The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-07-17
Bedtime Stories
Uncle Wiggily and the swing.
By HOWARD r. CARS

it for us, won't your"
And one that will go away up high,
pleased"
Sammie and Susie Littletail, the
to the hollow stump bungalow where
Uncle Wiggily Longears, the rabbit
gentleman, lived with Nurse Jane
Fuzzy Wuzzy. the muskrat lady house
keeper.
Now, don't you two rabbit Dummies
come bothering Uncle Wiggily." spoke
Nurse Jane, tho she said it in very
nice way. and handed Sammie and
Susie each a sugar carrot cookie as
she said it. He has no time to do
things for you. Hop along!'
Wait, Waiti" cried Uncle Wiggily
himself in his most jolly voice. What
is it you want, Sammie and Susie?"
'Oh, we want you to put us up a
swing" they answered. We have no
school now, and we can swing all day
long. Please, Uncle Wiggily. won't
you?"
We'll, 1 guess 1 can hardly say no
when you ask me that way" answered
the bunny, and Susie cried:
"Oh, il you do I'll give you a Scotch
kiss
Il like them,' said Uncle Wiggily,
SO Susie kissed him Scotch fashion,
which she did by taking hold of his
pink, twinkling nose in one paw, and
his long ear in the other and kissing
him right between them.
Now 1 must surely make a swing"
laughed the bunny uncle.
So out he went to the woods with
Sammje and Susie, and, being a wise
old rabbit gentleman, it did not take
Uncle Wigglly long to find a nice tree
with big branch on which a swing
could be put
But what will we use for ropes?"
a 81 n6 NIT 70,
Wiggily did not have any.
Il know.' cried Susie, clapping her
paws.
'-Oh, you dc mott" said Sammie.
Yes, do! You can use wild
grape vine, can't you, Uncle Wiggily:
same as 1 use for a jumping roper
Yes, wild grape vine would make
the very finest kind of a swing rope
in the woods said the bunny uncle,
come, you Dummies must be useful
as well as ornamental So get busy
with your strong teeth. and help me
gnaw off pieces of the vine-for ropes"
Uncle Wiggily gnawed some him =
self, and, with those which Sammie
and Susie bit off, soon there was
plenty of the grave-vine rope. The
bunny uncle threw two ends over the
tree branch, tied slip-knots in them,
pulled on them hard so that the knots
slid up toward the branch, and there
was as nice swing as heart could
wish.
All it needs is board to sit on,
said Susie.
And II make that for you." cried
Toodle Flattail, the beaver boy, who
had teeth made on purpose for gnaw-
ing. So from poplar tree he gnawed
out swing board, and soon Sammie
and Susie were swaying back and
forth in the grapevine swing under
the tree, giving Toodle turn now and
60, L
them.
Don't you want to swing, Uncle
Wiggily?" asked Sammie .
NO, l guess I'm too old" said the
bunny. Il might get dizzy and fall
out. Then my pink nose wouldn /
tho that would be the most jolly thing
in the world.
But Sammie and Susie and Toodle
had fun in the swing. So did Johnnie
and Billie Bushytai1, the squirrels, and
Jackie and Peetie Bow Wow, the pup
ply dog boys as well as Jillie and Jillie
Longtail, the mice children.
Then when it became too dark for
the little animal children to stay in
the woods any longer they went home.
But the grapevine swing was left
up under the tree, and that evening.
when Uncle Wiggily had finished
reading the paper, and it was nearly
time to- go to bed in his hollow stump
bungalow, he said to Nurse Jane:
II think I'll take little walk in the
woods before going to bed. Then I'll
sleep better
lady housekeeper. But be careful
nothing catches you; it is very dark"
I'm be careful" laughed the bun
ny, as he went out along the path in
front of his hollow stump. He had not
gone very far before he came to the
swing. 1t was swaying to and fro as
the wind blew it in the darkness.
"Ha, Now is my chance.' said
Uncle wiggily. IT can swing when no
one can see whether I fall out or not.
I'll just try little one!'
Then he hoppe up on the swing
board and began to pump to make
himself go to and fro Faster and
faster swung the bunny uncle, and he
was having lots of fun. and not feel
ing dizzy at all. when, all of sudden,
a voice cried:
'-That'l be about all. You can get
down nowi
who says SOP" asked Uncle Wig
gily.
II dol" snapped the voice.
And who are you?" asked brave
Uncle wiggily, still swinging away
harder than ever Who are your
ct am the skillery-scalery alligator. y
was the answer. land there are no
two fat twins, who look so much alike
that I can't tell Tweedledurn from
Tweedledee, to save you now. Here l
come to get you."
With that the hump-tailed chap (for
he it wasl made a jump from where
he was hiding in the dark behind the
bushes trying to pull Uncle Wiggily
from the swing.
Did the alligator get the bunny rab-
bit?
He did not.
Uncle Wiggily suddenly gave an ex-
ira long strong and big swing and,
holding his hind paws straight out in
front of him. he bunked into that ALI
gator, swing board--paws. twinkline
nose, tall silk hat, rheumatism crutch
and all-and the gator was sent spin
ming head over tail in a double SON.
ersault and peppersault. and when he
picked himself up Uncle Wiggily had
| jumped from the swing and run safe
| " in his bungalow. SO he wasn't
caught after all.
| ssR1It it's a pood thing made thai