Part 14 (1/2)
CHAPTER XVI
UNCLE WIGGILY AND MISS m.u.f.fET
”Rat-a-tat-tat!” came a knock on the door of the hollow-stump bungalow, where Uncle Wiggily Longears, the rabbit gentleman, lived with Nurse Jane Fuzzy Wuzzy, the muskrat lady housekeeper.
”Rat-a-tat-tat!”
”Come in,” called Nurse Jane, who was sitting by a window, mending a pair of Uncle Wiggily's socks, which had holes in them.
The door opened, and into the bungalow stepped a little girl. Oh, she was such a tiny thing that she was not much larger than a doll.
”How do you do, Nurse Jane,” said the little girl, making a low bow, and shaking her curly hair.
”Why, I am very well, thank you,” the muskrat lady said. ”How are you?”
”Oh, I'm very well, too, Nurse Jane.”
”Ha! You seem to know me, but I am not so sure I know you,” said Uncle Wiggily's housekeeper. ”Are you Little Bo Peep?”
”No, Nurse Jane,” answered the little girl, with a smile.
”Are you Mistress Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?”
Nurse Jane wanted to know.
”I am not Mistress Mary,” answered the little girl.
”Then who are you?” Nurse Jane asked.
”I am little Miss m.u.f.fet, if you please, and I have come to sit on a tuffet, and eat some curds and whey. I want to see Uncle Wiggily, too, before I go away.”
”All right,” spoke Nurse Jane. ”I'll get you the tuffet and the curds and whey,” and she went out to the kitchen. The muskrat lady noticed that Miss m.u.f.fet said nothing about the spider frightening her away.
”Perhaps she doesn't like to talk about it,” thought Miss Fuzzy Wuzzy, ”though it's in the Mother Goose book. Well, I'll not say anything, either.”
So she got the tuffet for little Miss m.u.f.fet; a tuffet being a sort of baby footstool. And, indeed, the little girl had to sit on something quite small, for her legs were very short.
”And here are your curds and whey,” went on Nurse Jane, bringing in a bowl. Curds and whey are very good to eat. They are made from milk, sweetened, and are something like a custard in a cup.
So little Miss m.u.f.fet, sat on a tuffet, eating her curds and whey, just as she ought to have done.
”And,” said Nurse Jane to herself, ”I do hope no spider will come sit beside her to frighten Miss m.u.f.fet away, before Uncle Wiggily sees her, for she is a dear little child.”
Pretty soon some one was heard hopping up the front steps of the bungalow, and Nurse Jane said:
”There is Uncle Wiggily now, I think.”
”Oh, I'm glad!” exclaimed little Miss m.u.f.fet, as she handed the muskrat lady the empty bowl of curds and whey. ”I want to see him very specially.”
In came hopping the nice old rabbit gentleman, and he knew Little Miss m.u.f.fet right away, and was very glad to see her.