er
mind, I'll tell you a story just the same. Let's see, we left off about
Uncle Wiggily Longears, the old gentleman rabbit, and what was going to
happen to him when he should meet the red fairy, didn't we?

Uncle Wiggily walked along very slowly, going home from the party Lulu
and Alice Wibblewobble had. Sammie Littletail saw how slowly his uncle
walked, and asked:

"What is the matter, Uncle Wiggily? Does your rheumatism hurt you very
much?"

"No, it isn't that," replied the old gentleman rabbit, "though it does
pain me some. I was just wondering about that red fairy."

"Oh, do you really suppose one will appear, as the fairy prince said?"
asked Susie, making her nose twinkle like two stars and a comet on a
frosty night.

"No," spoke Uncle Wiggily very decidedly, "I don't really believe one
will. Still, there may. You never can tell in this world what is going
to happen," and I think Uncle Wiggily was right about it.

"Oh!" cried Susie, "I wish I could come with you, Uncle Wiggily. I never
saw a real fairy in all my life. Couldn't I come with you?" and the
little rabbit girl went close to her uncle, and took hold of his crutch,
gnawed by the muskrat, Nurse Jane Fuzzy-Wuzzy, out of a cornstalk.

"Yes, I suppose you could," answered Susie's Uncle, who was very kind to
her.

"Oh, no!" exclaimed Sammie. "It might spoil the magic spell, if more
than one went, Uncle Wiggily. Maybe the fairy would not like it. You had
better go alone."

"All right," answered the old gentleman rabbit, "anything to please you.
I'll go alone."

Well, when the rabbit family got back to their burrow, after the party,
they could talk of nothing else but what was going to happen when Uncle
Wiggily should meet the red fairy. Sammie and Susie didn't want to go to
bed, they were so excited, but their mamma sent them up with Nurse Jane
Fuzzy-Wuzzy.

Now listen very carefully, for the fairy will soon appear, and you know
what happens then. Oh, yes, indeed, something wonderful.

Well, when it came time, Uncle Wiggily started off alone to the woods
to meet the red fairy. He walked on, and on, and on, and he had to go
pretty slow, because his rheumatism was hurting him again. And suddenly,
when he was right under a big oak tree, what should he hear but a silver
trumpet blowing "Ta-ra-ta-ra-ta-ra!" Just like that, honest. Then he
stood still, and a sort of shivery feeling came over him, and he looked
up and he looked down and he looked to on