“This is too bad!” said Uncle Wiggily.  “I guess that milkman must be lost.  What can I do?  Ah, I have it!” and away he hopped off toward the green fields.  Pretty soon he came to where the cow, who had nearly walked on the toads, was eating grass, and, stepping up to her, Uncle Wiggily politely asked: 

“Will you please give me some milk for the toads?”

“To be sure I will,” said the cow, kindly, “and I’m sorry I nearly stepped on them yesterday.”  So she gave Uncle Wiggily a canful of fresh milk, for the rabbit had brought the milk can out with him.  Then Uncle Wiggily hopped to the toadhouse as fast as he could, and the little toads had milk for their breakfast, and didn’t cry any more.

Then, after a while, the milkman (who was a big puppy dog) came along and said he was sorry he was late, but he couldn’t help it, because he had stepped on a thorn and had a lame foot and couldn’t go fast, so they forgave him.

“Well, I’ll travel along now, I guess,” said Uncle Wiggily, and once more he started off to seek his fortune.  And if you don’t let your bathing suit fall into the water and get all wet, I’ll tell you next about Uncle Wiggily’s swimming lesson.

STORY XXI

UNCLE WIGGILY’S SWIMMING LESSON

Uncle Wiggily was so tired and worn out after running for milk for the toad family that he couldn’t travel very far that day to seek his fortune.  He slept that night in a doghouse, where a kind puppy named Towser lived, and Towser covered the old gentleman rabbit up with leaves and straw and kept watch so that no one would hurt him.

“For I have heard about you from Percival, the old circus dog,” said Towser, the next morning when the rabbit awakened, “and I feel quite like a friend to you.  Will you gnaw one of my juicy bones?”

“No, thank you,” said Uncle Wiggily, “but if I had a bit of carrot I would be very glad.”

“Don’t say another word!” cried Towser.  “I will have it for you in less than two shakes of a crooked stick, or a straight one, either.”

So he ran out into the vegetable garden, and, very carefully he dug up a fine yellow carrot, which Uncle Wiggily ate for his breakfast.  Then the rabbit rested all that day, and stayed another night with Towser.  And Towser invited some of his friends over to call on the rabbit, and they had quite an evening’s entertainment.

Towser sang a funny song and stood on his tail, and Uncle Wiggily jumped over two chairs and a footstool, and a dog named Rover stood up on his hind legs and begged, and made believe he was a soldier with a broom for a gun, and did lots of tricks like that.

Well, the next day Uncle Wiggily felt well enough to go on with his travels again and so he started off.

“I will go part of the way with you,” said Towser, “to see that no harm comes to you.”

“Thank you, very much,” said the rabbit, and so they set off together, the puppy dog carrying Uncle Wiggily’s valise for him.