en by Lulu and Alice Wibblewobble. Alice and Lulu
were little duck girls, and they lived with their papa and mamma, Mr.
and Mrs. Wibblewobble, in a pen, not far from the rabbit burrow. They
had a brother named Jimmie, but it wasn't his birthday, for he was a day
older than his sisters, who were twins. That is their birthdays came at
the same time. Some day I'm going to tell you a lot of stories about
these same ducks.

"May we go to the party, mamma?" asked Susie.

"Of course," answered Mamma Littletail, and they all went, even Nurse
Jane Fuzzy-Wuzzy. They had a fine time, which I will tell you about in
another book that has a lot of duck stories in it. But I just want to
mention one thing that occurred.

Just as the party was over, and every one was coming home, Uncle Wiggily
couldn't find his crutch, which Nurse Jane Fuzzy-Wuzzy had gnawed out of
a cornstalk for him. Finally he did find it behind the door. Then he,
and Sammie and Susie, and Mr. and Mrs. Littletail started for the
burrow.

Then, all at once, when they were in the front yard of the
Wibblewobble home, if a silver trumpet didn't sound in the woods:
"Ta-ra-ta-ra-ta-ra!" just like that, and up came riding a little boy,
all in silver and gold, on a white horse. He wanted to know if he was
too late for the party, the little boy did, and when Uncle Wiggily said
yes, the little boy was much disappointed.

Then Uncle Wiggily asked him who he was, and the little boy said:

"I am the fairy prince! I used to be a mud turtle, and live in the pond
where Lulu and Alice and Jimmie Wibblewobble swim. But I got tired of
being a mud turtle, though I _was_ a fairy prince, so I changed myself
into a little boy."

But, do you know, Uncle Wiggily didn't believe him, and, what's more, he
said so. Oh, yes, indeed he did! Then what did that little
boy-fairy-prince do, but up and say:

"Well, you soon will believe me, Uncle Wiggily. You come back to the
woods a little later, and something wonderful will happen. I'll make you
believe in fairies; that's what I will, for you will see a red fairy
very shortly."

But still Uncle Wiggily didn't believe, and he went home, moving his
nose and ears at the same time. But you just wait, for if I should
happen to find a penny rolling up hill, I will tell you, to-morrow
night, about Uncle Wiggily and the red fairy.

XXV

UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE RED FAIRY

Well, I didn't find that penny rolling up hill, after all, but nev