Hi,
It's Stefania,
And we're back with another Uncle Wiggly story for you.
This time,
Uncle Wiggly and the Skycracker.
It's a sort of half firecracker and half skyrocket.
Spoiler!
Uncle Wiggly gets himself into trouble again.
But,
As we know,
His friends will always save him.
Uncle Wiggly will have quite an adventure,
But he'll always end up safe and happy.
Let's begin our story.
Well,
After Uncle Wiggly had gotten the little yellow bird that looked like gold out from the string trap in the tree,
The old gentleman rabbit spent two nights visiting a second cousin of Grandfather Pickley Porcupine,
Who lived in the woods.
Then,
Uncle Wiggly got up one morning,
Dressed himself very carefully,
Combed out his whiskers,
And said,
Well,
I'm off again to seek my fortune.
It's too bad you can't seem to be able to find it,
Said the second cousin to Grandfather Pickley Porcupine,
But perhaps you'll have good luck today.
Only,
You want to be very careful.
Why?
The old gentleman rabbit said.
Well,
Because you know it will soon be the 4th of July and some boys may tie a firecracker or skyrocket to your tail,
Said the porcupine.
Oh,
Laughed Uncle Wiggly.
They will have a hard time doing that,
For my tail is so short that the boys would burn their fingers if they tried to tie a firecracker to it.
Then look out that they don't fasten a skyrocket to your long ears,
Said the second cousin to Grandfather Pickley Porcupine,
As he wrapped up some lettuce and carrot sandwiches for Uncle Wiggly to take with him.
The old gentleman rabbit said he would watch out,
And away he started,
Going uphill and downhill with his barber pole crutch as easily as if he were being wheeled in a baby carriage or a pram.
Well,
I don't seem to find any fortune,
He said to himself as he walked along,
And just as he said that,
He saw something sparkling in the grass beside the path in the woods.
Ooh,
Ooh,
Ooh,
What's that?
He cried.
Perhaps it is a diamond.
If it is,
I can sell it and get rich.
Then he happened to think what the second cousin of Grandfather Pickley Porcupine had told him about Fourth of July coming.
And Uncle Wiggly said,
Huh,
I had better be careful.
Perhaps that sparkling thing is a spark or a firecracker.
Ha ha.
So he looked more carefully,
And the bright object sparkled more and more,
And it didn't seem to be fire.
So the old gentleman rabbit went up close,
And what do you suppose it was?
What?
It was a great big dewdrop right in the middle of a purple violet that was growing underneath a shady fern.
Oh,
How beautiful it was in the sunlight,
And Uncle Wiggly was glad he had looked at it.
And pretty soon,
As he was still looking,
A big buzzing bee buzzed along and stopped to take a sip of the dewdrop.
Ha ha,
That is a regular violet ice cream soda for me,
Said the bee to Uncle Wiggly.
And just as he was taking another drink,
A big ugly snake made a spring and tried to eat the bee.
But Uncle Wiggly hit the snake with his crutch,
And the snake crawled away very much surprised.
Thank you very much,
Said the bee to the rabbit.
You saved my life,
And if I can ever do you a favor,
I will.
And with that,
He buzzed away.
Well,
Pretty soon,
Not so very long,
In a little while,
Uncle Wiggly came to a place in the woods where there were a whole lot of packages done up in paper lying on the ground.
And there was a tent near them,
And it looked as if people lived in the white tent,
Only no one was there just then.
Oh,
I guess I'd better keep away,
Thought the old gentleman rabbit,
Or they may catch me.
And just then,
He saw something like a long straight stick standing up against a tree.
Oh,
That would be a good stick to take along to chase the bears away with,
He thought.
I think no one wants it,
So I'll take it.
Well,
He walked up and took a hold of it in his paws,
But mind you,
He didn't notice that on one end of the stick was a piece of powder string,
Like the string of a firecracker,
Sticking down.
And this string was burning.
No,
The poor old gentleman rabbit never noticed that at all.
He started to take the stick away with him when,
All of a sudden,
Something dreadful happened with a whiz and a rush and a roar that stick shot into the air,
Carrying Uncle Wiggly with it,
Just like a balloon,
For he hadn't had time to let go of it.
Up and up he went with a roar and a swoop,
And just then he saw a whole lot of boys rushing out of the woods towards the white tent.
And one boy cried,
Oh,
Fellas,
Look,
A rabbit took hold of our skycracker and is on fire and has gone off and taken him with it.
Oh,
The poor rabbit,
Because when the skycracker gets high enough in the air,
The firecracker part of it will go off with a bang and he'll be hurt.
Oh,
How sorry I am.
The hot sun must have set fire to the powder string.
You see,
Those boys had come out in the woods to have their Fourth of July,
Where the noise wouldn't make anyone's head ache.
Well,
Uncle Wiggly went on,
Up and up with the skycracker,
And he felt very much afraid,
For he had heard what the boy said.
Oh,
This is the end of me,
He cried as he held fast to the skycracker.
I'll never live to find my fortune now.
When this thing explodes,
I'll be dashed to the ground and hurt.
The skycracker was whizzing and roaring and black smoke was pouring out of one end,
And Uncle Wiggly thought of all his friends whom he feared he would never see again,
When all of a sudden,
Along came flying the buzzing bumblebee,
High in the air.
He was much surprised to see Uncle Wiggly skimming along on the tail of a skycracker.
Oh,
Can't you save me?
Indeed I will if I can,
Said the bee,
Because you were so kind to me.
You are too heavy or I would fly down to earth with you myself,
But I'll do the next best thing.
I'll fly off and get Dicky and Nelly chip-chip the sparrow children,
And they'll come with a big basket and catch you so you don't fall.
No sooner said than done,
Off flew the bee.
Quickly he found Dicky and Nelly and told them the danger Uncle Wiggly was in.
Quick,
Called Dicky to Nelly,
We must save him.
Off they flew like the wind,
Carrying a grocery basket between them.
Right under Uncle Wiggly they flew,
And just as the skycracker was going to burst with a slam bang,
The old gentleman rabbit let go,
And into the basket he safely fell,
And the sparrow children flew to earth with him.
Then the skycracker burst all to pieces for the 4th of July,
But Uncle Wiggly wasn't on it to be heard,
I'm glad to say.
He spent the 4th visiting the bumblebee's family and had ice cream and cake and lemonade for supper,
And at the night he heard the band play,
And he gave Nelly and Dicky 10 cents for ice cream,
Sodas,
And that's all the story.
But next time,
We've got another Uncle Wiggly adventure coming.
That one is going to be Uncle Wiggly and the Buttercup.
Uncle Wiggly always gets into a little trouble,
And he's always saved by his friends.
And that's the end of our story.
Sleep well.
Be good.
Bye for now.
