The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-07-19
Bedtime Stories
Uncle wiggily and the Red sird.
By HOWARD r. CABS

mobile?" asked Nurse Jane FUZZY
Wuzzy, the muskrat lady housekeeper
of Uncle Wiggily Longears, the rabbit
gentleman, as she saw him start out
from his hollow stump bungalow one
morning.
yes. 1 haven't ridden in the car
for some time" said Mr.: Longears.
his pink nose friendly like.
You see since the price of bologna
sausage got so high I couldn't afford
to use it for tires on the wheels. so
haven't ridden in the auto for over a
month"
But what have you for tires now?"
asked Nurse Jane.
Some toy circus balloons l bought
at the fair the bunny gentleman an
swered. They're not as strong az
the bologna sausages, and they burst
more easily. But Jackie or Petite
Bow Wow, the little puppy dogs, will
not bite them when they are hungry.
as they used to do to my sausage
tires. and / won't have to sprinkle
pepper on them to make them go
faster"
Sprinkle pepper on Jackie and
Peetie?" asked Miss Fuzzy Wuzzy.
MOP laughed Uncle Wiggily. II
used to sprinkle pepper on the sau-
sage tires, you remember. Now, on
pink popcorn, as they're used to that
at fairs and circuses. But here I go
to look for an adventure"
So saying, Uncle Wiggily started off
in his automobile. Over the fields
and thru the woods rode the bunny
rabbit gentleman, and he was won
dering what would happen to him.
when, all of a sudden he saw some
thing red flashing thru the bushes.
Il won6,r if that is a red danger
light behii-. some other automobile
thought Uncle Wiggily. But, it
COI1IdY1'f he a oil fnr 11a
only show at night and it is not yet
dark
Then the rabbit gentleman saw that
the red thing was a red bird flying
were a bright scarlet, and most beau
tiful Uncle Wiggily could not stop
looking at it,
You are a beautiful bird" said the
bunny rabbit gentleman. IT like your
colors very much. 1t is something
like my pink, twinkling nose, only
Thank you." said the bird. But
you did not happen to see another
one like me, did your
Why"
Because I have lost friend of
mine. since coming to these woods.
Ans er red bird like myself was with
me-
do you mean your wife ?" asked
mo. My wife's feathers are not
nearly SO bright as mine, tho dearly
love her in spite of that. Her color
is ont red, tho it is pretty. The bird
mean is a gentleman friend, and he
and 1 were flying around together
while our wives are warming the eggs
SO the little birds will hatch out. But
1 have lost him.
Then come and ride in my auto
mobile" invited Uncle Wiggily land
we will look for him A bird, colored
as you are, is easily seen, and YOU
must be tired flying
The red bird said he was, but he
soon became rested when he rode
with Uncle Wiggily. and together they
looked for the missing one. They
soon found him singing in a mulberry
tree, and the two friends flew off to-
gether after thanking the bunny.
As for Uncle Wiggily he rode on
and on, looking on both sides for the
road for an adventure, but he could
not seem to find any. He was about
saw railroad track just ahead of
him.
'I'll ride across that and see what's
on the other side" he said. Maybe
there'll be an adventure"
There was, but not just the kind
Uncle Wiggily wanted. For no SOON
err was he on the middle of the rail-
road track crossing than Bank!
Hiss" his toy balloon tires burst, his
auto wheels became stuck in the rails,
and Uncle Wiggily himself was thrust
so tightly against the steering wheel
of his auto that he could not get out.
"Oh, myI This is terribler' cried the
bunny uncle. II can't get loose and I
can't start my machine! oh. what will
happen to me?"
He was very soon to find out
All of a sudden there was a footing
and whistling. a snorting; a putting
and choo-chooing sound, and there,
coming around the bend, was a train
of cars and a putting engine.
"Oh. must get out of the way! I
must get out of the way or I'll be run
overt" cried the bunny. But he
couldn't get out of the automobile, for
he was held fast, and he couldn't get
the car to go off the railroad track
because the balloon tires had burst
and the wheels were tightly caught
ooh, If only had something to stop
the trains How do you stop railroad
trains from running over you when
you are stuck on the track ?" cried the
bunny.
by waving something red like a
danger flag at them" answered a
voice Then they stop"
but I have nothing red to wave,
not even a red flannel shirt, for don't
wear them in summer" sadly said the
bunny, "and my nose is only pink"
Wen wave our red wings at the
engineer, ara ne Will know there is
danger and stop in time" cried the
two red birds. And they did, futter-
ing their wings at the engineer. Then
he stopped the train just in time ana
helped Uncle Wiggily push the auto
mobile off the track.
And everybody said the birds were
brave as well ais beautiful Their name
Is Scarlet Tanager, and if ever you see
one you'll never forget it. So every
thing came out all right, you'll notice.
and the red danger birds flew safely
back to their wives, and Uncle Wig
gily rode on to his bungalow And
the next story will be about the bunny
gentleman and the oriole-bird--that
is. If the barn door doesn't try to get
in the house and go TO sleep in the
cats cradle--tCopyright, 1917. bv
Mcclure Newspaper Svndicate.1