“No, they are not!” said the tree sadly.  “If they were only ice cream cones they might be some good.  Oh, I wish I were a peach tree, or a rose bush!”

“Never mind,” spoke Uncle Wiggily, “I like your pine cones, and I am going to take some home with me, and, when I next see you, I shall tell you how useful they were.  Don’t feel so badly.”

So Uncle Wiggily gathered a number of the pine cones, which are really the big, dried seeds of the pine tree, and the bunny uncle took them to his bungalow with him.

A few days later he was in the woods again and stopped near the pine tree, which was sighing and wishing it were an umbrella plant or a gold fish.

“Hush!” cried Uncle Wiggily.  “You must try to do the best you can for what you are!  And I have come to tell you how useful your pine cones were.”

“Really?” asked the tree, in great surprise.  “Really?”

“Really and truly,” answered Uncle Wiggily.  “With some of your cones Nurse Jane started her kitchen fire when all the wood was wet.  With others I built a little play house, and amused Lulu Wibblewobble, the duck girl, when she had the toothache.  And other cones I threw at a big bear that was chasing me.  I hit him on the nose with them, and he was glad enough to run away.  So you see how useful you are, pine tree!”

“Oh, I am so glad,” said the tree.  “I guess it is better to be just what you are, and do the best you can,” and Uncle Wiggily said it was.

And, if the roof of our house doesn’t come down stairs to play with the kitchen floor and let the rain in on the gold fish, I’ll tell you next about Uncle Wiggily and his torn coat.

STORY XXIX

UNCLE WIGGILY AND HIS TORN COAT

“Do you think I look all right?” asked Uncle Wiggily Longears, the rabbit gentleman, of Nurse Jane Fuzzy Wuzzy, his muskrat lady housekeeper.  He was standing in front of her, turning slowly about, and he had on a new coat.  For now that Summer was near the bunny uncle had laid aside his heavy fur coat and was wearing a lighter one.

“Yes, you do look very nice,” Nurse Jane said, tying her tail in a knot so Uncle Wiggily would not step on it as he turned around.

“Nice enough to go to Grandfather Goosey Gander’s party?” asked the rabbit gentleman.

“Oh, yes, indeed!” exclaimed Nurse Jane.  “I didn’t know Grandpa Goosey was to give a party, but, if he is, you certainly look well enough to go with your new coat.  Of course, it might be better if it had some lace insertion around the button holes, or a bit of ruching, with oyster shell trimming sewed down the back, but—­”

“Oh, no, indeed!” laughed the bunny uncle.  “If it had those things on it would be a coat for a lady.  I like mine plainer.”

“Well, take care of yourself,” called Nurse Jane after him as he hopped off over the fields and through the woods to the house where Grandfather Goosey Gander lived.