Imperial Valley press., 1922-07-31
Bedtime Stories
UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE FIRE
STONE
Copyright, 1922, by Mcclure News
paper Sydnieate)
By HOWARD X. GARIS


Nurse Jane Fuzzy Wuzzy, the musk
rat lady housekeeper. one day came
around the corner of the hollow stump
bungalow, walking on the shady porch.
In her paws Nurse Jane clicked pair
, of scissors.
"Oh, no! No, you don It! No, you
don t if you please!" cried Uncle Wig
giIy, leaping up from the easy chair,
where he was sitting 81 can let
you do it Nurse Jane!''
"Do it, Do what9' the musl'rat
lady wanted to know with smile, as
she kept on clicking the scissors.
"Don't you want to do me a favor,
Uncle Wiggily2"
"Of course, do, answered the rab-
bit gentleman, "but | can let you cut
my hair The last time you did it ]
looked so funny that even Grandfather
Goosey Gander laughed. If / need my
hair cut / IN going to the regular bar
ber, I'd rather you wouldn t do it,
"Why, i am not going to cut your
hair!" laughed Nurse Jane.
"You aren 't2" cried the bunny.
."Then why do you come at me with
clicking scissors9'
~ just want you to take my shears
to the grinder and get them sharpen
ed,' spoke the muskrat lady. ''They
are so dull they won't cut cloth, and
the scissor -sharpener monkey hasn t
been along this week. Just take my
shears to the tinker's and have him
grind them sharp; viii you, Uncle Wig
gily?"
~ will,' promised the bunny uncle
gentleman, with Il twinkle of his pink
nose. "And on my way there | may
have an adventure.
"'Well, be careful you don't fall
down and stick yourself on the sharp
points of the scissors" begged Nurse
Jane. "The points are sharp enough,
even if the edges are so dull they won t
cut cloth.'
'IH be CAREFUL" said Uncle Wig
gily, and away he hoped, over the
fields and through the woods.
He had not gone very far before,
all of sudden, going down hill that
was covered with stones, the bunny
slipped and fell
ooh, must be careful not TO stick
myself with the scissorsl' he thought,
and he held them out in front of him
as he tumbled down. All of a sudden,
as he fell ker bunko, Uncle Wiggily saw
lot of fiery sparks, which seemed to
come from his paw that held Nurse
Jane s shears.
"Dear mel What s that7" thought
the bunny gentleman. ''ls that light
ningl / don't hear any thunder! !
wonder if IN burned2"
He scrambled to his feet and looked
at the paw that held the scissors. IL
wasn't burned, nor was there any sign
of fire.
"Yet | saw sparks come right out of
the ground!p said the rabbit. 81 won
der how it happened2 Maybe there is
bad fairy around here who will turn
me into a butterfly, or something like
that
"Hal Ha! Hal" laughed little
voice down on the ground.
"Oh, are you the fairy7" asked I'm
Gle Wiggily, getting ready to run.
"No, indeed" was the answer. 81
am little black ant lady. But it
makes me laugh to hear you say per-
haps the sparks were caused by fairy.
You made the fire sparks yourself =
~ did? How9v asked Uncle Wig.
gily, looking at the steel scissors
"When you fell,o explained the ant
| lady, Nurse Jane IS scissors struck on
the fire stone, and sparks came forth.
"'What s fire stone9' asked the
| bunny wonderingly
"There it is, answered the ant lady,
pointing to a black stone on rne path
where Uucle Wiggily had stumbled,
That's the fire stone.'