The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-05-08
Bedtime Stories

Uncle WiggiIy and the Dainty Man.
We'll. well! But 1 certainly am
glad to see you!" laughed jolly Uncle
Wiggily in his jolliest voice as he OPEN
ed the door of his hollow stump bum
galow one morning and saw Mrs.
Oriole, the Baltimore bird lady, and
her little girl Nan. Come right in
and make yourselves at home Did
you have nice trip up from the
Southland?"
Very nice indeed" said Mrs Oriole.
And we are very glad to get here. 1t
was sweet of you to ask us TO stay
with you until we could get our nest
home built
"Oh, but I am delighted to have
you," said Uncle Wiggily. oh, Nurse
janet" he cried. Here's Mrs. Oriole
and Nan! They have come to stay
with us until Mr.. Oriole gets here and
can make a hanging nest for them in
the elm tree. You'll build there again
this summer, suppose ?" he asked the
bird lady.
"Oh, yes she said. FILTER, my
husband, will be along soon l guess.
though he had to fly down to Palm
Beach to see some friends of his, so
he said Nan and l might as well come
on. So we did, after we got your birch
bark letter inviting us here. We had
a very pleasant trip"
Yes, and now you must have some
L, j
ner is all ready"
II really can't eat much" said Mrs
Oriole. Just a morsel of a rose-Ieaf
/ sandwich and drop of honey dew
As for Nan, she doesn't feel very well,
so she had better not take more than
! half a grain of rice
whats the matter, Nan? asked
Uncle Wiggily of the little girl birdie
oh, we flew thru some smoke from
tall factory chimney on our way
| n Ill
lowed little which went down her
Sunday throat. But if she lies down
and rests l think she will be all right"
| But poor Nan was not. That night
she was taken quite ill in Uncle Wig
gily's hollow stump bungalow and even
Doctor Postum, who was called in,
coud not make her feel better
'Oh, dear! oh, deari" said Nan
over and over again in her little bird
talk. MY throat is so hot and dry.
things the Dainty Man sells 1 would
Feel BETTER
There now, go to sleep" her moth
er would say. thrilling out little song
such as the oriole birds sing. You'll
feel better in the morning"
viii the Dainty Man be here
I them" asked Nan.
softly. '''e'
who does she mean by the Dainty
/ IA
per, for Nan had closed her eyes, and
| he did not want to awaken her.
"Oh. down south where we came
| from, said the mother bird, there is
a man who goes about the streets with
| a little red cart on wheels. He rings
a silver bell and sells to the boys and
girs dainty cakes. candy ice cream
and lollypops Every one loves the
Dainty Man, and we birds do too. for
| he gives us crumbs left over from the
childrens cakes. That's what Nan
means. She wants the Dainty Man"
And in the morning Nan was no bet
ter. and she wanted the Dainty Man
more than ever, and cried for him.
| Where is the Dainty Man? Where
| is the Dainty MAN." she asked over
fever and really did not know what
she was saying.
"Ha, We must do something about
| this" said DR.. Postum, shaking his
tail. 'If we don't soon find the Dain-
ty Man for her she won't rest. and
| the fever won't go down until she
does. Uncle Wiggily, can't you fix up
| a Dainty Man in some way?"
HE ought to- said Nurse Jane
Fuzzy Wuzzy, the muskrat lady house
keeper. HE once made a scarecrow
man for our cornfield.'
| "In try said the old gentleman
rabbit. Tell me how the Dainty Man
looks said Mr.. Longears to Mrs.
Oriole.
well. he wears a white cap and
apron. and he has a red cart with
dainties in it,
wait here a while" and he went out
| He was gone some little time. and
during it poor Nan Oriole tossed on
the bungalow bed of sweet, dried
grass and cried:
II want the Dainty Mani"
Postum.
Then, outside the hollow stumn
bungalow sounded a voice singing this
song:
do you know the Dainty MANI
He brings cakes for little Nan
ice cream drops for Chloe and Ned
IN MS jolly cart of red.
do you know the Dainty Man
lie travels round where e'er he can
'Tinkle" goes his sivery bell,
All the children know 1t we'll
do you know the Dainty Man?
Slumber songs he sings to Nan
a Saves Is, wh s, soon as she awakes,
ON, looki" whispered Nurse Jane
fuzzy Wuzzy. There he Isl" And
there, surely enough. was Uncle Wiz
gily himself, dressed up in white can
and apron, and he was pushing the
express wagon Of Billie WaetaiI the
htue goat boy. The wagon was paint
Cd red, and out of it Uncle Wieeily was
taxing dainty cakes, candies and nuts.
as well as ice cream drops, and giving
them to the animal children who were
crowded ali about him.
"Oh, is that the Dainty MANI" asked
poor, little. i'll Nan
yes, said Doctor Postum. land
l. ii nave him come up here and give
you some cool ice cream and sing Won
to sleep"
So up came Uncle WiggiIy Longears
Dainty Man. and the little Oriole bird
GIL III her 1everish dream, thought he
was the real one from down so,,tb
So she ate some of the cool ice cream
he gave her and he sung her TO sIeen
with a 'Giory-Glory'' song and when