Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-09-26
UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE
MONKEY

Let me see, we left those two bad
dogs pouring water down the hole, to
get Uncle Wiggily out, didn't we?
And the old gentleman rabbit fooled
them, didn't he? He got out OF an
other hole that he dug around by the
back door, you remember.
| Well, just wish you could have
seen those two dogs, after they had
poured pail after pail Of water down
the hole and no rabbit came floating
up.
This hole must go all the way down
to China!" said Bowser, breathing
very fast.
Eyes, I'm tired OF carrying water"
said Bitter. And just then another
dog cried out:
"Why, foolish dogs, the waters all
running out the back way!" And,
surely enough. it was. Then they
knew Uncle Wiggily had escaped. and
they we're as angry as anything, but IL
served them right think.
"My! I wonder what will happen
next?" thought the old gentleman rab-
bit, as he hoped along. THAT was
a narrow escape"
So, having nothing else to do, Uncle
Wiggily sat down on nice, smooth
stump, and he ate some lunch out OF
his valise. And red ant came up
and yer politely asked if she might
not pick up the crumbs which the old
rabbit dropped.
"Of course you may" said Uncle
| Wiggily kindly. And I'll give you a
whole slice of bread and butter, also
" "Oh you are too generous spoke
the red ant, IT never could carry a
slice of bread and butter But If you
will leave 1t on the stump I'll get some
of my friends and We'll bite off little
crumbs, few at a time, and In that
way carry it to our houses"
So that's what Uncle Wiggily did,
and the ants had fine feast and they
were very thankful. Uncle Wiggily
asked them If they knew where he
could find his fortune.
"Why don't you go to work. instead
Of travelling around so much?" asked
the biggest red ant ""The best for
tune is the one you work for"
us it? l never thought Of that"
said Uncle Wiggily. II will look for
work at once. I wonder If you ants
have any for me-"
WED like to help YOU" they said.
| "but you see you are so large that
i you couldn't get-into our houses to do
any work. You had much better travel
along and work for some one larger
! than we are"
81 will decided the old gentleman
rabbit "I'll ask every one I meet if
the ywant me to work for them
So he started off once more, and
the first place he came to was a house
where mouse lady lived.
"Have you any work can do?' ask.
ed Uncle Wiggily politely
what work can you do asked the
mouse lady
well, can peel carrots or turnips
with my teeth" said Uncle Wiggily,
"and can look after children, and tell
them stories and I can do some funny
| tricks"
"Then you had better go join cir
Gus, interrupted the mouse lady. 81
have no children, and l can peel my
own carrots, thank you. AS for turnips
I never eat them.
"Then must go on little further
said Uncle Wiggily. as he picked UP
his valise, and walked off on his
crutch. So he went on, until he came
to another house in the woods, and
he knocked on the door.
"Have you any work I can do?" in
quired Uncle Wiggily politely.
"No! Get away and don't bother
me-" growled a most unpleasant voice
and the rabbit was just going down the
steps, when the door opened crack
and a long sharp nose and mouth
full of sharp teeth and some long legs