Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-08-08
Children's Evening Story

her umbrella, with Uncle Wiggily, who
| stayed on the sand And when the
| duck children got to the ice cream
| wagon they saw Billie and Johnnie
| Bushytail, the squirrel boys, and they
all had nice time talking together
But Uncle Wiggily remained on the
beach, lying down close to .Lulu's UNI
brella, when, all at once, out from un-
der bunch of seaweed came q hard,
pinching crab. Oh, what big pinching
claws he had, and, when he saw the
habit gentleman, that crab said to
himself:
."Ah ha. Now is the time 1 can
take Uncle Wiggily off with me to a
party. But he will not have anything
to eat at the party. In fact will eat
him"
Then the crab started to crawl to-
ward the rabbit, but on account of
the crab having to walk sideways. as
crabs always do walk, the rabbit <en-
tleman, not seeing the unpleasant
creature coming toward him, did not
imagine that he was going to be pinch.
ed.
But he was, just the same, for, when
the crab got little nearer to Uncle
W1ggily. the clawy creature suddenly
snapped his pincers little more, and
exclaimed:
"Ah hal! Here come, Uncle Wig
gily! -. This is the last of you!"
"Oh. would you be so cruel as to
pinch me?' asked the rabbit gentle
fan, and, hardly knowing what he was
doing, he took hold OF the handle OF
Lulu's umbrella. He could not run
away because his rheumatism hurt
him very much that day.
I'm going to pinch you!" cried the
crab, land pinch you hard" And with
that he made a spring and Jump for
Uncle Wiggily, his claws wide open.
But just then something happened.
There came gust OF wind and it
caught under Lulus umbrella. 1t blew
open, and then it blew it up in the
air. And. as Uncle Wiggily still had
tight hold of the handle, of course
when the umbrella went up the rabbit
gentleman went up with it, just like
a balloon. Or almost like the time he
was pulled up by Jimmies kite, only
not quite so high. this time. =. ,,.-.
'"Here!' cried the crab, much aston.
ished. Where are you jumping to,
Mr.. Rabbit? Where are you going?"
cover your head replied Uncle
Wiggily, and, sure enough, the wind
under the umbrella lifted him right
over the crabs head, as nicely as a
piece Of apple pie and bit Of cheese
The crab tried to jump up and grab
the rabbit gentleman, but Uncle Wig
gily was too far away, and, when he
felt himself going down, as the wind
died out, what did he do but take the
sharp stickery points of the umbrella,
and tickle that pinching crab with
them, until the Gravity creature was
glad enough to walk sideways back
into the ocean again, where he be.
longed.
Hal That's the time got away
with the help of Lulu's umbrella"
cried Uncle Wiggily, as the duck
children came back from the ice cream
cone wagon. After this, whenever
there are crabs around, am going
to- carry an umbrella And he al
ways did. .~-;' "a ~ .e..-. w..
Then he and Lulu and Alice and
Jimmie played on the sand for some
time. the Duck children eating their
ice cream cones, until it was time to
go home. And, in the story after this,
In case the ocean doesn't wash all
Itfe color out Of my necktie, so that
tit looks like pocket handkerchief
tied around the end of the pussy cats
| tail, I'll tell you about Uncle Wiggily
lat the ball game. -..H