The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-07-31
Bedtime Stories

Il By HowAzD r. GAKIs
Uncle wiggily and the Wasp.
Uncle Wiggiiy Longears, the nice
rabbit gentleman. was hopping along
thru the woods one morning, having
had a good breakfast in his hollow
stump bungalow, when. all of sud-
den, he came to place where some
of the animal children were playing.
What are You doing? ?" asked Uncle
Wiggily.
Selling pinwheels," answered Susie
Littletail, the rabbit. Don't you want
to buy some ?''-and she waved her
paws toward hollow log lying on
the ground. Fastened to the log were
lot of paper pinwheels--blue, green,
red, golden, purple, pink and all rain
bow colors- AS the wind blew, the
pinwheeIs whizzed around like the
electric fan on Uncle Wiggily's airship.
What are you selling the pinwheels
for ?" asked the bunny uncle.
Three for penny" answered jim
mic Wibblewobble, the duck. And
with the money We get we'll buy ice
cream cones"
Then 1 must buy some pinwheels,"
said Uncle Wiggily, and he did, lot
of them of all colors. Then, having
| no use for the pinwheels, only buying
them to help his little animal friends
have a good time, Uncle Wiggily gave
/ the pretty whizzy paper things to some
poor little mice boys and girls he met
in the woods.
On and on went the bunny uncle
after this, hoping to have an adven-
ture, for he did not call buying the
pinwheels any at ALL And. all of a
| sudden he heard buzzirg voice say
ing:
"Oh, deari I'm caugh. fast and
can't fly around any more and chew
wood"
"Ha! That is funny thing to want
to do-chew wood" thought Uncle
Wiggily. But it may be new kind
of gum about which 1 know nothing.
And being caught fast is no fun.
must see if can't help"
So he looked around and saw a nice
wasp lady caught by a strong cobweb
around her thin waist. A wasp is a
sort of bee, you know, and they have
| very thin waists like the dear old
/ "Oh, dear!" sighed the wasp lady.
Don't worry" said Uncle Wiggily
with a low, polite bow. 'I'll set you
free" and he did, breaking with his
strong paw the cobweb which the
wasp lady could not break for her
self.
Nov I can fly away and chew
WOOD she said, and she did, after
thanking Uncle Wiggily, but not stop
ping to tell him why she wanted to
chew wood, which was something the
bunny gentleman very much wanted
well, that was little adventure"
said the rabbit gentleman to himself
About a half one. I must keep on
until find the other half"
So on and on hoped the bunny
rabbit until, all of a sudden. he found
himself just where he had started
from-at the place where the animal
children were selling pinwheels. But
alas! What a change!
While Uncle Wiggily was helping
the thin-waisted wasp lady a big wind
had blown away all the animal chill
dren's pretty paper pinwheels.
1 'tAnd we can't get any more paper
Il to make others." said Susie Littletail
And we can't sell them to get pen
mics for ice cream cones!" said Billie
Bushytail.
''1'll see if 1 can't help you," spoke
Uncle Wiggily. But he could net find
any prettily colored paper for the chill
dren to use in making pinwheels, nor
store. 1t was all sold and none would
he in for week.
well, 1 don't know what to do to
help YOU" sadly said Uncle Wiggily
IF knew where to get paper for you
I'd buy you a lot"
"I'll tell you where to get it, and
you won't have to buy it, either" said
kind voice speaking suddenly from
the bushes
who are you ?" asked the bunny.
81 am the wasp lady whom you sc
kindly helped a while ago." was the
answer My family and I are the
very first paper-makers of all the
world, as you may remember. We
chew wood up very fine in our strong
jaws, spread the pulp out to dry, and
that makes paper, just as men make
paper today 1 and my friends will be
very pleased to make some paper fol
your friends, Uncle Wiggily."
Then the wasp lady called a thou
! sand other wasps and they made lo
of paper from the wood of white birch
} trees which they chewed.
And the animal children colored the
white wasp made paper with red and
} blue berry juice. with green leaf juice
and with purple, yellow and red flow.
er stains until they had all the color.
, of the rainbow and SO they made a loi
more pinwheels, sold them and had al
the ice cream cones they wanted.
So that's how wasps make paper
and if you don't believe it look at 6
) wasp's nest, only don't touch it wher
the family is at home. And in the mex
story, if the duck lady's white shoes
don't go playing around the tar bar
l rel and get stuck up they can't &c
: to the dance, I'll tell you next abou
Uncle Wigggily and his buttons
Copyright 1917, by Mcclure News.
| paper Syndicate.)
FL TRAWELlETTE