THEN UNCLE WIGGILY AND HIS FRIENDS HAD A COFFEE PICNIC.
When Uncle Wiggily, Nurse Jane and the others reached home, after the ice boat ride, the rabbit gentleman said: “We had lots of fun. But we shall have more jolly times when spring comes and the grass is green.” After many months, the warm sun melted the ice and snow, and the trees put forth their leaves. “Ting-a-ling-a-ling!” rang the telephone in Uncle Wiggily’s hollow stump bungalow one day. “Hello! Hello!” called Uncle Butter, the goat, at the other end of the wire. “Don’t you want to come with me to have a picnic in the woods, Uncle Wiggily?” bleated the goat. “Surely I do,” said Mr. Longears. Nurse Jane packed a basket of lunch. Uncle Wiggily and Uncle Butter carried it on a long pole. The rabbit gentleman brought a trap to catch bad chaps. Baby Bunty saw the two friends skipping along. “Let us follow them,” she whispered to the animal boys. In the woods, Uncle Wiggily built a fire and Uncle Butter opened the basket.
BABY BUNTY TOLD THE BOYS ABOUT UNCLE WIGGILY’S PICNIC.
“Uncle Wiggily didn’t invite us to his picnic,” barked Jackie Bow Wow. “No, but I think he would like to have us, just the same,” laughed Baby Bunty. “Come on—let’s go!” While the animal children were skipping through the woods to the picnic place, Uncle Wiggily was putting up a tent. “For we may want to stay all night,” he said to Uncle Butter. “Yes,” agreed the goat, “and I’ll go get some water.” Uncle Wiggily was putting some evergreen boughs in the tent to make a soft bed when he saw Uncle Butter fall down with the pail of water. “Baa-a-a-a! Baa-a-a-a!” bleated the goat. “I am soaking wet!” Uncle Wiggily said: “Go in the tent, Uncle Butter; I’ll help you take off your wet clothes and we’ll hang them up to dry.” While the bunny and goat were in the tent, along came Baby Bunty and the others. “Oh, what a wonderful lunch Uncle Wiggily has left,” she cried. “I guess he doesn’t want it, so we will take it.”