The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-08-11
Bedtime Stories
Uncle wiggiiy and the Sour Grass
BIZ HOWARD N. GARIs

Uncle gigsiIy and the Sour Grass
One day, when Uncle Wiggily Lorg-
ears, the rabbit gentleman. was out
walking in the woods he met Little 30
Peep, who had stepped out of the
Mother Goose book to see what nap
pened to her sheep. -
We'll, we'll, TIM glad to see your!
cried the bunny gentleman
And I'm glad to see you, spoke DO
Peep. perhaps you can help me find
what / am looking for"
Certainly TIL try kindly said
Uncle Wiggily. But il ITS for your
sheep, why don't you let them alone
and they'll come home, wagging their
tails behind them ?"
1T isn't my sheep I'm looking for"
| answered the little shepherd girl. but
it's for some sorrel for them TO eat
"Sorrel for Sheep" asked Uncle
Wiggily. Pray what is tbat?"
Its a sort of sour grass" explained
30 Peep. 1T looks like clover, but is
! a lighter green in color. and it has a
nice. sour taste like Lemonade without
any sugar in it, Sheep like TO nibble
it on hot days and I'm trying to find
| some for mine.
/ sI'n help you," offered Uncle Wig
gily. SO. with the little sheep girl he
! hunted thru the grass, but no so"rei
could they find
We'll, / CHESS there isn't any sad
ly said 30 Peep. My sheep will have
to go hungry
| Just then Uncle Wiggily saw a Door
/ little ladybug fall in a drop of water
| that was in the bottom of pitched of
/ the ia ck-in-the-Pulpit plant, but be-
| fore the tiny creature could drown
| the bunny gentleman->got her out
| "Oh, thank you'll" chirped the lady
! bug, fluttering her spotted wings.
You did me a great favor. L wish
could do you one"'
Then show us where some sheep
sorrel sour grass is growing" beg
ged Bo Peep.
with pleasure" answered the lady
| bug, and she did, taking Bo Peep and
| Uncle Wiggily to where much sour
grass grew in a meadow near a brook.
The little girl gathered an apron full
/ for her sheep. Uncle Wiggily ta.red
some, but it was so sour and he made
| such a queer face when he chewed it
| that Bo Peep and the ladybug laughed.
! "Bur-r-r-r-r. 1t is very puckery!"
said the bunny rabbit gentleman.
MY sheep like it," said Bo-Peep-
And away she hurried with her apron
full of sour grass
Uncle Wiggily hoped slowly along
| thru the meadow when Bo-Peep and
the ladybug had left him, and the rab
bit gentleman was thinking how queer
| it was that some grass was sweet and
| other grass was sour, when all of
a sudden, out from behind a big stone
| zicks.
"Ah, hal" snickered the skeezicks
which is something like as mosquito.
4 only worse. "Ah, hal have you!"
And he grabbed Uncle Wiggily fass in
his claws. II have your" growled the
skeezicks.
$50 1 see," sadly said Uncle Wig
gily. But what are you going TO do
with me?''
II am going to bite you" said the
| skeezicks. Il have not bitten any enc
in long while, and now that ! have
caught you, why, you are the very one
l am going to bite"
"Oh. please DON'T begged the bun
| ny uncle.
Yes l SHALL" declared the skeezicks
insistent like and perversely. 81 shall
bite you. but it will take me long
time. for l have only a very small
mouth, as you can see. can My
take part of bite at time, but, il |
keep at it, in week or so shall give
you whole bite. Now I am going
| to begin" and the skeezicks opened It's
| tiny, little mouth.
AS soon as Uncle SWiggily saw that
mouth he had an idea. Instead of
trying to get away from the skeezicks
| he asked, most kindly;
Before you bite me, let me in
quire il you have had your lunch2"
| 81 have not" said the skeezicks. rs
there anything here good TO eat?"
Here is some sorrel," said Uncle
| Wiggily, pointing to some of the sour
| grass growing in the meadow. 'Bo
| Peep took some to her sheep, and
"Say no more!" interrupted the
| skeezicks. eff sheep eat IL / cant
Then the skeezicks took his little
mouth full of the sour grass and he
| chewed it. and then
Wow Wish. Won! Wush!' splut-
| tered the skeezieks. How sour-our-
! our. Ughl"
/ Then the sour grass sheep sorrel so
| puckered up the skeezicks aires dy
| small mouth, just as alum does yours
until the mouth was no larger than
! the tear in a mosquitoes eye, and the
| skeezicks could not open his lips or
teeth wide enough even to bite Uncle
/ Wiggilys tall silk hat.
So the skeezicks had 10 run away
/ to get a drink of honeysuckle juice to
take the sour, puckery taste out OF his
mouth, and he didn't hurt the bunny
after all. And If the biscuits don't
jump out of the oven. TO play tag with
the hot cross buns, I'll tell you next
about Uncle Wiggily and the ant
Copyright, 1917, by Mcclure News
paper Syndicate.)