UNCLE WIGGILY AND BUTTERCUP


I hope none of you were burned by a sky-cracker or a Roman candle stick
when you had your Fourth of July celebration, but if you were I hope you
will soon be better, and perhaps if I tell you a story it will make you
forget the pain. So here we go, all about Uncle Wiggily and the buttercup.

The old gentleman rabbit spent a few days in an old burrow next to the
bumble bee's house, and then one morning, when the sun was shining
brightly, he started off again to seek his fortune.

"I never can thank you enough," he said to the bee, "for going after the
sparrow children and saving me from the exploding sky-cracker. If ever I
find my fortune I will give you some of it."

"Thank you very kindly," said the bee, as she looked in the pantry, "and
here are some sweet honey sandwiches for you to eat on your travels. This
is some honey that I made myself."

"Then it must be very good," said the old gentleman rabbit politely, as
he put the sandwiches in his valise and started off down the dusty road.

Well, he hopped on and on, sometimes in the woods where it was cool and
green and shady, and sometimes out in the hot sun, and every minute or so
he would stop and look around to see if he could find his fortune.

"For, who knows?" he said, "perhaps I may pick up a bag of gold, or some
diamonds at almost any minute. Then I could go back home and buy an