Imperial Valley press., 1927-08-19
Bedtime Stories
BY HOWARD E. GARIS
Copyright, 1927, by Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate
UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE
JOLLY LOBSTER

| ncIc NlSglH was sitting on
cushion of dtled seaweed at the
shore of the ocean one morning,
when, all of sudden, the rabbi,
gentleman felt tug at his coat
tails from behind. Having just hop
,Fed from the summer shell cottage
where he was spending his vacation
at the beach, Mr.. Longears wanted
rest and quiet for little while, So
The gently said:
J. ''Hop away, Baby Bunty. | can t
Iplay with you now. And l can't go
iadventuring
This ism t Baby Bunty," spoke
a laughing voice.
Well, Jingle or Jangle, Tumble
or Bundle, Scooter Or Tooter-who
lever it is, please hop away" beg.
! ged Uncle Wiggily, not bothering
to turn around to see who was pu'-
ling his coat tails. For the rabbit
wanted to watch the ocean waves
to make sure they did not roll up the
sandy beach far enough to wet his
! toes.
81 I'M neither Jingle nor Jangle,
nor Tumble nor Bumble nor any of
your little rabbits! chuekled the
voice.
''Who are You then'' asked
| Uncle Wiggily in surprise as he
! turned. He saw a queer creature with
big, pinching claws, much larger
than those of the crab. The creature
Lad a flippy sort of tail that folded
beneath him.
81 am the jolly lobster,'' said
Uncle Wiggily's new friend, and
the rabbit gentleman knew the lob
ster was friend, though those big
claws could pinch very hard if need
be. - 1es-Ha. Ha! | am jolly
lobster, and | want every one else
TO be happy! Ha! Ha! Let s hear
You laugh! Ho! Ho.@ he begged the
rabbit
Now Uncle Wiggily really had
nothing at which to laugh. And,
though he was as good natured a
rabbit gentleman as you could find
if YOU travelled up hill and down
dale for week and half, still he
did not see how he could laugh.
ehuckle, snicker, giggle. chortle,
guffaw. burst out or do anv other
things which, in cross word puzzles,
means to show merriment.
Pat still, YOU know how it is,
when YOU hear any one else laugh
and they tell YOU to be jolly, whether
You See ANYTHING funny or not, you
just naturally give. way to mirth.
That 5 what Uncle Wiggily did, and
soon he and the jolly lobster were
laughing away there together on the
beach as if they had read thous-
and funny papers.
The rabbit gentleman laughed
until the tears came into his eyes
and the lobster chuckled until his
hard shell claws ratified like dried
peas in tin pan, until at last Uncle
Wiggily asked:
But why are YOU So Jolly. Nj.
Flip Tail2 What are YOU laughing
at ~
"Thats just it, answered the
pinching creature from the sea. g
haven t thing to laugh at, which
makes it all the funnier that | should
be tickled. Ha! Ha! Isn't that the
best joke you ever heard ofo''
And though Uncle Wiggily could
,, not quite see it, he had to laugh
again, especially when the lobster
pinched him gently in the soft ribs.
But at last the rabbit asked:
"Surelv there must be some one
thing that strikes YOU as funny to
make YOU so jolly. Can t YOU think
what it is!
The lobster thought for moment
and then said:
.sWell, how s this? A friend of
mine, another lobster, wants to be
red in color, instead of the dark
green we Holsters always are. He
thinks red is much more stylish. He
saw some red Holsters once in the
window of a lobster palace and he
has been wanting to, be like them
ever since. SO today he is going to
turn red and | have to laugh when
. think Of it,
but look here suddenly
n VVysals