More Rabbit Adventure Stories With Uncle Wiggily-Book2-Pt 13

We continue with the new book of Uncle Wiggily stories. Uncle Wiggily goes searching for his fortune. Here are more stories about the lovely adventures of a kind, gentlemanly elderly rabbit & all his animal friends, nieces & nephews. Uncle Wiggily’s Fortune…will he find it? Maybe so…eventually! And what is he looking for? This time we bring you, Part 13 of Book 2 - the NEW book of stories. The killer-scales alligator makes a brief appearance in this story!

Transcript

Hi, It's Stefania and we're back again with the next part of Uncle Wiggly's Fortune. This time Uncle Wiggly meets the Hop Toad. Uncle Wiggly and the Hop Toad Dear me, Exclaimed Uncle Wiggly as he got out of bed the morning after the green parrot had scared away the fuzzy fox. I do seem to be having the most surprising adventures, But I can't find my fortune. Anyhow, I'm glad we had the parrot with us last night. Aren't you, Red Monkey? Indeed I am, Declared the little chap with the long tail, And perhaps he will bring us good luck and you may come across your fortune at any moment. Why don't you go look for it while I take my whistling lesson? Are you going to try again to whistle? Asked the rabbit. Indeed I am, Replied the monkey. I'm not going to give up. Just because I can't do a thing the first time or the forty-eleventh time, If it's possible for me to whistle, I'm going to learn. Bravo! Cried the parrot, Fluttering his green wings. That's the way to talk. Well, Now we'll have breakfast and after that I'll give you a whistling lesson. But first I must sing a song. So he sang this one. Once there was a dolly who could shut her eyes. They were blue like buttercups under the summer skies. She had hair like roses and her teeth were red. Sometimes when she walked along, She stood on her head. Inside her was sawdust, Fine as fine could be, Made from sawing little boards that grew in a tree. She could walk on tiptoes, Also skip a rope. Every morning she washed her face with soap. My, That was a funny doll with red teeth and hair like roses, Said the monkey. I wonder if she was in a relation to me. And whoever heard of blue buttercups, Asked the rabbit. Buttercups are yellow. Everyone knows that. I know, Said the parrot. You see, There really wasn't ever any such dolly. I just made up that song as I went along. But now for breakfast. Yo-ho! Ho-yo! Well, It was a nice breakfast they all had together in the little house the monkey had built. And when it was over, The monkey started on the singing lesson. Uncle Wiggly watched the monkey for a time and saw the long-tailed chap turn a double back somersault. When he found he couldn't whistle any other way. But even that didn't seem to do any good. Never mind, Said the parrot kindly. You may learn yet. Never give up. I'll not, Said the monkey. Well, I think I will go off and see if I can find my fortune, Said Uncle Wiggly. I'll come back to dinner. Off he hopped, Looking on all sides for gold or diamonds so that he could get rich and go back home to live in peace and comfort. Well, The old gentleman hadn't gone very far before he came to a place where there was a hole in the ground and in front of it was a sign which read, Hop down here and get rich. Ah, Exclaimed the rabbit. Indeed. I'll not do that. There must be a bad fox or a bear down there. I'll keep away. So he hopped on very quickly and the voice called out after him. Aren't you coming down and get rich? No, I'm not, Answered the rabbit. As he looked back and saw a savage mud turtle sticking his long neck and sneaky head out of the hole. Then the rabbit kept on and he went so fast that the turtle couldn't catch up to him. Well, The next place he came to was a little pond of water and in front of this was a piece of paper on which was written, Jump in here and get rich. Ah, No, Indeed, Exclaimed Uncle Wiggly. Fox like. They can't catch me that way. There is probably an alligator in that pond. So away he ran as fast as he could go and a voice cried out after him. Aren't you coming in? And looking back, He saw a big, Savage water rat. No, Indeed, I'm not coming in, Said the old gentleman rabbit. And he hurried on while the water rat gnashed his sharp teeth because he was so disappointed at not catching the rabbit. Well, The next place Uncle Wiggly came to was a big, Bright tin can lying beside the path that led through the woods. Oh, I wonder what that can be, Thought the rabbit. Perhaps there is a sign on it telling me to climb in and get rich. So he looked all around the tin can, But there was no sign. That must be a safe place, Thought the rabbit. It may be full of gold or diamonds. I'm going to have a look in. He tried to climb up the sides of the can, But they were too smooth. So he got some long sticks and some short ones, And by tying them together with ribbon grass, Uncle Wiggly made a little ladder. Then, By standing this up against the tin can, He could climb up and look in. When he first looked over the top of the can, He couldn't see anything. Then he leaned far over, And the first thing he knew, In he had fallen, Krisplash, And the can was full of molasses. Yes, There poor Uncle Wiggly was in a can of molasses, And he was so stuck up that he didn't know what to do. He tried to swim out, But the molasses was too thick, And he kept sinking deeper and deeper. Oh dear, What shall I do, He cried. I can never get out. And then, All of a sudden, A voice outside the can called. Who are you, And what is the trouble? Oh, Please help me, Begged the rabbit. I will, Said the voice again. I am Hippity Hop Toad, And I'm going to take that can up on my back, And hippity hop up and down with it, Until I turn all the molasses inside into molasses candy. And then you can climb out on that. Hold fast, Please. Well, Uncle Wiggly held fast, And the first thing he knew, The can in which he was a prisoner, Gave a lurch and a swaying motion, And then it almost turned upside down, And then he knew. It must be up on the back of the Hippity Hop Toad. Then, My goodness, I wish you could have seen that toad hop up and down. He went like the dasher in a churn, Or like a steam pump, Up and down, Up and down, Faster and faster. The molasses splashed all over, And some got up Uncle Wiggly's nose, And some in his eyes, And it was all he could do to hold on to the sides of the can. But somehow he managed it. But pretty soon the molasses got thicker and thicker, And then it began to get harder and harder, And pretty soon it was turned into sticks of molasses candy. Then Uncle Wiggly took these candy sticks and made a ladder of them, And when the Hippity Hop Toad set down the can off his back, The rabbit climbed up the inside of it on his candy ladder, Went down his wooden ladder outside the can, And he was safe. Of course, He had lots of spots of molasses on him, But the toad showed him where there was a brook of water in which he washed himself. Then he thanked the Hippity Hop Toad and went back to the monkey house, Though still without his fortune. In the next story, I'll tell you some more. I'll tell you about Uncle Wiggly and the Angle Worms. Uncle Wiggly and the Worms Well, Where in the world have you been? Asked the red monkey of Uncle Wiggly as the old gentleman rabbit hopped along after he had gotten out of the molasses can. Oh, I had an adventure, Replied the rabbit, And he told how the Hippity Hop Toad had saved him from the sticky stuff. But can you whistle yet, Red monkey? Asked Uncle Wiggly. Now, He doesn't seem to be able to do it, Spoke the green parrot in a sort of sad and hopeless tone. Every time he tries to whistle, He puckers up his face in such a funny way that I have to laugh, And when I laugh, I can't whistle. Can't you keep your face straight so I don't have to giggle? Asked the green bird solemn-like. I can't seem to, Replied the monkey, And he made another effort to whistle, But he puckered up such a funny face, And his tail got all tied up in a hard knot, And he looked so strange that even Uncle Wiggly had to laugh. You see how it is, Said the parrot. I can't give whistling lessons and laugh at the same time. And then he had to laugh, Because, You see, The monkey made another strange face trying to get the knots out of his tail. I think I have a plan, Said Uncle Wiggly after a bit. What is it? Asked the monkey. You must get behind a tree, Read the monkey, Said the rabbit. Then the parrot can tell you how to whistle and give you a lesson without seeing the funny faces you make. Then he can whistle to show you how, And he won't have to laugh. The very thing! Cried the parrot. So they tried that way, And they got along quite nicely. Well, By that time it was the dinner hour, And after the meal Uncle Wiggly said he would go out again to look for his fortune, And would come back to supper. But don't fall into any more molasses cans, Cautioned the monkey, And the rabbit gentleman said that he would not. Away hopped Uncle Wiggly over the fields, Across the fields and through the woods. Pretty soon he came to a pile of nice brown dirt. Huh? Someone has been digging here, Thought the rabbit. Perhaps someone else is also looking for a fortune of gold or diamonds. If that is so, I had better dig here too. So, With his sharp paws, The rabbit began to dig in the dirt near the pile of earth. Faster and faster he dug until, All of a sudden, He saw something moving in the hole he had made. Oh, I wonder if there is moving gold here, He thought. But when he looked again, He saw that it was only a little angle worm, Or earthworm as some people call them, Who was crawling out to sun himself. Oh, I hope I haven't hurt you, Exclaimed Uncle Wiggly kindly as he lifted the worm gently in his paws. Not a bit of it, Answered the worm, Twisting about to see if his tail was all there. But I'm glad you're not a fisherman, Mr. Rabbit. Why so? Asked Uncle Wiggly as he shook some dirt out of his left ear. Because, If you were, You might stick me on a sharp hook and toss me into the water for the fish to eat. Nothing is worse than to have a hook stuck into you, Said the worm, Moving around again until he was in two knots. Then he untied himself again. I should think the hooks might be unpleasant, Spoke the rabbit. But I won't hurt you, And here is a bit of cherry pie for you. Thank you most kindly, Said the angle worm as he sat up on the end of his tail and ate the cherry pie, Juice and all. But why are you digging in the earth, Uncle Wiggly? To find my fortune, Answered the rabbit, And he told how long he'd been looking for gold or diamonds and how he hadn't found any yet. Is there any gold down under the ground where you live? Asked the rabbit, Sad like. Not a bit, I'm sorry to say, Answered the worm. I live down there with numbers of my friends, But there is no gold. You had better dig somewhere else. But you have been very kind to me, And if ever I can do you a favor, I will. Thank you, Said Uncle Wiggly. So he hopped out of the hole he had made, And after saying goodbye to the worm, He traveled on to find another place where he might dig for his fortune. He came to a place in the woods where the ground was nice and soft, And there he started to make another hole. Well, He hadn't gone down very far before all of a sudden he heard a growling voice behind him, Calling out, Here! Who said you could dig in my land? Oh, I beg your pardon, Is this your land? Asked the rabbit, And he looked up to see the scaly, Scaly alligator glaring down at him. Yes, This is my land, And these are my woods, And because you were so bold as to dig here, I'm going to eat you up, Shouted the gator, Lashing his double-jointed tail around in the dry leaves. Here I come, He cried. Then he made a dive with his big, Wide-open jaws down into the hole Uncle Wiggly had dug, But the rabbit didn't wait for him. Out he jumped, And away he hopped, And the gator crawled after him. Faster and faster ran the rabbit, And faster and faster came the alligator. Oh, I know he'll catch me, Thought poor Uncle Wiggly. Oh, Help! Will no one help me? He cried. Yes, We'll help you, Called a little voice on the ground, And looking down, The rabbit saw the angle worm, And crawling along with him were about a million other worms, Some larger and some smaller than he. Run along as fast as you can, Said the first angle worm, And we'll twine ourselves into knots around the alligator's legs so that he can't chase you anymore. Run! Run! Well, You may be sure Uncle Wiggly ran as hard as he could. I'll get you, Cried the alligator, And he made a jump after the rabbit, But it was the last jump the skillery, Skillery creature made that day. For the next instant, Those million angle worms, Earthworms, Just tied themselves in hard knots and sailor knots and bow knots and double knots and two lovers knots and all sorts of knots around the tail and legs of the alligator, And he couldn't move another inch. Now's your chance. Hop away, Uncle Wiggly, Cried the first worm. We'll hold the alligator here because you were so kind to me. And as the rabbit hopped safely away, The ugly gator couldn't even wiggle his double-jointed tail. Then, When the rabbit was safe at the monkey's house, All the angle worms untied their knots off the alligator, And they scurried down into the ground before he could bite them. And that's how it all happened. Just as true as I'm telling you. And that gator was so angry that he almost bit a piece out of his own tail. Then he went off in the woods and wasn't seen again for some time. And that's it for today's adventure stories. Next time, Not this time, Next time, I'll tell you about Uncle Wiggly and the Black Beetle. Bye for now.