rheumatism crutch that Nurse Jane Fuzzy Wuzzy,
the muskrat lady housekeeper, had gnawed for him out of a
corn-stalk. "Is any one calling me?" asked Mr. Longears.

"No," answered Miss Fuzzy Wuzzy. "That's Mother Goose calling Jack
and Jill to get a pail of water."

"Oh! is that all?" asked the rabbit gentleman, rubbing his pink eyes
and making his nose twinkle like the sharp end of an ice cream cone.
"Just Mother Goose calling Jack and Jill; eh? Well, I'll go out and
see if I can find them for her."

Uncle Wiggily was always that way, you know, wanting to help some
one. This time it was Mother Goose. His new hollow-stump bungalow
was built right near where Mother Goose lived, with all her big
family; Peter-Peter Pumpkin-Eater, Little Jack Horner, Bo Peep and
many others.

"Ho, Jack! Hi, Jill! Where are you?" called Mother Goose, as Uncle
Wiggily came out of his hollow stump.

"Can't you find those two children?" asked the rabbit gentleman,
making a polite good morning bow.

"I am sorry to say I cannot," answered Mother Goose. "They were over
to see the Old Woman Who Lives in a Shoe, a while ago, but where
they are now I can't guess, and I need a pail of water for Simple
Simon to go fishing in, for to catch a whale."

"Oh, I'll get the water for you," said Uncle Wiggily, taking the
pail. "Perhaps Jack and Jill are off playing somewhere, and they
have forgotten all about getting the water."

"And I suppose they'll forget about tumbling down hill, too," went
on Mother Goose, sort of nervous like. "But they must not. If they
don't fall down, so Jack can break his crown, it won't be like the
story in my book, and everything will be upside down."

"So Jack has to break his crown; eh?" asked Uncle Wiggily. "That's
too bad. I hope he won't hurt himself too much."

"Oh, he's used to it by this time," Mother Goose said. "He doesn't
mind falling, nor does Jill mind tumbling down after."

"Very well, then, I'll get the pail of water for you," spoke the
bunny uncle, "and Jack and Jill can do the tumbling-down-hill part."

Uncle Wiggily took the water pail and started for the hill, on top
of which was the well owned by Mother Goose. As the bunny uncle was
walking along he suddenly heard a voice calling to him from behind a
bush.

"Oh, Uncle Wiggily, will you do me a favor?"

"I certainly will," said Mr. Longears, "but who are you, and where
are you?"

"Here I am, over here," the voice went on. "I'm Jack, and will