Buddy and Brighteyes Pigg: Bed Time Stories

by Howard Roger Garis

Then they started to go in, but just at that moment Uncle Wiggily stepped on a stone and twisted his ankle, the one that had some rheumatism still left in it, and he had to sit down and rub his foot with a bottle of liniment which he carried in his pocket.

While he was doing this Buddy and Brighteyes wandered a little way into the cave. It looked perfectly safe, and it was so pretty, with the sun shining in, and reflecting back from the crystals that hung down from the roof, and those that stuck up from the floor, that, almost before they knew what they were doing, the two children had gone some distance inside.

And, once they were in, it was so pretty that they kept on going farther and farther, until, land sakes, if, in about ten minutes they weren't away inside that cave, and they had forgotten all about what Uncle Wiggily Longears had told them about keeping close to him.

"Oh, we mustn't go any further!" cried Brighteyes at length. "It's getting quite dark, Buddy. We'll have to go back."

"All right," agreed her brother. "Uncle Wiggily will take us farther in I guess. We'll go and get him."

So they started back, but, would you believe it, they couldn't find their way! No, sir, there they were lost in that big cave! the more they tried to get out, the more lost they became.

Outside, Uncle Wiggily was in great distress. When his foot ceased hurting he looked for the children, but he couldn't see them. Then he knew they must have gone into the cave, and he was much frightened.

"Here it is, night coming on," he remarked, "and soon it will be very dark in there. Then I never can find Buddy and Brighteyes, and they'll be lost in there all night—and—oh dear—why did they go in without me?"

But in they had gone, and now Uncle Wiggily had to get them out. But he was a wise old rabbit, and, to make sure he would not get lost himself, he took a string, and tied it to his crutch, and left the crutch outside the cave. Then he took the ball of string and started in the cave, unrolling the cord as he went along, and keeping tight hold of it, so he could find his way back in the dark.

Then he tramped on, though it was hard work without his crutch, looking for Brighteyes and Buddy. I don't believe he ever would have found them, but for a kind old lightning bug, who flew on ahead, to light the way for him.