Imperial Valley Press

UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE LIGHTNING BUGS

"Please don't forget to bring home some candles with you when you return today," called Nurse Jane Fuzzy Wuzzy to Uncle Wiggily, as the bunny gentleman hopped down the steps of his hollow stump bungalow one morning.

"Candles? Why candles?" he asked, twinkling his pink nose.

"Because we may be in the dark this evening unless you do," went on Nurse Jane.

"In the dark?" repeated Mr. Longears, puzzled like.

"Yes, Wiggy," proceeded Miss Fuzzy Wuzzy. "There has been an accident at the gas works and the place where they make electric lights, and unless things are mended before dark we shall be without light if you don't bring candles."

"I'll bring them—never fear," cheerfully called Mr. Longears, as he hopped off down the path to seek for an adventure. But Nurse Jane did fear, and with good reason, for she knew how forgetful was Uncle Wiggily.

And, surely enough, when the bunny rabbit gentleman reached home to his bungalow later that afternoon, Miss Fuzzy Wuzzy called:

"Did you get them?"

"Oh, yes, I had two fine adventures!" answered Uncle Wiggily, thinking she was speaking of what had happened to him. "The Bob Cat chased me, but I jumped over a brook and he fell in. Then the Fox tried to nibble my ears, but I scratched a lot of dust and sand in his eyes and he couldn't see, so I ran away. I had two wonderful exciting adventures and—"

"But did you bring the candles!" asked Nurse Jane.

"Candles? Bless my straw hat! I forgot all about them!" exclaimed Uncle Wiggily. "But perhaps the gas or electric lights will work."

However, they did not, and soon the bungalow was in darkness, and Nurse Jane bumped her nose against the wall and Uncle Wiggily stubbed his paw over a chair.

But, all of a sudden, the rabbit gentleman saw some twinkling spots of light outside the bungalow, through a window.

"We shall no longer be in the dark, Nurse Jane!" joyfully called Uncle Wiggily. "I know how to get light."

"How?" asked the muskrat lady.

"From the lightning bugs, or fireflies," answered the bunny. "They are twinkling and sparkling outside. I'll invite a few of them in our bungalow and you can see to get supper and wash the dishes, while I read the paper. I'll get some lightning bugs."

So Uncle Wiggily invited the lightning bugs to come into the bungalow, and very glad the kind insects were to do Nurse Jane and Mr. Longears this favor. The bugs perched themselves about the rooms, twinkling and glowing, and they made the place as light as though candles had been used. Nurse Jane could see to get supper, and she gave the good lightning bugs some molasses honey, of which they were very fond.

Uncle Wiggily was reading his cabbage leaf newspaper by the light of two fireflies, when, all of a sudden, outside the bungalow came creeping the Bushy Bear. The Bear had heard about the gas and electric lights being broken, and the Bear said to himself:

"Uncle Wiggily's bungalow will be all in darkness. I can easily creep in and nibble his ears!" So the Bushy Bear crept softly toward the bunny's bungalow. He saw some tiny sparkles of light.

"Uncle Wiggily has lighted candles, but even with them it will be so dark he can't see me slip in," thought the Bear.

Into the bungalow he softly shuffled. He was sliding up behind the bunny to nibble his ears as the rabbit sat in the chair, when, all of a sudden, one of the lightning bugs saw the bad chap.

"Oh, I'm going to light on you now and tickle you!" buzzed the funny little lightning bug. With that he flew down off the mantel and straight he zinged for the Bear.

Right on the Bear's nose the lightning bug landed.

"Oh, my goodness! Bless my rubber boots. Oh, Uncle Wiggily is throwing lighted candles at me! I'll be burned. This is no place for me!" howled the Bear. Then more lightning bugs flew at him, and he, thinking they were candles being tossed at him ran away out of the bungalow, nibbling not a single ear.

"It's a good thing, after all, that I forgot the candles and brought in the lightning bugs," laughed Mr. Longears when it was all over. And Nurse Jane said it was.

And if the rag doll doesn't try to slide down hill on the nutmeg grater and rip a big hole in her petticoat, I'll tell you next about Uncle Wiggily—feeding the birds.