t his money;
The queen was in the parlor,
Eating bread and honey;
The maid was in the garden,
Hanging out the clothes,
Along came a blackbird,
Who nipped off her nose."

The fat man got up off the kitchen floor.

"I'm the king," he said, taking up his gold and diamond crown from a
kitchen chair, where he had put it as he kneeled down, so it would
not fall off and be dented. "From Mother Goose, you know; don't
you?"

"Yes, I know," answered Uncle Wiggily.

"I dare say you'll find the queen in the parlor eating bread and
honey," went on the king. "At least I saw her start for there with a
plate, knife and fork as I was coming here. And, no doubt, the maid
is in the garden, where she'll pretty soon have her nose nipped off
by a blackbird."

"That part happened yesterday," said Uncle Wiggily. "I was there
just after it happened, and I got Jimmie Caw-Caw, the crow boy, to
fly after the blackbird and bring back the maid's nose. She is as
well as ever now and can smell all kinds of perfume."

"Good!" cried the fat king. "You were very kind to help her. I only
wish you could help me. But I don't see how you can. My money, which
I was counting, fell out of my hands and dropped down a crack in the
floor. I can see it lying down there in the dirt, but I can't get at
it unless I move to one side my gold and silver palace, and I don't
want to do that. I don't suppose you can move a palace, can you?"
And he looked askingly at Uncle Wiggily.

"No, I can't do that," said the bunny uncle. "But still I think I
can get your money without moving the palace."

"How?" asked the king.

"Why, I can go outside," said Mr. Longears, "and with my strong
paws, which are just made for digging, I can burrow, or dig, a place
through the dirt under your palace-house, crawl in and get what you
dropped."

"Oh, please do!" cried the king.

So Uncle Wiggily did.

Down under the cellar wall of the palace, through the dirt, dug the
bunny gentleman, with his strong paws. Pretty soon he was right
under the kitchen, and there, just where they had dropped through
the crack, were the king's gold and silver pennies and other pieces
of money. Uncle Wiggily picked them up, put them in his pocket and
crawled out again.

"There you are, king," he said. "You have your money back."

"Oh, thank you ever so much!" cried the king. "I'll have the cook
give you some carrots." And he did, before he went on counting his
money in the kitchen.