Wiggily's ears. "I wonder if his foot is much hurt, papa?"

"I don't know," answered the man, as he steered the machine down the road.
"I'll have the doctor look at it."

"Oh, indeed, it isn't hurt much," spoke up Uncle Wiggily. "The rubber tire
was soft, you see. But my rheumatism is much worse on account of running
so fast."

"What's this? Well, of all things! This rabbit can talk!" cried the man in
surprise.

"Of course he can, papa," said the boy. "Lots of rabbits can talk. Why,
there's Sammie and Susie Littletail; they can talk, and maybe this rabbit
knows them."

"I'm their uncle," said the old gentleman rabbit, making a bow.

"Oh, then, you must be Uncle Wiggily Longears!" cried the little boy.
"Oh, I've always wanted to see you, and now I can!"

"Well, it is very strange to meet you this way," said the man. "Still, I
am glad you are not hurt, Uncle Wiggily. And so you are out seeking your
fortune," for the rabbit had told them about his travels. "Perhaps you
would like to rest at our house for a few days. We can give you a nice
room, with a brass bed, and a bath-tub to yourself, and you can have your
meals in bed, if you can't come down stairs."

"Oh, I am not used to that kind of a life," said the old gentleman rabbit.
"I would rather live out of doors. If you can get me some clean straw to
lie on, and once in a while a carrot or a turnip, and a bit of lettuce and
some cabbage leaves now and then, I'll be all right. And as soon as my
foot is well I'll travel on."

"Oh, what good times we'll have!" cried the little boy. "Our house is near
a lake, and I have a motor boat. And I'll give you a ride in it."

Well, Uncle Wiggily thought that would be nice, and he was rather glad,
after all, that he had jumped into the auto. So pretty soon they came to
the place where the boy lived. Oh, it was a fine, large house, with lots
of grounds, lawns and gardens all around it. And there were several dogs
on the place, but the little boy spoke to them all, telling them that the
rabbit was his friend Uncle Wiggily, who must not be bitten or barked at
on any account.

"Oh, we heard about him from Fido Flip-Flop," said big dog Rover. "We
wouldn't hurt Uncle Wiggily for two worlds, and part of another one, and a
bag of peanuts."

So Uncle Wiggily was given a nice bed of straw in one of the empty
dog-houses, and the boy got him some cabbage and lettuce, and the rabbit
made himself a sandwich of them, with some bread an