Hi,
It's Stefania,
And it's time for another Uncle Wiggly adventure.
This one's called Uncle Wiggly and the Crawly Snake.
Do you feel alright to travel today?
Asked Uncle Wiggly of the elephant the next morning after the hot peanut men had cured the Big Chop.
I feel very fine,
" said the elephant.
We will travel along together again and perhaps we may find your fortune this time.
Hadn't we better take some extra peanuts with us in case you become ill again?
" asked the rabbit as he looked in the satchel to see if he had any sandwiches in case he got hungry.
Oh,
To be sure,
We must have peanuts.
A scrambly elephant,
Take as many as we can carry for I just love them!
So.
They hunted up the hot peanut man again and bought all the rest of his peanuts,
Besides paying for those the elephant had eaten to make himself well.
Good luck to you!
Cried the peanut man as he wheeled away his empty wagon.
I wish I had elephants for customers every day,
Then I would soon get rich.
And away he went singing,
I sell peanuts,
Good and hot.
Five cents buys you a lot.
Get your money and come here,
Buy my peanuts,
Children dear.
My peanuts are hot and brown,
Finest ones in all the town.
Town.
Nice and juicy.
Good to chew.
I have some for all of you.
Come on!
Said the elephant to Uncle Wiggly.
Put some peanuts in your case,
And I will carry the rest.
How?
In your trunk?
Asked the rabbit,
No.
I'm gonna wrap them up in a bundle.
And tie them across my back.
I want my trunk to squirt water through when it gets hot.
As I think the sun is going to be very scorchy today.
So he tied the bundle of peanuts on his back and then the two friends journeyed on together.
It did get very hot,
And it kept on getting hotter,
And there wasn't much shade.
Oh my.
I wish it would rain a little shower.
Said Uncle Wiggly as he wiped his ears with his handkerchief.
I am so hot.
As in an oven.
I can soon fix that part of it.
Said the elephant.
And pretty soon.
He came to a spring of cold water.
And he sucked up a lot of it in his hollow trunk.
And then?
He squirted a nice cool fine spray of it over the rabbit,
Just as if it had come out of a hose which you water your garden or lawn.
Why?
That feels fine.
Said the rabbit.
The elephant squirted some water on himself,
And they went on feeling much better.
What?
Still,
They were warm again in a short time.
And then,
The elephant said,
Huh?
I know what I'm going to do.
I am going to get some more ice cream cones.
They will cool us off better than anything else.
I'll go for them and bring back some big ones.
You stay here in the shade,
Uncle Wiggly,
But don't walk on ahead or you may tumble into the water again.
Oh,
Not?
Promised the rabbit.
I'll not.
I'll wait right here for you.
Off the elephant started to get some ice cream cones and pretty soon.
He came to the store where the man sold them.
I want two of your very coldest combs,
" said the elephant to the man.
For,
You know,
Sometimes in the stories,
Elephants can talk to people.
I what?
A big strawberry cone for myself?
The elephant went on,
And a smaller one for my friend,
Uncle Wiggly the rabbit.
Very well,
Said the man,
But you will have to wait until I make a large one for you.
So.
That man.
17,
687 little corns?
And made them.
Into one big one.
For the elephant.
Then he took 18,
291 quarts of strawberry ice cream and an extra pint and put it into the big cone.
Then he made a rabbit-sized ice cream cone for Uncle Wiggly and gave them both to the elephant who carried them in his trunk so they wouldn't melt.
But I must tell you what was happening to Uncle Wiggly all this while.
As he sat there in the shade of the apple tree.
Thinking about his fortune and whether he would ever find it.
All of a sudden.
He saw something.
Round and squirming,
Sticking itself towards him through the bushes.
The elephant has come back so quietly that I didn't hear him.
That is his trunk,
He is sticking out at me.
I guess he thinks I don't see him and he's gonna tickle me.
I hope he has those ice cream cones.
The crawly,
Squirming round thing,
Which was like the small end of an elephant's trunk,
Kept coming closer.
And closer.
To the rabbit.
I'll play a trick on that elephant.
I'll tickle his trunk for him and he'll think it's a mosquito.
Said Uncle Wiggly to himself.
He was just about to do this,
When suddenly,
The crawly thing made a sort of jump towards him,
And before the rabbit could move,
He found himself grasped by a big,
Ugly snake who wrapped himself around the rabbit,
Just as someone would wrap themselves.
A scarf around their neck in the winter?
It wasn't the elephant's trunk at all,
But a bad snake.
Now I have you,
" hissed the snake like a steam radiator in Uncle Wiggly's left ear.
I'm going to squeeze you and then eat you.
And he began to squeeze the poor rabbit.
Oh,
My breath!
You are crushing all the breath out of me!
" cried Uncle Wiggly.
Please let go of me!
Now!
Hissed the snake,
And he squeezed harder than ever.
Yes,
The rabbit.
When all of a sudden,
He heard a great crashing in the bushes,
Then a voice cried,
Here,
You snake.
Let go of Uncle Wiggly.
And bless my hat.
If the elephant didn't wash up just in time?
And he grabbed hold of the snake's tail in his trunk.
And unwound the snake.
From around the rabbit.
The elephant with a long swing of his trunk through the snake so high up in the air that I guess he hasn't come down yet.
I was just in time to save you.
Said the elephant,
Uncle Wiggly.
Eat this ice cream cone and you'll feel better.
So the rabbit did this.
And his breath came back.
And he was alright again.
But he made up his mind never to try to tickle a crawly thing again until he was sure it wasn't a snake.
That's all for the present,
If you please.
Next time.
In about a week's time.
Next time.
I'll tell you about Uncle Wiggly and.
.
.
The Water Lilies.
And that's all of our story for now.
Uncle Wiggly,
You never have to really worry.
Uncle Wiggly will always be safe.
His friends will always come through.
Save him.
So don't worry.
It's always a good story.
Time for your bedtime,
Baby.
Sleep well.
Good night.
