Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-06-26
Children's EDening Story

big bird, colored black and white,
with little red cap on his head, hang.
ing by one leg from tree branch.
The birds leg was caught In q string
that was all tangled.
"Oh. you are Mr.. Woodpecker,
aren't your" said Uncle Wiggily.
YES" answered the bird. with
my sharp bill I bore holes In the tree
A kind lady tied piece OF suet-fat
in this tree for US birds to eat this
winter, and every day take little
bit. Only as It happened today my
leg became caught In the string that
fastens the suet and I can't get loose.
Oh, please help mel!
"Of course l will" Uncle WHggily
said.
The rabbit gentleman tied his open
knife on the end Of his cornstalk
crutch. reached the sharp blade up
in the tree and cut the string 30 the
woodpecker bird could hutter to tho
ground. Then the bird could easily
untangle and pick the rest Of the
string of It's leg.
| Thank you very much for helping
me, Uncle Wiggily." said the bird. "I'll
be more careful next time, land he be-
gan to peck on the tree: RAT! Tat!
Tat!" just like postman knocking on
the door with valentine, the wood.
pecker went with his bill.
Goodbye, Uncle Wiggily!' called
the woodpecker bird, as the rabbit
gentleman hoped on. you did me a
great favor, and IL ever can do you
one, will"
Thank you, said the rabbit gentle.
man, but he did not imagine how
the woodpecker could ever do him q
favor.
4 For don't climb trees to peck
holes in them, or eat suet fat" thought
the rabbit gentleman.
Still, let us see what heppens, az
they say in story books.
Uncle Wiggily stopped at Mrs. Wib
lblewobble's house for the duck eggs
Mrs Wibblewobble gave him 10 many
that he had to use two paws to carry
them home and he had to hop along
very carefully, 80 as not to drop and
break them.
However, l guess I'll get safely
home with them thought the rabbit
gentleman But alas for his hopes al
/ Is also said In stories.
| Uncle Wiggily was almost at his
bungalow when, all OF sudden out
from behind a stump jumped bad old
egg-dog. An egg-dog is one who eats
eggs. and this dog was just hungry fol
some.
| "Ah, ha!" barked this dog. Eggs!
Ducks eggs! must have them" and
i he jumped up on Uncle Wiggily and
tried to knock the Easter eggs away
from the paws OF the rabbit gentleman
$50 away" said Uncle Wiggily.
"No, MOI" barked the dog. II want
thoso eggs! i must have those eggs!'
Uncle Wiggily started to run, for he
would not give up the eggs. On and
on he ran, as fast as he could, and
soon he was at his own hollow stump
bungalow.
"Now. II can only get inside,
thought the rabbit II can scare the
dog away - Nurse Jane and l." So
Uncle Wiggily went up to the front
door, but It was locked. and he could
not open 1t, for he had his paws full OF
duck eggs.
and l can't set the eggs down on
the steps to get out my key, for II
do the dog will eat all the eggs and
smash those he doesn't eat" though,
Uncle Wiggily. "Oh, what shall l do?
He tried to knock on the door with
his hind feet, but the bad egg dog got
in the way and Uncle Wisgily couldn',
give a single rap to let Nurse Jane
know he was there. And the dog was
barking 30 loudly that Uncle Wiggily
could not make his voice beard above
the noise.
"Oh, what shall do?" no cried. just
then along came the woodpecker bird
Perhaps I can help you," he said
"I'll knock on the door for you with my
strong bill, Uncle Wiggily Then Nurse
Jane will hear the raps and come and
let you In"
Please do" begged the rabbit gen.
tleman, holding the duck eggs high UP
in the air so the dog could not get UP
to them.
So the woodpecker went "Rat-a-tat
tat" with his bill on the door, Nurse
Jane came in hurry to open 1t and lei
Uncle Wiggil in, and not an egg was
broken. And the bad dog didn't gel
even the shell of one, as he ran away
for he was afraid Of Nurse Jane Fuzzy
'Wuzzy, who might throw molasses on
him.
SO you see after all, the woodpecker
did Uncle Wiggily. favor, and this
teaches us we never can tell what may
happen. So in the story after this I'm
going to tell you about Uncle Wiggily
and the barber pig, and II you can't
stop the watermelon from playing in
! the bathtub and getting the sponge
cake all wet, why we'll Just say moth
ling about 1t, because know you would
II you could.
| HITEMAN.