STORY II

UNCLE WIGGILY GOES FISHING


At first, after he found himself shut up in the bear's dark closet, where
we left him in the story before this, poor Uncle Wiggily didn't know what
to think. He just sat there, on the edge of a chair, and he tried to look
around, and see something, but it was too black, so he couldn't.

"Perhaps this is only a joke," thought the old gentleman rabbit, "though I
never knew a black bear to joke before. But perhaps it is. I'll ask him."

So Uncle Wiggily called out:

"Is this a joke, Mr. Bear?"

"Not a bit of it!" was the growling answer. "You'll soon see what's going
to happen to you! I'm getting the fire ready now."

"Getting the fire ready for what; the adventure, or for my fortune?" asked
the rabbit, for he still hoped the bear was only joking with him.

"Ready to cook you!" was the reply. "That's what the fire is for!" and
the bear gnashed his teeth together something terrible, and, with his
sharp claws, he clawed big splinters off the stump, and with them he
started the fire in the stove, with the splinters, I mean, not his claws.

The blazing fire made it a little brighter in the hollow stump, which was
the black bear's den, and Uncle Wiggily could look out of a crack in the