Hi,
It's Stefania and we're back with another Uncle Wiggly story for you.
And now our story,
Uncle Wiggly and the Sunfish.
Uncle Wiggly slept that night,
I mean the night after he helped Mrs.
Wren build her nest.
He slept in an old underground house that another rabbit must have made sometime before.
It was nicely lined with leaves and the fortune hunting bunny slept very nice and warm there.
When the sun was up,
Shining very brightly and most beautifully,
Uncle Wiggly arose,
Shook his ears to get the dust out of them and threw the dried leaf blankets off him.
Uh-huh,
I must be up and going,
He cried.
Perhaps I shall find my fortune today.
Well,
No sooner had he crawled out of the burrow than he heard a most beautiful song.
It was one Mrs.
Wren was singing and it went tra-la-la,
Tra-la-la,
Tum-ti-ti-tum,
Tum-ti-ti.
Too pretty for anything.
And then afterwards,
There was a sort of an echo,
Like cheep-cheep,
Cheep-cheep.
Why,
You must be very happy this morning,
Mrs.
Wren,
Called Uncle Wiggly to her as she sat in her new nest which the rabbit had made for her on the mossy stump.
I am,
She answered,
Very happy.
What do you think happened in the night?
I can't guess,
He answered.
A burglar crow didn't come and steal your eggs,
I hope.
Oh,
Nothing sad or bad like that,
She answered,
But something very nice.
Just hop up here and look.
So Uncle Wiggly hopped up on the stump and Mrs.
Wren got off her nest and there on the bottom and among some eggshells were a lot of tiny,
Weeny little birdies,
About as big as a spool of thread or even smaller.
Why,
Where in the world did they come from?
Asked the old gentleman rabbit,
Rubbing his eyes.
Out of the eggs,
To be sure,
Answered Mrs.
Wren,
And I do declare the last of my family is hatched now.
There is little Wiggly out of the shell at last.
I think I'll name him after you,
As he never could keep still while he was being hatched.
Now I must take out all of the broken shells so the birdies won't cut themselves on them.
And she began to throw them out with her bill,
Just as a mother hen does,
And then one of the little birdies called out,
Cheep,
Cheep,
Cheep,
Cheep.
Yes,
I know you're hungry,
Answered their mama who understood their bird talk.
Well,
I'll fly away and get you something to eat just as soon as your papa comes home to stay in the house.
You know Mr.
Wren went away last night to see about getting a new position in a feather pillow factory,
Said Mrs.
Wren to Uncle Wiggly,
And he doesn't yet know about birdies.
I hope he'll come back soon,
As they are very hungry and I don't like to leave them alone to go shopping.
Oh,
I'll stay and take care of them for you while you go to the store,
Said the old gentleman rabbit kindly.
That will do very well,
Said Mrs.
Wren.
So she put on her bonnet and shawl and took her market basket and off she flew to the store,
While Uncle Wiggly stayed with the new birdies.
They snuggled down under his warm fur and were as cozy as in their mother's own feathers.
Well,
Mrs.
Wren was gone some time as the store was crowded and she couldn't get waited on right away and Uncle Wiggly stayed with the birdies.
And then they got hungrier and hungrier and they cried real hard.
Yes,
Indeed as hard as some babies.
Hmm,
I don't know what to do,
Said the old gentleman rabbit.
I can't feed them.
I guess I'll sing to them.
So he sang this song.
Hush,
Birdies,
Hush.
Please don't cry.
Mama'll be back by and by.
Nestle down close under my fur.
I'm not your mother,
But I'm helping her.
But this didn't seem to satisfy the birdies and they cried cheep cheep harder than ever.
Oh dear,
I believe I must get them something to eat,
Said Uncle Wiggly.
So he covered them up all warmly with the feathers that lined the nest and then he hopped down and went limping around on his crutch to find them something to eat.
Pretty soon he came to a little brook and as he looked down into it,
He saw something shining.
All gold and red and green and blue and yellow.
Why,
I do declare if here isn't the end of the rainbow,
Exclaimed the old gentleman rabbit as he saw all the pretty colors.
He rubbed his eyes with his paw to make sure he wasn't dreaming,
But the colors were surely enough there,
Down under the water.
No wonder the giant couldn't find the pot of gold.
It was down in the water,
Spoke the rabbit,
But I'll get it and then my fortune will be made.
Oh,
How glad I am.
Well,
Uncle Wiggly reached his paw down and made a grab for the red and green and gold and yellow thing,
But to a surprise,
Instead of lifting up a pot of gold,
He lifted up a squirming,
Wiggling sunfish.
Oh my,
Exclaimed the rabbit in surprise.
I should say yes to all buys and another one,
Guessed the fish.
Oh,
Please put me back in the water again.
The air out on land is too strong for me.
I can't breathe.
Please,
Uncle Wiggly,
Put me back.
I thought you were a pot of gold,
Said the rabbit sadly.
I'm always getting fooled,
But never mind.
I'll put you in the water.
What are you doing here?
Asked the fish as he slid into the water again and sneezed three times.
Just a present.
I am taking care of Mrs.
Wren's new little birdies,
Said the rabbit.
She has gone to the store for something for them to eat,
But they are so hungry they can't wait.
Oh,
That is easily fixed,
Said the sunfish.
Since you were so kind to me,
I'll tell you what to do.
Get them a few little worms and some small flower seeds and feed them.
Then the birdies will go to sleep.
So Uncle Wiggly did this,
And as soon as the birds had their hungry little mouths filled,
Sound to sleep they went.
And in a little while,
Mrs.
Wren came back from the store with her basket filled,
And Mr.
Wren flew home to say that he had a nice position in a feather factory and how he did admire his birdies.
He hugged and kissed them like anything.
Then the two little wrens both thanked Uncle Wiggly for taking care of their children,
And the rabbit said goodbye and hopped on again to seek his fortune.
And that's the end of our story.
Sleep well.
Bye-bye for now.
