Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1917-06-08
UNCLE w,eeiLY IN THE DITCH.

muSkrat lady "hOuSekeeper Tor the old
gentleman rabbit, as she watched him
low n morning with a hoe, rake and
shovel over his shoulder. "Are you go
ing to make garden?'
NO, indeed!" laughed the bunny rab-
bit. 1T is quite too late to do that.
All gardens are planter by now."
But o seem to be going to dig
something" went on the muskrat lady.
Il I'm. Uncle Wiggily answered. I'm
going to dig a TRENCH"
whats a trench?" asked Miss Fuzzy
Wuzzy.
It's like a ditch. only it hasn't any
water in it, explained MI. Longears.
Nov that l am "A soldier, fighting for
my country against the biting mosqui-
toes, l must dig a trench in front of my
tent"
What for?" asked Nurse Jane.
oh, so that 1 and the other animal
boys-Sammie Littletail, the rabbit, and
Johnnie and Billie Bushytail, the SPUR.
or trench. and be safe from harm when
the mosquito enemy fires stones at U.S."
said Uncle Wiggily. safety first, you
know, Nurse Janet"
Yes, that's what it says on the little
req button the animal children wear
muskrat lady. We'll. I'll watch you dig
the trench. Uncle Wiggily, land. having
washed her dishes, the muskrat lady
sat down In front of the white tent
which the bunny rabbit had set up in
front of his hollow stump bungalow,
and there. in the shade, Nurse Jane
watched Mr.. Longears dig. Or 1 should
can MIN Captain Longears. since he
was IN the animal army making war
on the bad. biting mosquitoes.
with his shovel, rake and hoe Uncle
,Wlggliy dug. in front of his tent. a
long ditch or trench. 1t vas just like
a little brook. or river, except that it
was straight, n not crooked. and it
had no water in it.
"Ihere!" exclaimed Uncle Wiggily, as
he threw out the last %shovelful of earth,
my ~trench-ditch is done. and now
When the enemy mosquitoes come to
hight us we soldiers can crawl in it and
keep out of the way of the stones they
throw at us,
That's good" said Nurse Jane. "And
low VIII you come in and have some
carrot soup and roast . turnip with
parsley gravy sauce sprinkled over it?"
"Thank you" said Uncle Wiggily.
II believe i viii" and he did, eating in
ms hollow stump bungalow that day
instead Of in his soldier tent, and not
cooking his meal over his camp fire as
he usually did.
After school all the animal boys-the
r pao9a the squirrels. Jackie and
LII N4RPkCS sJlIIlIAl0
Wlbolewobble, h duck, and others
came to practice with Uncle Wiggily.
DONG Forward marching, beating the
drum. firing off be%anshooting pop
guns, waving wooden swords INC the
like of that.
"For we must be ready when the
MOSQUITO enemy comes,' said Billie
Wagtail, the goat.
Or. what a nice tunnel Uncle Wig
gily has dug!" cried Johnnie Longtail.
the mouse boy. as he saw the fresh
earth. .
THAT isn't a tunnel" said Uncle
Wiggily. That's a trench or ditch.
and we will do our fighting from there.
Ready now! Forward-march! into
he trench" and the boy animals hoped
or. .crawied or flew into it, just ac-
cording to the way they walked. and
then they made believe the enemy was
near and fired the wooden broomstick
and b-ean-shooting guns at them.
very Well done" called Uncle Wig
gily gaily. II think we shall soon beat
the mosquito army and then we viii
have peace"
For two or three days the animal
boys practiced in the ditch or trench
Uncle Wiggily had dug, and then one
afternoon. when they were all in school.
Uncle Wiggily vas in the ditch alone.
He saw a big cloud Of mosquitoes COM
rag GONoh0 AlkIlS Oul QUICKLY NE
crouched down where they could not
throw stones at him, and he fired tall
cum and tooth powder at them.
Oh. we shall never catch that rab-
bit, for now he hides in a ditch dug in
the u said a captain mosquito.
Yes; maybe we can" spoke another.
How" asked a third.
IF: with our strong bills we could
bite ole in thes sides of the ditch and
let water from the duck pond ocean
flow In it," said the second osouit
we would o drown out Uncle Wig
1t runs in his trench he'll hop out
quickly enough and we'll get him."
"Good!' cried all the other mosoui-
toes. only l think 1t was bad; don't
you? Anyhow, he unpleasant, nipping
bugs began biting holes in the sides
know it, for ne was marching up and
down at the far end. like a soldier sem
try.
Then out came Nurse Jane, not hav-
ing seen the mosquitoes biting holes in
n rabbit gentleman's ditch.
1T looks like rain, Uncle Wiggily.s
q the muskrat lady h~ousekeeper,
and. as I am going away for the after
noon and will have to lock the bunga-
low. I've brought out u rubber coat,
hat and boots"
"Good!" said the bunny uncle. I'll
Then, all Of a sudden. a little later.
the mosquitoes bit through the sides
OF the ditch. end in rushed the water
frcm the duck pond ocean,.
'Hurray!" cried the bad bugs. "Now
we'll get Uncle wiggily! He'll have
to get out when the water runs in hts
trench ditch. ald WI can capture him!"
In rushed ale water. but did Uncle
Wiggtly ut out? Indeed. he did not
get out. He just put In his> rubber
hnNfn mot 0nS hAk A.l ~A.ns 49,