Uncle Wiggily was hopping through the woods with Nurse Jane one day, wondering what sort of an adventure he might have, and he was helping the muskrat lady housekeeper carry some clothes pins that she had bought at the three and four cent store when, all of a sudden, Miss Fuzzy Wuzzy called loudly: "Look out!"
"What's the matter?" asked Uncle Wiggily. "Am I spilling the clothes pins?"
"No," answered the muskrat housekeeper of the hollow stump bungalow. "But, see that big wolf! Let's run!"
"Where's any wolf?" asked the bunny gentleman. "I don't see any," and he began searching in his pockets for his spectacles, which he had taken off, as they tickled his pink, twinkling nose.
"There's a big, gold wolf, over behind that mulberry bush," whispered Nurse Jane.
"What's that? A gold wolf? I never heard of such a thing!" exclaimed Uncle Wiggily. "You must be mistaken, Nurse Jane. I'll take a look!"
Then bravely singing the song—"Here we go 'round the Mulberry Bush,"[Pg 244] Uncle Wiggily hopped up to where Nurse Jane pointed. Surely enough, something was gleaming gold-like among the trees, and as soon as Uncle Wiggily had put on his glasses, and had taken a good look, he cried:
"Well, well, Nurse Jane! This is a gold wolf, surely enough! But it cannot hurt us!"
"Why not?" asked the muskrat lady, who was getting ready to run.
"Because it is only a wolf carved out of wood, and painted like gold," answered the bunny gentleman. "I see what this is—it is one of the gilded wolves that were on the Little Red Riding Hood chariot from the circus. This golden, wooden wolf fell off the wagon and the circus people did not stop to pick it up."
"Well, I'm glad it's a wooden wolf," spoke the muskrat lady. "Then it can't nibble your ears; can it?"
"Not in the least," laughed Uncle Wiggily. "But if I had a wheelbarrow, or something, I'd take this wolf home to my bungalow."
"What for?" Nurse Jane wanted to know.
"Oh, I'd set it in the hall, near the umbrella rack," said Uncle Wiggily. "Just think! A golden, wooden wolf would be quite an ornament."
"Yes," agreed Nurse Jane, "it might look nice. But how can you get it home? It is too heavy to drag, and it has no wheels on as the animals have in the Noah's arks."
"Hum! Let me see, now," said Uncle Wiggily, walking around the golden, wooden wolf. "If I only had some wheels!"
And just then, along through the woods came Billie and [Pg 245] Nannie Wagtail, the goat boy and girl, each with roller skates dangling by a strap over their shoulders.
"Oh, Billie! The very chap I wanted!" laughed Uncle Wiggily. "Let me take your roller skates for the golden wolf! And you too, Nan!"
"With pleasure," bleated Billie, shaking his horns. "I'll help you fasten them on."
"Will the wolf bite?" asked Nannie, a bit timidly.
"Of course not!" laughed Uncle Wiggily.
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