The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-05-19
Bedtime Stories
Uncle wiggily on Guard.
BIZ HOWARD n. eARIs

adventure, when, all of a sudden. as
he came to a little place in the woods
where green grass grew with trees all
around he heard a voice calling:
Halt! Who goes there?"
"A FRIEND" came the answer.
Advance. friend. and give the
countersign.''
"Lollypops and sassafras drops"
That's right, and 1 wish 1 had
some" said the first voice with
laugh, and, peering thru the bushes.
Uncle Wiggily saw Jackie and Peetie
Bow Wow, the puppy dog boys. walk
ing around with broomstick guns over
their shoulders, like soldiers, in front
Of little tent.
"Ha! Lollypops and sassafras drops.
eh?" cried Uncle Wiggily with a laugh.
What does this mean?"
"Oh, we're playing war, and I'm a
sentry on guard" said Jackie. ~ let
no one go past unless they tell me the
secret word, or countersign, and today
it's lollpops and ssssafras drops"
"Oh, l see," laughed Uncle Wiggily.
And do you do guard duty at night,
too?"
"Oh, yes" answered Peetie, as he
made believe shoot bear with his
broomstick gun. And tonight john
ME and Billie Bushytail, the squirrels,
and some of the other animal boys,
are going to stay in the tent as
guards"
Yes. and 1 think I'll stay myself"
said Uncle Wiggily. Il want to learn
to be a soldier. 1 have a tent and last
night 1 slept in it. Everything would
have been all right if the wind hadn't
blown SO hard. But the mud-turtles
came and sat on the edges of my tent
and held it from blowing away It's
all right now, tho, but I'm coming and
help be on guard tonight
THAT will be finei" parked the pup
ply dog boys.
So that night, telling Nurse Jane
Fuzzy Wuzzy not to sit up for him,
as he would not be home until morn
ing, Uncle Wiggily left his hollow
stump bungalow and went to the tent
put up by the animal boys in the
woods.
Now I'm ready to go on guard"
said the rabbit gentleman.
"All right answered Johnnie
Bushytail. the squirrel boy You
must put your gun over your shoulder,
and march up and downein the dark
ness. And if any one comes along and
doesn't answer: Cherry pie and
cheese sticks when you ask for the
pass word, you must fire off your
gun"
Il WILL" said Uncle Wiggily. and
then with broomstick over his Shout
der the bunny uncle was on guard. Up
and down in front of the tent he
marched. like a sentry, and he was
thinking how much like a soldier he
was when, all at once. he heard in the
bushes some whispering.
We'll play a little trick on Uncle
Wiggily," said Johnnie Bushytail.
wen creep off i'll the darkness and
come toward the tent. He'll hear US
and think we are the mosquito rebel
enemies. Then he'll tell us to halt,
or stop, and we won't, but we'll run
right toward him, Wen scare him
and take his gun away and he think
it is real war"
''Finei" cried Billie. But maybe
he'll shoot us with the gun he has.
He can't" laughed Johnnie, its
only a broomstick!"
So the two squirrel boys got ready
to play the little trick on Uncle Wig
gily, and Sammie Littletail, the rabbit;
Jollie Longtail, the mouse chap, ana
the other make-believe soldier boy
animals waited for the fun
| ''Ha, So they are going to play a
! trick on me when 1 am on guard!
thought Uncle Wiggily as he walked
up and down in front of the tent in
the darkness. We'll, must see about
this" and he smiled so that his pink
nose twinkled like new dtshpan from
the 2-cent store.
A little later, as Uncle Wiggily was
still walking up and down on guard.
keeping his ears open for any SOUND
,
denly heard a cracking in the bushes.
and he saw something scooling along.
Halt" cried Uncle Wiggily, Just
like a soldier on guard. Who goes
there? Advance and say: Cherry pie
and cheese sticks or L shall have to
shoot off my gum"
''Ha, We're not afraid of you'll" cried
Billie Bushytal, making his voice
sound deep and hoarse by holding a
small stone in his mouth. Come on,
fellow soldieri'' cried Billie to his
brother, I'VE will capture this sentry
on guard"
Then Billie and Johnnie made =
rush in the darkness toward Uncle
/ Wiggily, for they wanted to make be-
lieve scare him and take his broom
stick gun away.
Rush at him now!' cried Billie.
Rush it isl" answered Johnnie.
Then, all of a sudden a bright light
flashed, and Johnnie cried:
"Ouchi"
And Billie cried:
| "Ouchi"
"Oh, did l hit any one with my bean
shooter gum" asked Uncle wiggily
in nake-believe surprise as he held up
his electric flash light which made the
woods as bright as day. did 1 hit
any one?"
Something hit me on the noset'.
said Billie.
And me. tool" added Johnnie.
oh, it must have been the hard
beans L blew from my shooter" said
the bunny gentleman, sort of laugh
ing, blinking his eyes and twinklinx
his pink nose in the darkness You
see thought the broomstick gun
wouldn't be much good against mos
quitoes, so when I came on guard to-
night brought with me bean shoot
er and when you made a noise iust
then l shot"
res; we know you did, said john
me lupoins ms sore nose. and Billie
n
said a word about having heard th.rr
plan the little trick on him.
{ So he stayed on guard the res. ~
the night. and no mosquitoes botbered
MN. and II the lollypcp doesn't take