The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-05-11
Bedtime Stories
Uncle wiggily and Needless Hoop.
BIZ HOWARD b. GARIs


Fuzzy Wuzzy, the>muskrat lady house,
keeper for Uncle wiggily Longears.
as they both sat in the hollow stump
| bungalow one evening
rs it wash-day tomorrow" asked
| the bunny uncle.
why, MOI" answered Nurse Jane,
| laughing, except that Of course III
| wash my face and paws, as l always
do. But don't you remember tomor
row is the day for the picnic in the
woods? And you promised to come,
if 1 put up a nice lunch. You will
see all your boy and girl animal
friends as well as Grandfather Goosey
| Gander and
| "Oh, you're going to put up a
lunch. are you?" asked Uncle Wig
gily. sort of eager like and hungry.
| of course" answered Nurse Jane
There will be carrot sandwiches. let
tuce bread. cherry pie and
| Say no more," cried Uncle Wig
gily, making his nose twinkle like a
dewdrop in the heart of a rose. I'll
come, Hurrayi" And he felt so
jolly he hoped up from his chair and
did little lollypop dance with Nurse
Jane until she told him to behave
| himself.
"Oh, what a lovely day for the pic
nic!' cried the muskrat lady house
| keeper the next morning, as she saw
the sun shining. Are you ready for
| breakfast, WlgSy!
"All ready, answered the rabbit
| gentleman, and when he had eaten he
and Nurse Jane started for the woods
| with the lunch basket, in which,
among other things, was some cherry
pie, of which Uncle Wisgily was very
| fond.
Well, 1 wish you could have been at
that picnic! l wish L could, myself,
but l am only allowed to write about
II. However, l can tell you that all
the animal boy and girl friends Of
Uncle Wiggily were there, from Sam
mic and Susie Littletail. the rabbits, to
Neddie and Beckie Stubstail, the bear
children And Jollie and Jillie Long
tail, the mice, and Squeaky-Eeky, the
cousin mouse, were also there.
| Come on, Uncle Wiggily! Play tag
with usi' cried Johnnie and Billie
Bushytail, the squirrels
No. come and play hide-and-go-
seek with u.s." called Mamie and Billie
Wagtail, the goats.
Watch me roll my hoop, and I'll
let you have a turn!" growled Neddie.
the boy bear But he did not growl at
all cross-like. Growing was his regu-
lar way of speaking, you know.
III take turns playing with all of
you, said the bunny rabbit gentleman.
And he did. He rolled over and over
on the grass and soft leaves under the
trees. He made little cups from pieces
CT birch bark, and brought some watsS
to Aunt Flippity-Flop, the crow lady,
who was So nervous that she was al
ways falling down and splitting herself.
Then Uncle Wiggily talked with
| Doctor Postum and Grandfather
| Goosey Gander about how many car
rots and potatoes they would plant in
their kitchen gardens, and when Aunt
Lettie, the goat lady, and some of her
friends came past and thought they
saw a snake and screamed, Uncle Wig
gily cried:
a crooked black stick!" And so it was.
Then came time to eat the lunches
each one had brought in basket, and
there was so much cherry pie for
Uncle Wiggily that he could not eat it
all, so he gave some to his little ami
NAL friends.
Come onI' cried Sammie Littletail
to some animal boys, after there was
no more to eat, lets go down to the
/ bottom of the hill and sail boats in
the duck pond,''
That's what we'll do" cried John
ME and Billie Bushytail, the squirrels.
They made boats of bits of bark,
with little sticks for masts, and leaves
wind blew the little boats across the
pond and back again. Neddie Stub
tail, the bear boy, who had been roll
ing his hoop, left it at the top of the
under the shade of tree with DR..
Postum.
please mind my hoop for me. I'm
Gle Wiggily," begged Neddie. I'm
going down and make big boat SO
I myself can ride on it"
"All right answered the bunny
uncle. I'll watch your hoop. but
J don't you fall in"
"oh. I can swim" said Neddie. "and
you can play with my hoop if you
want to. It's nice and big" and in
deed it was, being made of round.
fiat piece of wood as wide as big
automobile tire.
Well, the animal boys were playing
sail boast in the pond and Uncle Wig
gily and DR.. Postum were talking
about the best way to cure rheu-
matism when, all of sudden. Johnnie
Bushytail cried:
"Oh, Sammie Littletail has fallen
in! Samnnie is in the duck pond!"
Save him, somebody! Save himi"
cried Jackie Bow Wow.
| Doctor Postum started to run down
the hill. but half way to the bottom
he stumbled and fell. Grandfather
Goosey Gander started down to pull
Sammie. out of the water. but he
slipped on a round stone near the top,
and he couldn't go any further.
You go, Uncle Wiggily! You goi'
cried all the animal ladies. Hurry"
IT will" said the bunny uncle, and
off he started. but he could not run
very fast on account of his rheuma-
tlsm.
Roll down in my hoop, Roll down
in my hoop!' cried Neddie Stubtail.
Get inside my big, flat. round hoop
and roll down hill. and you won't be
| hurt a Bit"
ct willi'' exclaimed Uncle WiggiIy
and he did. He sort of curled up in
side the hoop, and started rolling down
the hill. over and over he went
humping on stones and humps of dirt
but not getting in the least hurt Soon
he was at the bottom of the hill and
then, holding out long stick to Sam
/ ha hn raH
from the water. none of the other ami
NAL chaps ever having thought of that
Sammie was all wet, but was not
hurt. and he was very glad the bunny
uncle had pulled him out of the pond
Then the picnic went on. and every
one had a good time. And il the 1aun-