Imperial Valley press., 1931-02-28
Bedtime Stories
By HOWARD Z. GARRIS
Copyright, 1928, by Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate
WHAT UNCLE WIGGHY
CAUGHT

Uncle Wiggily and Mr. Twistytail,
the fat, Jolly pig gentleman, sat on
boxes on the ice that covered the
duck pond in Woodland where Mr.
Longears lived in his hollow stump
bungalow. In front of Uncle Wig
gily was a hole and in front OF Mr..
TwiStytail was another hole. The
holes were cut through the ice. Un-
Gle Wiggily had cut the holes, using
a hatchet he found in the woodshed
OF his bungalow
Oh, no. neither Uncle Wiggily nor
Mr.. Twistytail was going tc try TO
jump down through the holes IN
the ice. 1t was too cold for that.
Besides, they wouldn t have jumped
down through the ice holes if it
had been the hottest day in sum-
mer. For on a hot summer day, OF
course, there is no ice on the duck
pond. a.
The reason Uncle Wiggily and
Mr.. Twistytail sat on boxes in front
OF the holes cut through the ice of
the duck pond was that they were
fishing. Fishing through the ice IS
often done in winter except in the
lovely, warm Southland where there
never is any ice.
Uncle Wiggily had cut two holes
with the hatchet. Down each hole
into the water beneath the ice had
been dropped a hook with a piece
of banana, a bit OF apple. some
meat. part of a cocoanut and some
hash. This was the bait.
"You see, - Uncle Wiggily eX-
planned to Mr.. Twistytail, who didn It
know much about fishing through
the ice, Il will put lot OF differ
ent kinds of bait on the hook, so II
the fish under the ice don't like
one kind they may pick another"
VERY clever grunted the fat
pig. 81 can easily believe that some
fish might like bananas and an
other fish would rather eat apples.
"True enough" said the rabbit.
But went on Mr.. Twistytail.
~ don't see why you baited one
hook with hash.
THAT is easily told spoke the
rabbit. "Hash, as you know, is a
lot of different things chopped up
together. Nobody ever knows just
what is in hash. So got some hash
and put a bit of it on each OF our
hooks besides the apple, the cocoa
nut. the banana and meat. Now
then if there is a funny fish under
the ice who has a poor appetite,
and if he sees the hash and doesn Vt
know what is in it, why, he II take
a bite Just to find out, and then
ne II be caught.
1T sounds like a good idea,
agreed Mr.. Twistytail, looking at his
hole in the ice down through which
went the baited hook and line. But
when are we 10 know when we have
caught fish, Wiggy?"
1.-The bell will ring" said the
rabbit.
'fHa Hal Ho! Ho Tee! Heel"
laughed the jolly fat pig. do you
mean TO tell me that when a fish
bites on one of our hooks he goes
around to your door bell or my
door bell and rings to let us know
he is caught?'
"Oh, no! not exactly that an
swrede the rabbit But you will
notice that I have fastened our lines
TO a wire sticking up in the ice. Do
you see it?'
"Oh, I yes; see our lines fas-
tened to the wires" said the pig.
"'Well,'' on each wire is a little
bell. y said Mr. Longears. AS soon
as the fish pulls on the hook
whether he nibbles a bit of cocoa,
nut or the hash, the line is pulled
the wire bends and the little bell
rings. That's how you Will know
when you have a bite.
THAT IS a very good way of fish
ing through the ice,' grunted the
pig. ~ can now sit here and &c
to sleep. And when I get a bite the
Jingle of the bell will awaken me
And you, too, I suppose. :"
yes" agreed Uncle Wiggily.
t'Well then,'' chuckled the PIC
'let S go TO sleep.
So he and Uncle Wiggily, SITTING
on their boxes went TO sleep ir
front of the ice fishing holes. The,
slept for some time, for they wer,
warmly dressed in fur coats. Blu