The Ogden Standard Examiner

BEDTIME STORIES
BY HOWARD R. GARIS

UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE CARPET SWEEPER

Copyright, 1920, by McClure Newspaper Syndicate

The lady housekeeper in Uncle Wiggily's hollow stump bungalow one day Nurse Jane Fuzzy Wuzzy [said] "How my back aches!" at me!

"A back aches! That's too bad," followed Uncle Wiggily, said [to] Woozie Wolf for the Blue Nosed the bunny rabbit gentleman. "Did you slip down on the ice [or] didn't chase you and [w]rale [i]n your back?"

"[N]ot I have caught cold. I don't bak you," answered Nurse Jane. "[A]ll day, and I can hardly push [th]is [the] pain so much, but this EASE reper across the rugs and car- [pets]. [I]t's as long as a broom isn't needed. [I] muplag today, Nurse Jane, and you g[et] sweeper around. I'll do it. I'll do [all] there is to do is to push the [machine] and rest your aching back."

"[Th]ese!" exclaimed the muskrat. "[B]ut that my back doesn't pain [me] t[oday? B]ut you can't sweep, Uncle [Wiggily]."

"I can," said Mr. Longears. "[I]t's like pushing a wheelbarrow. [L]et me try!"

Nurse Jane went to lie down, and [for her] aching back, and Uncle Wiggily [was] steady to carpet sweep the rooms [in the] hollow stump bungalow. "[I] might have an adventure here as [well] u[n]if I went out for it," he said. [He] began to sweep the parlor [which] was not very dirty. Backward [and] forward across the carpet the bunny [rabbit] gentleman pushed the machine that [gathered] the dust and lint and he was [glad he] dashed and ready to begin [in the] dining room, when he heard a knock [at the] door.

"[Wh]o is it? I wonder if that's Grandpa Goosey Gander," said Uncle Wiggily. "[H]e mustn't see me like this." And [the] bunny began to take off the apron Nurse Jane had tied around his [waist].

When he had it off Uncle Wiggily [went to the] door. And he was so excited [that h]e opened it without first looking [out the] side window.

No sooner was the door opened than [in] walked Woozie Wolf! It wasn't Grandpa Goosey Gander at all.

"[G]ood morning," growled the Wolf, and [push]ed in before Uncle Wiggily could [cl]ose the door.

"[A] bad-morning," said the bunny [under his] breath.

"[B]ad for you, but good for me," gurgled the Wolf. "I haven't had a nibble [all] morning," he went on as he looked [hungr]ily at Uncle Wiggily's ears.

"[H]ush! Not so loud," whispered the [old] gentleman. "Nurse Jane has gone [to lie] down. Her back aches, and I'm [doing] the sweeping."

"[H]a! Ha! That's pretty good," laughed the Wolf most impolitely. "You [do]ing sweeping! Ho! Ho! I never heard of such [a thing]."

"[H]aven't you?" asked Uncle Wiggily [a bit] sarcastic like and displeased. "If you'll wait a minute, I'll show [you]. [H]a! I can sweep as well as anybody [who's] here."

And before the Wolf could stop him Uncle Wiggily hurried into the parlor [where] he had left the carpet sweeper.

"[H]a! See this, will you?" [he] cried, and he began pushing the [machine] along on its rubber wheels, mak[ing a] rumble and click.

Wolf [had] never [seen a carpet] sweeper. [What] did Uncle Wiggily push the [machine] straight for [the] Woozie Wolf?

"Hold on!" the Wolf [yelled]. "Wait a minute!" who had never [seen a carpet] machine before. "[W]hat [are you] going to do?"

"Just am I going to do? [I] am going to sweep you right out of my bungalow! That's what I'm going to do!" answered the brave bunny gentleman. Then he ran the sweeper over the [Wolf's] tail as it was curled on the floor [in] the hall. And the brush in the carpet sweeper tangled in the hairs of the [Wolf's] tail and wound them up and [held] them hard!

"O wouch! Oh, wouch!" [the] [s]weeping was like this howled the [Wolf]. "I'll be good," he pulled his tail out from where [it was] caught in the sweeper and ran [away].

"Oh, I didn't [mean to hurt you, but] the bunny at [all]. [W]hat's that noise, Jane?" [asked Uncle Wiggily, waking up from a little nap].

"I was just making a clean sweep [of the] Woozie Wolf," laughed Mr. Longears, [as he went on using the carpet machine].

Nurse Jane's back was better. And if the pussy cat doesn't try to [build a nest in the clothes tree for] the overcoat to go to sleep in, I'll tell you next about Uncle Wiggily and the raisin cake.