“You fellows don’t know how to get souse off a rabbit’s ears,” said the Skuddlemagoon, when the Pip and Skee came back lame and limping and dusty and wet. “You watch me catch Uncle Wiggily. He is going to beat a rug, and, when he isn’t looking I’ll run up behind and grab him.” Well, the Skuddlemagoon tried to do this. But Uncle Wiggily heard him coming and, turning quickly, he gave the Skuddlemagoon a beating instead of the rug. “Oh, don’t knock any more dust out of me!” begged the bad animal.
Uncle Wiggily beat the Skuddlemagoon so hard that the bad creature was glad enough to run away. “What do you want me to do next to help you, Nurse Jane?” asked the rabbit gentleman. “You might cut a little wood for the fire, so I can get supper,” answered the muskrat lady. So Uncle Wiggily took the axe and began to chop a stick. But, just as he gave a hard cut, the Boozap rushed up to try for some souse. And the end of the stick flew over and hit him on the nose. “Woe is me!” howled the Boozap.
Away ran the Boozap, very sorry, indeed, that he had tried to get Uncle Wiggily’s souse. The bunny brought in the wood, and then said: “I will rake up the yard, Nurse Jane, and make it look nice over Sunday.” The muskrat lady thought that would be fine. But as Uncle Wiggily was raking up the fallen leaves and dried grass, all at once out at him jumped the Blue Nosed Babboon. “Souse I want and souse I must have!” howled the Bab. “Let me scratch your back with this rake!” laughed Uncle Wiggily.
Uncle Wiggily rubbed the sharp teeth of the rake so hard on the back of the Blue Nosed Babboon that the funny chap gave a loud howl and cried: “Oh wow! How you tickle! I can’t stand this!” Then he ran away, and Uncle Wiggily went to the garden to get some potatoes for Nurse Jane to cook for supper. All of a sudden the Fuzzy Fox jumped out from behind a big tree. “I want souse!” howled the fox. “Try a potato instead!” answered Uncle Wiggily, and he threw them at the fox, making him run.
Lang Campbell
9-5-20