ee out of his eyes, and he
fairly howled. And by that time Uncle Wiggily had dug a big hole in the
ground with his feet, and he and Jennie hid there until the bear ran off
to get some water to wash the dirt off his face, and then the rabbit and
the chipmunk girl came out safely.

Then Uncle Wiggily gave Jennie some pennies to buy two new hair ribbons,
and he showed her the way home with her basket of acorns, and he himself
went on with his travels. And he had another adventure the next day. Now
in case a cowboy doesn't come along, and take my little pussy cat off to
the wild west show I'll tell you next about Uncle Wiggily and the paper
lantern.

STORY XIX

UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE LANTERN

After Uncle Wiggily had taken Jennie Chipmunk home, so that the bear
couldn't get her, as I told you about in the story before this one, the
old gentleman rabbit walked on over the fields and through the woods,
seeking his fortune. He looked everywhere for it; down in hollow stumps,
behind big stones, and even in an old well, but you may be sure he didn't
jump down any more wells. No, I guess not!

"Ha! Here is a little brook!" exclaimed Uncle Wiggily, after a while, as
he came to a small stream of water flowing over green, mossy stones, with
a nice gurgling sound like an ice cream soda, "perhaps I may find my
fortune here."

But he looked and he looked in the water without seeing anything but a
goldfish.

"I might sell the goldfish for money," thought the fortune-hunting rabbit,
"but it wouldn't be kind to take him out of the brook, so I won't. I'll
look a little farther, on the other side."

Then, taking up his crutch and his valise, Uncle Wiggily gave a big jump,
and leaped safely across the water. Then, once more, he traveled on.
Pretty soon he came to a place where there was a tree, and on one branch
of this tree there hung a funny round ball, that looked as if it was made
of gray-colored paper. And there was a funny buzzing sound coming from it.

"Ha! Do you see that?" asked a big, fat hop-toad, as he suddenly bobbed up
out of the grass. It was the same toad who had made the rabbit jump down
in the leaf-covered well. "Do you see that?" asked the toad.

"Well, if you want to find your fortune, take a stick and hit that ball."

"Indeed I will not!" cried the old gentleman rabbit. "I know you and your
tricks! That is a hornets' nest, and if I struck it they would fly out,
and sting me. Oh, no! You can't catch me