is the matter now?" asked Uncle Wiggily, wishing +he had a pail, so that he might catch the elephant's salty tears. + +"Oh, I feel so happy that I can't help crying, because my pain is gone!" +exclaimed the big creature. Then he cried about forty-'leven bushels of +tears, and a milk bottle full besides, and there was a little pond around +him, and Uncle Wiggily was in it up to his neck. + +Then, all of a sudden, in came swimming the alligator, right toward the +rabbit. + +"Ah, now I'll get you!" cried the skillery-scalery beast. + +"No you won't!" shouted the elephant, "Uncle Wiggily is my friend!" So he +put his trunk down in the water, and sucked it all up, and then he +squirted it over the trees. That left the alligator on dry land, and then +the elephant grabbed the alligator up in his strong trunk, and tossed him +into the briar bushes, scalery-ailery tail and all, and the alligator +crawled away after a while. + +So that's how Uncle Wiggily was saved from the alligator by the crying +elephant, and the rabbit and elephant traveled on together for some days. +Now, as I see the sand man coming, I must stop. + +But, in case I don't fall into the washtub with my new suit on, and get it +all colored sky-blue-pink, so I can't go to the picnic, I'll tell you next +about Uncle Wiggily and the cherry tree. + + + + +STORY XXIV + +UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE CHERRY TREE + + +Uncle Wiggily Longears and the crying elephant were walking along together +one day, talking about the weather, and wondering if it would rain, and +all things like that. Only the elephant wasn't crying any more, for the +rabbit had pulled the tack that was hurting him, out of the big beast's +foot, you remember. + +"We'll travel on together to find our fortune, and look for adventures," +said the elephant, as he capered about, and stood on his hind legs, +because he felt so jolly. "Won't we have fun, Uncle Wiggily?" + +"Well, we may," spoke the old gentleman rabbit, "but I don't see how we +are going to carry along on our travels enough for us to eat. Of course, +_I_ don't need much, but _you_ are such a big chap that you will have to +have quite a lot, and my valise is small." + +"Don't worry about that," replied the elephant. "Of course you might think +I could carry a lot of pie and cake and bread and butter in my trunk, but +really I can't you know, for about all that my trunk will hold is water. +However, I think I can pick what hay and grass I want from along the +road." + +"Yes, and perhaps we may meet a man with a hot peanut wagon, once in a +while," suggested Uncle Wiggily, "and he may give you some peanuts." + +"Oh, joy! I hope he does!" cried the big fellow. "I just love hot +peanuts!" Well, they went on together for some time, when, all of a sudden +a man jumped out from behind the bushes, and exclaimed: + +"Ha, Mr. Elephant! I've been looking for you. Now you come right back with +me to the circus where you belong." And he went up to the elephant and +took hold of his trunk. + +"Oh, I don't want to go," whined the tremendous creature. "I want to stay +with Uncle Wiggily, and have some fun." + +"But you can't," said the man. "You are needed in the circus. A lot of +boys and girls are waiting in the tent, to give you peanuts and popcorn." + +"Well, then, I s'pose I'd better go back," sighed the wobbly animal with +the long tusks. "I'll see you again, Uncle Wiggily." So the elephant said +good-bye to the rabbit, and went back to the circus with the man, while +the rabbit gentleman hopped on by himself. + +He hadn't gone very far before he heard a loud "Honk-honk!" in the bushes. + +"Oh, there is another one of those terrible automobiles!" thought the +rabbit. But it wasn't at all. No, it was Grandfather Goosey Gander, and +there he sat on a flat stone, "honk-honking" through his yellow bill as +hard as he could, and, at the same time crying salty tears that ran down +his nose, making it all wet. + +"Why, whatever is the matter?" asked Uncle Wiggily, as he went up to his +friend, the duck-drake gentleman. "Have you stepped on a tack, too?" + +"No, it isn't that," was the answer. "But I am so sick that I don't know +what to do, and I'm far from my home, and from my friends, the +Wibblewobble family, and, oh, dear! it's just awful." + +"Let me look at your tongue," said the rabbit, and when Grandfather Goosey +Gander stuck it out, Uncle Wiggily said: + +"Why, you have the epizootic very bad. Very bad, indeed! But perhaps I can +cure you. Let me see, I think you need some bread and butter, and a cup of +catnip tea. I'll make you some." + +So Uncle Wiggily made a little fire of sticks, and then he found an empty +tin tomato can, and he boiled some water in it over the fire, and made the +catnip tea. Then he gave some to Grandfather Goosey Gander, together with +some bread and butter. + +"Well, I feel a little better," said the old gentleman duck-drake, when he +had eaten, "but I am not well yet. It seems to me that if I could have +some cherry pie I would feel better." + +"Perhaps you would," agreed Uncle Wiggily, "but, though I know how to make +nice cherry pie, and though I made some for the hedgehog, I don't see any +cherry trees around here, so I can't make you one. There are no cherry +trees." + +"Yes, there is one over there," said the duck-drake, and he waved one foot +toward it, while he quacked real faint and sorrowful-like. + +"Sure enough, that _is_ a cherry tree," said Uncle Wiggily, as he hopped +over and looked at it. "And the cherries are ripe, too. Now, if I could +only get some of them down I could make a cherry pie, and cure Grandfather +Goosey Gander." + +But it wasn't easy to get the cherries off the tree, and Uncle Wiggily +couldn't climb up after them. So he sat down and looked up at them, hoping +some would fall off the stems. But none did. + +"Oh, dear, I wonder how I'm going to get them?" sighed the rabbit. +"Perhaps I can knock off some with a stone." + +So he threw a stone, but no cherries came down. The stone did, though, +and hit Uncle Wiggily on the nose, making him sneeze. + +"Stones are no good!" exclaimed the rabbit. "I'll throw up my crutch." So +he threw that into the tree, but it brought no cherries down, and the +crutch, in falling, nearly hit Grandfather Goosey Gander, and almost gave +him the measles and mumps. + +"Well, I'll try and see what throwing up my valise will do," said the +rabbit, and he tossed up the satchel, but bless you, that stayed up in the +tree, and didn't come down at all, neither did any cherries. + +"Oh, I'll have to give up," said Uncle Wiggily. "I'm afraid you can't have +any cherry pie, Grandfather Goosey." + +"Oh, then I'll never get well," said the old duck-drake gentleman +sorrowfully. + +"Yes, you will, too!" suddenly cried out a voice, and out from the bushes +ran the elephant. "I'll pick the cherries off the tree with my long, nosey +trunk," he said, "and you can make all the pie you want to, Uncle +Wiggily." + +"Why, I thought you went back to the circus," said the rabbit. + +"No, I ran away from the man," spoke the elephant. Then he reached up with +his long nose, and he picked a bushel of red, ripe, sweet delicious +cherries in less than a minute. Then he pulled down Uncle Wiggily's +valise out of the tree and then the old gentleman rabbit made three cherry +pies. One for Grandfather Goosey Gander, and another, a tremendous big +one, as large as a washtub, for the elephant, and a little one for +himself. Then they ate their pies, and the old gentleman duck-drake got +well almost at once. So all three of them traveled on together, to help +the rabbit seek his fortune. + +Now in case the ice cream man brings some nice, hot roast chestnuts for +our canary bird, I'll tell you in another story about Uncle Wiggily, and +Grandfather Goosey Gander. + + + + +STORY XXV + +UNCLE WIGGILY AND GRANDPA GOOSEY + + +One day, not very long after the elephant had picked the cherries off the +tree, so that Uncle Wiggily could make the cherry pies for Grandpa Goosey, +the three friends were traveling along together through a deep, dark, +dismal woods. + +"Where are we going?" asked the elephant, who had run away from the circus +man to travel by himself. + +"Oh, to some place where we may find our fortune," said the old gentleman +rabbit. + +"I would much rather find some snails to eat," said Grandfather Goosey +Gander, the old gentleman duck, as I shall call him for short. "For I am +very hungry." + +"What's that?" cried the rabbit. "Hungry after the nice pie I made for +you?" + +"Oh, that was some time ago. I could eat another pie right now," spoke the +old duck. But there wasn't any pie for him, so he had to eat a cornmeal +sandwich with watercress salad on, and Uncle Wiggily ate some carrots and +cabbage, and the elephant ate a lot of grass from a field--oh! a terrible +lot--about ten bushels, I guess. + +Then, all at once, as they were walking along over a bridge, a man +suddenly jumped out from behind a tree, and cried: + +"Ah, ha! Now you won't get away from me, Mr. Elephant. This time I am +surely going to take you back to the circus." And with that he threw a +rope around the elephant's trunk, and led him away. The elephant cried so +many tears that there was a muddy puddle right near the bridge, and the +big animal begged to be allowed to stay with Uncle Wiggily and Grandpa +Goosey Gander, but the man said it could not be done. + +"Well, then, you and I will have to go on together," said the old +gentleman rabbit to the duck, after a bit. "Perhaps we may find our +fortune." + +"I think I could make money calling out 'honk-honk!' on an automobile," +said the grandfather. "Jimmie Wibblewobble once did that for a man. I +think I'll look for a nice automobile gentleman to work for, and if I get +money enough we'll be rich." + +Well, he looked and looked, but no one seemed to want an old duck for an +auto horn, and the rabbit and Grandfather Goosey Gander kept on traveling +together, over the fields and through the woods. + +Pretty soon they came to a place where a June bug was sitting on the edge +of a stone wall, buzzing his wings. + +"Let's ask him where we can find our fortunes," said Uncle Wiggily. So +they asked the June bug. + +"Well," replied the buzzing creature, "I am not sure, but a little way +from here are two roads. One or the other might bring you to your fortune. +One goes to the right, the other to the left hand." + +"We will take the left hand road," said Uncle Wiggily. "We will go down +that for some distance, and if we do not find a pot of gold, or some ice +cream cones at the end of it, we will come back, and try the other road." + +So Uncle Wiggily and Grandfather Goosey Gander went down the left road. On +and on they went, walking in the dust when there was any dust, and in the +mud when there was any mud. But they didn't find any gold. + +"Oh, let's go back and try the other road," said the rabbit gentleman +after a bit. "Perhaps that will be better." + +So back they went, stopping on the way to look at a big apple tree, to see +if there were any ripe apples on it. But there was none, so they didn't +eat any. And I hope you children do the same this summer. Never eat green +apples, never, never, never! Wait until they are ripe. + +Well, by and by, after a while, not so very long, Uncle Wiggily, who was +hopping along on his crutch, suddenly exclaimed: + +"Oh, I've lost my valise! What shall I do? I can't go on without it, for +it has our lunch in it." + +"I think you left it under the green-apple tree," said the duck. "You had +better go back for it, and I will wait here in the shade," for Grandpa +Goosey knew the rabbit could hop faster than he could waddle. + +Back Uncle Wiggily started, and, surely enough, he found his valise under +the apple tree, where he had forgotten it. He picked it up, and was +walking along with it back to where Grandfather Goosey Gander was waiting +for him when, all of a sudden, out from behind a stump came Jennie +Chipmunk, with a basket of popcorn balls. + +"Oh, Uncle Wiggily!" she exclaimed. "Don't you want to buy some popcorn +balls? Our church is having a little fair, and we are all trying to earn +some money. I am selling popcorn, to help the little heathen children buy +red-colored handkerchiefs." + +"Of course, I'll take some," said the old gentleman rabbit, "popcorn +balls, I mean--not children, or hankerchiefs," he said quickly. So he +bought a pink one, and a white one, and a chocolate colored one, popcorn +balls you know--not children--and put them in his valise. + +Then Uncle Wiggily sent his love to Sammie and Susie Littletail, by Jennie +Chipmunk, and off he started to go back to where Grandfather Goosey Gander +was waiting for him. + +Well, something terrible was happening to the poor old gentleman duck, and +I'll tell you all about it. No sooner had the rabbit gotten near the shady +tree under which the grandfather gentleman was resting, than he heard a +cry: + +"Help! Help! Help!" called the duck. "Oh, help me quickly, somebody!" + +"What is the matter?" asked Uncle Wiggily, limping along as fast as he +could. + +"Oh, a bad snake has caught me!" cried the duck. "He has wound himself +around my legs, and I can't walk, and he is going to eat me up! He jumped +on me out of the bushes. He will eat me!" + +"He shall never do that!" cried the rabbit, bravely. "I will save you." So +he ran up to that snake, but the snake stuck out his tongue, like a fork, +at the rabbit, and Uncle Wiggily was frightened. Then he tried to hit the +snake with a stick, but the crawly creature hid down behind Grandfather +Goosey, and so got out of the way. + +"I have it!" suddenly cried Uncle Wiggily. "The popcorn balls. Snakes love +them! I'll make him eat them, and then he'll let Grandpa Goosey go." So +from his valise the brave rabbit took the red and the white and the +chocolate colored popcorn balls, and he rolled them along the ground, +close to the snake's nose. And the snake smelled them, and he was so +hungry for them that he uncoiled himself from Grandfather Goosey's legs, +and let the old gentleman duck go. And the snake chased after the corn +balls and ate them all up, and then he didn't want anything more for a +long while, and he went to sleep for six months and dreamed about turning +into a hoop, and so he didn't bother anybody. + +So that's how Uncle Wiggily saved the duck, and next, in case the pretty +baby across the street doesn't fall down and bump its nose, I'll tell you +about Uncle Wiggily and the ice cream cones. + + + + +STORY XXVI + +UNCLE WIGGILY'S ICE CREAM CONES + + +It didn't take Uncle Wiggily and Grandfather Goosey Gander long to get +away from the place where the bad snake was, let me tell you, even if the +crawly creature had eaten three popcorn balls, and would sleep for six +months. + +"This is no place for us," said the rabbit. "We must see if we can't find +our fortune somewhere else." + +"I believe you," spoke Grandfather Goosey, rubbing his yellow legs, where +the snake had wound tight around him like a clothesline. "We'll look for a +place in which to stay to-night, and we'll see what we can find +to-morrow." + +Well, they hurried on for some time, and pretty soon it began to get dark, +and they couldn't find any place to stay. + +"I guess I'll have to dig a hole in the ground, and make a burrow," said +the rabbit. + +"Oh, but I couldn't stay underground," said the duck. "I'm used to +sleeping in a wooden house." + +"That's so," said Uncle Wiggily. "Well, if I had some paper I could make +you a paper house, but I haven't any, so I don't know what to do." + +And just then, away in the air, there sounded a voice saying: + +"Caw! Caw! Caw!" + +"Ha! That's a crow," exclaimed Uncle Wiggily. "There must be green corn +that is ready to pull up somewhere around here." + +"There is," said the black crow, flying down. "I know a nice field of corn +that a farmer has planted, and to-morrow I am going to pick some." + +"But aren't you afraid of the scarecrow?" asked the duck. + +"No; I'm not," said the crow. "The scarecrow is only some old clothes +stuffed with straw, and it is set out in the field to drive us crows away. +We're not a bit afraid of it. Would you be?" + +"No, of course not," answered Grandfather Goosey Gander. "But then, you +see, I'm not a crow--the scary figure wasn't meant for me." + +"Then you can stay in one of the pockets of the scarecrow's coat all +night," said the crow. "It will be a good place for you to sleep." + +"The very thing!" cried Uncle Wiggily. So that night he dug himself a +little house under the ground, and the duck gentleman flew up, and got +inside the pocket of the old coat which the scarecrow figure wore, and +there the duck stayed all night, sleeping very soundly. + +"Well, now we'll travel on again," said Uncle Wiggily, the next morning +after breakfast. So he and Grandfather Goosey started off. Well, pretty +soon it became hotter and hotter, for the sun was just beaming down as +hard as it could, and Uncle Wiggily exclaimed: + +"I know what would taste good! An ice cream cone for each of us. Wait +here, grandfather, and I'll get two of them." + +"Fine!" cried the grandfather duck. "But you seem to do all the hopping +around, Uncle Wiggily. Why can't I go, while you rest?" + +"Oh, I don't in the least mind going," replied the kind rabbit. "Besides, +while I do not say it to be proud, and far be it from me to boast, I can +go a little faster than you can in one hop. So I'll go." + +And go he did, leaving his valise in charge of Grandfather Goosey, who sat +down with it, under a shady tree. Pretty soon the old gentleman rabbit +came to a little ice cream store, that stood beside the road, right near a +little pond of water, where the ice-cream-man could wash his dishes when +he had to make them clean. + +"I'll have two, nice, big, cold strawberry ice cream cones, and please put +plenty of ice cream in them," said Uncle Wiggily to the man. + +"Right you are!" cried the ice-cream-man in a jolly voice, and, say, I +just wish you could have seen those cones! They were piled up heaping full +of ice cream. Oh, my! It just makes me hungry to write about them. + +Well, Uncle Wiggily, carefully carrying the cones, started to hop back to +where he had left Grandfather Goosey. He hadn't gone far before he heard a +growling voice cry out: + +"Hold on there a moment, Uncle Wiggily!" + +"Why?" asked the rabbit. + +"Because I want to see what you've got," was the answer. "Ah, I see ice +cream cones!" and with that a great, big, black bear jumped out of the +bushes, and stood right in front of Uncle Wiggily. + +"Let me pass!" cried the rabbit, holding the ice cream cones so that the +bear couldn't get them. + +"Indeed I will not!" cried the furry creature. "Ice cream cones, indeed! +If there is one thing that I'm fonder of than another, ice cream cones is +it! Let me taste one!" + +Then before the rabbit could do anything, that bad bear took one ice cream +cone right away from him. And that bear did more than that, so he did. He +stuck his long, red tongue down inside the cone, and he licked out every +bit of cream, with one, long lick. + +"My but that's good!" he cried, smacking his lips. "I guess I'll try the +second one," he said, and he dropped the empty cone, not eating it, mind +you, and he took the other full cone away from poor Uncle Wiggily before +the rabbit gentleman could stand on his head, or even wave his short tail. + +"Oh, don't eat that cone. It belongs to Grandfather Goosey," cried the +rabbit, sadly-like. + +"Too late!" cried the bear, in a growlery voice. "Here it goes!" and with +that he stuck his long, red tongue down inside the second cone, and with +one lick he licked all the ice cream out and threw the empty cone on the +ground. + +"Now I feel good and hungry, and I guess I'll eat you," cried the bear. He +made a grab for the poor gentleman rabbit, and folded him tight in his +paws. But before that Uncle Wiggily had reached down and had picked up the +two empty ice cream cones. + +"Oh, let me go!" cried Uncle Wiggily to the bear. + +"Indeed I'll not!" shouted the savage creature. "I want you for supper." + +Well, he was just going to eat Uncle Wiggily up, when that brave rabbit +just took the sharp points of those two empty ice cream cones, and he +stuck them in the bear's ticklish ribs, and Uncle Wiggily tickled the bear +so that the furry, savage creature sneezed out loud, and laughed so hard +that Uncle Wiggily easily slipped out of his paws, and hopped away before +he could be caught again. + +So that's how the rabbit got safely away, and the empty ice cream cones +were of some use after all. But Uncle Wiggily wondered how he could get a +full one for Grandfather Goosey Gander, and how he did I'll tell you +pretty soon, when, in case a butterfly doesn't bite a hole in my straw +hat, the next story will be about Uncle Wiggily and the red ants. + + + + +STORY XXVII + +UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE RED ANTS + + +When Uncle Wiggily got to where Grandfather Goosey Gander was waiting for +him, under the shady tree, the old gentleman duck jumped up and cried out: + +"Oh, how glad I am to see you! I've just been wishing you would hurry back +with those ice cream cones. My! I never knew the weather to be so warm at +this time of the year. Oh, won't they taste most delicious--those cones!" + +You see he didn't yet know what the bear had done--eaten all the ice cream +out of the cones, as I told you in the other story. + +"Oh, dear!" cried the rabbit. "How sorry I am to have to disappoint you, +Grandfather, but there is no ice cream!" + +"No ice cream!" cried the alligator--oh, dear me! I mean the duck. "No ice +cream?" + +"Not a bit," said Uncle Wiggily, and then he told about what the savage +bear-creature had done, and also how he had used the cones to tickle him. + +"Well, that's too bad," said Grandfather Goosey, "but here, I'll give you +money to buy more cones with," and he put his hand in his pocket, but lo +and behold! he had lost all his money. + +"Never mind, perhaps _I_ have some pennies," said the rabbit; so he +looked, but, oh, dear me, suz-dud and the mustard pot! All of Uncle +Wiggily's money was gone, too. + +"Well, I guess we can't get any ice cream cones this week," said the old +gentleman duck. "We'll have to drink water." + +"Oh, no you won't," said a buzzing voice. "I'll get you each an ice cream +cone, because you have always been so kind--both of you." And with that +out from the bushes flew a big, sweet, honey bee, with a load of honey. + +"Have you got any ice cream cones, Mr. Bee?" asked the rabbit. + +"No, but I have sweet honey, and if I go down to the ice cream cone store, +and give the man some of my honey he'll give me three cones, and there'll +be one for you and one for me and----" + +"One for Sister Sallie!" interrupted Grandfather Goosey. "I wish she was +here now." + +"She could have a cone if she was here," said the honey bee, "as I could +get four. But, as long as she is not, the extra cone will go to you, +Grandpa. Now, come on, and I'll take my honey to the ice-cream-cone-man." + +So they went with him and on the way the bee sung a funny little song like +this: + + "I buzz, buzz, buzz + All day long. + I make my honey + Good and strong. + + I fly about + To every flower + And sometimes stay + 'Most half an hour." + +Uncle Wiggily didn't know whether or not the bee was really in earnest +about what he said, but, surely enough, when they got to the ice cream +store, the man took the bee's honey, and handed out four ice cream cones, +each larger than the first ones. Two were for the duck as he was so fond +of them. + +"Oh, let's eat them here, so that if the bear meets us he can't take them +away," suggested Grandfather Goosey, and they did. Then the bee flew home +to his hive, and Uncle Wiggily and the old gentleman duck found a nice +place to sleep under a haystack. + +In the morning Grandfather Goosey said he thought he had better go back +home, as he had traveled enough. He wanted the rabbit to come with him, +but Uncle Wiggily said: + +"No, I have not yet found my fortune, and until I do I will keep on +traveling." So he kept on, and the duck went home. + +Well, it was about two days after that when, along toward evening, as +Uncle Wiggily was walking down the road, he saw a real big house standing +beside a lake. Oh, it was a very big house, about as big as a mountain, +and the chimney on it was so tall as almost to reach the sky. + +"Hum! I wonder who lives there?" said Uncle Wiggily. "Perhaps I can find +my fortune in that house." + +"Oh, no; never go there!" cried a voice down on the ground, and, looking +toward his toes, Uncle Wiggily saw a little red ant. + +"Ah, ha! Why shouldn't I go up to the big house, little red ant?" asked +the rabbit. + +"Because a monstrous giant lives there," was the answer, "and he could eat +you up at one mouthful. So stay away." + +"I guess I will," said the rabbit. "But I wonder where I can sleep +to-night. I guess I'll go----" + +"Oh, look out! Look out!" cried another red ant. "There is the giant +coming now." + +Uncle Wiggily looked, and he saw something like a big tree moving, and +that was the giant. Then he felt the ground trembling as if a railroad +train was rumbling past, and he heard a noise like thunder, and that was +the giant walking and speaking: + +"I smell rabbits! I smell rabbits!" cried the giant. "I must have them for +supper!" Then he came on straight to where Uncle Wiggily was, but he +hadn't yet seen him. + +"Oh, what shall I do? What shall I do?" cried the bunny. "Let me hide +behind that stone." He made a jump for a rock, taking his valise and +crutch with him, but the first red ant said: + +"It is no good hiding there, Uncle Wiggily, for the giant can see you." + +"Oh, what shall I do?" he asked again, trembling with fear. + +"I know!" cried the second little red ant. "Let's all bring grains of +sand, and cover Uncle Wiggily up, leaving just a little hole for his nose, +so he can breathe. Then the giant won't see him. It will be like down at +the seashore, when they cover people on the beach up with the sand." + +"Oh, it will take many grains of sand to cover the rabbit," said the first +red ant, but still they were not discouraged. The first two ants called +their brothers and sisters, and aunts, and uncles, and papas, and mammas, +and cousins, and nephews, and forty-second granduncles. Soon there were +twenty-two million four hundred and sixty-seven thousand, eight hundred +and ninety-one ants, and a little baby ant, who counted as a half a one, +and he carried baby grains of dirt. + +Then each big ant took up a grain of sand, and then they all hurried up, +and put them on Uncle Wiggily, who stretched out in the grass. Now all +those ants together could carry lots of sand, you see, and soon the rabbit +was completely buried from sight, all but the tip of his nose, so he could +breathe, and when the giant came rumbling, stumbling by, he couldn't see +the bunny, and so he didn't eat him. And, of course, the giant didn't eat +the ants, either for he didn't like them. + +"Hum! I thought I smelled a rabbit, but I guess I was mistaken," said the +giant, grumbling and growling, as he tramped around. + +And that's how Uncle Wiggily was saved, and pretty soon, if there isn't +any sand in my rice pudding, I'll tell you about Uncle Wiggily and the bad +giant. + + + + +STORY XXVIII + +UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE BAD GIANT + + +Do you remember about the giant, of whom I told you a little while ago, +and how he couldn't find Uncle Wiggily, because the rabbit was covered +with sand that the ants carried? Yes, I guess you do remember. Well, now +I'm going to tell you what that giant did. + +At first he was real surprised, because he couldn't find the bunny-rabbit, +and he tramped around, making the ground shake with his heavy steps, and +growling in his rumbling voice until you would have thought that it was +thundering. + +"My, my!" growled the giant. "To think that I can't have a rabbit supper +after all. Oh, I'm so hungry that I could eat fourteen thousand, seven +hundred and eighty-seven rabbits, and part of another one. But I guess +I'll have to take a barrel of milk and a wagon load of crackers for my +supper." + +So that's what he did, and my how much he ate! + +Well, after the giant had gone away, Uncle Wiggily crawled out from under +the sand, and he said to the ants: + +"I guess I'd better not stay around here, for it is too dangerous. I'll +never find my fortune here, and if that giant were to see me he'd step on +me, and make me as flat as a sheet of paper. I'm going." + +"But wait," said the biggest ant of all. "You know there are two giants +around here. One is a good one, and one is bad. Now if you go to the good +giant I'm sure he will help you find your fortune." + +"I'll try it," said the rabbit. "Where does the good giant live?" + +"Just up the hill, in that house where you see the flag," said the big +ant, as she ate two crumbs of bread and jam. "That's where the good giant +lives. You must go where you see the fluttering flag, and you may find +your fortune." + +"I will," said Uncle Wiggily, "I'll go in the morning, the first thing +after breakfast." + +So the next morning he started off. But in the night something had +happened and the rabbit didn't know a thing about it. After dark the bad +giant got up, and he went over, and took the flag from the pole in front +of the house of the good giant, and hoisted it up over his own house. + +"I haven't any flag of my own," said the bad giant, "so I will take his." +For you see, the two giants lived not far apart. In fact they were +neighbors, but they were very different, one from the other, for one was +kind and the other was cruel. + +So it happened, that when Uncle Wiggily started to go to the giant's house +he looked for the fluttering flag, and when he saw it on the bad giant's +house he didn't know any better, but he thought it was the home of the +good giant. + +Well, the old gentleman rabbit walked on and on, having said good-by to +the ants, and pretty soon he was right close to the bad giant's house. +But, all the while, he thought it was the good giant's place--so don't +forget that. + +"I wonder what sort of a fortune he'll give me," thought the rabbit. "I +hope I soon get rich, so I can stop traveling, for I am tired." + +Well, as he came near the place where the bad giant lived he heard a voice +singing. And the song, which was sung in a deep, gruff, grumbling, +growling voice, went something like this: + + "Oh, bing bang, bung! + Look out of the way for me. + For I'm so mad, + I feel so bad, + I could eat a hickory tree! + + Oh, snip, snap, snoop! + Get off my big front stoop, + Or I'll tear my hair + In wild despair, + And burn you with hot soup!" + +"My, that's a queer song for a good giant to sing," thought Uncle Wiggily. +"But perhaps he just sings that for fun. I'm sure I'll find him a jolly +enough fellow, when I get to know him." + +Well, he went on a little farther, and pretty soon he came to the gate of +the castle where the bad giant lived. The rabbit looked about, and saw no +one there, so he kept right on, until, all of a sudden, he felt as if a +big balloon had swooped down out of the sky, and had lifted him up. Higher +and higher he went, until he found himself away up toward the roof of the +castle, and then he looked and he saw two big fingers, about as big as a +trolley car, holding him just as you would hold a bug. + +"Oh, who has me?" cried Uncle Wiggily, very much frightened. "Let me go, +please. Who are you?" + +"I am the bad giant," was the answer, "and if I let you go now you'd fall +to the ground and be killed. So I'll hold on to you." + +"Are you the bad giant?" asked the rabbit. "Why, I thought I was coming +to the good giant's house. Oh, please let me go!" + +"No, I'm going to keep you," said the giant. "I just took the good giant's +flag to fool you. Now, let me see, I think I'll just sprinkle sugar on you +and eat you all up--no, I'll use salt--no, I think pepper would be better; +I feel like pepper to-day." + +So the bad giant started toward the cupboard to get the pepper caster, and +poor Uncle Wiggily thought it was all up with him. + +"Oh, I wish I'd never thought of coming to see any giant, good or bad," +the rabbit gentleman said. "Now good-by to all my friends!" + +"Hum! Let me see," spoke the bad giant, standing still. "Pepper--no, I +think I'll put some mustard on you--no, I'll try ketchup--no, I mean +horseradish. Oh, dear, I can't seem to make up my mind what to flavor you +with," and he held Uncle Wiggily there in his fingers, away up about a +hundred feet high in the air, and wondered what he'd do with the old +gentleman rabbit. + +And it's a good thing he didn't eat him right away, for that was the means +of saving Uncle Wiggily's life. Right after breakfast the good giant found +out that his bad neighbor had taken his flag, so he went and told the ants +all about it. + +"Oh, then Uncle Wiggily must have been mixed up about the flag, and he has +gone to the wrong place, and he'll be eaten," said the big ant. "We must +save him. Come on, everybody!" + +So all the ants hurried along together, and crawled to the castle of the +bad giant, and they got there just as he was putting some molasses on +Uncle Wiggily to eat him. And those ants crawled all over the giant, on +his legs and arms, and nose and ears and toes, and they tickled him so +that he squiggled and wiggled and squirreled and whirled, and finally he +let Uncle Wiggily fall on a feather bed, not hurting him a bit, and the +rabbit gentleman hopped safely away and the ants crawled with him far from +the castle of the bad giant. + +So Uncle Wiggily was saved by the ants, and in case the trolley car +doesn't run over my stick of peppermint candy, and make it look like a +lolly-pop, I'll tell you soon about Uncle Wiggily and the good giant. + + + + +STORY XXIX + +UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE GOOD GIANT + + +Now what do you s'pose that bad giant had for supper the night after the +ants helped Uncle Wiggily get away? You'd never guess, so I'll tell you. +It was beans--just baked beans, and that giant was so disappointed, and +altogether so cut-up about not having rabbit stew, that he ate so many +beans, that I'm almost afraid to tell you just how many. + +But if all the boys in your school were to take their bean shooters, and +shoot beans out of a bag for a million years, and Fourth of July also, +that giant could eat all of them, and more too--that is, if he could get +the beans after the boys shot them away. + +"Well, I certainly must be more careful after this," said Uncle Wiggily to +the ants, as they crawled along down the hill with him, when he hopped +away from the bad giant's house. + +"Oh, it wasn't your fault," said the second size big red ant, with black +and yellow stripes on his stockings. "That bad giant changed the flags, +and that's what fooled you. But I guess the good giant will have his flag +back by to-morrow, and then you can go to the right house. We'll go along +and show you, and you may get your fortune from him." + +So, surely enough, the next day, the good giant went over and took his +flag away from the bad giant, and put it upon his own house. + +"Now you'll be all right," said the pink ant, with purple spots on his +necktie. "You won't make any mistake now, Uncle Wiggily. I'm sure the good +giant will give you a good fortune." + +"Yes, and he'll give you lots to eat," said the black ant with white rings +around his nose. + +Well, Uncle Wiggily took his valise and his crutch and up toward the good +giant's house he went, with the ants crawling along in the sand to show +him the way. + +Pretty soon they came to a big bridge, over a stream of water, and this +was the beginning of the place where the good giant lived. + +"We'll all have to go back now," said the purple ant, with the green +patchwork squares on his checks. "If we crossed over the bridge we might +fall off and be drowned. We'll go back, but you go ahead, and we wish you +good luck, Uncle Wiggily." + +"Indeed we do," said a white ant with gold buckles on her shoes. + +Well, after a little while Uncle Wiggily found himself right inside the +good giant's house. And oh! what a big place it was. Why, even the door +mat was so big that it took the rabbit three hops to get to the top of it. +And that front door! I wish you could have seen it! It was as large as one +of your whole houses, and it was only a door, mind you. + +"Hello! hello!" cried Uncle Wiggily, as he pounded with his crutch on the +floor. "Is any one at home?" + +"But no one answered, and there wasn't a sound except the ticking of the +clock, and that made as much noise as a railroad train going over a +bridge, for the clock was a big as a church steeple. + +"Hum! No one is home," said Uncle Wiggily. "I'll just sit down and make +myself comfortable." So he sat down on the floor by the table that was +away over his head, and waited for the giant to come back. + +And, all of a sudden, the rabbit heard a noise like a steam engine going, +and he was quite surprised, until he happened to look up, and there stood +a pussy cat as big as a cow, and the cat was purring, which made the noise +like a steam engine. + +"My, if that's the size of the cat, what must the giant be," thought the +rabbit. "I do hope he's good-natured when he comes home." + +Well, pretty soon, in a little while, as Uncle Wiggily was sitting there, +listening to the big cat purr, he felt sleepy, and he was just going to +sleep, when he heard a gentle voice singing: + + "Oh, see the blackbird, sitting in the tree, + Hear him singing, jolly as can be. + Now he'll whistle a pretty little tune, + Isn't it delicious in the month of June? + + "Hear the bees a-buzzing, hour by hour, + Gathering the honey from every little flower. + The katydid is singing by his own front door, + Now I'll have to stop this song--I don't know any more." + +"Well, whoever that is, he's a jolly chap," said the rabbit, and with that +who should come in but the giant himself. + +"Ho! Ho! Whom have we here?" the giant asked, looking at Uncle Wiggily. +"What do you want, my little furry friend with the long ears? You must be +able to hear very well with them." + +"I can hear pretty well," said the rabbit. "But I came to seek my +fortune." + +"Fine," cried the good giant, for he it was. "I'll do all I can for you," +and he laughed so long and hard that part of the ceiling and the gas +chandelier fell down, but the giant caught them in his strong hands, and +not even the pussy cat was hurt. Then the giant sung another song, like +the first, only different, and he fixed the broken ceiling, and said: + +"Now for something to eat! Then we'll talk about your fortune. I'll get +you some carrots." So he went out, and pretty soon he came back, carrying +ten barrels of carrots in one hand and seventeen bushels of cabbage in the +other. + +"Here's a little light lunch for you," he said to Uncle Wiggily. "Eat +this, and I'll get you some more, when we have a regular meal." + +"Oh, why this is more than I could eat in a year," said the rabbit, "but I +thank you very much," so he nibbled at one carrot, while the good giant +ate fifteen thousand seven hundred and eight loaves of bread, and two +million bushels of jam. Then he felt better. + +"So you want to find your fortune, eh?" the giant said to the rabbit. +"Well, now I'll help you all I can. How would you like to stay here and +work for me? You have good ears, and you could listen for burglars in the +night when I am asleep. Will you?" + +"I think I will," said Uncle Wiggily. And he was just reaching for +another carrot, when suddenly from outside sounded a terrible racket. + +"Where is he? Let me get at him! I want him right away--that rabbit I +mean!" cried a voice, and Uncle Wiggily jumped up in great fright, and +looked for some place to hide. The giant jumped up, too, and grabbed his +big club. + +But don't be alarmed. Nothing bad is going to happen to our Uncle +Wiggily--in fact he is going to have lots of fun soon. + +So if my motorboat doesn't turn upside down and spill out the pink +lemonade, I'll tell you in the next story about Uncle Wiggily and the +giant's little boy. + + + + +STORY XXX + +UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE GIANT'S BOY + + +Let me see, I believe I left off where Uncle Wiggily was in the house of +the good giant, and the old gentleman rabbit heard a terrible noise. +Didn't I? + +"My goodness!" exclaimed the rabbit, jumping up so quickly that he upset +one of the giant's toothpicks, on which he had been sitting for a chair, +for the giant's toothpicks were as large as a big chestnut tree. "My +goodness!" cried Uncle Wiggily, "what in the world is that?" + +"I guess it's my little boy coming home from school," said the good giant +as softly as he could, but, even then, his voice was like thunder. "He +must have heard that you were here." + +"Will he hurt me? Does he love animals?" asked the rabbit, for he was +getting frightened. "Will your little boy be kind to me?" + +"Oh, indeed he will!" cried the good giant. "I have taught him to love +animals, for you know he is so big and strong, even though I do call him +my _little_ boy, that it would be no trouble for him to take a bear or a +lion, and squeeze him in one hand so that the bear or lion would never +hurt any one any more. But, just because he is big and strong, though not +so big and strong as I am, I have taught my boy to be kind to the little +animals." + +"Then I will have no fear," said Uncle Wiggily, winking his nose--I mean +his eyes--and just then the door of the giant's house opened and in came +his little boy. + +Well, at first Uncle Wiggily was so frightened that he did not know what +to do. I wonder what you would say if you were suddenly to see a boy +almost as big as your house, or mine, walk into the parlor, and sit down +at the piano? Well, that's what the old gentleman rabbit saw. + +"Ah, my little boy is home from school," said the giant, kindly. "Did you +have your lessons, my son?" + +"Yes, father, I did," was the answer. "And I learned a new song. I'll sing +it for you." + +So he began to play the piano with his little finger nail, and still, and +with all that, he made as much noise as a circus band of music can make on +a hot day in the tent. Oh, he played terribly loud, the giant's boy did, +and Uncle Wiggily had to put his paws over his ears, or he might have been +made deaf. Then the giant's little boy sang, and even when he hummed it +the noise was like a thunder storm, only different. Now, this is the boy +giant's song, and you will have to sing it with all your might, as hard as +you can, but not if the baby is asleep. + + "I am a little fellow, + But soon I will grow big. + And then I'll sit beside the sea, + And in the white sand dig. + + "I'll make a hole so very deep, + To China it will go. + And then I'll fill it up with shells + Wherein the wild waves blow." + +And with that the giant's little boy banged so hard on the piano with his +little finger nail that he broke a string, and made a funny sound, like a +banjo out of tune. + +"Oh, I didn't mean to do that!" the giant's boy cried. "I'm sorry!" + +"Dear me! I wonder when you'll grow up?" asked the giant, sort of +sad-like. + +"I think he's pretty big now," said Uncle Wiggily. And, indeed, the +boy-giant was so tall that when the rabbit stood up as high as he could +stand, he only came up to the tip end of the shoe laces on the giant +boy's big shoes. + +"Oh, he grows very slowly," said the giant, and then the boy noticed the +rabbit for the first time. Well, that boy-giant wanted to know all about +Uncle Wiggily, where he came from and where he was going, and all that, +and Uncle Wiggily told about how he was traveling around to seek his +fortune. + +"Oh, I believe I know where you can find lots of money, Uncle Wiggily," +said the giant's boy kindly, as he reached over and stroked the rabbit's +ears. "I have always heard that there is a pot of gold at the end of the +rainbow. The next time we see one, you and I will go out and search for +the money. Then you will have your fortune, and you won't have to travel +around any more." + +"That will be fine!" cried the rabbit, "for, to tell you the truth, I am +getting pretty tired of going about the country. Still, I will not give up +until I find my fortune." + +"All right. But we will have to wait until it rains, and then we'll see +where the end of the rainbow is," said the giant's boy. "Now we will have +some games together. Let's play tag." + +Well, they started to play that, but, land's sake, flopsy dub and a basket +of ice cream cones! Uncle Wiggily ran here, and there, and everywhere, and +he jumped and leaped about so that the giant's little boy couldn't catch +him, for the big-little fellow wasn't very spry on his feet. + +"Oh, I guess we had better not play that game any more," said the boy +giant, as he accidentally nearly stepped on Uncle Wiggily's left ear. "I +might hurt you. Let's play hide-and-go-seek." + +But Uncle Wiggily was even better at this game than he had been at tag, +for he could hide in such small holes that the boy giant couldn't even see +them, so of course that wouldn't do for a game. It was no fun. + +Then all at once it began to rain. My! how it did pour! It rained snips +and snails and puppy dogs' tails, with the puppies fast to the tails, of +course, and the streets were covered with them. Then it rained a few ice +cream cones, and Uncle Wiggily and the giant boy had all they wanted to +eat, the giant eating fourteen thousand seven hundred and eighty-six, and +part of another one, while Uncle Wiggily had only two cones. + +"Oh, there is the rainbow!" cried the boy giant at last, as he saw the +beautiful gold and green and orange and red colors in the sky. "Now for +the pot of gold." + +So he and Uncle Wiggily started off together to find it. But they had not +gone very far through the woods before they met the papa giant. + +"Where are you going?" he asked of them. + +"To the end of the rainbow to get the pot of gold," said the giant's +little boy. + +"You don't need to," said the giant, "for there is none there. That is +only a fairy story. Wait, I'll show you." + +So he stretched out his long arm as far as it would go and he reached away +down to the end of the rainbow and he felt all around with his long +fingers, and sure enough, there wasn't a bit of gold there, for his hand +came back empty. + +"It's too bad," said the giant's little boy to Uncle Wiggily. "There is +nothing there for you. But perhaps you will find your fortune to-morrow. +Come and stay with me until morning." + +So Uncle Wiggily went back to the giant's house, and the next day quite a +surprising adventure occurred to him, and in case the gasoline in my +motorboat doesn't wash all the paint off my red necktie I'll tell you next +about Uncle Wiggily and Grand-daddy Longlegs. + + + + +STORY XXXI + +UNCLE WIGGILY AND DADDY LONGLEGS + + +Uncle Wiggily got up early the morning after the good giant had shown him +that there wasn't any gold at the end of the rainbow. The old gentleman +rabbit looked where a place had been set for him at the table, but alas +and alack a-day, the table was almost as high from the floor as the church +steeple is from the ground, and Uncle Wiggily could not reach up to it. + +"Hum, let's see what we will do," spoke the papa giant. "I know, I'll get +a spool of thread from the lady giant next door, and that will answer for +a table for you, Uncle Wiggily, and you can use another toothpick for a +chair." + +So while the boy giant went for the spool of thread, the papa giant served +Uncle Wiggily's breakfast. First he brought in a washtub full of milk and +a bushel basket full of oatmeal. + +"What is that for?" asked the rabbit in surprise. + +"That is for your breakfast," was the answer. "Isn't it enough? Because I +can get you more in a jiffy, if you want it." + +"Oh, it is entirely too much," said Uncle Wiggily. "I can only take a +little of that oatmeal." + +"Very well, then, I will take this myself, and get you a small dish full," +spoke the papa giant, and he ate all that oatmeal and milk up at one +mouthful, but even then it was hardly enough to fill his hollow tooth. + +Then the boy giant came back with the spool, which was as big as the +dining-room table in a rabbit's house. Up at this new table the traveling +uncle sat, and he ate a very good breakfast indeed. + +"Now I must start off again to seek my fortune," he said, as he took his +crutch, striped red, green and yellow, like a cow's horn. Oh, excuse me! I +was thinking of circus balloons, I guess. Anyhow Uncle Wiggily took his +crutch and valise, and, as he was about to start off, the boy giant said: + +"I will walk along a short distance with you, and in case any bad animals +try to hurt you I'll drive them away." + +"Oh, I don't believe any one will harm me," spoke the rabbit, but +nevertheless something did happen to him. As he and the boy giant were +walking along, all of a sudden there was a noise from behind a big, black +stump, and out jumped a big, black bear. He rushed right at the rabbit, +and called out: + +"Ha! Now I have you! I've been waiting a long while for you, and I thought +you'd never come. But, better late than never. Now for my dinner! I've had +the fire made for some time to cook you, and the kettle is boiling for +tea." He was just going to grab our Uncle Wiggily, when the giant's little +boy called out: + +"Here, you let that rabbit alone! He's a friend of mine!" But, listen to +this, the bear never thought a thing about a boy giant being with Uncle +Wiggily, and he never even looked up at him. Only when the bear heard the +giant's boy speaking he thought it was distant thunder, and he said: + +"Oh, I must hurry home with that rabbit before it rains. I don't like to +get wet!" + +"Yes, I guess you _will_ hurry home!" cried the giant's boy, and with that +he reached over, and he grabbed that black, ugly bear by his short, stumpy +tail and he flung him away over the tree tops, like a skyrocket, and it +was some time before that bear came down. And when he did, he didn't feel +like bothering Uncle Wiggily any more. + +"Now I guess you'll be all right for a while on your travels," said the +boy giant as he called good-by to the old gentleman rabbit. "Send me a +souvenir postal when you find your fortune, and if any bad animals bother +you, just telephone for me, and I'll come and serve them as I did the +bear." + +Then the old gentleman rabbit thanked the boy giant, and started off +again. He traveled on and on, over hills and down in little valleys, and +across brooks that flowed over green mossy stones in the meadow, and +pretty soon Uncle Wiggily came to a big gray stone in the middle of a +field. And, as he looked at the stone, the old gentleman rabbit saw +something red fluttering behind it, and he heard a noise like some one +crying. + +"Ha! Here is where I must be careful!" exclaimed the rabbit to himself. +"Perhaps that is a red fox behind the stone, and he is making believe cry, +so as to bring me up close, and then he'll jump out and grab me. No +indeed, I'm going to run back." + +Well, Uncle Wiggily was just going to run back, when he happened to look +again, and there, instead of a fox behind the stone, it was a little boy, +with red trousers on, and he was crying as hard as he could cry, that boy +was. + +"What is the matter, my little chap?" asked the rabbit kindly. "Are you +crying because you have on red trousers instead of blue? I think red is a +lovely color myself. I wish I had red ears, as well as red eyes." + +"Oh, I am not crying for that," said the little boy, wiping away his +tears on a big green leaf, "but you see I am like Bo-peep, only I have +lost my cows, instead of my sheep, and I don't know where to find them." + +"Oh, I'll help you look," said Uncle Wiggily. "I am pretty good at finding +lost cows. Come, we'll hunt farther." So off they started together, Uncle +Wiggily holding the little boy by one of his paws--one of the rabbit's +paws, I mean. + +Well, they looked and looked, but they couldn't seem to find those cows. +They looked at one hill, and on top of another hill, and down in the +hollows, and under the trees by the brook, but no cows were to be seen. + +"Oh, dear!" cried the little boy, "if I don't find them soon there'll be +no milk for dinner." + +"And I am very thirsty, too," said the rabbit. "I wish I had a drink of +milk. But where in the world can those cows be?" and he looked up into the +sky, not because he thought the cows were there, but so that he might +think better. Then he looked down at the ground, and, as he did so he saw +a little red creature with eight long legs, and the creature wiggled one +leg at the rabbit friendly-like as if to shake hands. + +"Why don't you ask me where the cows are?" said the long-legged insect. + +"Why, can you tell?" inquired Uncle Wiggily. + +"Of course I can. I'm a grand-daddy longlegs, and I can always tell where +the cows are," was the reply. "Just you ask me." + +So Uncle Wiggily and the little boy, both together, politely asked where +they could find the cows, and the grand-daddy just pointed with one long +leg off toward the woods where the rabbit and boy hadn't thought of +looking before that. + +"You'll find your cows there," said grand-daddy longlegs, and then he +hurried home to his dinner. And Uncle Wiggily and the boy went over to the +woods, and there in the shade by a brook--sure enough were the cows, +chewing their gum--I mean their cuds. And they were just waiting to be +driven home. + +So Uncle Wiggily, and the boy with the red trousers, drove the cows home, +and they were milked, and the old gentleman rabbit had several glasses +full--glasses full of milk, not cows, you know. Goodness me! A cow +couldn't get into a glass could it? I guess not! + +And after that Uncle Wiggily---- + +Well, but see here now. I think I've put enough adventures about Uncle +Wiggily in this book, and I must save some for another one. So I think I +will call the following book "Uncle Wiggily's Travels," for he still kept +on traveling after his fortune you know. And he found it, too, which is +the best part of it. Oh, my yes! He found his fortune all right. Don't +worry about that. And in the next book, the very first thing he did, was +to have an adventure with a red squirrel-girl, who was some relation to +Johnnie and Billie Bushytail. + +So that's all there is to Uncle Wiggily, for a little while, if you +please, but if you want to hear anything else about him I'll try, later +on, to tell you some more stories. And now, dear children, good-bye. + +THE END. + +[Transcriber note: +The last line of Chapter VI actually ended: "...in their rams." + +Chapter XI: original reads: He thought he saw a chance to escape +runing across] + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Uncle Wiggily's Adventures, by Howard R. 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