So that’s all of this story, but I have some more, about the adventures of Uncle Wiggily, and next, in case the load of hay doesn’t fall on my puppy-dog, and break off his curly tail, I’ll tell you about Uncle Wiggily and Jennie Chipmunk.

STORY XVIII

UNCLE WIGGILY AND JENNIE CHIPMUNK

After Uncle Wiggily had been pulled up out of the well by Percival, the old circus dog, and they had run far enough off so that the wolves couldn’t get them, the rabbit and the grasshopper and Percival sat down on the ground to rest.  For you see Uncle Wiggily was tired from having fallen down the well, and the grasshopper was tired from having run so fast to call back Percival, and of course Percival was tired from having pulled up the old gentleman rabbit.  So they were all pretty well tired out.

“I’m sure I can’t thank you enough for what you did for me,” said Uncle Wiggily to Percival, and the grasshopper.  “And as a little treat I’m going to give you some cherry pie that I made for the hedgehog.”

So they ate some cherry pie, and then they felt better.  And they were just going to travel on together again, when, all at once, there was a rustling in the bushes, and out flew Dickie Chip-Chip, the sparrow boy.

“Oh, my” cried Uncle Wiggily, wrinkling up his nose.  “At first I thought you were a savage owl.”

“Oh, no, I’m not an owl,” said Dickie.  “But I’m in a great hurry, and perhaps I made a noise like an owl.  Percival, you must come back home to the Bow Wow house right away.”

“Why?” asked Percival, sticking up his two ears so that he could hear better.

“Because Peetie Bow Wow is very ill with the German measles, and he wants to see you do some of your funny circus tricks,” spoke Dickie.  “He thinks that will make him better.”

“Ha!  I’ve no doubt that it will!” exclaimed Uncle Wiggily.  “If I were not traveling about, seeking my fortune, I’d go back with you, Percival.  I love Peetie Bow Wow, and Jackie, too.”

“Oh, I’ll go,” said the grasshopper.  “I will play Peetie a funny fiddle tune, on my left hind leg, and that may make him laugh.”

“And Nellie and I will sail through the air, and go off to find some pretty flowers for him,” said Dickie.

So the sparrow boy, the grasshopper and old Percival, the circus dog, started off together to see poor sick Peetie Bow Wow, leaving Uncle Wiggily there on the grass.

“Give my love to Peetie!” called the old gentleman rabbit after them, “and tell him that I’ll come and see him as soon as I find my fortune.”

Uncle Wiggily felt a little bit sad and lonely when his friends were gone, but he ate another piece of cherry pie, taking care to get none of the juice, on his blue necktie, and then he was a little happier.

“Now to start off once more,” he said.  “I wonder what will happen next?  But I know one thing, I’m never going to do any jumping for any squatty old toads any more.”