Mexico Missouri message., 1916-08-03
WOODCRAFT STORIES
FOR LITTLE CHILDREN
Fifteenth Story.
By l.. Roy Ferris.

L.
Long, long time ago, before your grandmother's I'm
Gle born and before Reddy Squirrel had planted the
hckorynu that grew the scaly bark hickory which
has been the home of many red squirrel families for
over hundred years, Old Wiggy FishwOrm made his
home in the rivers and lakes, and spent of his time
playing with his cousin Shiny Leech One day when they
were playing back-Out Wggly climbed up the bank
and sat down. mean he lay down-under the shade OF
la little that only four inches tall, and the tree
looked sickly and weak just like little boy who spends
all his nckes for creampuS and candy and does not eat
cornbread and beans and do you know what the
ter? The ground sick and sour, and the little
was sick, and when you put two sick fellows together all
they talk about their Ills SO after Wggley had rest
cd while he called his paymates out the land and they
had barrel of fun playing Sheepmeet and hide and go
seek One little fellow dug hole in the ground the
roots of the little and hid and when he out he
made another hole close to the little tree and OF
what fellow does another will do, they all hid in
the ground except the catcher who counted }O
on up 100, and all eyes open here come, when
he dug hole to find them. They all came out of new
holes and crawed the base they could crawl
The day it rained and the rain and sunshine and air
followed the little holes in the ground the worms had made
and the little tree raised its head and began to shoot out
little tender roots and grow like boy that has spent the
summer visiting his
One funny thing about fishing worms is they have
three gizzards which is than Old Betsey the
hen and some fish worms had gls when they used to
swim in the The gis disappeared after they had
lived the land while The fish worm helps make the
ground the little radsh seeds will burst their Jackets
and grow up. In few days Tomme goes out in the gar
den and brings in baSketul of round red adshes-tha
is if the neghbors chickens haven't been there first
The fishing worms make the ground sweet All ma
ture smiles when they get thru with their work The little
trees and grass that stuned and dwared began
grow and said they happy the fishing worms had
come to live with them Old Mr. Wiggey refused go
back and live with his cousin, the leech and the fishing
worm turned out to be first real farmers OF
they don't blue overas like Uncle John but they
begin work in the morning like he does and they work all
day long and they work awfully hard
Robin Redbreast knows what early riSerS they
and he gets up in the morning while Bunny Rabbit is still
snoozng in his bunch of grass and before Brother Night
hawk and Dr. Owl have really gone bed and he catches
the fish and then alights in the little
sick girls window and sings the little song, that
cheers the little girl tho she go and play like
you and |.
You the fish worms perform their mission in the
world. In fact, can't get along without them
Sometime when you become the president OF bank
you will look back picture OF boy in hickory hat
and blue oveals sitting the creek bank in the dearest
spot down where the old willow leans the water close
to the big spotted sycamore You will then realize what
old Wiggley Fishing Worm has done for YOU