The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-06-13
Bedtime Stories
Uncle wiggily and the Cheshire Cat.
BY HOWARD r. GARIs

Uncle Wiggily and the Cheshire Cat
Uncle Wiggily Longears, the rabbit
gentleman. was hopping along thru
the woods one day, wondering what
sort of an adventure he would have.
and he was thinking about Alice in
Wonderland and what queer tea
party he had been to the day before,
when the Mad March Hare smashed
the Hatter's watch because the hands
always stayed at o'clock tea time.
IF anything like that is goine to
happen to me today" said the bunny
uncle to himself. II ought to have
brought Nurse Jane Fuzzy Wuzzy
along, so she could enjoy the fun
I'll just Eop along, and II anytning
queer starts I'll go back after her.
So he went little farther. ana.
all of a sudden, he saw lying on the
woodland path, a piece of cheese.N
Hal" cried Uncle Wiggily. Il won
der if Jollie or Jillie Longtail, the
mouse children. dropped That out OF
their trap? I'll take it to them,
guess
He picked up the bit of cheese.
thinking how glad the mousie boy ana
girl would be to have it back, when,
all at once, he heard behind him
voice asking:
"Oh, did you find it? I'm so glad.
thank your and from under bush
out stepped a cat wearing a large
smile on the front of its face. inc
cat stretched out its claw and took
the bit of cheese from Uncle Wig
| gily.
ny gentleman, in surprise.
ITS Cheshire cheese; isn't it:' ask
ed the cat.
Il believe so.'' answered the
bunny. ,.,..
ssThen, as I'm the Cheshire cat it's
| mine Cheshire cat meet your cheese!
| Cheese, meet your cat. How do you
| do? So glad to see your and the
cat shook paws with the cheese lust
as if Uncle Wiggily had introduced
them.
the bunny uncle.
"Of course it isl" laughed the cat,
smiling more than ever. I'm so glad
you found my cheese. / was AFRAID
| the March Hare had taken it for that
silly 5 o'clock tea party. But m gao
he didn't. At first 1 took you for the
| March Hare. You look like him. pe-
| ing a rabbit"
| my birthday is in April said I'm
| Gle Wiggily, bowling.
That's better" spoke the Cheshire
cat. You have done me great IA
vor by finding my cheese. and hope
| to be able to do you one some day.
| Pray do not mention it, spoke the
bunny uncle modest like and shy, as
he always " as He was just going to
ask about Alice in Wonderland when
the cat ran away with it's cheese.
Never mind thought Uncle Wig
gily. That was the beginning of an
adventure, anyhow. I wonder what
the next part will be?" He did not
have long to wait.
All of a sudden, as he was walking
along thru the woods, sort of leaning
on his red, white and blue striped
| &1> ,-t lew, fob n
was a rustling in the bushes and out
popped a whole lot of hungry rats.
"Ah, there IT isl" cried one rat,
Selling hold of Uncle WiggiIy by his
ears.
Yes, and just in time, too" cried
another, grabbing the bunny by his
paws. Into our den with 1T before
the mouse trap comes along and takes
IT away from u.s."
With that the rats, of which there
were about five hundred and sixteen,
began hustling Uncle Wiggily down a
hole IN the ground, and the first he
knew. they had him inside a wooden
room in an underground house and
had locked the door, taking the key
out.
What does this mean?" cried the
bunny uncle. why do you treat me
this way?"
why. IT can speak," cried several
of the rats, in surprise.
"Of course CAM" cried Uncle Wig
gily, his pink nose twinkling. But
why do you call me TIP"
| Because you are piece of cheese"
said one rat, ''and we always call
cheese IT,
Cheese? l. cheese? ?" asked aston
ished Uncle wiggily
| 'Of course" cried the biggest rat of
all. You're Cheshire cheese. Why,
you perfume the whole roomi We're
SO hungry for you. We thought the
grocer had forgotten to send you. But
it's all right now. oh. what a de-
hghtful meal we shall have. We love
Cheshire cheese" and the rats looked
very hungrily at the bunny uncle
very hungrily indeed.
"Oh. what shall 1 do?" thought
Uncle Wiggily. II see what has hap
pened. When picked up the Che
shire cats piece of Cheshire cheese
some of the perfume from it must
| have stuck to my paws. The rats
smelled that and think I'm it. IT."
murmured the bunny gentleman. las
If I were a game of tag!"
The rats in the locked room were
very busy. getting out their cheese
knives and plates and poor Uncle
! Wiggily hardly knew what to do in
this most unpleasant adventure. when,
all OF sudden, right in the middle of
the room, there appeared a big, s.nil-
ing mouth. with cheerful grin
spread all over it. Just a smile it was.
and nothing more.
OH cried Uncle Wiggily in sur
prise. "Ohi"
With that all the rats looked IN
| and one exclaimed.
II smell a cat. Oh. woe is me.
smell a cati'
Then' all of sudden the srnfle
grew larger and larger Then came
nose, tLen some whiskers, then =
pair of blazing eyes. and then cars
head, legs, claws and a BODY, ana
finally there stood the Cheshire cat
| in the midst of the rats.
Scat rats" meaouwed the C,bee,s~>
cat. Scat
How did you get in here7, asr.1