Imperial Valley press., 1922-12-15


voice one morning, as the bunny
gentleman started away from his
hollow stump bungalow, to hop along
looking for an adventure.
"What is it, Baby Buntya Why
are you stopping Uncle Wiggily
when it is so near to Christmas,
and he must see if he can help Santa
Clausl' asked Nurse Jane Fuzzy
Wuzzv.
"Oh. | won't keep Uncle Wiggily
not minute-hardly second, = an
swered Baby Bunty. The cute, teas
ing little rabbit girl, who had been
found in Il hollow stump, was stay
ing for few days with Uncle Wig
gily and Nurse Jane.
"Well, Bunty, what is it you
want -, asked Mr.. Longears, wait
ing in the hall long enough to g-ance
into the mirror, to see that his pink
nose was twinkling straight.
"Please bring me a dittle red toy
blow-up balloon" begged Baby
Bunty.
Bring you a balloon' oh. all
right, | will" promised Uncle Wig
gily. eff [ can't get red one,
will sky blue pink or green do just
as well?"
- Yes" answered Baby Bunty,
and then she hoped about the bun
galow singing, because she was
happy that the bunny gentleman
was going to bring her a balloon
Uncle Wiggily hoped over
the fields and through the woods,
looking ON all sides for an adven-
ture. The rabbit must needs go
rather slowly, for there was snow on
the ground, and he had not brought
his showshoes with him, not think
ing the drifts were deep enough,
which they hardly were.
IF | were a snowshoe rabbit or
northern hare, who is a cousin of
mine, l would never have to carry
snowshoes, thought Uncle Wiggily,
:. for snowshoes grow on his feet in
winter
This is very true, as perhaps you
know. In winter, on the hind feet
of the snowshoe rabbit, there grow
large fluffy punches of fur which
are almost like snowshoes to hunt
er or Indian trapper. The fur keeps
the hare S paws from sinking in the
snow. But Uncle Wiggily had none
of these, so be had to get along as
best he could, unless he made snow
shoes for himself, which he often
did.
But, I'm getting along pretty
WELL said the bunny rabbit gen
tleman to himself, though | don t
seem to be finding many adven-
lures. l suppose it is so near Christ
mas that every one is busy getting
the tree ready or, preparing for
Santa Claus. Well, l may as well
90 to the store and get Baby Bun
tvs balloon.
There were so many lovely things
to look at in the toy store that the
rabbit uncle remained there longer
than he intended, after he had
bought Bunty's balloon. But at last
he started back to his hollow stump
bungalow.
Now, though Uncle Wiggily knew
it not, an adventure was coming
after him, and it was not a jolly
good adventure, either, for it was
dangerous, deathly adventure.
The name of the adventure was
F" Blackcat, an animal of the
weasel family, very fierce and hun
CRY for rabbits. Some hunters call
the blackcat a "fisher,' though it
never fishes and will never 90 in
the water if it can help it. The
Indians call the Blackcat "Pekan, -
meaning the killer in the dark. For
the Blackcat starts out after dark
to catch rabbits and squirrels. And,
as it is one of the best of the tree
climbers, Blackeat often catches
squirrels.
Uncle Wiggily was hopping along
over the snow, thinking how pleased
Baby Bunty would be with her bal
loon, when, all of a sudden, in the
gathering dusk behind him, Uncle
Wiggily heard something coming
after him.
cts Blackcatl" cried the bunny,
looking behind him, and Blackcat
does look like a big, black cat, with
a fluffy tail. On the ground where
he WIS now travelling, Blackcat
looked like dog, ana altogether nc
was strange, fierce animal.
Wait a minute! Wait a min
utei'' cried Blackcat after Uncle
Wiggily.
"Oh, hol ] know what you want
me to wait for--so you can nibble
my ears!" cried the bunny, :" Not
muchl I'm going to run!"
Uncle Wiggily hoped fast, but
Blackeat hoped and glided along
much faster, and Biaekcat would
have caught the bunny except, just
then Uncle Wiggily reached the
bank of little river. 1t was flow
ing SO fast that it had not frozer
over.
"If ] can jump in and swim
| across, Blackcat can't get me,
| thought the bunny. But / am MOI
good swimmer, and the water may
chill me so that II sink. However
Blackcat dare not 90 in the watel
at all, and if ! thought | wouldn ,
sink-ahl ] have i'll Baby Bunty I
balloonl 1t will be like life pre-
| server
Uncle Wiggily quickly blew up thu
balloon and then holding it larg,
and round, under his paw, into tn,
icy water the bunny leaped ,anc
swan across as best he could. HI
| did very wc1l, too. for he couldn