El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-06-26
Bedtime Story For the Little Ones
Uncle Wiggily and the Magic Bottles.
By HOWARD n. rsRTx
WARD n. GARIs.

magic bottles. I wonder what 1 am tC
do with them2"
He looked at the. red and blue
corked bottles, holding one in each
paw, and he was wondering whether
It would be best to grow small OF
large. when, all at once he felt him.
self caught from behind by & pair Of
big claws. and, looking over his
shoulder. as best ne could Uncle Wig
gily saw that he was held fast by a
big alligator; a skilIery-scalery chap
with double jointed tail like a pantry
door.
"Ah. ha! have YOU" gurgled the
gator.
yes. I see you have!" said Uncle
/ Wiggily. sadly.
You thought you and Father VIII
/ liam would fool me by standing on
your heads so 1 couldn't tickle your
feet" went on the gator, as call him
for short. But got down out Of the
tree, and here am. I have you now
and yon can't get away from me-"
Indeed II did seem so. for he held
Uncle Wiggily very tight and fast in
his claws.
What are you going to do with
me?" asked the rabbit.
Take you home to my den, and
my dear little foxes, Eight, Nine and
Ten" said the alligator.
O4eS- GIlGQ lnGle MlEEllN.
Have you foxes?"
4 have," answered the alligator
Il am keeping them until their father
gets back home from a hunting trip,
and they are very hungry. Their
father is the fox who went out in =
hungry plight, and he begged of the
moon to give him light, for he'd many
miles to go that night. Before ne
could reach his demo-"
''Oh. now 1 remember" said Uncle
Wiggily. It's in Mother Goose"
Yes, and so is the rest of it" went
on the alligator. AT last the fox
reached home to his den, and his dear
little foxes. Eight, Nine, Ten Those
are their names. though they sound
like numbers" said the gator. I'll
soon introduce you to them Come
alongi"
Now Uncle wiggily did not like this
at all. He wanted to get away from
the alligator, but he did not know
how he could do it At last he thought
Of the magical bottles Alice had given
him
"Ah. ha,' thought Uncle Wiggfly.
I'll give the alligator a drink from
the blue corked one, and Will see
what happens" So Uncle Wiggily
slyly said to the gator:
Before you take me off to your
dens would you not like drink from
this DO. tie to refresh you2"
aye. I would" said the skillery-
scalery creature. not all politely. II
was going to take some anyhow,
whether you asked me or not"
With that he took the blue corked
bottle from the paw of the bunny
"a btit with his teeth and drank a few
drops.
And, no sooner had he done that,
than the alligator began to shrink.
First he became as small as a dog,
then as little as a cat, then as tiny as
a kitten, then no larger than a bird
and finally he was no bigger than a
baby angle worm And when the al
EsaIor became that size Uncle Wig
silly was not afraid and easily got
away from him, taking the two magic
bottles
"Oh, dearl" cried the gator in
baby angle worm voice. about as loud
as the head Of pin How foolish
was TO drink from the magic bottle
and grow small"
But il served him right. 7 think.
and the bunny uncle was safe And
II the foot of the stairs doesn't step /
pm the front door mat and make & /
slide off the porch I'll tell you next /
lbout Uncle Wiggily and the croquet 4
1917, by Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.