Uncle Wiggily in the Woods | Page 4

and I am afraid he is a little peevish."
"Oh, that isn't right," said Mr. Longears. "Little boys, whether they are
squirrels, rabbits or real children, should try to be jolly and happy, and
not peevish."
"How can a fellow be happy when there's no fun?" asked Billie, sort of
cross-like. "My brother Johnnie got out of school early, and he and the
other animal boys have gone off to play where I can't find them. I had
to stay in, because I didn't know my nut-cracking lesson, and now I
can't have any fun. Oh, dear! I don't care!"
Billie meant, I suppose, that he didn't care what he said or did, and that
isn't right. But Uncle Wiggily only pinkled his twink nose. No, wait
just a moment if you please. He just twinkled his pink nose behind the
squirrel boy's back, and then the bunny uncle said:
"How would you like to come for a walk in the woods with me, Billie?"
"Oh, that will be nice!" exclaimed the squirrel lady. "Do go, Billie."
"No, I don't want to!" chattered the boy squirrel, most impolitely.
"Oh, that isn't at all nice," said Mrs. Bushy-tail. "At least thank Uncle

Wiggily for asking you."
"Oh, excuse me, Uncle Wiggily," said Billie, sorrylike. "I do thank you.
But I want very much to have some fun, and there's no fun in the woods.
I know all about them. I know every tree and bush and stump. I want to
go to a new place."
"Well, new places are nice," said the bunny uncle, "but old ones are
nice, too, if you know where to look for the niceness. Now come along
with me, and we'll see if we can't have some fun. It is lovely in the
woods now."
"I won't have any fun there," said Billie, crossly. "The woods are no
good. Nothing good to eat grows there."
"Oh, yes there does--lots!" laughed Uncle Wiggily. "Why the nuts you
squirrels eat grow in the woods."
"Yes, but there are no nuts now," spoke the squirrel boy. "They only
come in the Fall."
"Well, come, scamper along, anyhow," invited Uncle Wiggily. "Who
knows what may happen? It may even be an adventure. Come along,
Billie."
So, though he did not care much about it, Billie went. Uncle Wiggily
showed the squirrel boy where the early spring flowers were coming up,
and how the Jacks, in their pulpits, were getting ready to preach
sermons to the trees and bushes.
"Hark! What's that?" asked Billie, suddenly, hearing a noise.
"What does it sound like?" asked Uncle Wiggily.
"Like bells ringing."
"Oh, it's the bluebells--the bluebell flowers," answered the bunny uncle.
"Why do they ring?" asked the little boy squirrel.

"To call the little ants and lightning bugs to school," spoke Uncle
Wiggily, and Billy smiled. He was beginning to see that there were
more things in the woods than he had dreamed of, even if he had
scampered here and there among the trees ever since he was a little
squirrel chap.
On and on through the woods went the bunny uncle and Billie. They
picked big, leafy ferns to fan themselves with, and then they drank with
green leaf-cups from a spring of cool water.
But no sooner had Billie taken the cold water than he suddenly cried:
"Ouch! Oh, dear! Oh, my, how it hurts!"
"What is it?" asked Uncle Wiggily. "Did you bite your tongue or step
on a thorn?"
"It's my tooth," chattered Billie. "The cold water made it ache again. I
need to go to Mr. Stubtail, the bear dentist, who will pull it out with his
long claws. But I've been putting it off, and putting it off, and now--Oh,
dear, how it aches! Wow!"
"I'll cure it for you!" said Uncle Wiggily. "Just walk along through the
woods with me and I'll soon stop your aching tooth."
"How can you?" asked Billie, holding his paw to his jaw to warm the
aching tooth, for heat will often stop pain. "There isn't anything here in
the woods to cure toothache; is there?"
"I think we shall find something," spoke the bunny uncle.
"Well, I wish we could find it soon!" cried Billie, "for my tooth hurts
very much. Ouch!" and he hopped up and down, for the toothache was
of the jumping kind.
"Ah, ha! Here we have it!" cried Uncle Wiggily, as he stooped over
some shiny green leaves, growing close to the ground, and he pulled
some of them up. "Just chew these leaves a little and let them rest

inside your mouth near the aching tooth," said Mr. Longears. "I think
they will help you, Billie."
So Billie chewed the green leaves. They smarted and burned a little, but
when he put them near his tooth