El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-10-14
Bedtime Story For the Little Ones
Uncle Wiggly and the Lightning Bug.
By HOWARD B. GARIS.

d B. GARIS.
Jane Fuzzy wuzzy. the muskrat lady
! housekeeper-
Just for walk in the woods" an
swered Uncle. Wiggily- i may have
| an adventure"
! And indeed he was going to have
: one. but he did not know it then
! As the old gentleman rabbit went
/ along, leaning on his red. white and
! blue striped barber pole rheumatism
Z crutch. that Nurse Jane had gnaWed
! for him out Of a cOrnstalk-as Mr.
/ LOngears went along. I say. all Of q
! sudden he saw, caught in an old
! spiders web. some lightning bugs, or
fireflies-
Buzz Buzz. Buzz went the fire.
flies. making a noise with their wings.
but of course their lights did not show
very plainly in daytime
Buzz, Buzz, Buzz they went
"Oh. dear. such trouble as we are i'm
Why, how did you get thereT' asked
Uncle Wiggily.
"Oh. we were flying down south. for
IL is row getting too cold for US TO
stay up north here" said one FREELY.
But we accidentally flew into the
spiders web Luckily for US the spider
was not in the web. or We would have
been eaten long ago. However, our
wings and legs are so tangled uD that
we can't get loose. No one viii help
Tt viii give me the greatest pleas
ure in the world to help you" said
Uncle Wiggily. and I will do so right
gladly al once" and he spoke just
as If he were reading out of book
Then with his cOrnstalk crutch. Mr..
Longears broke down the spiders web
and set the lightning bugs free
Thank you, Thank you. kind Uncle
Wiggily," they buzzed as they flew
away IF ever we can do you a favor
We will"
Pray do not mention it." answered
the rabbit gentleman. modest like and
shy, as he made q polite bow and
hoped on. while the lightning bugs
got ready TO fly on down south
Pretty soon, as Uncle went on through
the woods. he came to a big hollow log.
II was open at both ends and outside.
in the middle was a sign, painted on a
piece Of white birch bark The sign
read:
DR. POSSUATs OFFICE.
MY goodness" exclaimed Uncle Wig
gily- i did not know that Dr. Possum
go in and call on him I am not exact
" ill-in fact, 1 feel very fine, but I'll
be glad 10 see my animal friend
So into the hollow log went Uncle
Wiggily- And no sooner was he inside
than from under pile Of leaves where
he was hiding jumped up the bad old
skillery-scalery alligator with the
hump on his tail
~Ah. har" whispered the gator TO
himself NY plan worked Just as 1
thought IL would Now for the rest OF
il. and then III 60 off and tell the fox
At last we have caught Uncle Wig
gily."
The alligator took up a big stone in
his claws and stuffed the stone into one
end Of the hollow log Uncle Wiggily- I
inside. saw the sudden darkness.
'Hellor' thought Mr.. LOngears- This !
may be a trap. I had better get out.
or I'll be shut in.
He ran to the other end. for there ]
were two openings. or doors to the hol- |
low log but. Just as the rabbit gentle I
man reached there, the alligator put a ]
big stone in that end. And there Mr.. 4
LOngears was caught in the hollow log /
trap. and couldn't get out. It wasn't 7
DR.. POssum's office at all either The /
fox and the alligator had just put that /
make believe sign up on IT, and they 4
hoped Uncle Wiggily would walk in, I
as he did
Then when he was inside. the alliga- |
tor stuffed Up both ends of the log and 4
the rabbit gentleman could not get out. I
for he could not gnaw or scratch the /
stone and wood.
"Ah, hai At last we have youi" I
yrunted the gator Now Pm going to
run off and get my friend, the fox No
lear but what you'll be here when we
ZONE back"
~Oh. please let me QUIT Please let me
Duti'' begged Uncle Wiggily-
'Hai Hai I will not" said the gator,
most impOlitely.
Away he went TO get the fox 10 let
him see how the trick had worked 1t
vas this trick that the alligator had
whispered about that time when I told
-ou.
Left inside the hollow log. Uncle Wig
yily tried his best 10 get out but he
;Ould not Then he cried:
Help, Help. Help On, will no one
ielp me-"
who are you? Where are youz"
.sked some tiny voices outside the log
Uncle Wiggily told them who he was.
md where
And who are you2" he asked. curl
Iusly
we are the fireflies that you saved
rom the spiders web" was the answer.
We viii help you out OF the long trap.
10 to the far end. sit down and wait"
Uncle Wiggily did as he was told.
md when he was seated IN the far end
4 the hollow stump log the fireflies
made a pile Of leaves near the middle
n the outside Then. with the fire the
.ghtninG bugs carried under their ;
wings they set fire to the leaves. The
caves soon burned q big hole in the
middle Of the log.
Here is n way by which you can get
ut said the lightning bugs to Uncle
Viggily- Hop out OF the hole we
urned for you" And Uncle WiggiIv
Id. leaping over the sparks and Gin
ers, so he was not burned the least
it. but some smoke got in his eyes and
iade him blink
Thus the lightning bugs burned a
ole in the log to save their rabbit
-iend- And as the bugs flew on down
outh, having stopped as they flew over
he hollow log when they heard Mr..
ongears calling. the rabbit gentleman
-ent back to his burrow.
I've had enough adventures today"
e sald And on weren't the fox and
'ator angry when they came back and
'und Uncle Wiggily gone out Of their 4
ap! But II served them right and in
he next story, If the butter doesn't fly
NJ of the window and play tag with
he loaf Of bread. I'll tell YOU about \