Imperial Valley press., 1925-05-25
Bedtime Stories
BY HOWARD e. GARIS
Copyright, 1923, ny licOlurs
Newspaper Syndicate
UNCLE WTGGILY'S TICKLE
BRIDGE

Once upon time, when Uncle
Wiggily hoped across a brook in
the woods where he had gone to
look for an adventure, the bunny
rabbit gentleman saw, i'll a tiny
pool of water, with ring of sand
all around it, two gold fishes. The
gold fishes seemed in great trouble,
for they were flapping their tails
and swimming quickly about in the
little pool. The pool was like a
small bath tub set down III, but
separate from the brook.
"What is the matter, Gold
Fish3' asked the bunny rabbit.
"You do not seem to be happy
there, swimming III the sun
"We aren't happy answered
the larger of the two fishes. "And
unless we can soon get out of this
pool we may die. >"
"'That would be sad, indeed, -
said Uncle Wiggily. But what
happened9'
4" Ny brother and l. said the
smaller fish, were flapping and
swimming about in the brook when
we had little race to see who
could jump the farthest out Of wa
ter. We both jumped and LANDED in
this little. pool. 1t had water en-
ough to last us short time, but
now we have brcathed nearly all
the air out of the water and unless
we can get back into the big brook
We shall die. -
Fish, you know, need air to
breathe just as we do, only they get
their have fresh water, with fresh
air in it, fishes will smother just
as we would if shut up in IL room,
with the doors and windows closed
tight.
III dig through the ring of sand
with my rheumatism crutch and let
the water from the main brook come
into your locked pool,' said the
bunny. So he cut Il channel which
made the little pool a part of the
big brook and then the gold fish
cs could swim out.
"Thenk you, Uncle Wiggily" "
they cried, flapping their tails
81 am glad l could help you!'
said the bunny, twinkling his pink
nose and hopping away to look for
an adventure. For he did not call
what he had done for the gold fish
an adventure.
1t was about this same time
that, farther down the brook, Jackie
and Peetie Bow Wow, the doggie
boys, with Nipper and Skipper, two
of Uncle Wiggily's new rabbit
children, were putting pieces of bark
across the water to make Il little
bridge. From pile of stones on
one side of the brook, to Il pile OF
stones on the other side, the boy
animals laid their bridge of bark.
Then they ran across it.
But the bridge was so weak that
it bent down in the middle, almost
breaking, until it nearly touched
the water. The little fellows
thought this only the more fun.
"lt makes you feel sort of tick
lish-like to run over the bridge when
you think it 5 going to fail and
splash you into the water, - barked
Jackie. Lets call it tickle
bridget
Of we were a little fatter and
heavier ed break through our
tickle bridget" laughed Nipper.
Then Skipper looked down the path
and cried:
'Here comes our new daddy, Tn
Gle Wiggily! He is bigger and
fatter than we are. Let s get him
to cross the tickle bridge and he II
fall through and splash into the
water!'
"Oh, that II be fum!' cried Pee
tie. Uncle Wiggily likes II joke
and he surely will be ticklcd when
he goes over our bridge and it
breaks with him."
So, telling the bunny rabbit gen.
ticman nothing about now frail the
bridge WAS, the animal boys cried,
when he came up:
Hoop over our new tickle bridge,
Uncle Wiggily! =
"Why 90 you call it Il tickle
bridget asked Mr.. Longcars.
You'll see!" giggled the four
little tykes.
SO Uncle Wiggily started across
the little bark bridge. But when he
reached the middle it didn t break
and drop him into the water, as the
animal boys thought it would. In
stead, tho bunny hoped safely to
the other side, crossing safely ON
the bark bridge. And tnen, looking
into the water, jackie, Pcctic, Nip.
per and Skipper saw, beneath the
bridge, two large gold fishes, who,
with their tails, were holding up
the middle of the bark so it couldn t
break. The fish did this to repay
Uncle Wiggily for the favor he
had done them.
"Well, boys" laughed the bunny
rabbit as he twinkled his pink nose,
that S Il pretty good tickle bridge.
1t tickles me SO much | must laugh.
l. Hal Hal Halp And he lauphed