"The tailor bird would be just the one I'd like to see now," said the
rabbit uncle. "She could mend my torn coat nicely." For tailor birds,
yon know, can take a piece of grass, with their bill for a needle, and
sew leaves together to make a nest, almost as well as your mother can
mend a hole in your stocking.
But there was no tailor bird in the woods, and Uncle Wiggily did not
know what to do.
"I certainly do not want to be late to Grandpa Goosey's party," said
the bunny uncle, "nor do I want to go to it in a torn coat. Oh, dear!"
Just then he heard down on the ground near him, a little voice saying:
"Perhaps we could mend your coat for you, Uncle Wiggily."
"You. Who are you, and how can you mend my torn coat?" the bunny
gentleman wanted to know.
"We are some little black ants," was the answer, "and with the pine
needles lying on the ground--some of the same needles on which you
slipped--we can sew up your coat, with long grass for thread."
"Oh, that will be fine, if you can do it," spoke the bunny uncle. "Can
you?"
"We'll try," the ants said. Then, about fourteen thousand six hundred
and twenty-two black ants took each a long, sharp pine needle, and
threading it with grass, they began to sew up the rips and tears in
Uncle Wiggily's coat. And in places where they could not easily sew
they stuck the cloth together with sticky gum from the pine tree.
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