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Show BEDTIME STORIES By HOWARD R. GARIS UNCLE W1GGHV AND THK Rl BBER B LL. Copyright, 1922. by McClurc Newspaper News-paper Syndicate. , (By Howard K. Garls ) ) 'What have you there, Uncle lg-'gily?" lg-'gily?" asked Nurso Jane Fuzzy Wuzzy. as the muskrat lady housekeeper house-keeper eeponod the door of tho hollow stump bungalow one oening and let the rabbit gentleman come in. "Is that an adventure you found out In tho woods?" "Not exactly an adventure." replied I'nglo Wlgglly with a smile which m.irln li i nlnlf t w i n If 1 1 n sr nnan Mee?,i most Jolly Indeed, though it may turn out to be an adventure before I have finished with It." "But what In tho w orld is It?" asked Nurso Jane. "Can't you tell me, Wlggy?" It is only a little rubber ball, with a hole In so you can squeeze out air or water, whichever you choosp," and L'nclo Wlgglly playfully presseel tho red rubber ball, muklng o littlo puff of air. from Inside It, kiss Nurso Jano en her nose. "Oh, Wlggy!" exclaimed the musk-rat musk-rat lady, jumping back, for tho air from the rubber ball tickled hor. "Oh Wiggy! 1 hop you aren't going to plaj bouncey-ounols In your old ago!" "No, I'm not going to turn childish and play beuncoy-euncio with a rubber rub-ber ball!" laughed the bunny "I Just bought this for Baby Tabby. The little lit-tle pussy girl wan so clever In saving me from the Bob Cat, and she loves to throw things so much. I bought her il. lu mhliM ',,.11 Rhn , , r.'i In nnv harm tossing this soft "ball about " "That Is very kind of you," said Nurae Jane. "But It is too late to t.iko the rubber ball to Baby Tabby this evening. She'll bo In tho cat's cradlo fast asleep " "I'll -take It over In the morning then," said l'nclo Wlgglly. rind ho put tho ball on a shelf In the kitchen. That evening, after supper. when Nurse Jane and Uncle wlgglly wero In tho sitting room of the bungalow, the rabbit reading tho paper, and Nurse Jano sewing up a hole in his shirt. I'm Is W 'lgglly suddenly thought ho would like a raw carrot to nlbblo. "I'll got you one," offered Nurso Jane. Out to the kitchen sho wont, In tho dark, for sho know Just where, tho carrots wero kept. But, all of a sudden, tho bunny gentleman heard a sad cry like. l -w-mlaouw-gec-e-o-e-e!" "Oh. dear!" screamed Nurse June. "Babby Tabby must have como over when I wasn't looking and I stepped on hor In tho dark' uh. Baby Tabby, did I step on your tail or paw? ' There was no answor. "Maybe maybe I've hurt her terrible. ter-rible. Uncle Wlgglly!" sobbed Nurso Jane Bring a light OjUlcklyl" I nele Wiggily brought a Hght. but there wax no poor, hurt littlo pussy girl on tho floor of tho kitchen. ' Oh, could she havo run out '.'" asked Nurse .lane And Just then from whore Uncle Wlgglly was standing, came a cry: 'Mew -ew-ew!" "It's the rubber ball!" laughed tho bunny, as It rolled from under his paws "I stopped on it and so did YOU P was Baby Tabby's rubbei ball, b Cm going to give hr. that mado the crying sound " "Oh. I'm so glad I didn't step on a pussy kitten!" sighed Nurse Jano. "I'M take the rubber bail upstairs, where it will bo out of th" way," sa.ld Undo Wlgglly, as ho got his own carrot car-rot Well, everything went along all right until middlo of the nlpht, when, all of a suddon. Nurse Jano called: "Wlggy! Don't you hear some one on the stairs? I think lt'B th Burglar Fox!" I Uncle Wlgglly bravely went out Into ' the hall. Ho heard a humplty-umpity sound on tho stairs, and as he looked down ho laughed. "It's that cumo rubber ball!" he ' said, "it rolled off my bureau and rollod downstairs, bumplty-ump all by Itself. I kno. what I'll do. I'll fill ,the ball with water. That will make It so heavy it will not roll, anel It can t squeak any more. Tomorrow I'll take It to Baby Tabby." Uncle Wlgglly filled the ball with water in tho bathroom, auji left It on a chair outside. But In tho latter part ef the night, all ef a sudden there was a howl, and a rough voice cried: "Oh. it's raining! It's raining on me' Oh, what a funny thing to happen hap-pen in Uncle Wlggll a bungalow "' Uncle Wiggily turned up tho light and ho saw. running downstairs tho Woozle Wolf. And on tho floor was the rubber ball and a puddle of water. "I see what happened!" said the I bunny, as ho fastened tho window the Wolf had opened to crawl in. That bad chap sneaked in here In tho night, lie picked up tho rubber ball, squeezed It In his paws and the water squirted in his face, making him think It was raining. Ha! Ha! The ball saved our ears. Nurso Jane. ' And so it had. So .after all, you see, a rubber ball Is a good thing to have around. And Baby Tabby liked hors very much. And if tho firecracker firecrack-er doesn't try to climb tho Fourth of July tree and pick all the lollypeips growing on it. I'll toll you next about Uncle Wlgglly and the can opener. |