South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-05-31
UNCLE
WIGGILY
UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE
POTATO BUG BIRD.
ny HOWARD r. GARIs.


CCopyriRht 1920
Hot and bright the sun shone in
tho garden behind Uncle WiEgly's
hollow stump bungalow 10 was
midday. and the golden ball OF IRE
in the eky was doing rs best 20 warm
the earth
1T is very hott murmured Nurse
Jane Fuzzy Wuzzy. the muskrat lady
housekeeper .-ne was just making
some cool turupade for Uncle Wig
EIy Sometimes The bunny rabbit
gentleman 6=ank lemonade. some
times orangeade. and again turni-
pade. made from carrots and turnips
squeezed in the clothes wrinEer.
Then IA the bunny drank his cool
crluk. suddenly the hot quiet air Of
midday was glecfuIy broken by
Jolly birds song
Listen 20 that" cried Miss Fuzzy
Wuzzy. tanning herself with her
apron Il wonder What bird Is sing
ing when the noon hour 81 so not
Most birds sing early in the morn
iug OF iu the cool OF the evening
But this bird never heard OF one
like IT,"
tNor T." said the bunny slipping
HE tIruipade slowly II must sec
what kind IL is"
lie looked from a window and In
a bush not far away saw bird with
= large strong beak whose head
feathers were black His under
feathers were white and his wings
Were black and white
But the feathers OF the birds
breast were bright red-even more
bright than those of the Robin High
and clear ia the hot midday the bird
sang a beautiful melody
Who are YOU. pretty bird with
red breast. who sings when all the
other birds are silent IN the heat"
asked Uncle Niggily
Il am the Rose Breasted eros
beak. was the answer. That is one
OF my names. The other ! will not
tel you. because I do not like IL.
Why not? asked the bunny.
"Oh. IL Is not "A pretty name. nor
nice sounding answered the Rose
Breasted Grosbeak still il fits me,
and some day I may tell it TO you.
But now ! must sing" and again II
trilled a song
Don't you mind the heat " asked
the bunny
"Oh. no. sang the Grosbeak 1t
seems 20 make me sing more" And
iudeed the Rose Breasted Grosbeak
is one of the very few birds that sing
I'm the hot Moons of summer.
We'll here is a little cool turn
pade FOR YOU offered Uncle Wiggily.
pouring some Of the drink IN a sauc-
err and setting il on the back steps.
And 1 Will put out a bowl Of water
so you max take a bath That will
cool YOU after your concert"
Thank you" sang the Rose Bird.
and 80 futtered down. splashed in the
+ cool bath OF water and slipped some
turnipade Then the Grosbeak flew
away. and when il was cooler Uncle
Wiggiiy hoped out into his garden.
other birds were singing now. and
the bunny found himself wondering
what other name the Grosbeak had
tho name he did not like TO tell.
He said / might ind 1t out
some day murmured Uncle Wig
gily Il wonder when / wonder
when" but Just then the rabbit
gentleman saw something else TO
wonder about He had reached his
potato patch and TO his sorrow he
saw that many bad. biting bugs were
eating the green vines.
Dear met" exclaimed Uncle wig
Eily putting on his glasses in order
60 see better The potato bugs
have arrived. I shall have 10 clear
them out or Nurse Jane and 1 will
not have potato left for the
winter For YOU know. If the po-
tatO bugs eat the green vines. no
potatoes VIII grow beneath the soil,
on the roots OF the vines.
Uncle Wiggily got a pail and.
using a sprig OF sweet fern for a
brush. he Knocked from his vines
as many potato bugs as he could.
But the more ne knocked of the
more bugs seemed 20 appear. and the
green vines were fast being eaten up.
ooh. dear. What shall I do2"
sighed Uncle WisgiIy.
Let me help y0u-that is the best
thing to do" sang "a jolly voice and
along flew the Rose Breasted Gros-
bcak.
"Oh. hello" called Uncle WfggiIy
to the sweet singer Of the high. hot
noontime. "But how can you help