The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-05-31
Bedtime Stories
Uncle wisgiIy and Jillie,s Crackers.
By HOWARD Il. GARIs


thru the forest of Woodland one day,
him, when, all of a sudden he saw,
just in front of him, Jillie Longtail,
the little mouse girl, skipping lightly
along singing a song.
We'll, Jillie." cried Uncle Wiggily,
happy-like, you seem most jolly this
morning. What's the natter"
Nothing is the matter, Uncle Wig
gily," answered the sister of Jollie,
the mouse boy, except that it's Satur-
day, and there's no school, and I'm go
ing to the store for my mamma and
1 have penny-and-"
"Oh, goodness me sakes alive and
some lollypop sandwiches" laughed
the bunny uncle. That's enough to
be happy about. But if you are going
to the store for your mamma, hop
in my automobile and I'll take you
there more quickly. What are you go
ing to get?'
Crackers to go with the sour milk
cheese you SO kindly got for Jollie
from the fairy WITCH" answered the
little mouse girl. There is some of the
cheese still left, and as we are going
to have Mr.. and Mrs. Whiskers Rat
as company to supper tonight my
mamma sent me to the store to get
some crackers to cat with tie cheese
That will be fine!" laughed the
gentleman bunny
And you may come to supper. too,
if you want to- went on Jillie- You
like crackers and cheese; don't you?'
Very much" answered Uncle Wig
gil. But still If 1 came to supper
without your mother inviting me /
might be in the way
"Oh, you'd never be that" cried
Jillie. I'VE love you too much for
THAT"
But there might not be enough
crackers and cheese" went on the
rabbit gentleman, making his pink
nose sort of frisk about on both sides
of his face.
That's so,'' said Jillie, slowly. But
I'll tell you what to do. You come
along to the store while l buy the
crackers, and then you can ride me
horne in your automobile. Then 1 can
60 in 1'n whisper to my mamma il
Mr.. and Mrs. Whiskers Rat are there)
and ask her if there isn't enough
crackers and cheese so you can stay to
supper. Will that be all right?''
Uncle Wiggily laughed so hard that
right, and Jillie looked at him in a
funny way, wondering what the joke
was, but the bunny only made his auto
go faster, and soon they were at the
cracker store. JilEe ran in, bought a
box and also penny's worth of can
soon the bunny and the little mouse
girl were on their way home again.
They had not gone very far before,
all of a sudden, when Jillie looked
back, she saw chasing after them a
lsbig black cat, with a long tail, and
whiskers nearly large as busting
| brush.
"Oh, Uncle Wiggily. Look" cried
Jillie, holding her crackers tightly in
her paws so they wouldn't drop.
Hum; Yes. I see a cat is after
u.s." spoke the bunny uncle. Maybe
| it's messenger boy cat, with a tele-
gram to say that some of my friends
are ill, and that I'm wanted to come
and make them feel more jolly"
"Oh, 1 hardly think SOL" said Jillie,
sort of trembling like. Il think the
cat is after me because I'm a mouse,
you see"
| That's so,'' agreed the bunny gen
tleman. 1T looks like my old friend.
the ear-scratch;ng cat. but surely he
would not DO me or you any harm
You never can telli' said Jillie.
Either your good friend may have
turned bad, or it may be some other
animal dressed up like a pussy, 1
think we'd better hurry on
All right" answered Uncle Wig
| gily, so he sprinkled some taIcum
powder on the tinkerum- nkerum of
his automobile to make it jump along
faster and he and Jillie rode on. But
still the black cat came leaping on
after them, and, all of a sudden:
| Puff! went one of the bologna
sausage tires, when q sharp stone
made a hole ip it, and all the stuffing
came out of it, so that Uncle Wiggilv
mad to stop the automobile.
Quick" cried Jillie. Let's hide
down under the seat. and then the cat
can't see us. Hide, Uncle Wiggily!"
| Jillie pulled the bunny gentleman
/ down beside her and there they hid.
| But they could hear the cat coming
pitter-patting after them. now and
then giving loud "meaouw," until it
stopped right in front of the automo-
bile.
Now I wonder where they've
gomez" said the cat, out loud, not see
ing Uncle Wiggily or Jillie. Il must
/ md them so 1 cam
We'll. you can't bite us or scratch
us or do anything like that to usrr
quickly cried Jfllie. Now. YOU go on
away, bad cat. or FL shoot YOU.
Listen, 1 have gun. You shall hear
| it pop,'
| With that Jillie opened the box of
| crackers. and taking some out she
| whispered to Uncle Wiggily:
Here, you break one and I'll do
the same. They're fresh crackers.
hard baked, and they'll break and
| crack like gum Then we can scare
the cat SO the bunny man and the
mousie girl cracked the crackers.
Crack! Bangi Crack" went the
crackers. like little popguns, but the
| black cat only laughed and said:
Bless your hearts. That wouldn't
scare me. l can see what you're do
1ng-cracking crackers But L would
NJ hurt you, anyhow. I'm a friend
of Uncle WiggiIy's."
Then why did you run after us?''
asked Jillie.
10 give you back the change from
4 your money You ran off and left il
on the grocery store counter" said the
cat with a meaouwing laugh. The
grocery dog asked me to give it back
to you, SO I chased after you with II. -
t Then he gave Jillie her change, and
helped Uncle Wiggfly mend the broken
! bologna sausage tire, and soon the
mouse girl was safely at home with
| the crackers to go with the cheese