The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-08-29
Bedtime Stories
Uncle WiggiIy and the Bat.
BY HOWARD r. GARIs

Uncle WisgiIy and the Bat.
Susie Littletail. the little rabbit girl. !
with lille Longtail, the mouse. and |
Jennie Chipmunk were playing on the !
grass one evening, out in front of the |
tent of Uncle Wiggily Longears, the |
soldier gentleman.
Tag. You're it," cried Jennie as |
she touched Susie.
The little rabbit girl started to run |
after Jillie Longtail, the use. when. |
all of sudden, there was a scream
from Jennie.
"oh." she cried. .oh. dear! Look
out,"
! Whats the matter?' cried Uncle
Wiggily, running out of his tent,
where he had been loading his talcum
powder popgun with baked beans.
ready for the enemy mosquitoes in
case they flew at him. whats the
matter, Jennie?"
''Oh, a great big black bat just
flew over my head" said Jennie put
ting her paws on her nice striped
hair.
well, what of it?' asked the rab-
bit gentleman. "A bat won't hurt
you
"Oh, yes he Will" cried Jennie, and
D
stopped playing tag. IF bat gets
caught in your hair he can't get his
claws loose, and he'll make you bald
| headed 1 don't want to lose all my
/ hair!''
'.Ha. Ha." laughed U. Gle Wiggily.
| That's all nonsensei 1t is true a bat
! has hooks, like claws. and fingers. on
the ends of his wings, and they might
catch in your hair if they got too near
you. But the bat would not mean to
! nd he he as
i if that happened"
Just then the bat flew down closer
| to hear the nice things Uncle Wiggily
was saying about him, and Susie and
| the other animal girls screamed again.
What is it?" asked Sammie Little
tail the rabbit soldier boy brother of
Susie, as he hopp past.
"A bati'' she told him.
| Then Samnie recited:
Bat. Bat. Came under my hat,
| III give you slice of bacon
And when l bake,
I'll give you cake,
If | am not mistaken,
With that Sammie tossed his cap up
! in the air, as near he could to the
but, but Uncle Wiggily said:
/ please don't do that, Soramie. The
bat might hit your cap, and hurt his
wings SO he couldn't fly. You don't
want to hurt the bat. do you?''
81 don't know" answe--d the rab-
! bit boy uncertain like. Bats aren't
any good!"
"Oh, yes. they are some good" said
Uncle Wiggily. Just at this precise
moment l forgot what go ID they real
ly do, but I know it is some. Any
how. don't hurt them, ard don't be
afraid of them. bat, at least the
kind that live around here is more
afraid of you than you can be of him"
Thank you, Uncle Wlggily," said
the bat as it fitted about in the dark,
for they can see when it IS black as
well as cat. Thank yoa fer telling
the, truth about me. 1 hope some day
1 may be able to do you favor"
"Oh. don't mention it, begged the
bunny uncle, confused like. Then he
told the animal childre.l to run in
their homes, for it was nearly bed
time, while Uncle Wigsiix himself
tied his tall silk hat firmly down over
his ears and went out on guard in
front of his soldier tent, his hol-
low stump bungalow. II hope the
mosquitoes will not bother me to-
night" said the bunny rabbit gentle
man to himself They nave made
trouble enough for me-"
So he marched up and down, like a
soldier. for this was war time and he
listened for mosquitoes.
But the bad biting bugs from the
dark dismal swamp did not seem to be
out that night. Maybe they had had
enough of being shot at when they
hid in the tin can as l told you last
night. Anyhow they did not
No, hold on a minute, if lou please.
; am wrong. The mosquitoes are out
| and they are coming as fast rs they
. can toward Uncle Wiggily.
I'VE must make ons more try to
catch him." buZZed the head biting
bug. This time we shall surely carry
him off with us. Be brave now my
fierce friends! Get ready to charge
on that enemy rabbit mani
IL
, ready to shoot off his talcum powder
, gun to scarce the mosquitoes? Alas,
indeed he is --ot. Uncle Wiggily has
, fallen fast, fast asleep.
: '-Bizzi Bizzl" buzzed the mosqui-
toes IS they flew nearer and nearer
i the sleeping soldier rabbit gentleman
! They had sharpened thei bills on the
/ rout h file-like bark of the swamp
: trees, and were all ready to bite.
Ready now, Swoop down on
. him. buzzed the captain. when, all
: of sudden, black shadow flew up
: from behind Uncle Wiggily's tent
, Straight into the loud of mosquitoes
it Topped itself an a voice cried
''Hai Bite my friend Uncle Wig
: gily Lor~@ 49, --ould you? Well,
$ guess not, Look ont tor yourselves
r I'm going to yopv' and with that
i the black shadow began darting about
! as swiftly as IAN arrow
"Oh, It's the bat, It's the bat. who
e can see in the dark, and catch mos
/ quitoes and other bugs in his mouth
e as he f1iesi'' cried the captain. Fly
e away Fly away"
i Well, the mosquitoes tried to fly
e away. but the bat caught good many
K of them for all that And so, once
a again they didn't get Uncle Wiggily
o And when the rabbit gentleman
awakened by the cries. learned wha'
d the bat had done, he said:
Hal. I knew you were good fol
e something my night-flying friend. L
e is to catch mosquitoes"
Yes" answered the bat. That il
e it. You spoke well of me and now
: have returned the complim emit" Then
d as twas getting daylight. when h.
e could not see. he went to sleep up il
d a tree.
a And if the rubber ball doesn't hid
Il in the umbrella when the overshoe