“If you please,” asked Bawly, when he had watched the rabbit carpenter
put in about forty-’leven nails, “who is this house for?”

“It is for Sammie and Susie Littletail,” answered Uncle Wiggily. “They
are going to have rabbit play-parties in it, and I hope you and Bully
will come sometimes.”

“We’ll be glad to,” spoke Bawly. Then Uncle Wiggily drove in another
nail, and the house was almost done.

“How do you get up and down off the roof?” asked Bawly, who didn’t see
any ladder.

“Oh, I slide up and down a rope,” answered Uncle Wiggily. “I have a
strong cord fastened to the chimney, and I crawl up it, just like a
monkey-doodle, and when I want to come down, I slide down. It’s better
than a ladder, and I can climb a rope very well, for I used to be a
sailor on a ship. See, here is the rope.”

Well, he took hold of it, near where it was fastened to the chimney, to
show the frog boy how it was done, but, alas, and also alack-a-day! All
of a sudden that rope became untied, it slipped out of Uncle Wiggily’s
paw and fell to the ground! Now, what do you think about that?

“Oh, my! Now I have gone and done it!” exclaimed the elderly rabbit, as
he leaned over the edge of the roof and looked down. “Now I am in a
pickle!—if you will kindly excuse the expression. How am I ever going to
get down? Oh, dear me, suz dud and a piece of sticking-plaster likewise.
Oh, me! Oh, my!”