South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-06-07
UNCLE
WTGGILY
UNCLE WTGGILY AND THE
JENNY BIRD.
ny HOWARD n. oARIs.

by HOWARD n. GARIS-
Here you are. Uncle Wiegiiyi"
called Nurse Jane Fuzzy Wuzzy one
day az she stood on the steps OF
the hollow stump bungalow.
Excuse me. jamie. but you are
mistaken" replied the bunny rabbit
gentleman. 7 am not here I
am there 90 TO speak. IL were
here / would be where you are. but
being there. am where I am, which
is 70 Say"
oh, hop along with your non
sensei" laughed the musiCrat lady
houselkeeDer. tying a double bow
knot IN her tan and then swapping u
out again with a quick flip. That
was just my way OF speaking. I
meant here are some crumbs for you
TO scatter 70 your bird friends"
''Oh, that's different" chuckled
Mr.. Longears. and, giving a funny
little twinkle OF his pink nose, he
took the birch bark basket OF
crumbs from the muskrat lady and
OF he hoped through the woods.
Uncle Vviggily had not hoped
very far before. all OF a sudden. he
heard strange sort OF booming
whlzzinE sounds near a little clear
ing In the woods. Then came
harsh cry. not very sweet or musi-
cal. and a large brown and white
bird, with a mouth that opend very
wide. few down on a log near the
bunny.
Dear met" exclaimed Uncle Wig
'gily. Excuse me for saying 80 f,
but you are rather a queer appear.
ing bird. Who are you. II I may
ask"
7 have several Nance" answer
cd the bird. T am called the Bull
bat. Nighthawk and Mosquito
Hawlx"
MY. you have enough names!"
said Uncle Wiggi1y IN surprise.
Well. hope you have no gun, ="
harshly spoke the Nighthawk, and
soft voice for he hadn't. It was
harsh.
"a gun, Why should have a
gum" asked the bunny.
"Oh. well. because we Night
hawks are such swift filers, darting
here and there through the air
after mosquitoes and other bugs, that
many hunters with guns like 20
shoot at US" grated the bird. They
want 10 show what good shots they
are, I suppose"
We'll. I haven't a gun. hut I have
some crumbs for YOU" spoke the
bunny gentleman and he scattered
the crumbs on the ground for the
Nighthawk
Thank you" rasped out the big
bird with the large mouth. when
my wife comes here TO lay her eggs
she and I VIII have a fine feast on
your crumbs. Thank you. and I
hope some day I may DO you a fav-
or"
Pray do not mention that" beg
ged Uncle WgigiIy with a low and
polite bow. But excuse me, did
you say your wife was coming here
70 lay some eggs and hatch out lit
tie birds?"
yes, here she comes now" was
the reply.
Again came that queer booming
sound. made as Mrs. Nighthawk
closed her wings and dropped swift
~ down from a height in the air.
She. too, screeched harshly like her
husband Down on the bare ground
she perched and began 10 lay an
egg.
Aren't you going 10 make a
nest ?'' asked Uncle Wiggily in as
constituent.
mo. we Nighthafwk birds always
lay cur eggs on the bare ground, or
even on the roof Of a house" an
swered the mother bird I'VE have
no time TO make nests We are
kept busy catching mosquitoes"
'How do you do that2" asked the
bunny.
''By flying through the air with
open mouth" answered Mr. Night
hawk
Then Mr. Longears l-new why the
birds had such la.ge mouths that
could open so wide. There IS a
reason for everything. you know.
Mr.. and Mrs. Nighthawk, or Mos
qaito Hawk. which ever YOU wish TO
call them. ate the crumbs tho bun
And then os night was coming on.
Uncle Wiggiy hoped back % his
hollow stump bungalow. The other
birds were going to sleep In their
nests. but the Mosquito Hawks were
as lively as crickets
when Uncle Wiggily came within
sie1t Of his bungalow he saw a
cloud of smoke around It. and at
first he though IL was on fire. But
when ne saw Nurse Jane sitting on
the porch. tanning herself. he knew
there could be no dangerous blaze.
why tho smoke. Miss Fuzzy
W'Uzzy2" asked the bunny.
"Oh. I am trying 10 smoke the
mosquitoes away" answered the
r.uslSrat lady eft Is such n love
~ evening that want 20 SIT out on
the porch. But oh. how the mos
qUitoes bite my raiIl-
That's too badr said Uncle
wieEily. "Ouchi" he suddenly
cried.
What's the matter7" asked Nurse
Jane trying 70 hide her head IN the
smoke.
"a mosquito bit me on my pink.
twinkung upsei" answered Mr.
Longears. I'll put some more wet
leaves on the bonfire and make
more smoke" So he did this. but
the mosquitoes seemed 20 like the
s-nudee an the better, for many
more Of them bu7zed and Oft the
bunny and Nurse Jane.
Then. all OF a sudden, there were
harsh cries IN the air. and a throb.