 CHAPTER XIV. Uncle Wigley and Susie's Doll Well I see you are going out for another ride in your auto! remarked Mrs. Bow Wow, the puppy dog lady, to Uncle Wigley one morning, after P.D. and Jackie had gone to school. Where are you bound for now? Oh, no place in particular, he said. I just thought I would take a ride for my health. You see, the rabbit gentleman had come to pay the dog family a visit. I should think you'd stay in when it snows, went on the doggy lady. You always seemed to be out in a snowstorm, for it was snowing quite hard just then. I love the snow, said the old gentleman rabbit. I like cold weather, for then my thick fur coat keeps me much warmer than in the summer time. And I like the snow, I like to see it come down and feel it blow in my face and make my auto go through the drifts. Well, be careful you don't get stuck in any drifts and freeze fast, said Mrs. Bow Wow, as she began washing the breakfast dishes. I'll try not to, promised Uncle Wigley, and then he put some oil on his auto and gave it a drink of warm water, for autos get thirsty sometimes, and away the old gentleman rabbit rode through the snowstorm. I guess I'll go call on Aunt Letty, the old lady goat, to-day. He thought, as he went through a big snowdrift, scattering the snow on both sides like an electric car snowplow. I haven't seen Aunt Letty in some time, and she may be ill again, for this was some time after Uncle Wigley had brought her the flowers. Well, pretty soon he was at the old lady goat's house, and sure enough she had been ill again. She had eaten some red paper, off the outside of a tomato-can, one day right after Christmas, and the paper didn't have the right kind of stickum paste on it, so Aunt Letty was taken ill on that account. But I'm much better now, she said to Uncle Wigley, and I'm real glad you called. Come in, and I'll give you a hot cup of old newspaper tea. Um, I don't know as I care for that, said the old gentleman rabbit, making his nose twinkle like a star on a frosty night. Oh, I'm surprised to hear you say that, spoke Aunt Letty, sorrowful like. Newspaper tea is very good, especially with cream-stickum mucilage in it. But never mind, I'll give you some carrot tea. And she did, and she and Uncle Wigley sat and talked about old times, and the fun Nanny and Billy Goat used to have until it was time for the old gentleman rabbit to go back home. School was out as he went along in his auto. He could tell that because he met so many of the animal children, and he gave Petey and Jackie Bow Wow and Johnny and Billy Bushtail a ride home. But before they got there, all of a sudden, as the four animal children were in the auto, and Uncle Wigley was making it go through a snowdrift, until of a sudden, I say, the old gentleman rabbit turned around a corner, and there was Susie Little Tail, the little rabbit girl, standing in front of a big heap of snow. And she was crying very hard, her tears falling down and making little holes in the snow, and she was poking into the drift with a long stick. Why, Susie, asked Uncle Wigley, whatever is the matter? My doll, my lovely big new Christmas doll, cried Susie. I had her to school with me, for we are learning to sew in our class, and I was making my dolly a new dress and—and—and then poor Susie cried so hard that she couldn't talk. Don't tell me someone took your doll away from you, exclaimed Uncle Wigley. If they did, I'll go after them and get it back for you, cried Jack Bow Wow. So will I, said Petey and Billy and Johnny. No, it isn't that, spoke the little girl rabbit. But as I was walking along, with my dolly in my arms, all of a sudden she slipped out, fell into this big snowbank, and I can't find her. She's all covered up, boo-hoo-hoo-hoo-boo. Oh, don't take on so, said Uncle Wigley kindly. We will all help you hunt for your dolly, won't we, boys? Sure, cried Petey and Jacky and Billy and Johnny. So they all got sticks and poked in the snowbank, Uncle Wigley poking harder than anybody, but it was of no use. They couldn't seem to find that lost doll. She must be very deep under the snow, said Uncle Wigley. Oh, I'll never see her again, cried Susie. My big beautiful Christmas doll, boo-hoo-hoo-hoo-boo. You can get her when the snow melts, spoke Petey Bow Wow, as he scratched away at the drift with his paws. Yes, but then the wax will all be melted off her face, and she won't look like anything, murmured Susie, sad-like. Wait, I have a plan, said Uncle Wigley. There is a fan, like an electric one, in the front of my auto to keep the water cool. I'll make that fan blow the snow away, and we'll get your doll. So he tried that, making the fan whiz around like a boy's top, but though it blew some snow away, the doll couldn't be found. Oh, I'll never see my big beautiful doll again, cried Susie. Oh, whatever is the matter, asked a voice, and turning around, they all saw the big, black, holy bear standing there. At first the animal children were frightened, until Uncle Wigley said, Oh, that bear won't hurt us, I once helped him get some walnut shells off his paws, so he is a friend of mine. Of course I am, said the bear. What is the trouble? Then they told him about Susie's doll being under the drift, and the bear went on, Don't worry about that, my paws are just made for digging in the snow. I'll have that doll for you in a jiffy, which is very quick. So with his paws he began digging in the snow. My, how he did make the snow fly, and he blew it away with his strong breath. Faster and faster flew the snow, and in about a minute it was all scraped away, and there was Susie's doll safe and sound, and she was sleeping with her eyes shut. Oh, you darling, Susie cried, clasping the doll in her arms. Did you mean me? asked the bear, laughing. Yes, I guess I did, said Susie, also laughing, and she gave the bear a nice little kiss on the end of his black nose. Then everybody was happy, and the bear went back to his den, and Uncle Wigley took the children and the doll, and that's all I can tell you now, if you please. But if the rocking horse doesn't run away and upset the milk pitcher down in the salt cellar, and scare the furnace so that it goes out, I'll tell you in the story after this one about Uncle Wigley on roller skates. End of Chapter 14. Chapter 15 of Uncle Wigley's Automobile. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Shasta Oakland, California. Uncle Wigley's Automobile by Howard R. Garris, Chapter 15. Uncle Wigley on roller skates. Well, where are you going this morning? Asked Jimmy Wigglewebble, the duck boy, as he looked out of the front door of his house, and saw Uncle Wigley, the old gentleman rabbit, putting some gasoline in his automobile. Oh, I am going to take a little ride out in the country, said Uncle Wigley. I'm going to see if I can find an adventure. Nothing has happened since we found Susie's doll. I must have excitement that keeps me from thinking about my rheumatism, so I am going to look for an adventure, Jimmy. I wish I could come, said the little duck boy. I wish you could too, said his uncle, but you must go to school. Some Saturday I'll take you with me, and we may find an adventure for each of us. And for us girls too, asked Lulu and Alice, as they came out, all ready to go to school. Alice had just finished tying her sky-yellow-green hair ribbon into two lovely bow knots. Yes, for you duck girls too, said Uncle Wigley, but I will be back here when you come from school. And if anything happens to me, I'll tell you all about it. So he kept on putting gasoline in his automobile until he had the tinkerum tankerum full. Then he tickled the hickory dickory dock with a new slush brush, and he was all ready to start off and look for an adventure. So Lulu and Alice and Jimmy went on to school and Uncle Wigley rode along over the fields and through the woods and uphill and downhill. Pretty soon, as he was riding along, he heard a funny little noise in the bushes. It was a sad little squeaking sort of noise. And at first the old gentleman, Rebeth, thought it was made by something on his automobile that needed oiling. Then he looked over the side and there, sitting under an old cabbage leaf, was a little mousy girl. And it was she who was crying. Oh ho, exclaimed Uncle Wigley. Is that you, squeaky eaky? Worthy thought it might be the little cousin mouse who lived with Jolie and Jilly Longtail, as I have told you in other stories. No, I am not squeaky eaky, said the little mouse girl, but I am cold and hungry and I don't know what to do or where to go. Oh dear, boo-hoo! Nevermind, said Uncle Wigley kindly, I will take you in my auto and I'll bring you to the house where the Longtail children live and they'll take care of you. Oh goody, cried the little girl mouse. Thank you so much, now I am happy. So, Uncle Wigley took her in the nice warm automobile. Then he twisted the nudalium nodalium until it sneezed and away the auto went through the woods again. And all of a sudden, just as Uncle Wigley came to a big black stump, out jumped the burglar bear with roller skates on his paws. Hold on there! A bear cried to the old gentleman rabbit and he poked a stick in the auto wheels so they couldn't go around anymore. Hold on, if you please, Mr. Rabbit. I want you. What for, asked Uncle Wigley? I want you to come to supper, said the burglar bear. Your supper or my supper, asked Uncle Wigley politely. My supper, of course, said the burglar bear. I am going to have rabbit pot pie tonight and you are going to be both the rabbit and the pie. Come now, get out of the auto. I want to ride in it before I bite you. Well, of course Uncle Wigley felt pretty badly but there was no help for it. He had to get out and then the burglar bear, taking off his roller skates, got up into the automobile. Oh, what nice soft cushions exclaimed the bear as he sank down on them. Then he took hold of the turnip steering wheel in his claws and twisted it. I shall have lots of fun riding in this auto after I gobble you up, said the bear, looking at the rabbit with his blinky eyes. I must learn to run it. I think I'll take a little ride before I have my supper but don't you dare run away for I can catch you. Then to make sure Uncle Wigley couldn't get away, the bear took the old gentleman's crutch away from him and Uncle Wigley's rheumatism was so severe, which means painful that he couldn't walk a step without his crutch so there was no use for him to try to run away. Well, the bear knew how to run the auto, it seems, and he started to take a little ride in it. Uncle Wigley felt pretty sad because he was going to be gobbled up and lose his auto at the same time. All at once when the bear in the auto was some distance off in the woods, Uncle Wigley heard a little voice speaking to him. Hey, Uncle Wigley, the voice said, I know how you can get the best of that bear. How? asked Uncle Wigley eagerly. Here are his roller skates, said the voice, and it was the little mousy girl who was speaking. She had quietly jumped out of the auto, put on his roller skates, said the mousy, and skate down the hill until you see a policeman dog, then tell the policeman dog to come and arrest the bear. He'll do it, and then you'll get your auto back. You can go on roller skates even if you have rheumatism, can't you? I guess so, said the rabbit. I'll try. So he put on the skates while the burglar bear was making the auto go around in a circle in the woods, and that bear was having a good time. All at once Uncle Wigley skated away. First he went slowly, and then he went faster and faster until he was just whizzing along, and then at the foot of the hill he found the policeman dog. Oh, please come and arrest the burglar bear for me, beg Uncle Wigley. To be sure, I will, said the policeman dog. So he put on his roller skates and skated back with Uncle Wigley to where the bear was still in the auto. The policeman dog hid behind a stump. The bear stopped the auto in front of Uncle Wigley and got out. Well, said the burglar bear, smacking his lips. I guess it's supper time now. I'm going to eat you. Come on and be my pot pie. And he made a grab for the old gentleman. Oh, you will, will you? Suddenly cried the policeman dog, drawing his club and jumping from behind the stump. Well, I guess you won't eat my good friend, Uncle Wigley. I guess not. And with that, the policeman dog tickled the bear, so on his nose that he sneezed and ran off through the woods, taking his stubby little tail with him, but leaving behind his roller skates. Oh, I'm ever so much obliged to you, policeman dog, said the old gentleman rabbit, as he took off the bear's skates. You saved my life. I'll take these skates home to Jimmy. They will fit him when he grows bigger. That's a good idea, said the dog, and if I ever catch that bear again, I will put him in the beehive jail and make him crack hickory nuts with his teeth. Then Uncle Wigley went home and took the little mousy girl with him, and he told the duck children about his adventure with the bear, just as I have told you. So now it's bedtime, if you please, and I can't tell you any more. But if the man who cleans our yard doesn't take my overcoat for an ash can and put the dried leaves in it, I'll tell you next about Uncle Wigley and the clothes ringer. And of Chapter 15 CHAPTER XVI This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Nan Dodge. Uncle Wigley's automobile by Howard R. Garris CHAPTER XVI Uncle Wigley and the clothes ringer. One day Jackie and P.D. Bowell, the little puppy dog boys, came running over to Uncle Wigley's hollow stump house. It was after school from which they had just come, and they rushed up the front steps, barking like anything and calling out, where's Uncle Wigley, where is he? We want to see him in a hurry, bark P.D. Yes, immediately went on Jackie. He had heard the teacher that day in school use the word immediately to tell a bad bumblebee to take his seat and stop trying to sting Lulu Wibblewobble. Immediately means right off quick without waiting, you know. Hoity-toity cried nurse Jane Fuzzy-wuzzy, the muskrat housekeeper. What is the trouble? We must see Uncle Wigley immediately bark P.D. again, trying to stand on one ear, but he could not make it stiff enough so he fell down and bumped into Jackie, and they both tumbled down the steps, making a great racket. There, there, you must be more quiet, cautioned nurse Jane. Uncle Wigley just came back from his auto ride for his health and is taking a nap. You must not wake him up. What do you want to see him about that is so important? Oh, we'll wait until he wakes up, said Jackie as he sat down on the porch. Ha! Who wants me suddenly exclaimed a voice a little later? And out came Uncle Wigley himself. We do, cried Jackie. Oh, Uncle Wigley. We're going to work at it, P.D., unable to keep still any longer. What? You don't mean to say you're going to leave school and go to work? Asked Uncle Wigley. No, we're not going to leave school, exclaimed P.D. We are going to work after school. Jackie is going to deliver newspapers. And I'm going to get ten cents a week for it, said Jackie, proudly, but not too proud. And I'm going to help at the clothes ringer for the circus elephant, exclaimed P.D. Help at the ringer for the elephant, cried Uncle Wigley. What does that mean? You startle and puzzle me. Why, you know the circus elephant has to dress up like a clown went on P.D. And he plays a drum and a hand organ and he fires off a cannon in the sawdust ring. And he does a lot of things like that. After a while his white clown suit gets all dirty and he has to wash out his clothes. Then he has to squeeze them in a ringer to get as much of the water out as he can. Then he hangs them up to dry. Well, he can turn the ringer himself with his trunk. But his paws are so big that he can't put the clothes through between the rubber rollers. So he advertised for some little animal boy to help him after school. I answered and I am going to help him wash and dry his clothes. How much are you to get, asked Uncle Wigley? I get three puppy biscuits every day and a glass of pink lemonade. And on Saturday afternoons I can go to the circus for nothing. Fine, cried Uncle Wigley. I'm real glad you came to tell me. You are good and smart little animal boys. Then P.D. and Jackie ran off to do the new work they had arranged for and Uncle Wigley cleaned his auto ready for his ride next day. And when he had finished, he thought he would take a walk down to the circus tent and see how P.D. was helping the elephant wash the clothes. As for Jackie, he had to run so fast here and there and everywhere to deliver his papers that Uncle Wigley did not know where to find him any more than Bo Peep did her sheep. Well, in a little while, the rapid gentleman came to where the elephant was washing his clothes. Of course he had to have a very large tub and washboard and an extra large ringer for his clothes were very large. And there, up on a box in front of the tub that was filled with suds and water, stood P.D. Bowwells splashing around and reaching down in for the wet clothes. And as he fished them up and put the ends between the rubber rollers of the ringer, the elephant would turn the handle of the squeegee machine with his trunk. How is that, asked P.D. Fine, cried the elephant, making his trunk go faster and faster and squirting the water out of the wet clothes all over the ground. Yes, P.D. is a good little chap, said Uncle Wigley. Just then the elephant's brother came along and the two big animals began talking together. And as they were both a little deaf, each one shouted to the other as loudly as he could. Oh, such a racket as they made! Thunder was nothing to it. And then a funny thing happened. P.D. turned around to put some more clothes in the tub when all of a sudden his tail got caught in between the ringer's rubber rollers. Ouch! cried the little puppy dog. Ouch! Oh, dear me, stop! Please, Mr. Elephant, don't turn the ringer any more. But the two elephants were talking together each one as loudly as he could about how much hay they could eat and how some little boys at a circus would give them only one peanut instead of a whole bagful and all things like that. So the clothes-washing elephant never noticed that P.D.'s tail was caught in the rollers and he didn't hear him cry. Around and around the elephant turned the handle of the ringer with his trunk, winding P.D.'s tail right between the rollers and drawing the little puppy dog boy himself closer and closer into the tub, over the water and near to the rubber rollers themselves. Oh, stop! Oh, stop! cried poor P.D., trying to get away, but he could not. If I get rolled between the rollers, I'll be as flat as a pancake, he screamed. Oh, stop! Oh, Uncle Wiggly saved me. Yes, I will, cried the rabbit gentleman. You must stop turning that ringer, he said to the circus-elephant. You are ringing P.D. instead of the clothes. His tail is caught. But the elephant was so deaf and his brother was calling to him so loudly about pink lemonade that he could not hear either P.D. or Uncle Wiggly. Then to make him listen Uncle Wiggly with his crutch tickled the elephant's foot, which was as high up as he could reach, but the big creature thought it was only a mosquito and paid no attention. Oh, what shall I do, cried P.D.? I'll save you, exclaimed Uncle Wiggly. And then, happening to have a bag of peanuts in his pocket, he held them close to the elephant's trunk. The elephant could smell if he could not hear well, and all at once he took the peanuts, and as he did so, of course, he removed his trunk from the ringer handle. And as he ate the peanuts, he saw what a terrible thing he was doing, ringing P.D. instead of the clothes. So he very kindly made the ringer go backwards and out came P.D.'s tail again, a little flat but not much hurt otherwise. I am so sorry, said the elephant. I wouldn't have had it happen for the world. Yes, it was an accident, spoke Uncle Wiggly. But I guess P.D. had better find some other kind of work to do after school. All right, said the elephant. I'll pay him off, and then I'll get a rubbery snake to help me with my clothes. A snake won't mind being squeezed. So he did that, and P.D. and Uncle Wiggly went home, and nothing more happened that day. But next, in case the automobile horn doesn't blow the little girl's rubber balloon up in the top of the tree where the kitty cat has its nest, I'll tell you about Uncle Wiggly and the trained nurse. End of Chapter 16. Recording by Nan Dodge. Chapter 17 of Uncle Wiggly's automobile. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Nan Dodge. Uncle Wiggly's automobile by Howard R. Garris. Chapter 17. Uncle Wiggly and the trained nurse. Uncle Wiggly long ears, the gentleman rabbit, was out riding in his automobile. He was taking exercise so he would not be so fat, for a fat rabbit is about the fattest thing there is, except a balloon, and that doesn't count, as it has no ears. I wonder what will happen to me today, said Uncle Wiggly as he rode along, turning the turn-up steering wheel from one side to the other, to keep from bumping into stones and stumps, and things like that. And every now and then, Uncle Wiggly would take a bite out of his turn-up steering wheel. That was what it was for, you see. And as for the German baloney sausages, which were the tires, Uncle Wiggly used to let anybody who wanted to, such as a hungry doggy or a starving kitty, take a bite out of them whenever they wanted to. Well, pretty soon after a while, not so very long, Uncle Wiggly came to the top of the hill. He stopped his auto there to look around at the green fields and the apple trees and blossom, and at the little brook running along over the green mossy stones. And the brook never stubbed its toe once on the stones. What do you think of that? Well, I guess I'll go downhill, thought the old gentleman rabbit, and down he started. But oh, unhappiness, sadness, and also isn't it too bad. No sooner had Uncle Wiggly started down the hill in his auto than the snicker snooker arm got twisted around the Boodaloodalum, and that made the Wibble Wobbleton stand on its head, instead of standing on its ear as it really ought to have done. Then the auto ran away and the next thing Uncle Wiggly knew, his car had hit a stump, turned a somersault and part of a pepper salt, and he was thrown out. Bang, he fell, right on the hard ground, and for a moment he stayed there, being too much out of breath to get up and see what was the matter. But when he tried to get up, he couldn't. Something had happened to him. He had hit his head on a stone. Poor Uncle Wiggly. But, very luckily Dr. Possum happened to be passing, having just come from paying a visit to grandfather Goosey Gander, who had, by mistake, eaten a shoe button with his cornmeal pudding. And Dr. Possum, having cured Grandpa Goosey, went at once to help Uncle Wiggly. We must get you home right away, Uncle Wiggly, said the doctor, gentlemen. You must be put to bed and have a trained nurse. Well, as long as I have to have a nurse, I should much prefer, said Uncle Wiggly faintly. I should much prefer a trained one to a wild one, for a trained nurse who can do tricks will be quite funny. Hmm, exclaimed Dr. Possum. A trained nurse has no time to do tricks. Now rest yourself. So Uncle Wiggly sat back quietly in Dr. Possum's auto until he got to his hollow stump home. Then old dog Perceval and the doctor carried the rabbit gentleman in, and they sent for a trained nurse where Uncle Wiggly was quite badly hurt and needed someone to feed him for a while. Pretty soon the trained nurse came. And who did she turn out to be, but nurse Jane Fuzzy-Wuzzy herself, the kind old muskrat. She had been living with Uncle Wiggly, but for a time had gone off to study to be a trained nurse. She put on a white cap and a blue and white striped dress, and she was just as good a nurse as one could get from the hospital. Uncle Wiggly was too ill to notice, though. I know how to look after him, said nurse Jane, and she really did. She felt of his pulse and made him put out his tongue to look at to see that he had not swallowed it by mistake. And she found out how hot he was to see if he had fever and all things like that. And she put a report of all these things down on a bit of white birch bark for paper using a licorice stick for a pencil. Afterward, Dr. Possum would read the report. Well, for some time Uncle Wiggly was quite ill, for you know it is no fun to be in an automobile accident. Then he began to get better. Nurse Jane did not have much to do, and Dr. Possum, who came in every day, said, he will get well now, but Uncle Wiggly has had a hard time of it, very hard. And as soon as he began to get better, Uncle Wiggly got sort of impatient, and he wanted many things he could not have, or which were not good for him. He wanted to get out of bed, but Nurse Jane would not let him, for the doctor had told her not to. Then Uncle Wiggly said, well, you are a trained nurse. Now you must do some tricks for me, or I shall get out of bed whether you want me to or not. And he barked like a dog, really he did. You see, he was not exactly himself, but rather out of his head on account of the fever. Come on, do some tricks, he cried to Nurse Jane. Poor Miss Fuzzy, was he. She had never done a trick since she was a little girl muskrat, but she knew sick rabbits must be humored, so she tried to think of a trick. She did not know whether to make believe jump rope, play puss in a corner, or pretend that she was a fire engine, and she really wanted to help Uncle Wiggly. Come on, do something, he cried, and he almost jumped out of bed. Do something. And just then, as it happened, a great big bee flew in the window, and maybe it was going to sting Uncle Wiggly for all I know. Then Nurse Jane knew what to do. She caught up a soft towel, so as not to hurt the bee any more than she had to, and she began hitting at him. Get out of here, get out of here, cried Nurse Jane. You can't sting Uncle Wiggly. Buzz, buzz, sang the bee. Go out, go out, exclaimed Nurse Jane, and she made the towel sail through the air. The bee flew this way and that up and down in sideways, but always Nurse Jane was after him with the towel, trying to drive him out of the window. She climbed up on chairs, she jumped over tables, and without knocking over a single medicine bottle, she crawled under the sofa and out again, she even jumped on the couch and bounced up in the air like a balloon, and at last she drove the bad bee outdoors where he could get honey from the flowers, and they didn't mind his stinging them if he wanted to, which of course he didn't. Then after that, Nurse Jane fuzzy-wuzzy sat down in a chair near Uncle Wiggly, very tired out indeed. The old gentleman rabbit opened his eyes and laughed a little. Those were funny tricks you did for me, he said, jumping around like that. Very funny, ha-ha! I was not doing tricks, answered Nurse Jane, surprised like. I was trying to keep a bee from biting you. Were you indeed, spoke Uncle Wiggly. I thought they were some of the tricks you had been trained to do. They were fine. I laughed so hard that I think I am much better. And indeed he was, and soon he was all well so that Nurse Jane fuzzy-wuzzy, without really meaning to at all, had done some funny tricks when she drove out that bee. Oh, trained nurses are very queer, I think, but they are very nice also. So Uncle Wiggly was soon well and needed no nurse, and when his auto was mended, he could ride around in it as nicely as before. End of Chapter 17. Recording by Nan Dodge. End of Uncle Wiggly's automobile by Howard R. Garris.