e a game of tag with you? Why, of course, I will!" laughed Uncle
Wiggily. "That is, if you will kindly excuse my rheumatism, and the
red, white and blue crutch which Nurse Jane Fuzzy Wuzzy, my muskrat
lady housekeeper, gnawed for me out of a cornstalk."

"Of course, I'll excuse it, Uncle Wiggily," said Lulu. "Only please
don't tag me with the end of your crutch, for it tickles me, and when
I'm tickled I have to laugh, and when I laugh I can't play tag."

"I won't tag you with my crutch," spoke Uncle Wiggily with a laugh.
"Now we're ready to begin."

So the little duck girl and the rabbit gentleman played tag there in
the woods, jumping and springing about on the soft mossy green carpet
under the trees.

Sometimes Lulu was "it" and sometimes Uncle Wiggily would be tagged by
the foot or wing of the duck girl, who was a sister to Alice and Jimmie
Wibblewobble.

"Now for a last tag!" cried Uncle Wiggily when it was getting dark in
the woods. "I'll tag you this time, Lulu, and then we must go home."

"All right," agreed Lulu, and she ran and flew so fast that Uncle
Wiggily could hardly catch her to make her "it." And finally when
Uncle Wiggily almost had his paw on the duck girl she flew right over a
bush, and, before Uncle Wiggily could stop himself he had run into the
bush until he was half way through it.

[Illustration: Before Uncle Wiggily could stop himself he had run into
the bush.]

But, very luckily, it was not a scratchy briar bush, so no great harm
was done, except that Uncle Wiggily's fur was a bit ruffled up, and he
was tickled.

"I guess I can't tag you this time, Lulu!" laughed the bunny uncle.
"We'll give up the game now, and I'll be 'it' next time when we play."

"Ail right, Uncle Wiggily," said Lulu. "I'll meet you here in the
woods at this time tomorrow night, and I'll bring Alice and Jimmie with
me, and we'll have lots of fun. We'll have a grand game of tag!"

"Fine!" cried the bunny uncle, as he squirmed his way out of the bush.

Then he went on to his hollow stump bungalow, and Lulu went on to her
duck pen house to have her supper of corn meal sauce with watercress
salad sprinkled over the sides.

As Uncle Wiggily was sitting down to his supper of carrot ice cream
with lettuce sandwiches all puckered around the edges, Nurse Jane Fuzzy
Wuzzy looked at him across the table, and exclaimed:

"Why, Wiggy! What's the matter with you?"

"Matter with me? Nothing, Janie! I feel just f