STORY IX
UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE BIRCH TREE
Uncle Wiggily Longears, the nice old rabbit gentleman, was walking
along through the woods one afternoon, when he came to the hollow stump
school, where the lady mouse teacher taught the animal boys and girls
how to jump, crack nuts, dig homes under ground, and do all manner of
things that animal folk have to do.
And just as the rabbit gentleman was wondering whether or not school
was out, he heard a voice inside the hollow stump, saying:
"Oh, dear! I wish I had some one to help me. I'll never get them
clean all by myself. Oh, dear!"
"Ha! That sounds like trouble!" thought Mr. Longears to himself. "I
wonder who it is, and if I can help? I guess I'd better see."
He looked in through a window, and there he saw the lady mouse teacher
cleaning off the school black-boards. The boards were all covered with
white chalk marks, you see.
"What's the matter, lady mouse teacher?" asked Uncle Wiggily, making a
polite, low bow.
"Oh, I told Johnnie and Billy Bushytail, the two squirrel boys, to stay
in and clean off the black-boards, so they would be all ready for
tomorrow's lesson," said the lady mouse. "But they forgot, and ran off
to play ball with Jackie and Peetie Bow Wow, the puppy dog boys. So I
have to clean the boards myself. And I really ought to be home now,
for I am very tired.
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