The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-05-12
Bedtime Stories
Uncle wiggiIy and the Mosquito.
BY HOWARD n. GARIs


Here you are, Uncle Wiggily!" call
ed Nurse Jane Fuzzy wuzzy, the musk
rat lady housekeeper, to the rabbit
gentleman as he started away from
his hollow stump bungalow one morn
ing "Ive made a new one for you.
"A new what?" asked Mr.. Longears.
twinkling his pink nose like a question
mark standing on its head "Whats
new ~
1--WE gnawed a new rheumatism
crutch for you out OF a cornstaIk,
said Nurse Jane. your old one was
getting worn out, and as it is spring
now you ought to have a new crutch
to go with your new fur SUIT.
That's very nice and kind or you,
said Uncle Wiggily with L~hte DOW;
I'm sure, with the new crutch. I'll
have q new adventure. l thank you.
Then, leaving his old rheumatism
crutch the front steps OF ms nor
low stump bungalow Uncle Wiggiy
hoped off on the new one. over the
fields and thru the woods ne Went
looking for an adventure. and pretty
soon he stopped to rest in the shade OF
some trees.
He sat down on log, and. before
he knew it he fell asleep, and pretty
soon he was awakened by hearing a
sort of buzzing sound in the air, like
an electric fan. Then he heard voice
saying:
well! Did you ever hear the like
| of that?"
The like of WHAT" some one
asked. .
"Why I've spent the last five min
utes," said the first buZzing voice, try
| ing to bore a hole in the leg of that
rabbit gentleman there, to get nice
bite to eat and after l had bored ana
drilled and sawed and picked / found
l was making a hole in his cornstalk
crutch instead of one of his legs. lfs
so provoking!"
."Isn't IT." said the other, and then
Uncle Wiggily opened his eyes and he
saw two mosquito ladies talking to-
gether on the log beside him. GU
wasted all your time
And that isn't the worst" said the
first mosquito lady in buzzing way.
MY bill is So dull, from trying to bite
into his cornstalk crutch, that 1t isn't
sharp enough to bite into a real leg
now
.sThat is too bad!" said the second
mosquito lady. only that have
4 just had a good meal off Mamie Wag-
tail, little goat girl who passed by a
while ago, I'd bite this rabbit myself
But I'm not bit hungry
And I'll have to wait until my bill
} grows sharp again" said the first mos
quito lady. Then I'll have good
meal from one of his regular legs
don't see why he has three-one made
of a cornstalk."
THAT third leg is his rheumatism
! crutch," spoke the second mosquito
: lady His muskrat lady housekeeper
gnawed it out of a cornstalk for him
! and painted it red, white and blue IKE
a barber pole"
well I'll know better than to try
| to bite it next time" said the one
whose bill was all dull. Then the two
mosquito ladies flew away and Uncle
: Wiggily got up.
THAT'S too bad!" he said to himself.
TT was not nice to play such a trick.
tho really it wasn't my fault. 1 won
der how L can do that mosquito lady
favor, to pay her back for having dis
appointed her so?"
Uncle wiggily thought and thought,
and then he smiled. He had thought
{ of way, and off he hopped-not to
r the barber shop but to another store
} where he bought some thing, and the
next day he went to the woods again.
4 Now" said the bunny uncle to him
self 'Ill go to sleep on this log as
did before, and when that mosquito
] lady comes aIong-well, well see what
t happens"
He closed his eyes, and pretended to
t sleep, and pretty soon he heard buzz
4 zing sound Then he felt something
e alight gently on one of his real legs,
= and with his eyes he saw that it was
S the disappointed mosquito lady.
And Uncle wiggily also saw another
! or a third mosquito lady perched on
his cornstalk rheumatism crutch,
s where she began with her bill to saw.
dig and bore hole so, as she thought.
she might get something good to eat.
r "Oh, my goodness, Susanna" cried
the mosquito lady, who was getting
5 ready to bite Uncle Wiggily's real leg.
5 Don't be so foolish to drill there!'
'yVhy not? 1t looks like n very
! pretty leg Rather thin. to be sure.
} but so prettily striped, like a stick of
: candy"
ooh. don't bite it." said the disap-
Iod IFS m ada Of
a sort of wood, and you'll duh your
bill and
But just then the other mosquito
cried out:
"Oh. I've punctured it! I've drilled
a hole in it, And what a delicious lot
of sweet candy Juice I'm getting.
Come on have some. Talk about It
not being a real 1eg-why it's the pic-
| est biting I'VE had this spring! YUM
YUM
And the disappointed mosquito lady
saw her friend having a fine meal of
. Uncle wiggily's cornstalk rheumatism
crutch, out of which some sweet juice
was flowing.
.fwhy, how is this?" asked the first
mosquito, whose dull bill had grown
sharp again. II never knew it was
good to bite a rabbit gentleman's
. wooden leg or his rheumatism
crutch."
"It is when there is sweet molasses
inside the hollow cornstalk rheuma-
tism crutch"' laughed Uncle Wiggily
as he sat up, twinkling his pink nose.
"You see I felt sorry that you had
wasted your time in trying to drill a
hole in my wooden-like crutch, Mr.
Mosquito. So / went to the store and
had the monkey-doodle gentleman FIJI
the hollow in my crutch with sweet
mo1asses."
"And when I bored hole in IN
got some OF the molasses.' said the
second mosquito.
Exactly" answered Uncle WivpiIv
"Aud your friend fs vuaJoa,,,o - -1--