The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-06-05
Bedtime Stories

BIZ HOWARD n. GARIs


down in the trench in front of his
tent. near his hollow stump bungalow.
he heard a voice calling;
Help! Help, Help
Hal" cried Uncle wiggily, stand
ing his red, white and blue striped
rheumatism crutch up in a pile of
sand, for he could walk without it
just then. Ha! That sounds like old
times. Some one is in trouble, and 1
nope L may be able to help them"
Ihen ne took up his bean-shooting
talcum powder gun. and, putting it
over MS shoulder, he marched to-
ward where he had heard the call,
sort OF singing to himself a rub-a-dub-
dub drum tune.
Halt" cried Uncle wiggily to him
sen as he reached the end of his
trench, or ditch which he had dug
SO ne could stay down in it where
tne pad mosquito enemies could NOT
olte MN, or throw stones Halt
Bout face What's the matter?'' ana
ne stood up as stiff and straight as =
ioIypop STICK, as any soldier should.
VINO called for help?" asked the
bunny. '"e
did" answered a slow, soft and
easy voice anu
And who are your" the ra bbit gem
tleman wanted to know.
-, am the snail, was the answer
put out my horns just now. like .
little Keelo COW, as ii tells sbon,
IN, the Mother Goose book, and both
OF my horns stuck in the sand hank
here" S''u "ahk
Then Uncle wiggily looked down.
and on the bottom of his trench he
saw Dig snail. And the snaiTs horns
We're caught fast in the soft sand of
the SIDE of the trench, or ditch
dal This ba criaa
bunny And with the sharp bayonet
VI ms gun he dug away the sand from
around the snaiFs horns so the Great
ure could wiggle himself loose, which
Thank -you-very- much" said the
slow snail slowly. Why" he eyo
CANNED in surprise-that is as much
surprise as a snail can show-'I did
Wiggily.' 0ieie
oh, yes. I'm training to be one"
answered the bunny And I'm Also
training the animal boys OF course
m not very good soldier vet. but
IN! I'm lighting the mosquitoes. and
that's something"
Indeed -it-is," said the snail %,
wlsh-I-could-be soldier" he went
me?" O1 Train
Uncle Wiggily wanted to be kind
ana not hurt the snairs feelings. But
ever to be soldier (whs has IN ~
ana Jump only he did NOT like TO
say SO. ''Ne 10
"Could-I-be-a-soldier?" asked the
shan. Now-don' t-be-in-any- hurry-to-
answer-me, Uncle Wiggily' he seid
very, very slowly. indeed .rs s t,ai
your time. Next-week- r-the-week-
a1ter-will- do-well- enough-to-let mo
know, fm-in-no- hurry"
on all right" said Uncle WigsiIv
gao ne did not have TO answer lust
then And he thought in about 49,
weeks the snail would think 81 so,,,a'
thing else he would rather be than
soldler, say a barrel of moIasses ~,
the hour hand of the clock, which
moves so slowly you can hardly see
Utmost like a snail
wen, II see you again." said the
bunny uncle, as he walked back 70
ward his soldier tent. ~
,Ihank-you," answered the snail
1H-e8pect-an-a answer from vou-in-
I'm -iiioIlth-or-two, r-maybe-next-year.
iou-were-very-kind- to-pull-my-horns-
loose from the sand bank"
Fray do not mention it" said Irrc1.
WigslIy, modest like and shy.
,,, lever -can-do-you-a favor-I-
WIN, spoke the snail. as it SLOWLY
crawIed away, and Uncle Wieeiiv
quickly hoped back to his tent ~
this time Johnnie and Billie Busbys,
TAIL the squirrel boys, and some Of tic
otner animal chaps were home from
Sonoon ana Uncle Wiggily drilled them
IN now to be soldiers
END the next day something han
pehed- The bunny rabbit gentlemen
was taking little sleep out in front
OF ms tent when. all of a sudden.
oown on MIN swooped a lot of bad
mosquitoes They were Just going -
catch him. and take him away to their
oen IN the dismal swamp, when. all
OF sudden, voice called:
Hat, Don't you dare to touch
Uncle Wiggily!"
savage-like
You wait until 1 get there and
you'll see!" was the answer. but the
mosquitoes looking around could see
no one.
"oh, come on, Let's bite Uncle
Wiggily. I'm awful hungry" said a
savage nosquit. as I cal, him for
short.
Don't you dare to bite my bunny
friend" said the big voice again.
You wait until I get there, and then
you may bite him as often as you
please. Just watt"
Where are you?" asked the mos
quito captain.
81 am coming" answered the voice
viii you promise me not to bite
Uncle Wiggily until 1 get there"
Yes, we'll promise" said the mo-
sauit cap. which is shorter still.
I'VE won't hurt him. or take him
away until you get here. Maybe that's
one of our head generals" said the
captain mosquito to the others.
Say. when are you going to get
here?" asked the captain mosquito, q
little later, when he and the others
had waited about two hours.
"Oh, I'll get there after a while"
was the answer. You see I am the
snail and II will take me about Pip
teen years and ten days to get to
where you are. I'm starting to crawl
around the earth backwards, but.
mind you. don't you dare to touch
Uncle Wiggily until 1 get back You
promisedi"'
Yes. so we did" sadly said the
mosquito captain. But IL had known
you were a slow snail never would