Imperial Valley press. (El Centro, Calif.) 1907-current, 1927-08-06
Bedtime Stories
Ey HOWARD f. CARTS
Copyright, 1897. by Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate
UNCLE WTGGrT.v AND MIR.
TOOTHP1CK

Once upon time as Uncle Wig
gily was hopping past a little house
built beneath the gnarled roots of
tan old oak tree, the rabbit gentle
imam heard the voices of some animal
! boys shouting:
] "'Porbie Porkie! Stick him with
la forllicl'
! ''Tcothpick! Toothpick! Hit him
! with big stick!
! There was rustling in the bushes
/ near the little house under the
! gnarled roots of the oak tree, and
Jackie and Peetie Bow Wow. John
ME and Billy Bushvtail, Sammie
Iittletail with Bully and Rawly No
Tail ran past where the rabbit
gentleman stood, shouting again:
"Porkie, Porkie, Stick him with
folliie!'
ECan they be playing an April
Fool trick on me?' thought Mr..
Longears. But a moment later NJ
knew this could not be. For out Of
the little house rushed an animal
which seemed to. be covered with
dark toothpicks, sticking in every
direction from his furry coat.
bad boys, Bad bovs!' cried
this stickery animal. why don't
YOU let me alone? | never harm
Won, Go away.'
Back into his house beneath the
t,oe roots scurried the pricklv gen.
tleman, while the teasing animal
bows again shouted:
''Porkie! Porkie! Stick him with
3 forkie.'
"Roys, Boys! Stop" cried Uncle
Wiggily. "Whv do YOU tease that
poor old animal9 Go away and
leave him. in peace!'
"Aw, he shoots his quilts at us y
harked Jackie.
eve want to see him shoot his
ouills,' chartered Billie the SPUR
rel
Nonsense." exclaimed Mr..
Longears, who, by this time knew
the prickly gentleman animal to be
Mr.. Toothpick the Porcupine. HE
cannot shoot his quilts, i am sure! y
.. Yes he cant insisted Sammie
Littletail, trying to twinkle his
pink rabbit nose as Uncle Wiggilv
twin a his. ''Old Mr.. Toothpick
can shoot his quilts just like arrows
and we want to see him. That 5
why we call him Porkiel Porkie!
Stick him with a forkie!'
and we have to run after we
veil at him so he won t shoot his
quilts into us, added Peetie Bow
Wow.
''You are altogether wrong,'
said Uncle Wiggily. You are
wrong and YOU have been doing
wrong. Mr.. Toothpick, the Porcup-
inc gentleman, can not shoot his
quills like arrows. know YOU boys
think so but it ism true. His quilts
are very loose and sharp pointed
and if YOU touch them they will
STICK in YOU and pull loose from his
fur, for his quilts have barbed
points like fish-hooks. But You do
wrong to tease him and | want You
to run away and let him alone.
When Uncle Wiggily spoke this
way the only thing to do was to
GDCV MIN. ana the poNS hHeN ~.
So. somewhat ashamed of them
selves for having leased Mr.. Tooth
pick, Jackie, Peetie and the others
ran down to the brook to playSPir
ate Uncle Wiggily remained near
the little house beneath the tree
noots. Pretty soon out came the Por-
cupine, or Porkie,' as the boys
teasingly called him.
"Thank you, Uncle Wiggily. for
sending those boys away, said
Mr.. Toothpick. "They don't mean
to annoy me but some one has told
that silly story about me shooting
my quilts and they poster me to
have me do it. can I at all! -
Il thought YOU couldn't, and |
said So chuckled Mr.. Longears.
q" But ! wasn't quite sire. l don =
believe the boys will bother you
again.
"Thank you, said Mr. Tooth.
pick. "It was a great favor, and