Hi,
This is Stefania,
And here is part three,
Uncle Wiggily's Fortune.
Uncle Wiggily at the Seashore One morning,
Uncle Wiggily was hopping along a dusty road.
It was the day after he had gotten away from the bad black bear in the boat,
And the old gentleman rabbit was thinking what a great danger he had been in.
I must certainly be more careful,
He thought,
And not get in every boat I see.
Why,
Just think of it.
If that bear had eaten me up,
I couldn't search for my fortune anymore.
And this so frightened Uncle Wiggily that he looked all around and behind the bushes,
Fearing the bear might,
After all,
Have come ashore and be chasing after him.
But no bear was there,
For he had fallen out of the boat and caught cold,
And gone to bed after drinking some hot honey lemonade.
The old gentleman rabbit felt better when he saw there was no bear,
But it was so hot that he was thirsty.
So he looked for a place to get a drink.
Pretty soon he saw a nice cold spring,
And he took three drinks of water and part of one another.
And just as the rabbit was drinking the last drop of water,
He heard a funny noise out in the road,
And looking up,
He saw a whole lot of children going past.
Some of them were barefoot,
And some had little tin pails and shovels in their hands,
And some had red balloons,
And some blue or green ones.
Some of the children had on bathing suits,
And a few had their little dresses tucked up as far as they could go,
And they were dancing along on their slim legs as happy as happy could be.
Boy,
This is certainly very strange,
Thought the rabbit.
I wonder where they're all going.
Perhaps it is to a circus.
I must go see,
For I might meet my friend the elephant there.
Oh,
This will be some fun.
Is it a circus parade?
He called out aloud.
No,
It isn't a circus parade,
Said a voice at Uncle Wiggly's side.
And looking down,
The old gentleman rabbit saw the kind of grasshopper who had once given him some molasses.
If it isn't a circus parade,
What is it?
Asked the rabbit.
These children are going to the seashore to bathe and paddle in the salty ocean waves,
Went on the grasshopper,
And some of them will build sandcastles or dig wells for the water to fill up.
Why don't you go,
Uncle Wiggly?
Perhaps you may find your fortune there.
I believe I will,
Said the rabbit.
Won't you come along?
Well,
The grasshopper said he would,
So off they hopped together.
Pretty soon they heard the noise of the waves pounding on the sandy shores,
And they could smell the salt breeze,
And it made them hungry for clam chowder and lobster and crabs and things like that.
Then they saw ever so many more children running along,
And in a little while they were at the seashore.
Well,
Now to look for my fortune,
Said the rabbit as he watched the raves rush up on the sand with a big noise and lots of foam,
And then they would tumble out to the sea again.
How do you think I'd better go about this,
Mr.
Grasshopper?
If I were you,
I would dig in the sand,
Said the grasshopper.
Sometimes men who were called pirates used to bury gold in the sand,
And perhaps there is some of their money left.
You dig,
And I will watch you.
But I have nothing with which to dig,
Said the rabbit.
Oh,
You may take my shovel,
Said a little girl with her dress tucked up high so it would not get wet.
I am going in waiting so I don't need it.
Thank you kindly,
Said the rabbit gentleman to the little girl,
And then she went in waiting,
And a wave splashed all over her,
No matter if her dress was above her knees,
And her mama called out to her to be more careful so as not to get so wet.
So Uncle Wiggly began to dig.
Deeper and deeper he dug in the sand while the grasshopper watched him,
And every few minutes Uncle Wiggly would look down the hole to see if there was any gold among the grains of sand,
But there wasn't any.
All around were children having lots of fun.
One boy made a tunnel,
And then he played that some sticks of wood were steam cars,
And he pushed them through the tunnel and puffed out his cheeks to pretend it was the engine choo-chooing.
Choo-choo!
And a little girl made a garden in the sand with seaweed for flowers and clam shells for a house,
And she and another little girl had a play party.
Oh,
It was great fun.
Then a big boy stretched out on the sand,
And another boy covered him all up from the tips of his toes to the tips of his nose,
And he left his nose out so the boy could breathe.
Well,
The grasshopper and Uncle Wiggly looked at all this fun going on,
And they were as happy as they could be,
And the rabbit kept on digging the hole down in the sand,
Hoping he would soon come to the gold.
And all of a sudden,
Before you could count to ten,
Twenty,
Or thirty,
The hole which Uncle Wiggly was digging filled up with water just like a well.
Oh,
My!
Misclaimed the rabbit.
This is certainly bad luck.
Now I can't find any gold.
What am I to do?
I guess you'll have to dig another hole,
Said the grasshopper,
But perhaps there is gold at the bottom of this one after all.
Let's get a pail and dig out the water so that we may see the gold.
So the little girl who had loaned the rabbit her shovel let Uncle Wiggly take her pail to dip out the water.
But the funny part of it was that the faster he dipped the water out,
The more came in until there was enough for two wells.
Then even as the grasshopper helped dip out the water with another little pail,
It didn't do any good.
The rabbit and the grasshopper were both so interested in what they were doing that they didn't notice a big crab crawling up behind him.
And the first thing they knew,
Uncle Wiggly felt someone pinch him on his short little tail.
Oh,
What is that?
He cried,
Turning around quickly.
And then he saw the crab with his big blue claws pinching him.
Ouch,
My cry the rabbit,
Whatever should I do?
I'll help pull him off,
Shouted the grasshopper.
But he was not strong enough and the crawly crab still clung to the rabbit's tail.
Why are you pinching me?
Said the rabbit as he tried to reach around and pull off the crab.
Only he found he could not do it.
I am pinching you because you dug a hole down in my sandy beach,
Said the crab.
And I'm going to hold on to you until you give me a thousand pieces of cheese for my supper.
Oh,
I can never get that many,
Cried the rabbit.
Well,
No one helped me get away from this crab.
But all the children had run home to dinner and there was no one to help the rabbit until all of a sudden,
A big wave washed up and almost covered Uncle Wiggly.
He could just manage to breathe and he sprung up on the beach to get out of the water.
And the grasshopper hopped out of the way also.
But the wave was a good one after all,
For as soon as the crab felt the water sloshing up around him,
He let go of the rabbit's tail to swim away.
And that's how Uncle Wiggly was saved from the crab,
Even if he didn't find any gold.
And he was very glad his tail wasn't pinched off.
The old gentleman rabbit remained at the seashore for several days and he had many adventures.
And now I'll tell you about Uncle Wiggly and the lobster.
Uncle Wiggly and the Lobster Where are you going to stay tonight,
Uncle Wiggly?
Asked the grasshopper of the old gentleman rabbit after the wave had rolled up and washed away the crab that had hold of the bunny's tail.
I told you about it last time,
You remember?
Are you going to stay at the seashore?
Asked the grasshopper as he looked at his left hind leg and blinked his two eyes,
Sort of thoughtful like.
Oh,
Yes,
I like it here very much,
Said Uncle Wiggly,
And I'm going to stay.
But as true as I live,
I don't know where I can sleep tonight.
Couldn't you build a sand house such as we see the children making?
Asked the grasshopper.
Oh,
No,
For in the night it might fall down on me and the sand would get in my ears or a big wave might roll up on the shore and wash me out to sea.
Oh,
Dear.
Isn't it a puzzle what to do when you are seeking your fortune?
Oh,
Don't feel so badly over it,
Begged the grasshopper.
We will look around and see what we can find.
Where are you going to stay,
Mr.
Grasshopper?
Asked the rabbit.
Who,
Me?
Oh,
I am going to crawl under a leaf and sing myself to sleep as I always do.
But for you,
A leaf is hardly big enough.
Not unless it was a palm leaf fan,
Spoke the old gentleman rabbit,
But come on,
We will look around.
So they hopped up and down the beach where the ocean waves were rolling along with a booming noise.
All the children had gone in by this time as it was getting dark and rather lonesome.
Uncle Wiggly and the grasshopper looked and they looked and they looked still more,
But they could find no place for the rabbit to stay.
At last the old gentleman rabbit said,
Well,
Mr.
Grasshopper,
You had better get along and look for the leaf under which you are going to sleep or else it will get so dark that you can't find your way.
But what will you do,
Uncle Wiggly?
I don't like to leave you all alone.
Oh,
If it comes to the worst,
I can sleep out here on the sands.
But I don't like to do it as the dampness will make my rheumatism worse.
But it can't be helped.
Well,
The grasshopper didn't want to go away and leave his friend the rabbit all alone,
But Uncle Wiggly finally persuaded him that it would be best.
So the little creature hopped off and found a nice leaf.
Then he curled up on the underside of it where in case it rained,
He would not get wet and he sang himself to sleep.
Well,
Now I must tell you what happened to Uncle Wiggly.
At first he was quite lonesome as he walked along the beach looking for a place to sleep.
But then he looked up at the stars shining in the sky above him and he saw the moon was just coming up from behind the clouds and it was shining on the ocean waves,
Making them look like silver.
And it wasn't quite so dark then.
I guess I will be all right,
Said Uncle Wiggly.
But I'm not going to be afraid,
For I don't believe the alligator or fox or bear will come here.
But I do wish I had some place where I could go in out of the dampness.
Then he suddenly thought of something.
I know what I'll do,
He exclaimed as he came to a pile of driftwood on the beach.
I'll make me a house of this wood and put some seaweed on top for the roof.
And in that I'll sleep as nicely as if I were at home.
Well,
It didn't take Uncle Wiggly long to do this and soon he had built as fine a little wood and seaweed house as a heart could wish.
Then he crawled inside with his crutch and case and ate a small piece of cherry pie and stretched out on some soft seaweed for his bed.
In a little while,
He was fast,
Fast asleep.
Oh,
But what is this funny animal crawling up along the sand with his big claws,
Like a pair of scissors?
Oh,
What's that?
Why?
I believe it's a big lobster that crawled out of the ocean to see what he could find to eat.
Oh,
Uncle Wiggly had better look out now,
I tell you.
But the old poor gentleman rabbit is still fast asleep.
The big lobster stuck out his bulgy eyes and he moved them this way and that and he even looked over his shoulder with them.
And then he saw the little house which the rabbit had made.
I must see what is in that,
The lobster exclaimed and he crawled toward it.
Perhaps it is something good to eat and I am very hungry,
He said.
So the lobster looked through the window,
Which Uncle Wiggly had made,
And he saw the rabbit fast asleep.
Now for a good meal,
Cried the lobster.
Then he took one big claw and he softly pulled away some of the boards which Uncle Wiggly had used to make his house that left a hole and through this hole,
The lobster stuck his other claw and he caught hold of the rabbit by his two ears.
Oh,
Who has me?
Who is it?
What are you doing?
Oh,
My poor ears.
Let go,
Please let go.
That's how Uncle Wiggly cried as he suddenly awakened.
Now,
I will not,
Exclaimed their lobster in a sort of boiled egg voice.
I'm going to crawl off with you to the bottom of the ocean.
Then this is the last of me and my fortune,
Thought the rabbit.
I might as well say goodbye.
So,
The lobster pulled the rabbit right out of the wooden seawood house,
Holding him by his two long ears,
And he started down the sandy beach with him towards the rolling tumbling ocean.
Uncle Wiggly tried to get away,
But he couldn't.
But we know nothing bad is going to happen to Uncle Wiggly,
Right?
He's going to be okay.
The big lobster nearly had the rabbit in the rolling waves of the surf when suddenly a flashing lantern showed glimmeringly over the sand and a voice exclaimed,
Sherry me timbers,
If the big lobster hasn't caught a rabbit,
And huh,
He's trying to drown him.
Oh,
No,
No,
No,
No,
No,
That will never do.
I will save him.
Yo ho,
Heave ho.
Uncle Wiggly looked up and he saw a big,
Life-saving man who was out taking a walk along the beach with the lantern to see if anybody needed to be saved.
And before the lobster could drag the rabbit into the water,
That lifeguard just reached over and took the lobster up by his back where the crawly creature couldn't pinch.
And the lobster was so frightened that he let go of Uncle Wiggly's ears at once.
Now,
Hop away,
Mr.
Rabbit,
Said the lifeguard.
You may be sure that Uncle Wiggly didn't waste any time hopping.
I'll attend to this lobster went the big man.
And then the rabbit hopped back to his wood and sea wood house where he slept in peace and the quietness the rest of the night.
And as for the lobster,
The man gave him a good talking to.
And the lobster crawled away ashamed and was never seen again.
So,
That's all to this story.
Next time around,
Not this time,
Next time,
I'll tell you about Uncle Wiggly and the little clam.
Bye for now.
Thank you.
