Imperial Valley press., 1922-07-24
Bedtime Stories
UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE BABY
FISH

| Copyright, 1922, by Mcclure News
paper Syndicate)
BY HOWARD II. GARIS
Once upon time there was a baby
| fish who lived in babbling brook
which flowed through green mea-
dow. He was a cute little fish, but
very small, and some of the larger fish
in the brook often laughed at the tiny
chap.
"Oh, hot" cried the big fish. "You
are so small you never will be of any
| use in this worldi'
, You were little bits of things your
| selves at one time, gasp6d the baby
| fish, with a flip of his tail. "Just you
wait until l grow and II show you
what [ can do.
But the little fish grew very slowly,
and when he wanted to swim off up
stream with the older fish they drove
him back to the quiet pool where the
spicy green watercress grew, saying:
I" You can't come with US until you
are larger. "
This caused the little fish to be sad,
and as he swan around and around III
the watercress pool he said to himself:
81 don't care! I'm going off by
myself and have an adventure! If they
don t want me to come with them up
the brook, l II go out on the land and
see what happens!'' -
Now this was not wise for the little
/, fish to do, for he was made to live in
water and not out on land. However,
he gave big flap of his tail, and al
most before he knew it, he had sprung
flapping on the meadow grass
"Oh, dear!' cried the baby fish, for
soon he found he could not breathe the
air on land. There was too much of
it for him. He needed to take his air
very slowly through his gills from the
water of the brook. "'Oh, dear! "
gasped the baby fish. ~ guess made
| a mistake coming out on land | wish
| was back in the water!'
But, though he flipped and flopped,
he could not get back into the cool
brook, and he was almost dead, when
along hoped Uncle Wiggily Longears,
the bunny rabbit gentleman.
Huml / wonder what that is flap:
ping in the grass9" said the bunny to
himself, as he twinkled his pink nose
while walking across the meadow.
"Perhaps the Woozie Wolf or the FuZ-
zy Fox is hiding in the tall grass to
catch me as | hop past. 1 must be
| careful.
And then the gasping voice of the
baby fish eried
"Oh, will some one please help me
to get back into the brook7''
Then Uncle Wiggily knew he was in
no danger and the bunny said:
"I'n help you, baby fish" " With his
paw, Uncle Wiggily gently lifted the
little fish back into the watercress pool,
and the tiny chap soon felt better.
"Uhele Wiggily," spoke the baby
fish, lifting his head little way out
of the water, "you did me great
! favor, and have learned good
lesson. Some day l hope may do you
| a favor
"Oh, don't worry about that!''
| laughed the bunny gentleman.
Away hoped Uncle Wiggily, over
| hill and dale, seeking adventures, And
he found one almost before he was
ready for it, when the bad Bob Cat
sprang down out Of tree and chased
| him.
81 want ears to nibble! / want ears
to nibble!" +" howled the bad Bob Cat.
"You can't have minel You can t
have mine!" /" cried Uncle Wiggily, as he
turned and hoped away.
Faster and faster hoped the bunny
rabbit gentleman, but the bad Bob Cat
came on twice as fast, and he was al
most reaching Uncle Wiggily with his
'claws when the bunny turned into the