The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-05-30
Bedtime Stories
By HOWARD Il. GARIs


Uncle Wiggily and Apple Dumplings.
"Forward-march."
Uncle Wiggily Longears, the gentle
man RABBIT soldier. stood out in front
Of the white tent near his hollow
stump bungalow, ard called this to the
animal boys.
Where are we going to march top
asked Peetie Bow Wow, one of the
puppy dog boys.
Never mind asking questions, If
you please said the bunny uncle with
a smile, making his pink nose twinkle
like a star on a Christmas tree. "A
soldier should do as he is told, and not
ask where or how. Forward-march!
/ Then Johnnie Bushytail, the boy
squirrel, took two sticks he had
gnawed from a tree, and with them he
beat the bottom of a starch box,
which was hanging around his neck.
"Rub-a-dub-dub! Rub-a-dub-dub."
drummed Johnnie, and the soldier
tent with Uncle Wiggily at their head,
like the captain he was.
I'VE are going to capture some
Uncle Wiggily began, when they AL
stopped for a drink of water at a
spring.
Don't say we are going to capture
some mosquitoeS!" interrupted Billie
Wagtail, the goat. IT didn't bring any
talcum powder with me, ard If one or
them bites
I'VE are not going after mos
qu-toes," said Uncle Wiggily I'VE are
going on what is called foraging par
ty. That is, we are going to see what
we can capture to eat, for we soldiers,
in this mosquito war, must live. SO
forward-march! again and Wen see
what we can capture.
They marched along little farther,
and, all of a sudden, Johnnie Bushy-
tail stopped beating his starch-box
drum and cried:
Halt That is stop." commanded
Uncle Wiggily. What do you see,
Johnnie?" be asked.
Some early apples over in that
orchard" spoke the squirrel drummer
boy. They are good to eat"
Halt! No! Don't take them!" cried
Uncle Wiggily I'm the first place
they are not ours, and in the second
place they are green and will make
you ill SO you can't fight in the mos
But I will buy some of the green
apples from the monkey farmer who
| owns them, and I'll cook them in
dumplings for you, so they will not
hurt you. Halt here, everybody, until
I go buy some of the dumping ap-
pies" said the bunny rabbit.
So Captain Uncle Wiggily, as 1 will
call him once in a while, with his bean
shooter gun on his shoulder. went to
buy some of the green apples, coming
back with his tall silk hat quite full
of them.
will they be enough2" asked
tSammie Littletail.
| "Oh, yes" Uncle Wiggily answered.
It don't have to soak these in water,
as I did the rice, and make twice as
much of ii as 1 need. L have seen
Nurse Jane Fuzzy Wuzzy, my musk
rat lady housekeeper, make apple
dumplingS, and Gll well / know how
it is done. I'll make some as soon as
we get back to camp, and we'll have
them for dinner
So, after little march about with
his animal soldier boy friends, Uncle
| Wiggily came back to his tent near the
hollow stump bungalow and began
making the apple dumplings
First he mixed up some flour, wa
ter, sugar. butter, eggs and other
things into a crust like that for pies,
only different. While. he was doing this
the animal boys were practicing with
their bean shooters outside.
Then when he had the dumping
parts made and ready to go into the
oven Uncle Wiggily took the green
apples out of his tall silk hat, which
held almost a rabbit bushea.
Let me see, now saA the bunny
uncle thoughtfully to himself, IT think
it is now time to put the apples in
the dumplings. Then to bake them,
and they will be ready to eat!'
So into the dough dunn ping part
the bunny uncle rabbit gentleman put
the apples, and into the oven of the
sat down to wait until they were
cooked.
1t did not take very long, for the
fire was hot. and soon there was a
most delicious smell. like talcum
powder, only nicer. Uncle Wiggily
fa1 fol IN = h
oven at the dumplings and finding
them well baked and done, he pulled
them out to cool.
They were just about ready to eat.
and the bunny was going to taste of
one and then call in his soldier boy
animal friends, when, all at once, into
the tent popped a bad fox, who was
a sort of general over all the mos
quitoes.
"Ah. hal" snarled the fox. shifting
the air. Il was not mistaken,
thought 1 smelled apple dumplings
I'll try one!' And he reached his paw
for the largest one on the pan.
No! You must mott" said Uncle
Wiggily. Those are for my brave
notwithstanding soldiers,'
What care l." barked the fox, in
different-like, and with that he bit
into an apple dumping.
But no sooner had he done SO than
he Spluttefed and coughed and he had
the hiccoughs and tears came into his
eyes as he rushed out of the tent after
a drink of water, crying:
HUM Do you call those fit to
eat? I DON'T" and away he ran. hav-
ing eaten but one dumping, and that
only partly
II wonder what is the matter with
them?" Uncle Wiggily asked Nurse
Jane. who came in the tent lust then.
The muskrat lady looked at the dump
lings and laughed.
Why, Wiggy," she cried. You
forgot to take the cores out of the
apples. and the fox choked on the
hard, scratchy part with the seeds in.
You must take the cores out of apples
for dumplings."
Hal 1 knew I had forgotten some