made a spring and tried to eat the bee, but Uncle Wiggily hit the snake
with his crutch and the snake crawled away very much surprised.

"Thank you very much," said the bee to the rabbit. "You saved my life, and
if ever I can do you a favor I will," and with that he buzzed away.

Well, pretty soon, not so very long, in a little while, Uncle Wiggily came
to a place in the woods where there were a whole lot of packages done up
in paper lying on the ground. And there was a tent near them, and it
looked as if people lived in the white tent, only no one was there just
then.

[Illustration]

"I guess I'd better keep away," thought the old gentleman rabbit, "or they
may catch me." And just then he saw something like a long, straight stick,
standing up against a tree. "Ha, that will be a good stick to take along
to chase the bears away with," he thought. "I think no one wants it, so
I'll take it."

Well, he walked up and took hold of it in his paws, but, mind you, he
didn't notice that on one end of the stick was a piece of powder string,
like the string of a firecracker, sticking down, and this string was
burning. No, the poor old gentleman, rabbit never noticed that at all. He
started to take the stick away with him when, all of a sudden, something
dreadful happened.

With a whizz and a rush and a roar that stick shot into the air, carrying
Uncle Wiggily with it, just like a balloon, for he hadn't time to let go
of it.