ed, white and blue striped
barber-pole rheumatism crutch, that Nurse Jane had gnawed for him
out of a corn-stalk, and he would go out to play with the rabbit
children, about whom I have told you in other books.

Or perhaps Johnnie and Billie Bushytail, the squirrel boys, might
ask Uncle Wiggily to go after hickory nuts with them, or maybe Lulu,
Alice or Jimmie Wibblewobble, the duck children, would want their
bunny uncle to see them go swimming.

So, altogether, Uncle Wiggily had a good time in his hollow-stump
bungalow which was built in the woods. When he had nothing else to
do Mr. Longears would go for a ride in his airship. This was made of
a clothes-basket, with toy circus balloons on it to make it rise up
above the trees. Or Uncle Wiggily might take a trip in his
automobile, which had big bologna sausages on the wheels for tires.
And whenever the rabbit gentleman wanted the automobile wheels to go
around faster he sprinkled pepper on the sausages.

One day Uncle Wiggily said to Nurse Jane Fuzzy Wuzzy:

"I think I will go for a ride in my airship. Is there anything I can
bring from the store for you?"

"Why, you might bring a loaf of bread and a pound of sugar,"
answered the muskrat lady.

"Very good," answered Uncle Wiggily, and then he took some soft
cushions out to put in the clothes-basket part of his airship, so,
in case the air popped out of the balloons, and he fell, he would
land easy like, and soft.

Soon the rabbit gentleman was sailing off through the air, over the
tree tops, his paws in nice, warm red mittens that Nurse Jane had
knitted for him. For it was winter, you see, and Uncle Wiggily's
paws would have been cold steering his airship, by the baby carriage
wheel which guided it, had it not been for the mittens.

It did not take the bunny uncle long to go to the store in his
airship, and soon, with the loaf of bread and pound of sugar under
the seat, away he started for his hollow-stump bungalow again.

And, as he sailed on and over the tree tops, Uncle Wiggily looked
far off, and he saw some black smoke rising in the air.

"Ha! That smoke seems to be near my hollow-stump bungalow," he said
to himself. "I guess Nurse Jane is starting a fire in the kitchen
stove to get dinner. I must hurry home."

Uncle Wiggily made his airship go faster, and then he saw, coming
toward him, a big bird, with large wings.

"Why, that looks just like my old friend, Grandfather Goosey
Gander," Uncle Wiggil