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  THE ADVENTURES OF

  UNCLE WIGGILY

  THE BUNNY RABBIT GENTLEMAN
  WITH THE TWINKLING PINK NOSE

  By
  HOWARD R. GARIS

  Pictures by
  LANG CAMPBELL

  [Illustration: Decoration]

  CHARLES E. GRAHAM & CO.
  NEWARK, N. J.    ::    NEW YORK




  COPYRIGHT 1924
  BY
  CHARLES E. GRAHAM & CO.

[Illustration: _Made in U. S. A._]




[Illustration: Uncle Wiggily and Nurse Jane]




ADVENTURES OF UNCLE WIGGILY AND NURSE JANE


Once upon a time Uncle Wiggily said to his muskrat lady housekeeper:
“Nurse Jane, we are going to the woods.” “What shall we do in the
woods?” asked Miss Fuzzy Wuzzy, twisting her tail around under her
dress. “We shall visit the Squiggle Bugs, perhaps,” laughed Uncle
Wiggily, twinkling his pink nose. “And we may have an adventure.”
“You never know what will happen when you go to the woods,” said
Nurse Jane. “And, as you might get into danger if you went alone,
I will go with you.” The bunny rabbit and Nurse Jane hopped to the
forest. Suddenly Miss Fuzzy Wuzzy pulled Uncle Wiggily’s coat tails
and whispered: “See! There is a flat stump table, and on it are good
things to eat!” “Oh, yes!” cried Mr. Longears. “And, as no one is
there, we may as well sit down and eat the picnic lunch.” “What a
large pitcher of lemonade!” said Nurse Jane. “Whose is it, Uncle
Wiggily?” “Maybe it belongs to a giant,” answered the bunny. “Oh,
dear!” cried Nurse Jane. “Don’t be afraid,” said the rabbit. Nurse
Jane felt relieved.

[Illustration: two bears]

[Illustration: bear falls on table]


Now, the stump table had been set in the woods by a Mother Bear and
her two little cubs. Soon the three bears, who had gone looking for
honey, came back. “Oh, Mother!” growled Little Cub Goopy, “someone is
at our table!” “They are eating all our good things!” whined Little
Cub Snoopy. Mother Bear grumbled: “My goodness!” “Let me crawl out
on a branch over their heads, Mother,” whispered Goopy. “I’ll drop
acorns on that muskrat lady and bunny uncle to scare them.” Mother
Bear helped Goopy climb the tree while Snoopy held her tail. A branch
of the tree waved over the stump table. Goopy climbed up softly.
Neither Uncle Wiggily nor Nurse Jane heard him. “This is a fine
picnic,” laughed the bunny, eating a cake. Just then Goopy, out on
the end of the branch, slipped and tumbled into the big pitcher of
lemonade, splashing it all over Uncle Wiggily and Nurse Jane. Uncle
Wiggily hopped home to his bungalow.

[Illustration: UNCLE WIGGILY HOPPED HOME TO HIS BUNGALOW.]

[Illustration: bear falls on table]

[Illustration: bear gets spanked]

“Where are you going?” squeaked Nurse Jane. Uncle Wiggily answered:
“I am going to get a piece of sticky fly paper to catch any more
bears that may drop down.” With the sticky paper, Mr. Longears hopped
back to the woods. He put the sticky paper on the stump table. Little
Cub Goopy, who had scrambled out of the lemonade, ran back to Mother
Bear. “Now I will climb the tree and scare away Uncle Wiggily,”
Little Cub Snoopy whispered. So he climbed out on the branch. But
his paws slipped and down he fell on the sticky fly paper. “Bless
my pink, twinkling nose!” cried Uncle Wiggily as he danced with the
big lemonade pitcher. “Guff! Guff!” whined Snoopy. The rabbit pulled
the little cub off the sticky paper and said: “I am going to tickle
you to make you a better bear.” The bunny softly patted little Cub
Snoopy. Then Uncle Wiggily balanced his rheumatism crutch on the end
of his nose.

[Illustration: UNCLE WIGGILY BALANCED HIS RHEUMATISM CRUTCH ON HIS
NOSE.]

[Illustration: Nurse Jane puts basket over bear]

[Illustration: Nurse Jane and Uncle Wiggily walk away]

“Why are you doing that?” asked Nurse Jane. Uncle Wiggily danced
around as he answered: “I want to make Mother Bear laugh at this
funny trick so she won’t bite us.” But Mother Bear would not laugh.
“Gurr! Gurr!” she growled, pretending to be angry. “I think I shall
nibble your ears, Uncle Wiggily!” “What for?” asked the bunny rabbit.
“For eating my little cubs’ lunch and for tickling Snoopy,” replied
Mother Bear. “Yes, I shall nibble your ears!” “Oh, no, you shall not
do that!” cried Nurse Jane. Then the muskrat lady took one of the
empty lunch baskets and slipped it over Mother Bear’s head. “Now you
can’t nibble any ears!” said Miss Fuzzy Wuzzy. “Ha! Ha!” laughed
Uncle Wiggily, waving his paw. Little Cub Goopy and Little Cub Snoopy
sat up together like twins. “Wuff! Wuff!” growled Mother Bear as she
sat down to get the basket off her head. Then the bunny and Nurse
Jane ran safely home.

[Illustration: UNCLE WIGGILY HOPPED INTO BED.]

[Illustration: Uncle Wiggily climbs tree]

[Illustration: Nurse Jane on swing]

Next day Uncle Wiggily arose early. “Ah, ha, Nurse Jane!” he greeted
the muskrat lady. “Do you want to go to the woods and have another
adventure with bears?” Miss Fuzzy Wuzzy said she would rather have
different fun. “Then I’ll tell you what we can do,” spoke Uncle
Wiggily. “We’ll take our own lunch and go visiting in the forest.”
Nurse Jane asked whom they would visit. “Oh, perhaps the Squiggle
Bugs,” answered the bunny. So he and the muskrat lady went to the
woods. “What are you going to do with the rope, Uncle Wiggily?” asked
Nurse Jane. “I am going to make you a swing,” politely replied the
rabbit. He climbed a tree, fastened the rope to a branch and made a
swing for his housekeeper. “Up you go!” cried the bunny, giving Nurse
Jane a push. Up and down she swung, and then she called: “I wish I
had a drink!” Uncle Wiggily hopped to the spring and filled his tall,
silk hat to the brim with water.

[Illustration: UNCLE WIGGILY FILLED HIS HAT WITH WATER.]

[Illustration: Nurse Jane falls]

[Illustration: Uncle Wiggily makes hammock]

Nurse Jane thanked the rabbit, drank the water and swung by herself,
while Uncle Wiggily slept under the trees until it was time to eat
lunch. All at once the bunny sneezed, and opening his eyes, he saw a
Squiggle Bug tickling his nose. “Look at Nurse Jane!” buzzed the Bug.
“She is swinging too high!” All of a sudden the swing rope broke and
down fell the muskrat lady. “Oh, I am so sorry!” cried Uncle Wiggily.
“Are you hurt?” Nurse Jane said she wasn’t. “I think a hammock would
be safer,” spoke the rabbit. He made a hammock out of grass and
cobwebs. “Get in,” the bunny invited Nurse Jane, “and the Squiggle
Bug will pull you.” Suddenly, while Nurse Jane was swinging in the
hammock, the grass rope broke and she began to fall. Then a Giant
Squiggle Bug flew past and caught one end of the hammock. “Come here,
Uncle Wiggily!” buzzed the Bug. “Don’t let Nurse Jane bump!” cried
the rabbit gentleman.

[Illustration: “DON’T LET NURSE JANE BUMP,” CRIED THE RABBIT.]

[Illustration: Uncle Wiggily crosses brook]

[Illustration: Nurse Jane falls in brook]

Uncle Wiggily and the Bug let Nurse Jane down easily. When the
muskrat lady crawled out of the hammock she said: “No more of
that, if you please!” The Giant Bug flew away after Uncle Wiggily
had thanked him. Then the little Squiggle Bug said: “I think you
will have more adventures on the other side of the brook. I will
lead you to a plank bridge.” When they reached the bridge over the
brook the Squiggle Bug walked first. “I’ll go next to see if it is
safe,” offered Uncle Wiggily. After he had crossed, Miss Fuzzy Wuzzy
started, but, as the muskrat lady reached the middle of the plank
bridge, it broke! Into the water she splashed! The Squiggle Bug
tossed her the end of a cobweb, and he and Mr. Longears pulled Nurse
Jane out of the water. Then, all of a sudden as they were going to
eat the picnic lunch, a Fuzzy Fox ran away with the basket, and Uncle
Wiggily ran after him waving his rheumatism crutch.

[Illustration: A FUZZY FOX RAN AWAY WITH THE BASKET.]

[Illustration: Uncle Wiggily sets table]

[Illustration: Table is a turtle]

Uncle Wiggily ran after the Fuzzy Fox. “I’ll get you!” shouted the
bunny. The Fox ran fast but the rabbit hopped faster and took away
the lunch basket from the bad chap. “I would nibble your ears, only
I’m out of breath!” panted the Fox. “Ha! Ha!” laughed Uncle Wiggily.
He hopped back to Nurse Jane with the lunch. “Where can we set a
table?” asked Miss Fuzzy Wuzzy. Along crawled a big mud turtle.
“We’ll set our table on the turtle’s back,” said Uncle Wiggily. So
they did. But, all of a sudden, as she sat down on a toad stool
to eat, Nurse Jane spilled some pepper on the turtle’s tail. Away
crawled the turtle as fast as he could go, spilling the picnic lunch.
“Oh, dear! How can we get anything to eat?” sighed Nurse Jane. “We
shall go visit Mr. Twistytail, a pig gentleman I know,” answered the
bunny. Mr. Twistytail invited Nurse Jane and Uncle Wiggily to dinner.
They had apple pudding with sour milk sauce.

[Illustration: MR. TWISTY TAIL INVITED UNCLE WIGGILY TO DINNER.]

[Illustration: Bunny house]

[Illustration: Bunny in house]

When Uncle Wiggily and Nurse Jane reached home, after having dined
with Mr. Twistytail, the rabbit said: “I have had enough adventures
for a while.” But the next day there sounded a knock at his door.
“Some one is coming to ask you to go adventuring again,” squeaked
Nurse Jane. Uncle Wiggily opened the door and saw Nannie Wagtail the
Goat and Susie Littletail the rabbit. “Please make us a playhouse,”
begged the animal girls. The bunny made them a fine play house with
a chimney, a door, a window and everything. “And don’t let any of
the animal boys come to bother us!” bleated Nannie. “No, I won’t,”
promised Uncle Wiggily. But a little while after that Susie crawled
from the play house, outside of which sat her doll, and Susie cried:
“Oh, Uncle Wiggily! Please make Billie Wagtail and Floppy Twistytail
stop teasing us.” Suddenly the teasing animal boys ran in a circle
around Uncle Wiggily, laughing and shouting with joy.

[Illustration: THE ANIMAL BOYS TEASED UNCLE WIGGILY.]

[Illustration: Uncle Wiggily holding hands]

[Illustration: Fox scares Susie and Nannie]

Around the play house of Susie and Nannie the animal boys ran next.
“Oh, please go away!” begged Susie. “We can’t have any fun with
them here!” bleated Nannie. “Ha! I know what to do!” laughed Uncle
Wiggily. “I’ll take these boys to an ice cream store and let them eat
as much as they please.” “Come on, boys!” he called, twinkling his
pink nose. “Hurray! Hurrah! Hurroo!” shouted Billie, Floppy, Tommie
and Jackie, as Uncle Wiggily led them to the ice cream store. “I want
chocolate!” barked Jackie, standing on his head. “Well, you must not
tease the girls any more,” warned Uncle Wiggily, and the animal boys
promised not to. But, while the bunny gentleman was gone, the Fox and
Wolf crept up and frightened Susie and Nannie. “Oh, where is Uncle
Wiggily?” cried Susie. Suddenly the bunny gentleman hopped along with
his bag of clubs and golf balls. “I’ll scare the bad chaps away!”
shouted the rabbit.

[Illustration: UNCLE WIGGILY DROVE GOLF BALLS AT THEM.]

[Illustration: Elephant standing]

[Illustration: Elephant moves house]

“The Fox and Wolf will not bother you any more,” laughed Uncle
Wiggily as he sent the last golf ball flying toward the bad chaps.
“I banged them on their noses!” Nannie and Susie were glad, but
the goat girl said: “I’m afraid they might come back after you go,
Uncle Wiggily. Couldn’t you move our play house near your hollow
stump bungalow?” “No,” the bunny answered. “But wait a minute! I
have an idea!” Off hopped Uncle Wiggily until he met the kind circus
Elephant. “Will you please come and move a play house for me?” asked
the rabbit. “Right gladly,” replied the Elephant, standing on his
hind legs with his cap on his head. The big, strong elephant lifted
the play house up in his trunk. “Where do you want it?” he asked.
“Can you put it on your back?” inquired the bunny. “Yes, but tell the
animal girls to get inside the house,” spoke the Elephant. Susie and
Nannie hopped in and played with their dolls.

[Illustration: SUSIE AND NANNIE PLAYED WITH THEIR DOLLS.]

[Illustration: House on elephant]

[Illustration: Elephant picks up fox]

Up in the air the Elephant lifted the play house with Susie and
Nannie inside. “Oh, isn’t this fun!” bleated the goat girl. “The most
fun we ever had!” laughed Susie. Safely on his back the Elephant set
the play house. “Now the Fox and Wolf can’t get you,” said Uncle
Wiggily. “No, they can’t,” answered Susie. “But how can you get up
here, Uncle Wiggily” asked Nannie. “I’ll climb up on a ladder,”
replied the bunny. He put the ladder against the Elephant. But, as
Uncle Wiggily was climbing up, Susie cried: “Oh, here come the Fox
and Wolf back!” The Elephant laughed through his trunk. “Don’t let
them frighten you!” he rumbled. And when the Fox and Wolf came near
enough the Elephant picked them up, one after the other in his trunk,
and tossed them far, far away. Then the animal girls were happy. At
the end of the day the bunny put roller skates under the playhouse,
hitched his auto to it and hauled it away.

[Illustration: THE BUNNY HAULED THE PLAYHOUSE AWAY.]

[Illustration: Uncle Wiggily on dock]

[Illustration: Hippo and alligator talking]

Off in the greenwood among the hills was a lake of blue water. One
day the rabbit said to Nurse Jane: “Come! We shall take a ride on
the lake in my motor boat.” Uncle Wiggily dressed himself like a
sailor, and Miss Fuzzy Wuzzy, carrying her parasol, went with him to
the dock. “Oh, may I come with you?” squealed Floppy Twistytail the
piggie boy. “Let him come,” squeaked Nurse Jane. So Uncle Wiggily,
the muskrat lady and the piggie boy sailed over the blue lake in the
bunny gentleman’s motor boat. Now on shore were two bad chaps—the
Heavy Hippo and the Skillery Scallery Alligator with the double
jointed tail. “Let us catch Uncle Wiggily!” grunted the Heavy Hippo.
“That will be fun!” rumbled the ’Gator. “We can swim to the island
where they will land, and catch them there.” Uncle Wiggily, Nurse
Jane and the piggie boy sailed to an island in the lake. On the
island they played a game of baseball. Oh, what fun!

[Illustration: ON THE ISLAND THEY PLAYED BASE-BALL.]

[Illustration: Hippo near boat]

[Illustration: Uncle Wiggily in boat]

After the ball game Uncle Wiggily said: “It is time we sailed on
again.” The piggie boy grunted: “When do we eat?” The bunny twinkled
his pink nose and answered: “You shall soon have something to eat,
Floppy.” Just then, from where he was hiding in the water near
Baseball Island, up rose the Heavy Hippo. “Here is where I eat now!”
grunted the Heavy Hippo. “I’m going to nibble Uncle Wiggily’s ears!”
But the bunny was too quick! “Come on!” cried Mr. Longears. He caught
Nurse Jane by one paw, and Floppy by the other, and, leaping from
the island, jumped as far as he could. Uncle Wiggily stepped on the
Hippo’s back and from there into the motor boat with the muskrat lady
and piggie boy. “Oh, what a surprise!” howled the Hippo! On puffed
the motor boat until Nurse Jane saw another island. But Miss Fuzzy
Wuzzy did not know that the ’Gator and Hippo had swam there and were
having lunch on this second island.

[Illustration: THE GATOR AND THE HIPPO HAVE LUNCH.]

[Illustration: Alligator pulls boat]

[Illustration: Hippo has his mouth open]

“Let us stop there,” said Nurse Jane, as Uncle Wiggily steered the
boat toward the second island. “Are we going to eat soon?” the piggie
boy asked. “I’m ashamed of you—wanting to eat all the while, Floppy!”
spoke Nurse Jane. Floppy blushed red behind his ears and grunted:
“Well, I’m hungry!” By this time the ’Gator and Hippo, eating lunch
on the island, had seen the motor boat coming. “You had better let
me catch Uncle Wiggily,” bellowed the ’Gator. “All right!” grunted
the Hippo. The Alligator swam off under water and caught in his teeth
the anchor rope on Uncle Wiggily’s boat. “This time they shall not
get away!” rumbled the Hippo. “I’ll hold my mouth wide open and the
’Gator will pull the boat and Uncle Wiggily right in where I can
nibble his ears.” On swam the ’Gator pulling the boat toward the big
mouth of the Heavy Hippo which opened wider and wider. Nurse Jane
gave Uncle Wiggily a hatchet, crying: “Cut the rope!”

[Illustration: “CUT THE ROPE,” CRIED NURSE JANE.]

[Illustration: Uncle Wiggily cuts rope]

[Illustration: Hippo bites alligator]

“Where did you get this hatchet?” asked the bunny. “I brought it to
cut kindling wood with if we built a camp fire,” answered Nurse Jane.
“But don’t ask questions! Cut the rope!” Uncle Wiggily raised the axe
and brought it down on the anchor rope, one end of which was in the
’Gator’s mouth. “Zip!” snapped the rope. “Now we are free!” cried
Nurse Jane. “But the ’Gator is swimming away with Uncle Wiggily’s
rope and anchor!” squealed Floppy. “Let him go!” laughed the bunny.
“He doesn’t know we are loose. He thinks he is still pulling us,
and he’ll swim right into the Hippo’s mouth.” That is just what the
’Gator did! The Hippo closed his mouth and nipped the Alligator!
“Wowzie Zow!” howled the ’Gator. The sharp anchor tickled the Hippo’s
tongue and the Hippo sneezed. But Uncle Wiggily, Nurse Jane and
Floppy were saved, and this is the end of the story. But there will
be more stories in another book like this.