Part 15 (1/2)

XXV

UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE RED FAIRY

Well, I didn't find that penny rolling up hill, after all, but never mind, I'll tell you a story just the same. Let's see, we left off about Uncle Wiggily Longears, the old gentleman rabbit, and what was going to happen to him when he should meet the red fairy, didn't we?

Uncle Wiggily walked along very slowly, going home from the party Lulu and Alice Wibblewobble had. Sammie Littletail saw how slowly his uncle walked, and asked:

”What is the matter, Uncle Wiggily? Does your rheumatism hurt you very much?”

”No, it isn't that,” replied the old gentleman rabbit, ”though it does pain me some. I was just wondering about that red fairy.”

”Oh, do you really suppose one will appear, as the fairy prince said?”

asked Susie, making her nose twinkle like two stars and a comet on a frosty night.

”No,” spoke Uncle Wiggily very decidedly, ”I don't really believe one will. Still, there may. You never can tell in this world what is going to happen,” and I think Uncle Wiggily was right about it.

”Oh!” cried Susie, ”I wish I could come with you, Uncle Wiggily. I never saw a real fairy in all my life. Couldn't I come with you?” and the little rabbit girl went close to her uncle, and took hold of his crutch, gnawed by the muskrat, Nurse Jane Fuzzy-Wuzzy, out of a cornstalk.

”Yes, I suppose you could,” answered Susie's Uncle, who was very kind to her.

”Oh, no!” exclaimed Sammie. ”It might spoil the magic spell, if more than one went, Uncle Wiggily. Maybe the fairy would not like it. You had better go alone.”

”All right,” answered the old gentleman rabbit, ”anything to please you.

I'll go alone.”

Well, when the rabbit family got back to their burrow, after the party, they could talk of nothing else but what was going to happen when Uncle Wiggily should meet the red fairy. Sammie and Susie didn't want to go to bed, they were so excited, but their mamma sent them up with Nurse Jane Fuzzy-Wuzzy.

Now listen very carefully, for the fairy will soon appear, and you know what happens then. Oh, yes, indeed, something wonderful.

Well, when it came time, Uncle Wiggily started off alone to the woods to meet the red fairy. He walked on, and on, and on, and he had to go pretty slow, because his rheumatism was hurting him again. And suddenly, when he was right under a big oak tree, what should he hear but a silver trumpet blowing ”Ta-ra-ta-ra-ta-ra!” Just like that, honest. Then he stood still, and a sort of s.h.i.+very feeling came over him, and he looked up and he looked down and he looked to one side and then to the other.

And then he wiggled his ears, and he wrinkled up his nose as fast as fast could be. Then he heard some one call:

”Uncle Wiggily Longears!”

”Yes, I'm here!” he answered.

”And I am the red fairy!” cried the voice again, and when the old gentleman rabbit looked up in the tree, what do you suppose he saw?

Well, you'd never guess, so I'll tell you.

There, perched on a limb, was a beautiful little lady, all dressed in red, with a red cloak on, and a red hat on, and it had a red feather in it; in fact, she was as red as Red Riding Hood ever thought of being.

”Do you believe in fairies, Uncle Wiggily?” she asked.

”No,” replied the old rabbit, ”I can't say that I do.”