The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-03-09
Copyright, 1920, by Mcclure News
paper Syndicate.)
RY HOWARD r. GARIS,

BY HOWARD r. eARIs.
All was very still and quiet in the
hollow stump school of Woodland, near
the Orange Ice Mountains, one day.
The lady mouse teacher looked down
the row of desks and saw that sam
mic and Susie Littletail the rabbit
children, were studying their gnawing
lessons. Jackie and Peetie Bow Wow,
the puppy dog boys, We're busy over
their barking lessons. Billie Bushy-
tail, the squirrel, was studying his
jumping lesson.
But am not so sure of what john
ME Bushytail, the other squirrel boy, is
doing" said the lady mouse to her
self.
Johnnie seemed to be busy with his
book, but his paws were moving in q
funny manner, and squirrels, in hol-
low stump school, do not have to study
with their paws, any more than boys
and girls do with their hands and feet
in a red brick school,
Johnnie, what are you doing?" sud
denly asked the lady mouse teacher.
"I-Tm making a jigger!" answered
Johnnie, who always told the truth, no
matter how much 1t hurt afterward..
what is a jigger?" asked the, lady
mouse teacher, trying not to laugh. for
some of the animal boys and girls were
smiling
''Why, when / went to school," sud
uenly spoke a voice dI tilS pdCh VI lllS
room, Ia jlgger was sort Of lolly-
pop"
HOh, Uncle Wiggily! Come in! am
very glad to see YOU said the lady
mouse teacher, and the bunny rabbit
gentleman, for he it was, hoped up
the aisle,
: II am afraid Johnnie has been rath-
er naughty" went on the lady mouse.
1--WE have no jigger lessons in our
school. You may bring me what you
have, Johnnie"
Sort of blushng behind his ears,
Johnnie went up to the teachers desk.
In his paw he had two little folded
pieces of stiff paper with a twisted
rubber elastic band holding them to-
gether.
rs that the jigger you were making
when you ought to be studying your your
Yes m" answered the squirrel boy.
ut works like this" and he laid the
folded and twisted pieces of paper on
the teachers desk. The next moment
the papers suddenly UNFINISHED, and
squiggled and squirmed around as the
rubber band, which vas twined around
them, began to unwind.
"Oh, dear me; It's two big June
bugs having a fight!' cried the lady
mouse teacher. jumping back so quick
ly that Uncle Wiggily had to catch her
or she would have fallen off the plat
form
Those aren't Jnne bugs That's just
a jigger! You twist two pieces of pa
per tog 'ther with a rubber elastic real
tight Then YOU Put 'em inside an en-
veloDe, OF fold them flat in another
piece of paper like letter, and, when
SOMEBODY opens it, out jumps the jig
ger, and it untwists as fast as any
thing, and it does wiggle like two big
bugs fighting, only of course, It isn't
its only some twisted papers"
Yes. | see, said the lady mouse
teacher well Johnnie, leave your
iigger on my desk and go back to your
seat. | will not punish you on ac-
count Of Uncle Wiggly coming to pay
our school a visit"
"Oh, thank you" chartered Johnnie,
and he walked back down the aisle, still
sort of blushng behind his ears.
would You like to hear some of the
children speak piece?" asked the lady
mouse teacher of the bunny rabbit gen
tleman.
Mr.. Longears. Il happened to be pass
ing, so | thought | would come in and
see how Johnnie and Billie were get
ting along at their lessons"
Johnnie would get along better II
he didn't make jiggers and things like
mouse teacher with smile Now
Lulu Wibblewobble," she said to one of
the duck kris, speak your piece for
Uncle Wiggly,"
SO Lulu spoke a verse about how
little drops of water and some grains
of sand make the muddy puddles in the
nice. clean land. Uncle Wiggily sat at
the desk of the lady mouse teacher
sort of looking at the books. papers,
envelopes and also at Johnnie's jigger
and he listened to Lulu's piece.
very good" said the rabbit gentle
eIa r,,ip IA ic NH
girl had finished.
That's what | say! Very good" ex-
claimed another voice. And souse is
good, too, I'll say"
And there stood the bad old skee-
ticks.
With leap and a jump the Skeezicks
started up the aisle between the school
desks, toward the platform where
Uncle Wiggy sat.
I've come for your souse," spoke the
tall thin, unpleasant chap. And you
can't get away this time by feeding me
on toy iron railroad cars. place OF
huns, as Billie fed my friend the Pip
sisewah yesterday. You can't fool mer'
howled the Skee.
mo, | suppose not" said Uncle Wig
gly. as his paws fumbled among the
papers on the desk of the lady mouse
teacher. But before you take my
souse, Mr., Skee, perhaps you had better
read this letter." said Uncle Wiggily,
handing the unwelcome visitor an en-
velope.
"a letter for me? I didn't expect
one said the Skeezicks. He opened the
envelope. and then he suddenly gave a
big jump and howl as something fit
tered and fluttered out at him. Hopping
right up in his face.
'Oh, take 'em away. Take 'em awayl
They're squlggle bugs and | can't bear
squiggle bugs" cried the Skee, and
dropping the Envelope out of the win
dow he jumped.
Well, did fool him, after all, and