The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-07-07
Bedtime Stories
Uncle Wiggily and Tweedledum.
BY HOWARD r.. GARIs


Are you in. Uncle Wiggily?" asked
a voice at the hollow stump bungalow
one morning, and the rabbit gentle
man looked up to see Alice from Won
derland standing on the door sill.
"Yes, of course I'm in. my dear" he
answered. Cant you see me?
st can't be sure of anything l see,
answered the little girl with flaxen
hair especially since I've been hav-
ing so many queer adventures. 1 used
to think saw the Cheshire cat, when
it was only his grin smiling at me.
And maybe now I'm only looking at
your ears, or tall silk hat, and thinking
it's you"
NO, I'm here all right" answered
the bunny. rs there anything 1 can
do for your"
yes" answered Alice. I'D like
you to come for a walk with me. L
haven't much longer time to stay with
you, and 1 want to have all the fun
1 cam
Are you going away?" asked Uncle
Wiggily.
II have very soon to go back in the
book where / belong" answered Alice.
But no matter Come now, and wen
go look for an adventure"
So Alice and Uncle Wiggily started
off over the fields and thru the woods.
and they had not gone very far be-
fore they suddenly heard, among the
trees, some voices crying:
You did it!'
mo, L didn't"
Yes, you did; you know you did"
mo, didn't! 1 know I didn't"
We'll, Wen have to have battle
anyhow"
And then came a sound a if some
one was beating a carpet with a fish
ing pole, and voices cried:
"Oh! Oh, dear! Ouch! Oh, how it
hurts!"
"My, what in the world can that
be?" asked Uncle Wiggily. 'It sounds
like an adventure all right"
'I think it is" answered Alice ITS
probably Tweedledum and Tweedledee
fighting
Fighting? Tweedledee and Twee-
dledum?" asked the surprised bunny.
"Oh, it's only in fun" laughed Alice.
and they have to do it because it's
that way in the book, for if they didn't
things wouldn't come out right. Yes,
there they are" And she pointed off
thru the trees, where Uncle Wiggily
saw two round. fat, little boys, SO
like one another that no one could
tell them apart, except when they
were together-just like twins, you
know.
"Oh, I'm glad to see your' called
Alice to the two queer fat chaps.
| They were as round as barrels, both
of them. Uncle Wiggily noticed that
on the collar of one was the word
DUN, while on the other was the word
DEE.
on the back of their collars" Alice ex-
planned. LAS it's the same for both.
they didn't need it in 'front.'
Then the fat boys turned around.
like tops slowly spinning, and, surely
enough, on the back of the white col
| 10 1AAN
TWEEDLE.
Pm glad to see you" spoke Uncle
Wiggily. L heard you-sort of-er-
well, you know" he went on. diff
dent-like, not wishing to say he had
heard the brothers quarreling.
"Oh, it's all right, we do that every
day" said Tweedledee.
And. contrariwise, twice on Sun
day." added Tweedleum. I'VE have to,
| for the verse about us says:
.Tweedledum and Tweedledee
Agreed to have a battle;
For Tweedledunn said Tweedledee
Had spoiled his nice new rattle
lust then down flew a monstrous crow,
AS black a tar barrel
Which frightened both the heroes so,
They quite forgot their quarrel.
"OnIy we weren't really frightened"
said Tweedledee. I'VE just made be-
lieve so, and laughed at the crow
And | didn't really spoil Tweedle-
dum's nice new rattle. for here it is
now" and taking his arm down from
his brothers. neck he took the rattle
from his pocket and shook it. making
a noise like a drum.
And, Just as he did that. all of
sudden, out from behind a big stump
came-not a monstrous crow, but the
bad old skillery- scalery alligator, who
cried:
"Ah ha! At last I have him. Now
I'll get that Uncle Wiggily Longears
chap, All ha" and he made a grab
for the gentleman bunny.
."Oh. dear" exclaimed Alice, please
don't hurt Uncle Wiggily,"
Yes / SHALL" snapped the gator.
IN humble him and humble him.
that's what I'll do"
"Oh. no you won't" exclaimed
Tweedledum. waddling toward TIE al
ligator as Jimmie Wibblewobble. the
boy duck. waddled when he walked.
1T won't WHAT" asked the gator
You won't humble or humble Tn
Gle Wiggily. First you have to catch
me-"
Pooh, That's easily done" snapped
the alligator. You are SO fat that
you can't run any more than a rub
Der ball.
viii you promise to let Uncle Wig
gily alone until you catch me?" asked
Tweedledum. eagerly.
II promise" said the alligator.
smiling to himself, for he thought he
could easily catch the fat twin, and his
promise wouldn't count.
Then here I go, Catch me-" sud-
denly cried Tweedledum. And with
that he stretched out on the ground
and began to roll down hill in the
woods. And as he was fat and round
he did roll as fast as rubber ball,
and he rolled so fast (ever SO much
faster than if he had run) that when
the alligator raced after him, as he
had promised he would do, why the
bad double jointed skillery-
creature got all out of breath and
couldn't humble or humble a straw
berry, to say nothing OF Uncle Wig
gily.. And the gator didn't catch the