Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1917-06-29
UNCLE wieeiLv AND THE BLUE
CATERPILLAR,

der gun alone this time to keep away
the mosquitoes"
mo, 1 don't have to see the Gryphon
today" replied Wonderland Alice with
q laugh. But the Duchess has sent me
to find the Blue Caterpillar"
The Duchess has sent you to find
the Blue Caterpillar" questioned Uncle
Wiggily, wondering if he had heard
rightly. But who is the Duchess"
"Oh, she's some relation to the Queen
Of Hearts" Alice answered. "She's in
the book with me. the Duchess is. In
of trimming on her big hat and she
don't care whether or not h holds
the baby upside down."
"Oh, yes, now I remember" Uncle
Wiggily said.s"And how about the Blue
Caterpillar"
"oh, he'ssa sort Of long. fuzzy bug,
pipe,'' explained Alice. The Duchess
wants him to come and smoke some
hams for her"
Smoke hams!" cried the bunny rab-
bit. why, he very idonical idea! I've
heard Of men smoking tobacco-but
"Oh, you don't smoke hams in q
pipe" said Alice with a laugh. They
take a ham before it is cooked and hang
It up in smoke or blow smoke on it or
do something to it with smoke, SO it
will dry and keep longer"
What do they want to keep it for?'
asked Uncle Wiggily. Il thought ham
was to eat, with eggs"
'Oh. dear!!" laughed Alice. II wish
you wouldn't ask me SO many questions.
You're like the Dormouse OF tho
Cheshire Cheese Cat or the Halter.
They were always asking the curiosest
questions like Who threw stones at
the cherry tree?' or How did the soft
n0n cot ;rc3S7o. %hn hnH1 ShnO1 without
cracking it?' ! can't answe them!"
Very WELL" said Uncle Wiggily.
smiling at Alice. I'll not ISL you any
more questions. Come on! Well go
find the Blue Caterpillar"
So off they started. the bunny rabbit
had a days vacation from the book
with her name on it. Now and then she
could slip out Of the book ove and
go off to have a real adventure with
Uncle Wiggily.
The bunny uncle and the little girl
with the pretty flaxen hair had not gone
very far over the fields and through the
woods before. all Of a sudden. as they
were walking under some trees, m
thing long and twisty and rubbery, like
q big fire hose, reached out and grabbed
them.
ooh, MY" cried Alice, trying to get
loose. which she could not do, "A big
snake has us!"
NO." said Uncle. wiggily. looking
around as best he could, for he. too.
was held fast as was Alice. This isn't a
snake"
What is it?'' asked Alice.
Its a bad circus elephant" said the
trunk oh, dear! Please let us go!" he
begged of the big animal.
mo" sadly answered the circus ele-
plant, for it was indeed he. II can't
let you go. for If I do they will all sit
on my back and bite me"
WHO willy" asked Uncle Wiggily,
curious like.
1.-THE mosquitoes was the answer.
"You see they ave tried in 81 many
ways to catch you, and haven't done it,
Uncle Wiggily, hat they finally came
to me. About a million billion Of them
warmed around me, and they said
they'd bite me until I had the shivers
If 1 did not help them catch you. So
a to promise that / would, though
] did not want to, for / like you, Uncle
Wiggily.
IF 1 hadn't promised though, the
mosquitoes would have bitten me. and
though l seem to have a Sery thick
fish, when it comes to mosquito bites.
So l hid here to catch you. and I'll nave
20 hold you until the mosquitoes come.
very sorry!" and the elephant
wound his rubbery nose Of a trunk still
more tightly around Uncle Wiggily and
Alice.
"Oh, dear!!" said Alice. What shall
we dog"
Il don't know, I'm sure" answered,
the bunny. This is quite too bad. II
only the Blue Caterpiller-"
"Hush!" exclaimed a fuzzy voice
foot. Don't say a word. I'll help
You." and along came crawling a big
Blue Caterpillar. with a folded toad
stool umbrella and q ng-stemmed
piIe on his back.
That elephant Is very ticklish." said
The Blue Caterpillar. Watch me make
PIN squirm And when he squirms he'll
have to uncurl his trunk to scratch
himself, n when he does that"
Well get away!" whispered Uncle
Wiggily.
"Exactly!"~ said the blue Caterpillar.
80 he crawled up the elephants leg and
tickled the big animal on its ear.
"Oh. dear!" cried the elephant, and
he uncurled his trunk to scratch him
self. and then Uncle Wiggily and Alice
run away safely, and the mos
quitoes didn't get them after all. Then
Alice told the Blue Caterpillar about
the Duchess wanting the hams smoked
and the crawling creature said he'd at
tend to II.
So everything came out all right, and
u the starch doesn't all come out of
the collar SO It q to lie down instead
of standing up at the moving picture
show. I'll tell you next about Uncle
Wiggily and the Halter.
A Good Collector.
From the Washingpon Star.
Bishop Bristol, Of Omaha, in the
course OF IN address In behalf Of q de-
seIving cnarity, q story about the