The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-06-08
Bedtime Stories
Uncle WiggiIy in the Ditch.
BY HOWARD, Il. GARIs

uncle W1gg1ly in the Dltch.
| why, Uncle Wiggily Longears!"
exclaimed Nurse Jane Fuzzy wuzzy,
/ the muskrat lady housekeeper for the
old gentleman rabbit, as she watched
him come out of the hollow stump
bungalow one morning with hoe.
rake and shovel over his shoulder!
Are you going to make a garden? ?"
NO, indeedI'' laughed the bunny
rabbit. 1T is quite too late to do that.
All gardens are planted by now.
! But you seem to be going to dig
something" went on the muskrat
lady.
I am" Uncle wiggily answered.
I'm going to dig a trench
What's a trench?" asked Miss
Fuzzy Wuzzy.
It's like ditch, only it hasn't any
water in it," explained Mr.. Longears.
| Now that am soldier, fighting for
my country against the biting mos
quitoes, I 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
squlrrels-can hide down in the dry
ditch, or trench, and be safe from
harm when the mosquito enemy fires
| stones at u.s. said Uncle WiggiIy
safety first, you know. Nurse janet
Yes, that's what it says on the lit
tie red button the animal children
wear when they go to school," spoke
the muskrat lady. We'll, I'll watch
you dig the trench, Uncle Wiggily,''
ana, having washed her dishes, the
muskrat lady sat down in front of the
white tent which the bunny rabbit
4 had set up in front of his hollow
stump bungalow, and there in the
shade, Nurse Jane watched Mr. Long
ears dig. Or 1 should call him Cap
I.nn 70 1Ira I,
animal army making war on the bad.
biting mosquitoes.
With his shovel, rake and hoe Uncle
WlgglIy dug, in front of his tent. a
lo1g oltch or trench. 1t was just like
a little brook, or river, except that it
was straight, and not crooked, and it
had no water in it
There!' exclaimed Uncle Wiggily,
as ne threw out the last shovelful of
earth, my trench-ditch is DONE and
now when the enemy mosquitoes come
to fight US we soldiers can crawl in
1t and keep out of the way of the
stones they throw at us.
IhatS good said Nurse Jane.
And now will you come in and have
some carrot soup and roasted turnip
over it?"
Thank you," said Uncle Wiggily.
Il believe 1 will and he did, eating
in his 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 rabbits, the SQUIRRELS. Jackie and
Peetie Bow Wow, the puppies; Jimmie
Wibblewobble, the duck, land others
came to practice with Uncle Wiggily
doing forward marching, beating the
drum, firing off bean-shooting pop
guns, waving wooden swords and the
like of that.
For we must be ready when the
mosquito enemy comes" said Billie
Wagtail, the goat.
"Oh, what a nice tunnel Uncle Wig
, gily has dug" cried Jollie 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 the trench!' and the boy animals
l hoped or crawled or flew into it, just
: according to the way they walked, and
waited for the mosquitoes to come.
and then they made believe the enemy
; was near and fired the wooden broom
stick and bean-shooting guns at them
> VERY well done,'' called Uncle
Wiggily gaily. 81 think we shall soon
; beat the mosquito army and then we
will have peace
For two or three days the animal
, boys practiced in the ditch or trencl.
: Uncle Wiggily had dug, ana then one
afternoon, when they were all in
: ditch alone. He saw a big cloud OF
J mosquitoes coming toward him, but
quickly he crouched down where they
could not throw stones at him, and
he fired talcum and tooth powder at
them.
"Oh. we shall never catch that ,ab-
3 bit for now he hides in a ditch dug
+ in the ground" said d captain mos
quito.
: Yes, maybe we can spoke an
i other
q How asked a third.
n IF, with our strong bills We could
a bite holes in the sides of the ditch
n and let the water from the duck pond
q ocean flow in it, said the second
n mosquito. we would soon drown gu;
+ Uncle Wiegily- He can't stand wa
he'll hop out quickly enough and
3 we'll get h!m!"
:. Good" cried all the other mos
S quitoes. only I think it was bad; don't
e ping bugs began biting holes in the
v sides of Uncle Wiggily's ditch. He
( did not know it, for he was marching
8 up and down at the far end, like =
g soldier sentry.
e Then out came Nurse Jane. moi
IL having seen the mosquitoes biting
5 holes in the rabbit gentleman:
: ditch.
TT looks like rain, Uncle wigg;ly,'
9 said the musk-at lady housekeeper
# and, as I am going away for the
Z afternoon and will have to lock the
i bungalow. I've brought out your rub
: Der coat, hat and boots"
q Good said the bunny uncle. 'I'l
n keep them near me-"
\ Then, all of sudden, a little later
d the mosquitoes bit thru the sides o
IS the ditch, and in rushed the waite
u from he duck pond ocean,
d "Hurrayi" cried the bad bugs
S Now We'll get Uncle Wiggily Hell
= have to get out when the water run
II in his trench-ditch, and we can cap
n ture him.
4 In rushed the water, but did inch
IS Wiggily get out? Indeed he did no
: get out. He just put on his rubbe