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Show BEDTIME STORIES I BY HOWARD R. GARIS I UNCLE WIGGILYS CHRISTMAS fOP) right. 13JU. by McCluro Newspaper, Syndicate. (By Howard R. Garis) "Well. don t see thut there is anything I nore. than we can do." spoke Nurne Jane Fuizv Wuzsy. one day 'No." agreed I'ncle WIKgilv. "Every iblng is read for Christmas and Santa I Claua The muakrai lady looked around the siting rtiu i Hi. hollow stump hung.i ow. where she and th bunny rabbit gen tlemun lived In one corner was the' Miristmas tree 1'nde Wiggllv had brought home the time thn talking crow rOde in the brunches Hanging on the hlmney mantel were the stockings or i Nurse Jane and t.'n.-le Wlgglly. For though the muskrnt lady and the hiinn gentleman Were isther elderly and' Town up. ns you might say. they did the !ame things for hrlslmaa that you chll-1 4ren do they had a tree nnd hung up their stockings. "Feu- It doesn't matter.' said l'n Io Wlgglly, "whethei We get any prcarntn for ourselves on the tree, or in our stock i ings. Nurse .Un if Santa Claus leaves' one or two for the animal children " "Right you are!" squeaked the musk rat lady . Thus It was that I nele Wlgglly and I Nurse .lane hud made everything readv OH the night before Christmas, when ail' through the bungalow each mousle wa looking for n nice place to snuggie-o ' "Well, I think we may as well go to sleep." said Uncle Wlgglly after a while "hrlstmas will como all tho more quick ly. Nurse Jane." Pretty soon all w.is still nnd quiet In the bunny gentleman's hollow stump bungalow. IJut. after s while, preity soon, not so very long. Nurse .Jane called from her' loom In a deep whisper "I Bay, I'ncle Wlgglly' Do vou hear that? ' "Hear what?' asked Mr lxingears. ' That noise." went on Nurse Jane "Do vou s'pose It's u Santa Claus coming down the chimney?" "Oh. It's much too early for Santa laus." spoke I'ncle Wlgglly. "But I do heai a nolae at the back door, rn go down nnd see who It Is." "And I only hope It Isn't Ihi Pipslse. wah or Skcezlcks. ' thought Nurse Jane, as she heard I 'neb- Wlgglly! slippers going go-ing plop-plop plop-plop'' down the stairs. Ol course the slippers didn't go down of themselves. The bunny gentleman's paws were In them "Scratch! Scrltch! Scrotch!" went a noise on the back kitchen door as t'ncl- Wlgglly reached It. "Hello' What's there, and what do you want'" asked I'ncle Wlgglly. for well he knew It could not be St. Nicholas, who .ilwn in- down the i hlmney. 'Scratch! BciiUeh! Scrotch" went the ound again and Uncle wiggiiy sort of ihjvered in his bath robe. What m there"' inquired the bunny gentleman again, and a little quivering quavering voice asked: "Are you are you Santa Claus?" "Santa Claun! Bless your henrt. no!" replied I n. Ic Wlgglly. "But who are you. out so late this dark night, looking for Santa Claus" And. as he opened the door, the bunny gentleman saw a little round ball of brown fur on his step. "1 I heard about Santa Claus and I ywnt out to look for him ' said the quivering, quiv-ering, quavering voice lie never seems to comj to our cave. May be It's because my Paddy growls so much, and so often wants to nibble the other animals But Sonta Claus never comes to us! "My goodness mc sakes alive nnd n stocking full of peanuts' What are you asked I'ncle Wlggily. Then he opened the i door somewhat wider, and saw on the steps n little brown bar. one of the heai M child-en of the big. black, bad. bnshv M Oh. the poor little fellow!" said Nurse .lane, who had also come downstairs. "H IH Is too small to harm ue, Uncle Wlggll; I lel us take him In, and give him Some aLiiiiiiifl milk. lost." H "All right, and I'll light up the Christ H mas fur him to see." whispered I'ncle Wiggiiy hs Nurse Jane warmed H the milk "I can't show him .Santa Claus H but he'll the tree." jH So. Mr Longc&rs slipped in the other M room to set the Christmas tree all aglow and Io and behold! When he entered the H room the tree was lighted up. there were H u lot or presents on It, and the stocking- H of I'n. '- Wlggll) and Nurie Jane wen il to tops. H Why why!" stammered I'ncle Wig H gily In surprise m he twinkled his pink M nose. "Santa Claus must have been 1 here earl. "Hello, there, little Brown Bear!" he culled. "Come In here! You may see where Santa Claus has been. even If you cun t get a sight of St. Nlch- (H law "Oh, did he leave anything for me?" asked the little brown bear as he fin H Isbed the milk Nurse Jane had given Mm. Into the Christmas tree room he H scrambled. H Uncle Wiggiiy and Nume Jane looked at each other. Then they looked at the Chrlelmus tree, anr Just as true as I'm telling you. there was a red rubber hall. a Jumping j ,-k. : li.nn ot cars, a drum .oin.) I.. loldlera and a pail of roller JH skates for some one. Oh! Santa Claus must huve known ou were coming here, and left these things for you, my dear." said Nurse Jane to H little Fllffy Fluffy, as she culled the beat. 'Oh, how happy I um!" cried Fllffy Fluffy . us he banged the drum and H ioun ed the rubber boll Then he ran In H back ol the Christmas tree to look at the H golden red .'.tars and other ornaments. H And while the little bear was thus out of sight for the moment, into the room came H the big block hush) bear "Oh, ho, I'ncle Wiggiiy' You made It H very easy for me this time!" growled the H bear. "You left the kitchen door open. H so I could come In and nibble you." H But Just th.n. out from behind the H Christmas tree ran little Flirty Fluffv. M "Oh. Daddy' Look! cried Fllffy! "San ta Claus didn't come to mc. so I hunted H him. and I found him"' "What! You here?" growled the big nLLiiiifl black bear, and he looked very much ifeLiiiifl ashamed of himself ' And did Uncle Lbiiiih Wlgglly and Nurse Jnne Lako care ot you. H bringing you In out of the cold and "Yes, and look what Santa left for H me. oil L'ncle Wigglly's Christmas tree." I squealed Fllffy Fluffy, holding up his toy H soldiers, H The black beat seemed to have n t- rlble cold in his head, for he had to wipn H tha tears out of his eyes. Then he picked H Fllffy Fluffy up under his paw, and took H the little boy bear's presents In tnc other H paw. and went softly out. But as he ,. m ill I tl door the big b-:(r turned, an i IH said, very gently: Merry Christmas. L'nclfl Wlggll merry Chrlstma-s!" "Merry Christmas to you." replied the 1 bunny gentleman, and then, as It was H nearly- morning, he wished merry Christ- H mas to Nurse Jane. And so Uncle Wig H glly wishes a million merry Christmas greetings to each and every one of yon. H And If the cranberry sauce doesn't try 'H to slide down hill with the mince pie. and scare the candy clock so It Jumps H over tho fence and falls on Its face, I'll itJB tell you next about Uncle Wlgglly and the broken drum. |