Part 15 (2/2)
”Well,” went on the little creature, ”you soon will. Watch me carefully.”
And with that, what did she do but float down from that tall tree, just as one of those red balloons you buy at the circus floats along. Yes, sir, she floated right down to where Uncle Wiggily was. Then she waved her magic wand in the air three times, and said this word: ”Higgildypiggilyhobbledehoi!” It's a very hard word for you to say, I know, but easy for a fairy. Well, she said that word, and then, all at once, what should happen but that a golden ball appeared, floating in the air.
”Catch the golden ball!” cried the red fairy.
”I can't!” answered the old rabbit. ”I haven't played ball in years, and years, and years.”
”Well,” went on the fairy, with a laugh, ”no matter. It will come to you,” and you may not believe me, but if that golden ball didn't float right down into Uncle Wiggily's hands. He had to drop his crutch to catch it.
”Now,” proceeded the red fairy, ”do you want to see me do something magical to prove that I am wonderful, and a real fairy?'”
”Yes,” answered Uncle Wiggily, ”certainly.”
”Well, what shall I do? Name something wonderful.”
”If you could cure me of my rheumatism it would be wonderful,” he answered. ”It hurts me something fierce, now.”
”Ha! That is not wonderful at all,” spoke the red fairy. ”That is altogether too easy. But I will do it all the same. Watch me carefully.”
Then, as true as I'm telling you, if that golden ball didn't begin to dance up and down, and sideways, and around and around Uncle Wiggily, leaping here, and there, and everywhere, until he could hardly see it.
And the silver trumpet blew: ”Ta-ra-ta-ra-ta-ra!” just like that, and all of a sudden Uncle Wiggily felt himself being lifted up, and whirled around, and then came a clap of thunder, and then it all got still, and quiet, and a little bird began to sing. Then the fairy's voice asked:
”Well, Uncle Wiggily, how is your rheumatism now?”
”Why!” exclaimed the old rabbit, ”it is all gone. It certainly is. I never would have believed it,” and, honestly, the pain was all gone, and he didn't need his crutch for a long time after that. Then he believed that the red lady was a fairy, and he hurried home to tell Sammie and Susie, while the little red lady and the golden ball flew back into the tree. ”Oh!” cried Susie, when she heard the story, ”I wish I could see a fairy!” And, listen, she did! The very next day; and, if nothing happens, the story to-morrow night will be about Susie Littletail and the blue fairy.
Now listen, Uncle Wiggily felt so good at being cured of his rheumatism that he asked the red fairy if some boys and girls, who had been very good, couldn't stay up after they had heard the bedtime story to-night.
”I want to make them happy because I am happy,” said Uncle Wiggily.
”Yes, they stay up if their papas and mammas will let them,” answered the red fairy, so now you just ask, but be very polite about it, and see what happens. But don't stay up too late, you know, for that would never do, never at all.
XXVI
SUSIE AND THE BLUE FAIRY
They were talking about Uncle Wiggily's visit to the red fairy, in the rabbits' burrow the next day, when Susie remarked:
”Well, if I saw a fairy, I think I'd ask for something more magical than having my rheumatism cured.”
”No you wouldn't,” said her uncle, as he nibbled a bit of chocolate-covered carrot that Nurse Jane Fuzzy-Wuzzy had made. ”You think you would, but you wouldn't. In the first place, you never had rheumatism, or you'd be glad to get the first fairy you saw to cure it.
And in the second place, when you see a fairy it makes you feel so funny you don't know what you are saying. But I am certainly glad I met that one. I never felt better in all my life than I do since my rheumatism is cured. I believe I'll dance a jig.”
”Oh, no, don't,” begged Mamma Littletail.
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