El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-03-01
BEDTIME STORY FOR THE LITTLE ONES
UNCLE w1GGLY AND THE MATCH BOY.
" HOWARD r. GARIS.

Wiggily. 1t was cold in the cave Of
Mr.. Wbtewash, the polar bear. That's
( how / got cold The Ice Maiden had
nothing 10 do with IL. Anyhow. I've
often had my rheumatism bad before,
when I've gone TO see Mr.. Whitewa sh.
( today. so III 80 out and soon feel bet
ter
And don't get mixed Up with any
q those Arabian Nights folk said
Nurse Jane. IF you do you'll be worse
off Mind what I'm telling you"
Uncle Wiggily promised to be care
full SO, after breakfast, he hoped
across the fields and through The
woods on his rheumatism crutch. look
ing for an adventure. But he did not
have any. and IL was coming on night
and getting cold. even though il was
toward spring, when, as the bunny
uncle passed an old hollow tree, he
saw light inside it
"Ha, 1t is q little too early for fire
fly lightning bugs 10 be playing tag
in hollow trees, think" said Mr..
Longears. 7 wonder what st can be?
! must take = look
Hopping over to the hollow tree,
which was partly open on one side, the
bunny looked through p crack. and in
side the hollow Of the tree he saw
little boy.
And. as Uncle Wiggily looked, the
little boy took from a box on the bot
tom OF the tree beside him a match
and tried 70 light Il. But his fingers
shivered so and shook that the match
would not light
Hello" called Uncle Wiggily IN his
Jolly voice. who are you. and what Is
the trOuble2 Perhaps I can help you"
7 am q little match boy" was the
self by lightning the matches I cannot
sell On deari I am lost. I'm hungry,
/ don't know where my home IS and
I'm so cold"
Again he shivered and tried to lghe
a match. but his fingers shook so with
the cold that he could not.
LET me light it for you" said the
kind bunny uncle, and ne did. and the
little match boy warmed his hands, ana
Uncle Wiggily warmed his paws. for
he, too, was cold
oh. how / wish 7 was home" cried
the little match boy Nothing has
happened TO me at all like what hap
pened 10 the little match girl in the
was she in the Arabian Nights
book" asked Uncle Wiggiiy.
Well. she was in 4 red-covered
book" said the little match boy.
That's the Arabian Nights" the
bunny uncle SAID, though never read
her story Tell me about tt
So the little boy told how once there
was poor little match girl, who. one
bitter, cold. snowy night went out IN
the streets OF big city 20 sell matches.
But Il was so cold, and showed 80
much. that she could sell none. and 20
keep from freezing she lighted her own
matches. one after another.
And every time she lighted
match" said the little boy In the hol-
low tree. 1.-The walls of the building
against which she rested would melt
away. and she would see all the beaUti
fui things inside roast turkey ana
gravy and apples aud pudding and
Christmas trees. Then when the
match went out she would have 20
light another TO warm her fingers. and
again she saw beautiful pictures.
And what happened next asked
Uncle Wisgify, IS the little boy
stopped speaking.
Well AZ last she lighted up all her
matches. and still she was cold. and
in the morning they found her under
the snow, almost frozen, but they took
her to q hospital and she got well
so, after I read the story. wanted
70 see pretty pictures like the little
bought some matches 10 sell. but no
one would buy any and ran away and
got lost, so ! used my matches to light
when l grew cold in the hollow tree"
Il think you had better let me take
you home. where you viii be warm in
bed, instead OF trying 10 keep from
freezing by lighting matches" said
Uncle Wiggily.
So he Helped the little boy out OF
the hollow tree and away they started,
little boy lived
And on the way home il was so cold
that the little boy and Uncle Wiggily
were almost frozen, and only that the
bunny gentleman lighted a fire OF
sticks In the woods. they might have
become as stiff as Jack Frost
But finally the little boy safely
reached his home and his father and
mother thanked Uncle WiZgily over
and over again for taking care Of
him
And the make-beiieve little match
boys father gave Uncle Wiggily some
hot carrot soup in \ pail, to keep his
paws warm on the way home to the
bungalow, for all the matches were
burned
We'll. 7 had q nice adventure. after
all" said the rabbit gentleman. and II
the boiled egg doesn't jump out of the
frying pan into the fire. I'll tell you
next a bout Uncle Wigeily and Rip Van
1917, b. Mcclure
-