“Why, that’s just what I’m doing, too,” exclaimed Fido Flip-Flop.  “Suppose we travel together? and maybe we’ll each find a fortune.”

“That’s just what we’ll do,” agreed Uncle Wiggily.

And then, all of a sudden, before you could open your eyes and shut them again, two savage foxes jumped out from behind a big stump.

“You grab the dog and I’ll grab the rabbit,” called the biggest fox, and right at Uncle Wiggily and Fido they sprang, gnashing their teeth.

But don’t worry.  I’ll find a way to save them, and if the canary bird doesn’t take my lead pencil and stick it in his seed dish I’ll tell you in the following story about Uncle Wiggily doing some tricks.

STORY V

UNCLE WIGGILY DOES SOME TRICKS

When those two savage ducks—­oh, I mean foxes—­when those two savage foxes jumped out of the bushes at Uncle Wiggily Longears and Fido Flip-Flop, as I told you in the other story, the rabbit and the poodle doggie didn’t know what in the world to do.

“Run this way!” called Fido, starting off to the left.

“No, hop this way!” said Uncle Wiggily, hopping to the right.

“Stand right where you are!” ordered the two foxes together.  And with that one made a grab for Uncle Wiggily.  But what did that brave rabbit gentleman do but stick his red-white-and-blue crutch out in front of him, and the fox bit on that instead of on Uncle Wiggily.  Right into the crutch the fox’s teeth sank, and for a moment Uncle Wiggily was safe.  But not for long.

“Ah, you fooled me that time, but now I’ll get you!” cried the fox, and, letting go of the crutch, he made another grab for the rabbit.

But at that instant Fido Flip-Flop, who had been jumping about, keeping out of the way of the fox that was after him, cried out quite loudly: 

“Look here, everybody but Uncle Wiggily, and, as for you, shut both your eyes tight.”

Now the old gentleman rabbit couldn’t imagine why he was to shut his eyes tight, but he did so, and then what do you s’pose Fido Flip-Flop did?  Why, he began turning somersaults so fast that he looked just like a pinwheel going around, or an automobile tire whizzing along.  Faster and faster did Fido Flip-Flop turn around, and then, all of a sudden, he began chasing his tail, making motions just like a merry-go-round in a circus, until those two foxes were fairly dizzy from watching him.

“Stop!  Stop!” cried one fox.

“Yes do stop!  We’re so dizzy that we can’t stand up!” cried the other fox, staggering about.  “Stop!”

“No, I’ll not!” answered Fido Flip-Flop, and he went around faster that ever, faster and faster and faster, until those two bad foxes got so dizzy-izzy that they fell right over on their backs, with their legs sticking straight up in the air like clothes posts, and their tails were wiggling back and forth in the dirt, like dusting brushes.  Oh, but they were the dizzy foxes, though.