ort of looked at one another with blinking eyes, for they saw
that green rushes are of some use in this world after all.

And if the strawberry jam doesn't go to the moving pictures with the
bread and butter and forget to come home for supper, I'll tell you next
about Uncle Wiggily and the bee tree.

STORY XVI

UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE BEE TREE

"Well, you're off again, I see!" spoke Nurse Jane Fuzzy Wuzzy, the
muskrat lady housekeeper, one morning, as she saw Uncle Wiggily Longears,
the rabbit gentleman, starting away from his hollow stump bungalow. He
was limping on his red, white and blue striped barber pole rheumatism
crutch, that Miss Fuzzy Wuzzy had gnawed for him out of a cornstalk.
"Off again!" she cried.

"Yes, off again," said Uncle Wiggily. "I must have my adventure, you
know."

"I hope it will be a pleasant one today," went on Nurse Jane.

"So do I," said Uncle Wiggily, and away he went hopping over the fields
and through the woods. He had not gone very far before he heard a queer
buzzing sound, and a sort of splashing in the water and a tiny voice
cried:

"Help! Help! Save me! I am drowning!"

"My goodness me sakes alive and some horse radish lollypops!" cried the
bunny uncle. "Some one drowning? I don't see any water around here,
though I do hear some splashing. Who are you?" he cried. "And where are
you, so that I may save you?"

"Here I am, right down by your foot!" was the answer. "I am a honey bee,
and I have fallen into this Jack-in-the pulpit flower, which is full of
water. Please get me out!"

"To be sure I will!" cried Mr. Longears, and then, stooping down he
carefully lifted the poor bee out of the water in the Jack-in-the-pulpit.

The Jack is a plant that looks like a little pitcher and it holds water.
In the middle is a green stem, that is called Jack, because he looks like
a minister preaching in the pulpit. The Jack happened to be out when the
bee fell in the water that had rained in the plant-pitcher, or Jack
himself would have saved the honey chap. But Uncle Wiggily did it just
as well.

"Oh, thank you so much for not letting me drown," said the bee, as she
dried her wings in the sun on a big green leaf. "I was on my way to the
hive tree with a load of honey when I stopped for a drink. But I leaned
over too far and fell in. I can not thank you enough!"

"Oh, once is enough!" cried Uncle Wiggily in his most jolly voice. "But
did I understand you to say y