Imperial Valley Press

Bed-Time Stories By HOWARD E. GARRIS Copyright, 1928, by McClure Newspaper Syndicate

UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE BOY

Uncle Wiggily, with Baby Bunty. the orphan rabbit and all his other little forty sixteen boys and girls was sitting about a camp-fire in the woods one evening, telling stories.

The rabbit gentleman had just finished, for Bunty. a story about a bad boy who pulled the Bob Cat's tail, and Mr. Longears was going to start another story when, all of a sudden. Buster, a boy rabbit, whispered:

"What's that?"

"What's what?" asked Uncle Wiggily. "What do you mean, Buster?"

"Over there in the dark part of the woods." whispered Buster. "Don't you see something like two eyes, one red and one green, looking at us?"

"Oh. yes, I see them!" cried Jingle.

"So do I!" cried Jangle. who was Jingle's twin sister. "Maybe it's the Bob Cat looking at us and the light of the camp-fire shines on his eyes. Oh, let's go home!"

She started to run away and so did all the others, but Uncle Wiggily called to them:

"Don't be afraid. little sillies! Those shining eyes you see in the dark are only those of Nurse Jane coming. I think. to tell us that supper is ready. Is that you, Nurse Jane?" called Mr. Longears

"Yes, it is." answered the muskrat lady housekeeper, "your wife and I have been waiting for you to come with the children from your evening picnic in the woods by the camp-fire. What have you been doing?"

"Oh, he told us the loveliest story about a bad boy!" said Bunty.

"And he's going to tell us another about a funny boy," said Jingle.

"Well, I can tell you a story about what will happen if you don't all hurry back to the bungalow at once!"squeaked Nurse Jane.

"Will the Bob Cat get us?" asked Jingle.

"Of course he won't!" laughed Nurse Jane. "But all your suppers will get cold if you don't come and eat them. My goodness, Mr. Long- ears." she went on, "it seems very funny keeping the bunnies out here in the woods after dark when it has been raining! Very queer!"

"But I built a camp-fire to keep them warm."said Uncle Wiggily.

"And he told us a lovely story!" said Bunty. "About a bad boy. We don't want to go home now. not even for supper!"

"That's right!" exclaimed Jingle, Jangle and all the others.

"Oh, dear! What am I going to do?" squeaked Nurse Jane. "Your mother sent me to make you come home to supper!"

"We'll all come to supper." said Uncle Wiggily, "and while the children are eating I'll tell them about the funny boy."

"Oh. that will be fine!" exclaimed Baby Bunty. "Come on. everybody!"

After Uncle Wiggily had carefully put out the camp-fire, so it would not scatter sparks in the night and set the woods ablaze to burn the fine trees, the party hurried back to the hollow stump bungalow. There they had a fine supper, which Mrs. Longears had kept hot for them, and when they were sitting about. waiting for bedtime, Uncle Wiggily told this little story:

"Once upon a time there was a boy who was very queer, for he was always making funny faces. At least he thought they were funny. He would crinkle up his nose and squint his eyes and puff out his cheeks and he would shout:

" Look at me! See how funny I am!"

'Oh, I wouldn't make those queer faces if I were you."the boy's mother said to him, more than once. And when he asked her why, she said some day he might make funny faces in cold weather and then his nose would freeze crinkled and his eyes would freeze squinty and his cheeks would freeze puffy and he might never get them straightened out again,

But even after his mother had said that. went on Uncle Wiggily. "this queer boy kept on making funny faces all around the house, upstairs and down-stairs. in front of his sisters' sometimes, and making them run away. for they didn't like his looks.

"One day when he was up-stairs this funny boy's mother heard him shouting for her. She ran to him and found him in the hall crying.

She asked him what the matter was and he said: 'Oh. Mother. I just now saw a boy here and 'he made terrible faces right at me!'

The boy's mother laughed and said there was no other boy in the house.

Oh, yes there is; look!' cried this funny chap. He pointed and what do you suppose had happened? Why this boy was standing in front of a looking glass in the hall, only he didn't know it was there. He had been seeing his own funny faces in the looking glass and he didn't know himself. 'Now let this be a lesson to you.' said his mother. And after that the funny boy made no more queer faces."

The bunny children laughed at this story and went to bed, And if the molasses candy will stop pulling ing the leg of the chair when it's trying to climb up on the shelf to get some bread and butter. I'll tell you next about Uncle Wiggily's whistle.