t was running.

"This is very strange," said Uncle Wiggily, for he had never seen a
fountain before, "perhaps I can find my fortune in here. I'll go look." So
down he jumped into the big empty fountain basin, which was as large as
seven wash tubs made into one. And it was so nice and comfortable there,
and so shady, for there were trees near it, that, before he knew it, Uncle
Wiggily fell fast asleep, with his head on his satchel for a pillow.

And then he had a funny dream. He dreamed that it was raining, and that
his umbrella turned inside out, and got full of holes, and that he was
getting all wet.

"My!" exclaimed Uncle Wiggily, as he gave a big sneeze. "This is a very
real dream. I actually believe I _am_ wet!"

Then he got real wide awake all of a sudden, and he found that he was
right in the middle of a lot of wetness, for the man had turned the water
on in the fountain unexpectedly, not knowing that the old gentleman
rabbit was asleep there.

"I must get out of here!" cried Uncle Wiggily, as he grabbed up his valise
and crutch. Then the water came up to his little short, stumpy tail. Next
it rose higher, up to his knees. Then it rose still faster up to his front
feet and then almost up to his chin.

"Oh, I'm afraid I'm going to drown!" he cried. "I must get out!" So he
tried to swim to the edge of the fountain, but you can't swim very well
with a crutch and a valise, you know, and Uncle Wiggily didn't want to
lose either one. Then the water from the top of the fountain splashed in
his eyes and he couldn't see which way to swim.

"Oh, help! Help!" he cried. "Will no one help me?"

"Yes, we will help you!" answered a voice, and up flew the big cat-bird,
and her little kitten-birds. "Quick, children!" she cried, "we must save
Uncle Wiggily, who was so kind to us! Every one of you get a stick, and
we'll make a little boat, or raft, for him!"

Well, I wish you could have seen how quickly the mamma cat-bird and her
kittie-birds gathered a lot of sticks, and twigs, and laid them together
crossways on the water in that fountain basin, until they had a regular
little boat. Upon this Uncle Wiggily climbed, with his crutch and valise,
and then the mamma cat-bird flew on ahead, and pulled the boat by a string
to the edge of the fountain, where the rabbit could safely get out.

So that's how the bunny was saved from drowning in the water, and in the
next story, if a big, red ant doesn't crawl upon our porch and car