Imperial Valley press., 1924-11-06
Bedtime Stories
By HOWARD E. GkRTS
Copyright, 1928, py Mcclure
Newspaper SyndiGate
UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE
GRASSHoPFER

as we'll as jumping legs, and could
far from Uncle Wiggily's hollow
istump bungalow, a grasShopper
And as this grasshopper, had wings,
filter and fiuttcr from place to
! place, he was called flying grass
hopper.
Sometimes, when Baby Bunty, the
little rabbit girl, saw him she
would laugh and point and say:
"Thorc goes the flying hopper
grass! - You see, she spoke his
name backward, the way a lobster
swlms, but really it didn't matter.
All summer long the flying grass
hopper fitted and fluttered and
sang in the field not far from I'M
ele Wiggily's S hollow stump bunga
low. But one day, when Jack
Frost had paid visit the night be
fore to Woodland, Uncle Wiggily
found the flying grasshopper street
ched out on the path, lying on his
back, with his legs up in the air.
Hello, hoppergrass, as Baby
Buntv calls you!' spoke the rab
bit gentleman. "Why are You ly-
ing there so stiff on the path?"
The flying grasshopper moved his
legs little and fluttered his wings
a little, but he did not get up from
off his back. Then he spoke in
such a low voice that Uncle Wiggi-
ly couldn t hear what was said.
"What s the mattcr'' asked the
bunny, leaning down close to the
grasshopper. And then. in a voice
about as small as the point of pin,
the grasshopper replied:
Il am so stiff with the cold that
/ cant move. | should have hid !
den myself in a warm hole in the |
earth as the ants do. But did !
not think Jack Frost would come !
so soon. Now | am too stiff with /
the cold TO move. can fly, l I
can't hop and l can't even turn
over off my back, where | fell |
out of my bed under a leaf. Oh, !
dear! What shall L do!'
do? Do nothing, my dear grass.
hopper, - spoke Uncle Wiggily, /!
kindly. 81 vii take Won home to
my warm bungalow; there vou may
stay all winter, if You like. You
will be company for Nurse Jane
while 1 am away. III pick you
up, put you i'll my pocket. and take
you home with me.", which the f
bunny gentleman did.
Nurse Jane was glad to see the
half-frozen flying grasshopper and
made little warm bed in an emp
ty match box behind the kitchen
stove. There the grasshopper thaw-
ed out, until he. could hop about the
room and fly from side to side.
Now 1 am happyl Now l am
happy" sang the graashopper, fly |
ing around the bungalow. Thank |
you, Uncle Wiggily; l am very
happy
~ m glad of that spoke the |
bunny, twinklink his pink nose. !!
And just then Nurse Jane open,
cd the door to take in the pail of
milk which Mrs. Moo Cow had left
on the doorstep. And as Nurse Jane
opened the door in slipped the Fuz-
zy Fox.
I'm after Uncle Wiggily, / IN af-
ter Uncle Wiggily!" barkcd the
Fox.
"And ! m after you.' sang the
flying grasshopper. With that he
splashed into the pail of milk and
scooping up some of his wings, the
grasshopper scattered a lot of milk
in the eyes of the Fox.
"Oh, l can see. | can't sce.'
howled the Fox.
"That's why l splashed you!"
sang the grasshopper.! $50, on,
nov. Uncle Wiggily, push the Fox
out of the door and down the
front steps. He can't see to bite
you because he has milk in his
eyes.
So Uncle Wiggilv and Nurse Jane
pushed the half-blind Fox out of
the door and locked it so he couldn t |
get in again. Then the grasshopper
sang a more jolly song than before.
And if the fountain pen docsn It
And the bunny laughed.
splash ink on the face of the clock,
so the lead pencil can t tell what
time it is, III tell you next about
Uncle Wiggily and the sorrowfui
cricket