"Oh, excuse me! I didn't mean anything! I'll be good! I won't hurt UncleWiggily!"
"Well, I wonder what frightened him away?" asked Uncle Wiggily, outloud.
"Seeing himself in the looking glass," was the answer, and there stoodAlice from Wonderland. "That is a magical mirror I sent you, UncleWiggily," she explained. "It shows the reflection of anything andanybody just as they are and not as they'd like to be.
"And the alligator is such a mean-looking and ugly chap, that, neverbefore having seen himself, this time when he did, in the looking glass,he was frightened, seeing himself as others see him. He thought he waslooking at a Chinese dragon who would bite him. So he ran away, leavingyou alone."
"And I'm so glad he did," said Uncle Wiggily. "It's a good thing I hadyour looking glass."
Then Alice and Uncle Wiggily had a good time, and if the clothes pindoesn't pinch the pillow case so hard that it tickles the bedspread andmakes it sneeze all the feathers out, I'll tell you next about UncleWiggily and the White Queen.
CHAPTER XXII
UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE WHITE QUEEN
Uncle Wiggily Longears, the nice rabbit gentleman, was hopping alongthrough the woods one day, wondering if he would have an adventure withAlice of Wonderland or some of her friends, when, all of a sudden,coming to a place where a rail fence ran along among the trees he saw,caught in a crack of one of the rails by its legs, a white butterfly.
The poor butterfly was fluttering its wings, trying to pull out itslegs, but it had to pull very gently, for a butterfly's leg, you know,is very tender and easily broken, like a piece of spider-web.
"Oh, my!" cried kind Uncle Wiggily, when he saw what was the matter."You are in trouble, aren't you? I'm glad I happened to come along."
"Why are you glad; to see me in trouble?" asked the white butterfly.
"No, indeed!" exclaimed the bunny uncle. "But I want to help you."
"Well, I wish you would," went on the fluttering creature. "I've triedand tried again to get my poor leg loose, but I can't. And I'm on myway--oh, but I forgot. That part is a secret!" quickly said thebutterfly.
"Well, then, don't tell me," spoke Uncle Wiggily with a laugh, "for Imight not be very good at keeping secrets. But I'll soon have your legloose."
With that he took the small end of his red, white and blue stripedrheumatism crutch that Nurse Jane Fuzzy Wuzzy had gnawed for him out ofa cornstalk and putting the little end of his crutch in the crack of therail fence, Uncle Wiggily gave a hard push, opened the crack wider, andsoon the butterfly's leg was loose and she could fly away.
"But first I must thank you, Uncle Wiggily," she said. "And as you didme so great a favor I want to do you one in return. Not now, perhaps, asI am in a hurry, but later. So if ever you find you want something youcan't get, just come to these woods and say a little verse. Then youshall have your wish."
"What verse shall I say?" asked Uncle Wiggily.
"This," answered the butterfly. Then she recited:
"When the wind blows in the trees, Making perfume for the breeze, Will you grant to me this boon, That my wish may come true soon?"
"And what then?" asked the bunny.
"Then," answered the butterfly, "you must whisper your wish to a greenleaf and--well, we'll see what happens next."
"Thank you," said Uncle Wiggily, and then he hopped on through the woodswhile the butterfly fluttered away.
Uncle Wiggily had no adventure that day, but when he reached home to hishollow stump bungalow he found his muskrat lady housekeeper in thekitchen looking quite sad and blue.
"Well, Nurse Jane Fuzzy Wuzzy!" cried the jolly bunny uncle. "Whateveris the matter?"
"Oh, I have broken my nice gold and diamond dishpan, and I can't do anymore kitchen work until it is mended. I can't wash the dishes nor getyou any supper."
"Oh, never mind about that," said Uncle Wiggily. "I'll take the diamonddishpan down to the five and ten cent store and have them mend it foryou. Where is it?"
Nurse Jane gave it to him. The pan had a big crack right across themiddle. The muskrat lady said it had fallen to the floor and had brokenwhen she went to get Jackie Bow Wow, the little puppy dog boy a slice ofbread and jam.
"I'll soon have it fixed for you," said Uncle Wiggily. But it was moreeasily said than done. The five and ten cent store was closed becauseevery one was on a picnic, and no one else could mend the dishpan.
"Never mind, I'll buy Nurse Jane a new one and say nothing about it,"said Uncle Wiggily. "I'll surprise her."
But this, too, was more easily said than done. In all Woodland, whereUncle Wiggily and the animal folk lived, there was not another gold anddiamond dishpan to be had. They were all sold.
"Oh, dear! What shall I do?" thought Uncle Wiggily. "Nurse Jane will beso unhappy!" Then he happened to think of the white butterfly and whatshe had told him. So, taking the dishpan, he went to the wood where hehad helped the fluttering creature and whispered to a leaf the littleverse:
"When the wind blows in the trees, Making perfume for the breeze, Will you grant to me this boon, That my wish may come true soon?"
"Well, what is your wish?" asked a sudden voice.
"I wish Nurse Jane's gold and diamond dishpan to be mended," said UncleWiggily.
Instantly something white came fluttering down out of a tree, and thebunny saw it was the white butterfly. And then, all of a sudden, beforehe could count up to sixteen thousand, the white butterfly seemed tofade away and in its place was a beautiful White Queen, seated on agolden throne with a diamond crown on her head.
"You shall have your wish, Uncle Wiggily," she said. "Give me thedishpan."
"Why--why!" exclaimed the bunny. "You are--you are--"
"I am the White Queen from Alice in Wonderland," was the answer, "and Iwill ask you a riddle. When you take the dishes out of the pan whatremains?"
"Nothing," answered the bunny.
"Wrong," answered the White Queen. "The water does. Now I'll mend thisfor you." And she did, taking some gold from her throne and somediamonds from her crown to mend the broken dishpan.
Soon Nurse Jane's pan was as good as ever and she could wash the dishesin it.
"Thank you," said Uncle Wiggily. "But how is it you are a queen and abutterfly, too?"
"Oh, we Queens lead a sort of butterfly existence," said the WhiteQueen. "But I must go now, for I have to find the tarts for the Queen ofHearts who is always losing hers."
Then, changing herself into a white butterfly again, the Queen flewaway, and Uncle Wiggily, with the mended dishpan, hopped on to hishollow stump bungalow, where he and Nurse Jane were soon having a nicesupper and were very happy.
And if the potato masher doesn't go to the moving pictures and step onthe toes of the egg beater I'll tell you next about Uncle Wiggily andthe Red Queen.
CHAPTER XXIII
UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE RED QUEEN
Once upon a time, when Uncle Wiggily Longears, the rabbit gentleman, wasout walking in the woods, he stopped beside a little hole in the groundnear a pile of oak tree leaves, and listening, when the wind stoppedblowing, he heard a little voice saying:
"Oh, but where can she be? I fear she is lost! Little Crawlie is lost!"
"My! That's too bad," thought Uncle Wiggily. "Somebody's little girl islost. I must ask if I cannot help find her." So he called:
"Oh, ho, there! May I have the pleasure of helping you in your trouble,whoever you are?"
"But who are you?" asked a voice that seemed to come out of the littlehole in the ground.
"I am Uncle Wiggily Longears," answered the bunny. "You can easily seeme, but I can't see you. And who is this Crawlie who is lost?"
"She is my little girl," was the answer, and up the hole in the groundcame crawling a red ant lady, who was crying tear drops about as largeas that part of a pin point which you can't see but can only feel.
"Oh, my!" exclaimed Uncle Wiggily. "I couldn't imagine who would live insuch a little house, but of course a
nts can. And now what aboutCrawlie?"
"She is my little girl," answered the red ant. "I sent her to the storeabout an hour ago to get a loaf of sand bread, but she hasn't come backand I'm sure something has happened to her."
"Let us hope not," spoke Uncle Wiggily, softly. "I'll go at once andlook for her. Have no fear, Mrs. Ant. I'll find Crawlie for you. It israther a queer name."
"Crawlie is called that because she crawls in such a funny way," saidMrs. Ant. "Oh, dear! I hope she is all right. If she should happen tohave fallen down a crack in a peach stone she'd never get out."
"I'll find her," said Uncle Wiggily, bravely.
So off started the bunny uncle, hopping on his red, white and bluestriped rheumatism crutch over the fields and through the woods, lookingfor Crawlie.
He had not gone very far before he heard a small voice calling:
"Help! Help! Oh, will no one help me?"
"Yes, of course, I will!" answered the bunny, and then he saw an acornwhich seemed to be moving along the ground in a queer way.
"Ha! Can it be that this acorn is alive?" asked Uncle Wiggily. "And canthat acorn want help?" he cried.
"No, it is I--Crawlie, the ant girl--under the acorn," was the answer,"and I want help, for I'm in such trouble."
"What kind?" asked Uncle Wiggily. "What's the trouble?"
"Why, I'm caught under this acorn here and I can't get out," was theanswer, and Crawlie's voice sounded as though she had gone down cellarto get a crumb of apple and couldn't find her way back again. "I wentunder the acorn shell, which is empty," said the little ant girl, "andthough it was nicely propped up on one side when I crawled in, it wasblown over by the wind and I was held beneath it. Oh, dear! I can't getout and go to the store for the loaf of sand bread!"
"Oh, yes you can!" cried jolly Uncle Wiggily. "I'll lift the acorn shelloff you and let you out."
So he did, easily picking up the empty oak tree acorn from where it wascovering Crawlie, and then the little ant girl, who was red, just likeher mother, could walk about.
"Oh, thank you, Uncle Wiggily," she said. "If ever we ants can do you afavor we will."
"Oh, pray do not mention it," spoke Uncle Wiggily, modest-like and shy.Then Crawlie hurried on to the sand bread store and the bunny hoppedalong over the fields and through the woods.
He had not gone very far before he met a poor old June bug gentleman,and the June bug seemed very sad and unhappy.
"What is the matter?" asked Uncle Wiggily.
"Lots," was the answer. "You see it is now time, being July, for Junebugs like myself to get in their winter wood so we will not freeze inthe cold weather. But I hurt my legs, banging into an electric light onenight, and I'm so lame and stiff that I can't gather any wood at all. Ishall freeze, I know I shall!" and the June bug gentleman was more sadthan ever.
"Oh, cheer up!" cried Uncle Wiggily. "There is plenty of wood underthese trees. I'll help you gather it."
"There is no need to do that," said another voice, and, looking up,Uncle Wiggily and the June bug saw, sitting on a green mossy log, a RedQueen wearing a golden crown.
"Oh!" exclaimed Uncle Wiggily in surprise. "You are--"
"I am the Red Queen from Alice in Wonderland," interrupted the lady onthe log. "I was also the red ant lady who was crying and also Crawlie,the red ant girl. You were so kind to me when you thought I was only acrawling insect that now, when I have changed myself into a Red Queen, Iwant to help you. And I know I can best help you by helping this Junebug friend of yours."
"Indeed, you can!" said Uncle Wiggily, thankful like.
"I thought so," spoke the Red Queen. "Watch!"
With that she waved her magic wand, and, instantly, ten million red,white and black ants came crawling out of old logs from holes in theground and from under piles of leaves, and each ant took up a littlestick of wood and carried it into the June bug's house for him, so hehad plenty of wood for all winter, and couldn't freeze.
"There you are, Uncle Wiggily!" laughed the Red Queen. "One kindness,you see, makes another," and then she got in her golden chariot anddrove away, and when the June bug gentleman had thanked him, and theants had crawled home, the bunny himself went to his hollow stumpbungalow very happy.
And if the looking glass doesn't make faces at the hairbrush and knockthe teeth out of the comb so it can't have fun and bite the talcumpowder, I'll tell you next about Uncle Wiggily and Tweedledum.
CHAPTER XXIV
UNCLE WIGGILY AND TWEEDLEDUM
"Are you in, Uncle Wiggily?" asked a voice at the hollow stump bungalowone morning, and the rabbit gentleman looked up to see Alice fromWonderland standing on the door sill.
"Yes, of course I'm in, my dear," he answered. "Can't you see me?"
"I can't be sure of anything I see," answered the little girl withflaxen hair, "especially since I've been having so many queeradventures. I used to think I saw the Cheshire cat, when it was only hisgrin smiling at me. And maybe now I'm only looking at your ears, or tallsilk hat, and thinking it's you."
"No, I'm here all right," answered the bunny. "Is there anything I cando for you?"
"Yes," answered Alice. "I'd like you to come for a walk with me. Ihaven't much longer time to stay with you, and I want to have all thefun I can."
"Are you going away?" asked Uncle Wiggily.
"I have very soon to go back in the book where I belong," answeredAlice. "But no matter. Come now, and we'll go look for an adventure."
So Alice and Uncle Wiggily started off over the fields and through thewoods, and they had not gone very far before they suddenly heard, amongthe trees, some voices crying:
"You did it!"
"No, I didn't!"
"Yes, you did; you know you did!"
"No, I didn't! I know I didn't!"
"Well, we'll have to have a battle, anyhow!"
And then came a sound as if some one was beating a carpet with a fishingpole and voices cried:
"Oh! Oh, dear! Ouch! Oh, how it hurts!"
"My, what in the world can that be?" asked Uncle Wiggily. "It soundslike an adventure all right."
"I think it is," answered Alice. "It's probably Tweedledum andTweedledee fighting."
"Fighting? Tweedledee and Tweedledum?" asked the surprised bunny.
"Oh, it's only in fun," laughed Alice, "and they have to do it becauseit's that way in the book, for if they didn't things wouldn't come outright. Yes, there they are." And she pointed off through the trees,where Uncle Wiggily saw two round, fat, little boys, dressed exactly thesame, and looking so like one another that no one could tell them apart,except when they were together--just like twins, you know.
"Oh, I'm so glad to see you!" called Alice to the two queer fat chaps.They were as round as barrels, both of them. Uncle Wiggily noticed thaton the collar of one was the word DUM, while on the other was the wordDEE.
"Tweedle, the rest of their name, is on the back of their collars,"Alice explained. "As it's the same for both, they didn't need it infront."
Then the fat boys turned around, like tops slowly spinning, and, surelyenough, on the back of the white collar of each were letters spellingTWEEDLE.
"I'm glad to see you," spoke Uncle Wiggily. "I heard you--sortof--er--well, you know," he went on, diffident-like, not wishing to sayhe had heard the brothers quarreling.
"Oh, it's all right, we do that every day," said Tweedledee.
"And, contrariwise, twice on Sunday," added Tweedledum. "We have to forthe verse about us says:
"'Tweedledum and Tweedledee Agreed to have a battle; For Tweedledum said Tweedledee Had spoiled his nice new rattle.
"'Just then down flew a monstrous crow, As black as a tar barrel, Which frightened both the heroes so, They quite forgot their quarrel.'"
"Only we weren't really frightened," said Tweedledee. "We just madebelieve so, and laughed at the crow. And I didn't really spoilTweedledum's nice new rattle, for here it is now," and taking his armdown from around his brot
her's neck he took the rattle from his pocketand shook it, making a noise like a drum.
And, just as he did that, all of a sudden, out from behind a big stumpcame--not a monstrous crow, but the bad old skillery-scalery alligator,who cried:
"Ah, ha! At last I have him! Now I'll get that Uncle Wiggily Longearschap! Ah, ha!" and he made a grab for the gentleman bunny.
"Oh, dear!" exclaimed Alice. "Please don't hurt Uncle Wiggily!"
"Yes, I shall!" snapped the 'gator. "I'll bumble him and mumble him,that's what I'll do."
"Oh, no you won't!" exclaimed Tweedledum, wabbling toward the alligatoras Jimmie Wibblewobble, the boy duck, waddled when he walked.
"I won't what?" asked the 'gator.
"You won't bumble or mumble Uncle Wiggily. First you have to catch me!"
"Pooh! That's easily done," snapped the alligator. "You are so fat thatyou can't run any more than a rubber ball."
"Will you promise to let Uncle Wiggily alone until you catch me?" askedTweedledum, eagerly.
"I promise," said the alligator smiling to himself, for he thought hecould easily catch the fat twin, and his promise wouldn't count.
"Then here I go! Catch me!" suddenly cried Tweedledum. And with that hestretched out on the ground and began to roll down hill in the woods.
And as he was fat and round he rolled as fast as a rubber ball, and herolled so fast (ever so much faster than if he had run) that when thealligator raced after him, as he had promised he would do, why the baddouble-jointed skillery-scalery creature got all out of breath andcouldn't bumble or mumble a strawberry, to say nothing of Uncle Wiggily.And the 'gator didn't catch the fat boy either.