The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-03-29
Bedtime Stories
Uncle WiggiIy and the Birds.
BY HoWARD r.. GARIs

morning, as he went out in the kitch-
en- of the hollow stump bungalow,
where the musxrat lady E,--sekeeper
was getting breakfast.
Dried bread?" cried Nurse Jane.
Surely you don't want to eat that?'
mo, but the birds do" answered
the bunny rabbit. Many of them
have come up from the south to make
their nests in our woods, and hatch
little birds out of the eggs. But as It
is SO early there is not much food for
the birds now, so I am going to scatter
bread crumbs for them"
And very kind it is of you to do
So said Nurse Jane. II was saving
but you are welcome to it for FOUR
bird friends.o
So the muskrat lady brought out the
bread. and the bunny rabbit scattered
crumbs on the ground. Pretty soon
the birds saw them and came flutter-
ing down from the trees on which
leaves were just beginning to show.
"Oh, how kind Uncle Wiggily as to
give US this nice bread to eat, said
big robin, with a very red vest of
feathers in front.
Yes went on a yellow bird, "he
certainly is
And We ought to do something to
pay him back for his kindness to US,
went on the orange and black orioles,
who had given Uncle WiggiIy their old
Jane.
But what can we do?'' asked a
scarlet tanager, whose feathers were
such a bright red that they looked as
tho they had been painted from the
brightest rose you ever saw.
well, We'll just have to watch out,
and the first chance we get to do him
a favor we will" said Jimmie Cav
Cav, the crow boy, whose feathers
were as black as piece of coal:
L CcrIly
The bunny uncle did not hear this
talk, he had gone back into his
bungalow after scattering the bread
crumbs.
Yes, indeed, he is good!' chirped
all the other birds, as they ate the
last of the crumbs.
A few days after that Uncle Wig
gily was seen slowly walking around
outside his hollow stump bungalow.
He looked up toward the roof and
then down to the ground, and finally
he said:
DO what?" cried Nurse Jane.
You are not going to sell the bunga-
"Oh, no, indeed" answered the
bunny rabbit Il am just going to
have it painted. We must brighten
it up for spring. I'll call on the
the red cheeks on dolls, and the red
uniforms on toy soldiers, and have
him paint my bungalow"
VERY good said Nurse Jane.
So Uncle Wiggily hoped on thru
the woods, and over the fields to the
paint shop of the monkey doodle gem
tleman. But when the bunny spoke
of having his hollow stump bungalow
decorated the monkey doodle raised
his paws inthe air, made a sad face
and said:
Alas Likewise unhappinessl
can not paint for you'll
why not?" asked Uncle Wfggily.
why can't you paint for me-"
Because 1 have no paint. I used
up the last blue, green, yellow, pink,
brown and even the skilligimink col
or. on the toys for children, and 1 will
have no more paint in until near
Christmas. You can't wait that long"
No" said Uncle Wiggily, Il can't.
1 must try some one else. Maybe L
can get Mr.. Whitewash. the polar
bear gentleman, to go to the North
Pole where Santa Claus is, and get
some paint there"
I'm sorry 1 cannot paint your bum
galow for YOU
Wondering what he was going to do,
Uncle Wiggily hoped on through the
monkey dOOdle-S mouse before Jimmie
Cav Cav, the crow boy, who had been
hiding a piece of looking glass near
by, and who had heard all that was
said, flew off through the air. Straight
to where the birds lived flew Jimmie.
"Oh. 1 know now how we can help
Uncle Wiggilyi" he cawed.
How" asked all the birds
I'VE can give some of our feathers
especially you birds with bright-col-
ored ones-stick them on the outside
of his bungalow with glue, and it will
be nicer than if painted
"Oh, We'll do iti'' chirped the birds.
Uncle Wiggily was kind to us and
we'll be kind to him.
The robin gave some red feathers,
/ the yellow bird some yellow ones, the
| oriole some orange-tinted feathers and
| the parrot some green, red and purple.
The crow boy gave black feathers for
| trimming the chimney, the tanager
picked out some of his scarlet plumeS
and the pigeons gave white feathersA
| The monkey doodle doll fixer had
| plenty of glue, and when with it the
beautifully colored feathers were all
stuck on the hollow stump bungalow,
| it looked as scrumptious as silk crazy
quilt sofa cushion, and Nurse Jane
said it was real artistic like and clever.
When Uncle Wiggily came back, all
| tired out, not having been able to find
] a single bit of paint in Woodland, and
when he saw his beautifully co1ored
! feathered bungalow, he was so sur
prised that he could hardly thank his
bird friends enough.
| 1T couldn't be nicer!" cried the
bunny uncle. And every one said the
same thing. And if the snowflake
doesn't fall down the back of the rock
| ing chair and tickle it so it talks in its
sleep I'll tell you next about Uncle
Wiggily and the mud pies.-(Copy-
right, 1917, by Mcclure Newspaper
| Syndicate.)
| DINNER STORIES
There is clergyman in an Ohio