The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-06-29
Bedtime Stories
Uncle wiggiIy and the Lory.
BIZ HOWARD Il. GARIs

Once upon a time the skillery-scal-
ery alligator was out walking in the
fields near the muddy river where he
lived, and he happened to meet a big
spider.
Good morning, Mr.. Alligator" said
Mr.. Spider. Have you caught that
Uncle Wiggily Longears bunny YETI"
Il have not, 1 am sorry to say. an,
swered the alligator chap. I've tried
every way know how. but something
always happens so that he gets away.
Either he is helped by the funny book
girl, Alice from Wonderland. or by
some of her friends. I'm afraid I'll
never catch Uncle Wiggily."
"Oh, yes, you WILL" said Mr.. Spider.
''I'll help you"
"How?' asked the gator. which.was
his short name. tho he was rather
long.
I'll crawl thru the woods and over
the fields until L find him asleep"
said Mr.. Spider, land. when 1 do, I'll
spin strong web around and over
him SO he cannot get loose. Then I'll
come and tell you and you can get
him.
Very good" spoke Mr.. Alligator.
please do it,
So the alligator went back to sleep
in the mud to wait until Mr.. Spider
should bring him word that Uncle
Wiggily was held fast in the web.
And now let us see what happens to
the bunny gentleman. AS he always
olu, he started OUT from MS hollow
stump bungalow one morning TO look
for an adventure. There had been a
little accident at breakfast time Nurse
Jane Fuzzy Wuzzy, the muskrat lady
housekeeper, had boiled the eggs too
long and they were as hard as bullets
You can't eat them" she said to
Uncle Wiggily. I'm boil you some
fresh ones.''
"All right" laughed the bunny. "T
don't want to get indispepsia by eat
hII1I Of
| them with me and give them to John
ny or Billie Bushytail, the squirrel
boys. They can crack hard nuts SO
they must be able to crack hard boiled
eggs"
So it was that Uncle Wiggily. after
having eaten the newly boiled soft
eggs, started from his hollow stump
bungalow with the hard ones in his
pocket.
He had not travelled very far befores
ne heard from behind a big log a
voice crying:
"Oh. dear! 1t isn't hard enough, IT
isn't half hard enoughl"
what isn't? asked Uncle WiggiIv
as ne saw funny looking bird with
very large bill like a parrots what
isn't hard enough?"
This log of wood" was the answer
L need something hard to bite on 10
SOFT A' Jul ILLS WOOD Is too
You are a funny bird" laughed the
bunny gentleman. who might Won
Il am the Lory bird" was the an
sWer. belong to the book with
Ance OF Wonderland, but I'm out for
days pleasure, and, as l CAM teII
Wnat might have to eat, 1 thourbt
sharpen my bill. But / can't find
anything hard enough"
suppose you try these" said Uncle
Wlggily, taking the hard boiled eees
out of his pocket zoos
The very thingi" cried the T.or,,
Inese VIII be fine for my bill" win
mat ne sent his bill in to the bard
eggs, and he had ali he couId taa1 ~
bite them. Now I'll get INV heal W 70
ana sharp" said Lory. You 6eva
oohe me great favor, Uncle WI
glly' and L hope some day TO do ve,,
fray, do not mention it," said the
bunny rabbit, modest-like and shv
linen, having found a good use for ~.
nara boiled eggs, even If he didn't piva
mem TO the Bushytafl SQUIRREL bovs
Ghcie Wlggily hoped along, and the
practice. "e4iS LOT
Now, 1T was warm day, and. as
ohcie Wiggily felt tired, he SAT down
IN shady place in the fields. ana
soon fell fast asleep. And, no sooner
Mr.. Spider.
"Ah, hal" said the spider. ..Nox,s
my chance to catch this bunny for the
alligator. I'll spin a strong web
around him, SO strong that he cannot
break loose. Then I'll go get INV
friend, the gator"
So while Uncle Wiggily slept. Mr..
Spider spun strong web about the
punny-a very extra strong web, with
such big strands that Uncle wiggily
never could have broken them him
self And when the web was all fin
lshed, and the bunny was helpless, he
awakened just as Mr. Spider was go
ing off to call Mr.. Alligator.
"Oh, what has happened to me?"
cried the bunny, as he found he could
not move his paws or even twinkle
his pink nose. "Oh, what is it? Let
me goi''
mo, you can't go!" said the spider.
You are going to stay there until I
bring Mr.. Alligator and away he
crawled. Uncle Wiggily tried to get
loose, but he could not.
"Oh, IL only some one would come
who's good and strong. and would cut
this web. then 1 would be freei" said :
the bunny.
And then, all of a sudden. out from
behind the bush came the Four and
Twenty Tailors, from Mother Goose.
They had their big scissors with them,
and they were led by Alice of Won
derland.
"I told these silly tailors I'd help
them hunt the snail, because they are
afraid Of her tall" laughed Alice, but
we'll stop and help you first, dear Un-
Gle Wiggily!"
then the Four and Twenty Tailors,
with their shears, shipped and
snapped the strong spiders web until
it was all in pieces and the bunny
could easily get loose. And when the
alligator, fetched by the spider, came
to get the bunny. he wasn't there
But the strong-billed Lory bird was
there. He had heard about Uncle
Wiggily's trouble from the Dodo bird.
and had come. with his strong LIN. to
bite the spiders web into little pieces.
But am too late, see." said the