El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-01-22
Bedtime Story For the Little Ones
UNCLE WIGGILY AND HOP THUMB.
By HOWARD R. GARIS.

I can't get them out. and I am in sucf
| trouble"
i see you are" spoke the bunny
/ gentleman III soon help you"
/ Then. putting his strong paws in tbs
! crack Of the log, which was on tht
ground and by pulling and pushing. a
! the same time gnawing with mis- big
strong teeth, Uncle Wiggily set the
J little man. Hop Thumb. free.
All That's better" cried Hor
I Thumb as he stamped about on the
guess you are quite surprised TO see
me" went on the little man. but the
truth Of the matter is that ] am in 2
book, like
Il know, Like Sindbad the Sailor.
cried Uncle WiggIly. I have met him
and like him very much mes from
the book Of Arabian Nights"
Yes. I'm from book like that.
went on Hop Thumb. When I was
little. ] and my brothers and sisters
were lost in the woods, but by scatter
ing white stones along the path | found
our way home again. But that trouble
me out of. / wish l could do you d
favor, but am so small-smaller even
than you, Uncle Wiggily-that 1 don't
believe I could ever help you"
oh, well, don't worry about that.
said the bunny uncle kindly. I was
only too glad to help you"
Then Hop Thumb thanked the rab-
bit gentleman and went on his way
hoped along another path
The rabbit gentleman went on and
on. wandering here and there among
the trees. when, all of a sudden. ou-
from behind a tree sprang a bad FOX
who grabbed the bunny uncle in his
claws
''Ah, ha"' snarled the fox. Vow
have you"
the bunny uncle. He looked at the fox.
who was the only bad one for miles
and miles around in those woods. all
the other foxes having turned good
What are You going to do TO me?
asked Uncle Wiggily.
7 don't know. Just yet" answered
the fox. sort of thinking with one paw
on his nose and with the other holding
fast to Uncle wiggily. u don't know
whether TO bite you or tickle you"
oh. please tickle me" begged Uncle
Wiggily- 1t is true that tickling me
makes me sneeze, but that il better
than being bitten. Tickle me, pray do"
i Will not" Snarled the fox Just
for asking me. I will not, If you hadn't
stead of tickling you. I'll bit you But
l promise you this, III not bite you very
hard"
Well that's better than nothing"
said Uncle Wiggily- 7 don't like this
sort of adventure at all I wish you
would tickle me and let me GO
III not" said the fox I am going
to bite you on one Of your ears. Here
go"
oh, no. you don't" suddenly cried 4
brave voice
Uncle wiggily gave a little jump and
looked around So did the fox They
could see no one
Did you speak asked the fox Of
: NO, / didn't said Uncle wiggily
Il thought il was you"
Indeed no." said the fox But never
mind. I'll bit you and
No, you won't" cried the unseen
voice again. You let that nice rabbit
gentleman go. or I'll arrest you"
"Oh, hear" cried the surprised fox
This must be fairy magic. When you
hear q voice. but can't see it. that's
magic, and if I don't turn good I'll be
changed into a bat or a cat Oh. wow
With that the fox stopped being bad.
turned good and ran away. leaving
Uncle Wiggly alone. and then from
under a pile of leaves. so small they
would not have covered A little rubber
ion. out came the tiny man, Hop
Thumb
7 was walking through the woods"
re said. and I saw the fox grab you. |
Uncle Wiggily. 1 crept up close so !
softly that he did not see me. and then |
called out using the biggest voice I J
lad; Not seeing me. the fox was |
YES. and he ran away. so. though