Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-08-12
CHILDREN's EVENING STORY

You nave been very kind to me,
Uncle Wiggily." the snake said, stand
ing up on the end Of his tail, In order
to make low bow to the rabbit gen.
tleman. Very kind"
Pray do not mention IT," answered
Uncle Wiggily, modest like and shy.
ooh. but must" the snake went on.
i"You did me great favor, untying me
from the knots and II ever I can help
you shall be only too glad to do 40"
He was very polite snake, you see.
! Well, Uncle Wiggily didn't just see
how snake was ever going to be able
to do him favor but it only goes to
show that We never know what is 60.
Ing to happen in this world.
It was only few days after this
that, as Uncle Wiggily was going
through the woods, something happen.
ed to him.
The bad old fox who had been trying
ever since the animal boys scared him
away with make-believe Indian yells, to
catch the rabbit gentleman, finally did.
The fox jumped out on Uncle Wiggily
from behind stump. and before Mr..
Longears could get away, the fox put
him in barrel, nailed the cover tight
ly on, and said
AT last have you!"
And he really had. Uncle Wiggily
was caught at last, and there seemed
no way of getting him out Of the bar.
rel. There was only one round open
ing, called bung-hole, for a sort OF
barrel-cork, and this hole the fox left
open, as he knew Uncle Wiggily could
not get out of that, for 1t was only as
large as an orange.
Nov, I'll leave you in the barrel and
I'll 60 get my friend, the tail-pulling
chimpanzee monkey" said the fox.
Then we'll come back and decide
what to do with YOU"
Away went the fox, leaving Uncle
Wiggily in the barrel.
"Oh, dear!" thought the rabbit
shall ever get out7"
Hush Hiss! Wait, I'll tell you'll"
suddenly whispered voice outside the
barrel
"Who are your" asked Uncle wiggily
surrised like.
"Your very good friend the Gravity
snake" was the answer.
"Rut you can't get me out OF the bar.
rel" said Uncle Wiggily.
mo, but myself can crawl in
through the bung hole, which just Ats
me-" the snake said. "Ill stay in the
barrel with you. And when the fox
and chimpanzee come to open It TO get
you out I'll Jump out and squeeze them
both 50 hard that their ribs will tickle
and they'll have laughing conniption
f1t."
"Oh, you are very kind to me-" said
Uncle Wiggily inside the barrel.
"No more Kind than you were to me,
Kissed the snake.
Then he crawled through the bung.
hole, down inside the barrel with the
rabbit gentleman. and when the fox
came back with the bad tail pulling
chimpanzee monkey, and they opened
the barrel -
Presto chango Out popped the
snake. Quickly he wrapped his folds
about them and squeezed the ribs of
the fox and chimpanzee until they
laughed
"Ha! Ha! Ha! Ho! Ho! Ho! He!
He! He! Hum! Hum! NUM-"
And then they were 80 kernummex-
ed and conniptioned that they could
only lie down on the grass and weakly
giggle, so Uncle Wiggily could hop
safely home without having his tail
pulled. And the snake crawled off by
himself to go to sleep again.
So this possibly teaches lis that you
can put something else into the bung-
hole Of barrel besides cork, and in
the next story, II the pendulum doesn't
put the hands of the clock in his pocket
where they can't play tag with the
bean shooter, I'll tell you about Uncle
Wiggily and the bag Of marbles.