The Washington herald., 1919-04-24
CHILDREN'S
SUNRISE STORIES
UNCLE WIGGILY AND
THE CRYING CROCODILE.
By HOWARD n. eARIs.

L ~ nv "AnD Ae OAnASs
Uncle wiggily Longears. the bunny
rabbit gentleman. was out In his gar
den- 1t was some weeks after he had
planted the seeds and the flowers and
vegetables were growing nicely.
As the rabbit gentleman hoped here
and there. pulling a weed now and
then and digging in the dirt to make 1t
nice and soft around the cabbage,
lettuce and carrots, he heard . voice
singing a song like this:
Uncle wiggily! Uncle wiggnyi
How does your cabbage growf
With beets SO red
On the cabbage head.
And icicles out in the snow!"
TT Is t. Grandpa Goosey Gander."
was the answer. II heard you had a
new garden. and as you have so often
been kind to me came over to see II
could help you with your work"
| That Is very kind Of you." said the
bunny. "I do need help to pull UP the
weeds. They grow almost as fast a.
the flowers or my beans and peas and
lettuce"
"Oh, I can help you. weed all right"
| said Grandpa Goosey Gander. with
my strong yellow bill can pull up the
weeds"
But please be careful not to pull up
any flowers or cabbage plants" beg
| ged the bunny. First along, In a
garden. 1t is hard to tell which are
bad weeds and which are the good
! vegetables. So be careful"
II WILL" promised Grandpa Goosey.
So the gander gentleman and Uncle
Wiggily began pulling up the weeds
in the bunny rabbits garden. and as
they did this they talked OF old times.
and the fun they used to have when
they were boys on a farm.
All Of a sudden as Uncle wiggily
] was pulling up a big weed that was
trying to scratch the head OF lettuce.
stone came flying over the fence
! and landed with a thud right between
I Mr. Lonsears and Grandpa Goosey.
"Ho. Who threw that?" asked the
bunny. looking oyer the tops Of his
| glasses and around the corner OF his
pink, twinkling nose.
Perhaps II was Johnnie or Billie
Bushytail, one OF the squirrel boys,
said Grandpa Goosey.
II hardly think they would do any
thing like that" said Uncle Wiggily.
blinking his eyes. They are fond or
playing jokes. but throwing stones
| isn't any fun. They wouldn't do that"
II wonder who did it," said Graz apa
| Goosey. and, just then, q harsh and
unpleasant vaice cried:
"I did, 1 threw the stone to let
you know / was coming"
"And who are you, IL I may ask"
inquired Uncle wisgily. sort OF polite
like and at the same time a bit sar-
castle.
, I'm the crocodile-second cousin to
tho skillery y-scalery alligator" was
the answer. 81 came for my dinner"
And with that there came crawling
into the garden a long-tailed scaly
creature. with big claws and a larger
mouth. just like the alligator.
"You-you came for your dinner"
said Grandpa Goosey. looking at the
flowers and vegetables. why. your
dinner isn't here!'
"Oh. no. Yes, it is" laughed the
crocodile, most unpleasantly. II can
see my dinner now" and he looked
very hard at Uncle Wiggily's ears.
"Souse is my dinner" cried the croco-
die. ''Souse 1 want and souse 1 must
| have-'
"oh. dear" shiyered Uncle Wig
gily. who will save me from the
crocodile?"
Huh" whispered Grandpa Goosey.
1 II
to me-" Then, turning to the croco-
diIe. the gander gentleman said:
Wouldn't you like little relish to
go with your souse dinner? Some
thing green. for instance?"
"I certainly would" said the croco-
die. Yes. indeed"
Then pull up those green stalks"
said Grandpa Goosey. pointing to
some, and the crocodile, with his
claws. began pulling. But he had not
pulled many green stalks before his
eyes filled with tears. And he began
| to cry! Great big drops of water came
4 into his eyes and splashed down
into the garden like rain.
Whats the matter? What's the
Fmatter?" cried the crying crocodile.
ct can't see you, Uncle Wiggfly!
There are so many tears in my eyes
ears? What happened?"
"Why, you pulled up some strong
onions. just as / meant you should.
and the onions made tears come in
your eyes, you bad crocodile"
quacked Grandpa Goosey. Now you
can't see either Uncle wiggily or me,
and we can run away! Ha! Ha"
! Then the bunny gentleman and
IGrandpa Goosey got safely out OF the
garden and the crocodile cried so
hard he wet ten pocket handkerchiefs,
and he had to hop away without get
| ting any souse.
So this teaches US that onions have
some uses after all, and IL the toe
of the shoe doesn't tickle the leg of
the stove when the fried egg is play
ing tag with the sugar bowl. I'll tell
you next about Uncle Wiggily and
the cookie plant
| Copyright, 1913. by the Mcclure Newspaper