The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-06-23
Bedtime Stories

by the Wheeler Syndicate.
Incl
BY HOWARD r.. GARIs

please take me with you tnlS morn
ing?" asked little voice, somewhere
down near the floor end of the
old rabbit gentlemans rheumatism
crutch. as Mr.. Longears sat at break
fast table in his hollow stump bunga-
low. please take me with you'll"
well, who are you, and where
do you want to re taken?' asked the
bunny.
"Oh, I'm Squeaky- Eeky. the little
cousin mouse vas the answer, land
L want you to take me with you on
one of your walks, SO 1 can have an
adventure as you do with Alice in
VIC nderland."
But perhaps I may not see Alice
in Wonderland" spoke Uncle Wigglly.
IL do not always have that pleasure.
We'll, then, perhaps we IL see the
Baby or the Duchess, or the Gryphon
or some of the funny folk who make
such jolly fun with YOU, went on
Squeaky-E eky. Il have holloay
from school today. because they are
painting the blackboards white, and
I'd like to come with you
Come along then!" cried Uncle
WiggiIy, giving the little cousin mouse
bit of cheese cake with some lettuce
sugar sprinkleG over the top. We'll
see what sort OF adventure happens
today"
So, calling good-by to Nurse Jane
Fuzzy Wuzzy, the muskrat lazy
housekeeper, Uncle Wlgslly anu
! Squeaky-Eeky started off over the
! fields and thru the woods. They had
not gone very far before. all at once,
as they walked along little path un-
der the trees they saw funny thlng
lying near a clump of ferns:
1t looked like mud turtle at 1lrst'
but after peerlnS at IL thru ms siaeees
Uncle Wiggily saw that the larger
part was made of half-round stone
| In front of that was part OF broken
rubber ball, and sticking out at the
| four corner places were four pieces
of wood, like little claws, while at the
back was piece OF an oio
my. I wonder what in the world
| this can be ~ said Uncle Wisgily, sur
"Maybe it's something from Alice
in Wonderland. spoke SqueahS AeA!'
| the cousin mouse
you are right ami exclaimed
a voice. Il am the Mock-Turtie and
1 have just gotten out OF the soup
| "Oh, I'm so glad to meet YOU! cried
Soueaky. i've always wanted TO see
what a real mock turtle looked hke.
ever since read the book about
Alice"
"Hum," grunted the queer creature.
| There's no such thing as a real mock
turtle any more than there is make
| believe toOthache-
Il hope you never have that, SAID
| Squeaky- Eeky. politely.
| Thank you, 1 don't care for any,
answered the Mock-Turtle, just as ii
the little cousin mouse had passed the
cakes. And then the turtle began to
| sing:
speak gently to your toothache
drops,
And do not let them fall
And when you have the measle-
mumpS,
THEY'LL scarcely hurt at ALL"
Mine did" said Squeaky- Eeky,
wondering if this was what Alice
would have answered. But the Mock
Turtle kept right on with:
"Once tramp was seated on
A chair made out of cheese.
! He ate the legs and then he fell
Down with j terrible sneeze."
THAT isn't right" said SQueaky-
Eeky It's a trap that was baited
with a piece of cheese, and
"Hush." suddenly exclaimed the
Mock-Turtle. Here he eomes"
'.Who?" asked the little cousin
| mouse do you mean the tramp
Before the Mock-Turtle could an
swer along came shuffling a big,
shaggy bear: At first Uncle Wlggliy
and the little cousin mouse thought
perhaps it was Neddie or Beckie Stub
tail. one of the good bear children,
but instead it was bad old tramp sort
of a bear-the kind that goes about
taking honey out of beehives.
''Ah, ha.'' growled the bear. "A
rabbit and a mouse! That's fine for
me! 1 shall have a good dinner, I'm
sure!" and he smacked his red tongue
against mis- teeth.
Where will you get your dlnner?''
asked Uncle Wiggily curious like.
There is no restaurant or kitchen
around here went on Squeaky-
| Eeky.
Never you mind about that cried
the bear. "I'H attend to you at des-
sert. Just now l want Uncle Wiggily
to come here and count how many
teeth 1 have and he opened his
mouth real wide, that bear did.
"Oh, but 1 don't want TO count
your teeth" said the poor bunny gen.
tIeman, for well he knew what the
hears trick would be. The bear want
ed to bite Uncle Wiggily.
you must count my teeth" sroWl-
ed the shaggy creature. coming close
to Uncle Wiggily-
No. let me do it," suddenly cried
the Mock-Turtle. 81 am good at count
ing"
well, it doesn't make any differ
ence who does it," said the bear Then,
going close over to where the Mock
Turtle sat on the path, the bear open
ed wide his mouth. And then. just as
he would have done to the rabbit
gentleman, the bear made a savage
bite for the Mock Turtle.
But you know what happened. In
stead of biting on something good,
like a lollypop, the bear bit on the
hard stone, of which the top part of
Mock, or Make-Believe, Turtle was
made, and the stone was so gritty and
tough that the bears teetr all broke
off, and then he couldn't bite even a
jelly fish.
''Oh, wowl Oh, woe is mel cried
the bear, as he ran to see IL he could
find dentist to make him some false
teeth.
And he didn't hurt me a Bit"
laughed the Mock-Turtle, of stone,
wood and leather, who was made that
way on purpose to fool bad bears and
such like. Il don't mind in the least
being bitten" said the pretend turtle.
But you saved my life, and