The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-08-18
Bedtime Stories
Uncle wiggily and the Rake.
By HOWARD n. GAKIs

Uncle Wiggily and the Rake.
We'll. it certainly looks very much
better" said Uncle Wiggily, the
bunny rabbit, to Nurse Jane Fuzzy
Wuzzy one morning, when the tailor
bird, with its sharp bill. had cut the
grass in front of the hollow-stt mn
bungalow.
Yes, indeed. Much better"
agreed the muskrat lady housekeeper.
The cut grass ought to be raked
up, tho" spoke the tailor bird. IT
can't DO that part, tho with my sharp
bill 1 can slice off the green blades"
"Oh, I'll rake the grass thankyou,"
spoke the bunny uncle. I'm much
obliged to you"
Then, while the tailor bird flew
away to sew a button on the coat
pocket of DIR. Postum so he wouldn't
lose all his money, Uncle Wiggily got
the rake and began to gather up
the cut grass.
He had only raked a little while,
tho, when he struck the rake against
a stone. and, it being wooden rake,
There! Now you have gone and
done i'll" exclaimed the rake, which
could speak garden talk that Uacle
Wiggily understood.
What have 1 done?" asked the
abbit
You have broken off one of my
teeth" went on the rake. Now
you'll have to let me go to the aen
lists to have it fixed"
Uncle Wiggily pulled from the
grass the rake he had been using and
looked at it
Surely enough, one of the wooden
teeth had broken off, and you know,
as well as 1 do, rake with q missing
tooth or two looks as queer as boy
with red hair does when one of his
front teeth is gone.
This is quite too bad sadly said
Uncle Wiggily. 81 didn't mean to do
it, and I'll take you to the dentists
myself"
So, getting out his automobile with
the bologna sausage tires on, which
went faster when you sprinIled them
with pepper, off started the bunny rab-
bit with the rake.
All that tooth is badly broken"
said the monkey gentleman, who was
a dentist for the animal folk and gar
den tools. 'It will take some time to
put in a new ONE
Then can't 1 finish raking up the
grass on my lawn today" asked Mr..
Longears,
I'm afraid not" answered the
monkey. You can't use this rake, any
how
Then must get another" exclaim-
ed Mr.. Longears.
But when he went to the one and
two cent store for another rake. there
was none. All their rakes had been
sold, and it was the same at the three
and four cents store and at the ten
\ and eleven. Not a rake was to be
had in Woodland, where Uncle Wig
gily lived.
well l must do something" said
/ the bunny rabbit gentleman. Il can't
let the cut grass stay on my lawn I'M
til the rake grows new tooth What
shall 1 do?
I lery growlery noise behind a big
stump. At first he was frightened, es-
pecially when he saw big shaggy
bear peeking out at him.
ooh. Uncle Wiggily." cried the bear
| VIII you please help me! My tail is
caught in a crack in this log. down or
which 1 sat to rest myself. and 1 cam
reach it to get it lose. Please helI
mel"
J "Of course 1 will" cried Uncle Wig
gily in his most jolly voice. Then he
saw the bear was good, kind Mr.
Stubtail, the father of Neddie and
Beckie. and Mr.. stubtail loved Uncle
i Wiggily.
So with long stick the bum,
pushed open the crack in the log anC
Mr. Stubtail could get his tail out
Thank you, Uncle Wiggi1y," sale
the bear gentleman. But why do yoI
| look so sadi"
Then the rabbit gentleman told
about having to take his rake to
dentists to get its tooth fixed. anC
having no rake to gather the cut gras
off the lawn.
"Oh, mol" laughed Mr.. Stubtail
make your mind easy about that
With my long claws I'll rake you
grass for you.''
And so the bear gentleman did, hi
claws being long and curved just Hk,
the teeth of some rakes. So the gras
was gathered from Uncle Wiggily'
lawn, and it looked very nice in from
of the hollow-stump bungalow. Ant
J the next day the rake's tooth wa
mended as good as new.
And if your gold fish doesn't ge
caught In the tennis net and make
racket like a canary bird I'll tell yol
next about Uncle Wiggily and tn
, fried gg.-(Copyright, 1917, by tn
Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.)