The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-08-23
Bedtime Stories

BY HOWARD r. CARS

Uicle Wiggily and the Tulip Flower
| Buzz! Buzz! Buzz" called the
| captain mosquito to all his soldie :
mosquitoes. as they flew about the
| swamp where they lived when they
| were not trying to catch Uncle Wiggily
Longears, the rabbit gentleman. Buzz!
Buzz! Come here, all YOU biting
| bugs!"
What is the matter now?" asked
one who had yellow spots on his wings
| to show that he rode on a horse fly
| when he went to battle.
Il have thought of a plan by which
we may capture the rabbit bunny
uncle" said the head captain mos
| quito. Listen. all of you"
| So they all listened, sitting on the
underside of leaves, where no one
could see them.
You know" went on the captain
| mosquito, that when we tried to cap
| ture Grandpa Goosey Gander, who
| stood guard while Uncle Wiggily slept,
that some one fired a gun at u.s."
| Yes" buzzed all the other mos
| quitps. I'VE know"
| 1t wasn't really a gun, as YOU know.
| For what made the bang noise, as I
| told you in the story last night was
| a bloW-up paper bag in the lollypop
| automobile of the gander gentleman.
the mosquitoes having stumbled over
| it.
| Now my plan," went on the captain
mosquito, lis first to get Uncle Wig
| g1ly's gun, and then capture him. I,
| he has no gun he cannot shoot at u.s.
| Very true said a mosquito with
red spots on his wings, which showed
that he liked to dance the fox trot
| Then" proceeded the head bi.ins
bug, tonight we will fly over WI ere
| Uncle Wiggily is on guard in fror.t of
MS tent, take away his gun, and the
rest VIII be easy. Now go to sleep.
| for there is much to be done after
| dark ~
| So the mosquitoes went to sleep,
which they always do in the daytime
giving them that much more chance
to bother us at night.
And now we will see what ITncle
| Wiggily is doing.
The bunny rabbit gentleman was
marching up and down in front of his
soldier tent, wondering what next he
could teach the animal hoy soldiers
when along came ytllie Lcngtail, the
| mousie girl. In her paw she carried
a red flower.
''Oh, Uncle Wiggily!" exclaimed
Jlll1e- Wouldn't you like a red tulip
for your tent?'
Indeed 1 would" said the rabbit
gentleman. TT will maxi nv tent
look very pretty"
TN plant the tulip in the COO
ground, and pour little water on it. =
said Jillie. "Of course it won't grow
having no roots, but it will, keep fresh
longer that way
So. while Uncle Wiggily marched ur
and down, with his talccm powder
pop-gun held straight up from his
shoulder, Jillie planted the red tuliI
in front of his tent. Very straight an6
stiff the flower stood up in the ground
and in the middle of it the round yell
low thing, like finger stood VI
straight, too. This part is called q
pistil, but it cannot shoe, not being
spelled like powder pistol
''Ha! That looks very pretty said
Uncle Wiggily, as Jillie natted the
earth around the tulip t. make il
stand up straighter than ever. THANH
your
Then the animal boys came from
school-Sammie Littietail, the rabbit
Johnnie and Billie Buohytail. the
squirrels, and Jackie and Peetie Bow
Wow, the puppies-and Uncle Wig
gily gave them lessons in being sol
diers.
Meanwhile the mosquitoes were
waiting for night to come when the,
could swoop down on Uncle Wiggily
take his gun away from him and car
ry him off to their swamp, where the,
would bite him and bite him and bite
making him itch all over
Well. guess it is about time t.
start" said the captain mosquito, a.
Mind, now! All of you mike rusf
for his gun the first thing you do
Never mind the rabbit himself unit
we get his gun, so he can't shoot"
Are we all going over 20 his ten
at once" asked a biting bug with
, blue necktie, which showed that h,
liked ice cream cones.
!, mo, only about a Thousand of u.
/ will go over to get his gnn " said tn,
head mosquito. THE rest of you sta,
back in the bushes until I call you
which I'll do as soon as we have hi.
gun. Come on now
Away flew the mosquitoes Uncl,
Wiggily. standing guard r front O.
his tent, was wondering what Nurs,
Jane Fuzzy Wuzzy his muskrat lad,
housekeeper. would have for hi
of the tulip flower Jillie Longtail, tn,
mouse girl. had given hir-
II must not leave that out al
tnight," said Uncle Wiggily-. ''I'il brins
I it in the tent. But first 1 must ge
my lightning bug lantern, SO. I car
see."
With some fireflies in an old rickl,
bottle, which made as fi.lc a Lantern
as heart could wish, Uncle Wfggil,
went to pet the red tulip flower H,
left his gun in his tent. arc as he wa
. STOPPING over to pick the tulip out o
the earth, down swooped the thousant
mosquitoes.
There is his gum" buzzed the cap
tain. That straight sticking-up thin,
with red all around it. That red il
fire-powder, 1 guess. Get the guni'
Then all those foolish mosquitoes
thinking the pistil part of the tulil
| was Uncle Wiggily's gun. flew insidl
the flower. which was like a big cup
!. At first the bunny rabbit gentleman