"It is a nice day," said Uncle Wiggily Longears, after a while. "I think
I will go for a walk. It may do my rheumatism good."

"Can I come?" asked Sammie, but his uncle said he thought the little boy
rabbit should stay home. So Sammie did, and he and Susie found a place
where some nice clover was just coming up in a field.

Just before dinner time Uncle Wiggily Longears came limping back to the
burrow. He was running as hard as he could, but that was not very fast.

"Why, Wiggily, whatever has happened?" asked Mrs. Littletail, who had
come to the front door to see if her children were all right. "Is your
rheumatism worse? Why do you limp so?"

"Because," answered Uncle Wiggily Longears, "I have been shot."

"Shot?" cried Mrs. Littletail.

"In the left hind leg," went on Uncle Wiggily. "The same leg that has
the rheumatism so bad. Oh, dear! I wish you would send for Dr. Possum."

"I will, right away. Sammie!" she called, "come and go for Dr. Possum,
for your uncle. He has been shot. How did it happen, Wiggily?"

"Well, I was down in the swamp, looking for some snakeroot, which Mr.
Drake said was good for rheumatism, when a man fired at me. I jumped,
but not in time, and several pieces of lead are in my leg."

"Oh, how dreadful!" cried Mamma Littletail.