The Washington herald., 1920-03-05
CHILDREN'S
. SUNRISE STORIES
UNCLE WIGGILY AND
JOEINNIE'S BASKET. "
BY HOWARD r.. GARIs
by HOWARD r. GARIs

Uncle wiggily! Oh. Uncle wig
gily" chattered Billie Bushytail,
the squirrel boy, on the morning
after the old gentleman rabbit and
Nurse Jane Fuzzy Wuzzy had come
to pay a little visit. ''Oh. no. Uncle
Wiggily"
We'll. what's the matter now?"
asked the bunny. as he finished his
breakfast of hickory nut pancakes
with maple sugar gravy sprinkled
around the edges
'Oh. will you walk to school with
Johnnie and me?" asked Billie, as he
fastened his books together with q
long, narrow strap of white birch
bark.
'oh, I couldn't do that-at least
not this morning." Uncle wiggfly
answered. Il must go back to the
Littletail burrow house after a few
things Nurse Jane and I left there.
But I'll meet you after school and
see what happens then. boys!"
"Oh. goodie"- chartered Billie and
Johnnie. We'll look for a nice ad-
venture for You, Uncle wiggily"
Thank your laughed the rabbit
gentleman.
''Oh. have you come back to stayr
Uncle Wiggily again.
Not this timer he laughed, "I am
to meet Johnnie and Billie after
school. How are Sammie and Su-
sie?"
IT'S a little too, early for john
ME and Billie to be coming from
school. so / can meet them as
promised said Uncle Wiggily to
himself. But I can hop along to-
ward the hollow stump, where the
lady mouse teaches the animal chill
dren, and perhaps, who knows?
may find an adventure. 1t would be
nice to have two in one day" Over
the fields and through the woods
hoped Uncle Wiggily. and, just as
he was passing a little hole in the
ground. out came an ant lady, with
a tiny basket on her leg. The bas-
ket was filled with teeny-weeny
loaves Of bread. each about as large
as the point of a small pin. and be-
fore Uncle Wiggily knew it, the tail
Of his coat apped against the little
ant lady.
Uncle wiggily's coat brushed the
basket off her leg, knocked II to the
ground-knodxed the basket, I mean
and scattered the tiny Ioaves Of
bread all over.
"oh dear! Excuse me, Ny fault
entirely" said Uncle wiggily "Tm
50 sorry! Please pardon mer' and
laying aside his red. white and blue
striped rheumatism crutch, the rab-
bit gentleman began helping the ant
lady to pick up the tiny loaves Of
bread.
Uncle wiggily looked at the little
h. -
ant lady had come and, surely
enough. 1t was the front door, Of an
insect bakery.
Now. IL you'll put them IN my
basket" said the ant lady. "all will
be WELL"
But. alas! When Uncle wiRgfly
looked for the ant lady's bread bas-
ket 1t was all smashed and broken,
and OF no use at all. II had been
broken when II fell.
Dear mew said Uncle wireily.
scratching his pink nose with his
tall silk hat. "And any basket I
could get you would be miles too
big: 3 Oh, dear! How careless of
mel"
What's the matter. Uncle wig
gilyT suddenly asked q voice, and
thOtC was tDiiiiC DuSuytali, Lne 00Y
squirrel. In tree overhead. The
lady mouse teacher had let him out
of school early because he was n
good squirrel.
'oh, lots Is the matter" an
swered the rabbit gentleman. .T
have spilled the ant lady's loaves
and broken hcr bread basket. The
last Is the worse. for though we
have picked up the tiny loayes we
have no basket small enough In
which to put them"
"Oh. that's easyr chartered Billie.
IT can make you a little basket"
"Can you make one small enough
to carry 1oayes Of bread no larger
than pin pointsr asked Uncle wiz
gily. incredulous like ana disbeliey.
ing.
Surely" answered Billie. Here
Is a cherry stone that I saved from
my piece OF cherry pie I had for re-
cess. With my sharp teeth I can
gnaw a basket out of this cherry
pit for the ant lady"