The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-05-18
Bedtime Stories
uncle Wiggily in a Tent.
BY HOwAKD 4. GARIs

Uncle Wiggiiy in Tent
Dear me-" exclaimed Nurse Jane
Fuzzy wuzzy, the muskrat lady house
keeper as she came down stairs in the
hollow stump bungalow one morning.
IT don't see how 1 am going to get
time to do it all today"
"Do what?" asked Uncle Wiggily
Longears, the rabbit gentleman
DO all the bungalow housework
and go to sewing class over TO the
housepen of Mrs wibblewobble. the
duck lady" answered Nurse Jane
You see am taking lessons In sew
ing shirts for soldiers. and if l stay
here to make the beds get your meals
and
"Ha. Say no more cried Uncle
wiggily, touching the rim of his tail
silk hat like soldier saluting. you
need not make my bed, nor get any
meals for me, Nurse janet" ,.
'why not?" the muskrat lady want
ed to know.
Because I am going to practice
living in tent" said the bunny uncle.
There is no telling when the mos
quitoes may come back to make war
on us and I must get ready to live as
a soldier does--in a tent-and get
meals for myself
II will buy a new tent to live in, SO
you won't have to make my bed. nor
yet cook for me, so stay as long as
you like at the Wibblewobble sewing
class
''All right. 1 will. if you think you
can get along in a tent" said Nurse
Jane Fuzzy Wuzzy.
"Of course 1 cant laughed Uncle
Wiggily. "Just you wait and see!'
So, while Nurse Jane, not bothering
much with the housework, went to her
sewing class, the bunny uncle set off.
over the fields and through the woods,
to buy himself a tent For he had
made up his mind to live like a sol
der.
Uncle wiggily did not have much
trouble in getting what he wanted. He
met an elephant gentleman who used
to be in a circus, and the elephant
had a number of tents to sell. Mr..
Longears bought a small one, and took
it with him instead of having it sent
With the tent on his back Uncle
Wiggily was going through the woods
when, near an old log, he heard a
rustling among the dried leaves, and
a little voice said:
oh, mother! We can't get over!
Please help US to get on our feet right
side up
Il am sorry, my children, alas!''
answered a sad voice, but 1 cannot
help myself. much less you. 1, too.
am on my back and 1 can't turn over.
Oh, if some one would help us,"
''Tll help you Who are you and
what is the natter" asked Uncle
e Wlggily-
v II am the mother mud turtle and 7
: was out walking with my family OF
a thirteen little turtles" was the answer
, But a bad boy came along and turned
us all over on our backs and we can't
k get on our feet again, no matter how
we try"
e Then let me try!" cried Uncle Wig
f gily, with a gay and jolly laugh, put
e ting down his tent and, using his new
e red, white and blue striped rheuma-
r off their backs and right side up again
i. on their feet
e "Oh, thank you." cried the mother
e turtle and all the little turtles. That
4 was great favor, and If ever we car
= do you one we will
i Pray do not mention it," said Uncle
Wiggily, diffident like and suburban.
s Il have often turned turtles right side
n up before, SO it was no trouble to me
/. at ALL
s But it was good for u.s." said the
t mud turtle lady as she and her family
n crawled off, like walking stones. So
= Uncle Wiggily picked up his tent and
went on his way, setting up his little
white canvas house near his hollow
stump bungalow.
so you are really going to sleep IN
there; are your asked Nurse Jane
Fuzzy Wuzzy, as she came back late
that afternoon from her sewing class.
Indeed I am said Uncle wiggily.
II want to get used to being soldier.
l have cooked my meal of boiled car
rots and fried lettuce, and now 1 am
&; mine in the bungalow.
Thank you" said Nurse Jane. for
IL am very tired and she tumbled into
u her own bed without making it. Uncle
Wiggily cur1ed up on some dried grass
in his tent, and soon he was asleep.
But in the middle of the night a
strong wind began to blow. 1t howled
Il around the tent and tore one side
r loose from the wooden pegs the bunny
L had driven into the ground to hold
down the white canvas cloth
:. "Oh. this is terrible!" cried Uncle
wiegily as he rolled out of bed and
e tried to hold down the side OF the tent
with his paws. But no sooner had no
done that than the other side blew up
in the wind. and when he reached oves-
to try to hold down the second side the
first one tapped up. Then the third
side began to loosen.
"Oh. my" cried the bunny uncle.
Living in tent. as the soldiers do.
is not as easy as I thought. I ought
to have some thing heavy to put on
the outside edges of my cloth house
to hold it down. Oh, il / only had
some of Nurse James fiatirons. they
would be just the thing. But I don't
want to waken her in the middle of
the night to get them. What shall I
do? Oh, dear,'
Whats the matter. Uncle Wig
gily?" asked a voice above the noise
: of the bowling wind.
"Oh, my tent is blowing away" an
l swered the bunny gentleman. land I
= need some stones. or heavy iatirons,
to hold 1t down to the ground. But I
can't get any"
g 'sHa, We will be stones, and hold
: your tent down for you!" cried the
e voice.
d who are your" asked Uncle wig
r gily, sitting on flap of his tent to
stop IL blowing up in the air.
u II am the mud turtle lady with nv