Uncle Wiggily's rolling hoop — Text and Context

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In Category - Childrens Adventures

Authors: Garis, Howard Roger, 1873-1962, Campbell, Lang, 1882-1937 [Illustrator] Published By : Project Gutenberg In Year : 2024

Key Word: Animals -- Juvenile fiction; Humorous stories, American; Children's stories; Wit and humor, Juvenile; Rabbits -- Juvenile fiction; Uncle Wiggily (Fictitious character) -- Juvenile fiction; Tricksters -- Juvenile fiction Target Reader: Readers of public-domain and historical texts

Book Edition: Project Gutenberg digital edition Book Language: en

Edition facts

Words: 5,815

Reading time: 26 min

Text sections: 4

Source: Project Gutenberg record #72746

An editorial note on Howard R. Garis's wordplay, repetitive comic structures, and the bunny gentleman's distinctive voice in three linked stories about a rolling hoop, a snappy shark, and a bob sled.

Editorial Edition Score 4.5/5

★★★★★ ★★★★★

Calculated from edition completeness, EPUB availability, text structure and catalogue metadata. Not a user rating.

Edition quality

File: pg72746

Read the Text

This little book is from the library of

When you have read, and laughed with glee Please bring this book right back to me.

UNCLE WIGGILY’S ROLLING HOOP or HOW THE BUNNY GENTLEMAN GETS MIXED UP and UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE SNAPPY SHARK also UNCLE WIGGILY’S BOB SLED

TEXT BY HOWARD R. GARIS Author of THREE LITTLE TRIPPER TROTS and BED TIME STORIES

PICTURED BY LANG CAMPBELL

NEWARK, N. J. CHARLES E. GRAHAM & CO. NEW YORK

IF YOU LIKE THIS FUNNY LITTLE PICTURE BOOK ABOUT THE BUNNY RABBIT GENTLEMAN YOU MAY BE GLAD TO KNOW THERE ARE OTHERS.

So if the spoon holder doesn’t go down cellar and take the coal shovel away from the gas stove, you may read

1. UNCLE WIGGILY’S AUTO SLED.

2. UNCLE WIGGILY’S SNOW MAN.

3. UNCLE WIGGILY’S HOLIDAYS.

4. UNCLE WIGGILY’S APPLE ROAST.

5. UNCLE WIGGILY’S PICNIC.

6. UNCLE WIGGILY’S FISHING TRIP.

7. UNCLE WIGGILY’S JUNE BUG FRIENDS.

8. UNCLE WIGGILY’S VISIT TO THE FARM.

9. UNCLE WIGGILY’S SILK HAT.

10. UNCLE WIGGILY, INDIAN HUNTER.

11. UNCLE WIGGILY’S ICE CREAM PARTY.

12. UNCLE WIGGILY’S WOODLAND GAMES.

13. UNCLE WIGGILY ON THE FLYING RUG.

14. UNCLE WIGGILY AT THE BEACH.

15. UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE PIRATES.

16. UNCLE WIGGILY’S FUNNY AUTO.

17. UNCLE WIGGILY ON ROLLER SKATES.

18. UNCLE WIGGILY GOES SWIMMING.

19. UNCLE WIGGILY’S WATER SPOUT.

20. UNCLE WIGGILY’S LAUGHING GAS BALLOONS.

21. UNCLE WIGGILY’S EMPTY WATCH.

22. UNCLE WIGGILY’S RADIO.

23. UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE BEAVER BOYS.

24. UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE TURKEY GOBBLER.

25. UNCLE WIGGILY’S SQUIRT GUN.

26. UNCLE WIGGILY AND THE ALLIGATOR.

27. UNCLE WIGGILY’S WASHTUB SHIP.

28. UNCLE WIGGILY’S ROLLING HOOP.

29. UNCLE WIGGILY’S MAKE BELIEVE TARTS.

30. UNCLE WIGGILY’S ICE BOAT.

Every book has three stories, including the title story.

UNCLE WIGGILY’S ROLLING HOOP OR HOW THE BUNNY GENTLEMAN GETS MIXED UP

1. One day, when Uncle Wiggily was hopping along, wishing for an adventure, all of a sudden he heard a voice calling: “Look out! Look out! It’s coming!” Uncle Wiggily twinkled his pink nose. “Perhaps it is an adventure that is coming,” thought the bunny. But it was the hoop of Susie Littletail, the rabbit girl. It ran away from her and tangled itself up in Uncle Wiggily’s legs. Oh, Susie, my dear!

2. Uncle Wiggily tried to jump out of Susie’s hoop, after the round wooden ring tangled itself on his legs, but the more he tried to stand up the more the bunny gentleman sat down. “I am afraid Susie, my dear,” said Uncle Wiggily, as he looked at the little rabbit girl, “I’m afraid you don’t know how to roll a hoop straight.” Susie said: “I’m afraid so, too, Uncle Wiggily. Please give me a hoop lesson.”

3. “This is the way to do it, Susie,” said Uncle Wiggily, when he had untangled himself from the wooden ring. “It is easy once you learn how. Drive your hoop straight, and, when you see some one coming, steer out of their way.” Susie trotted beside Uncle Wiggily. “Some one is coming now,” said the rabbit girl. “It’s Aunt Lettie, the goat. I hope you don’t tangle her in the hoop, Uncle Wiggily!”

4. “Oh, no danger, Susie!” laughed the bunny. “I know how to manage a rolling hoop. I’ll just send it to one side of Aunt Lettie and—” But just then the hoop gave a sudden bounce and the bunny lost it. “Oh, come back!” he cried. But the hoop rushed straight at the goat lady. “Oh, how nervous I am!” bleated Aunt Lettie. “What shall I do.” Uncle Wiggily shouted to jump aside, but it was too late.

5. “Oh, I just know something is going to happen!” bleated Aunt Lettie as she fell to the ground, all tangled in the hoop. “It has already happened,” spoke Uncle Wiggily. “Don’t worry. The worst is over. I beg your pardon, Aunt Lettie.” Then the bunny gentleman and little girl helped the goat lady up. “You don’t want me to drive a hoop that way, do you?” asked Susie. “No, I’ll give you a new lesson.”

6. “Oh, you’re going fine now, Uncle Wiggily!” cried Susie, as she ran along beside the bunny gentleman, who was once more driving the hoop. “Hush, Susie, my dear, please don’t say a word,” begged the bunny in a whisper. “Something may happen.” Aunt Lettie hurried away. “I hope it doesn’t happen to me,” she bleated. Susie tried not to laugh. “I guess it will happen to the bears,” she whispered.

7. Faster and faster rolled the hoop, until it rolled away from Uncle Wiggily again, right at Mr. Stubtail, the brown bear, and Mr. Whitewash, the polar bear who had been talking together. Over their heads flew the hoop. “A trap!” roared Mr. Stubtail, turning and trying to pull away. “I’m caught!” grunted Mr. Whitewash, and he pulled the other way, until Susie’s hoop looked like an egg, and Susie cried.

8. “Gentlemen! Bear gentlemen! Don’t rush so!” called Uncle Wiggily to Mr. Whitewash and Mr. Stubtail. “You are only in Susie’s hoop—not a trap. I’ll soon get you out.” The bunny jumped in between the two bears but, just then, the stretched-out hoop sprang together like a rubber band, and Uncle Wiggily was bunked between the backs of the bears. “Oh, I feel like a pancake!” he cried.

9. After a great deal of wiggling, the two bears managed to get outside of Susie’s hoop. And they stopped squeezing Uncle Wiggily. The bunny sat down on the ground, feeling very sad. “Never again will I roll a hoop!” he exclaimed. “And I—I can’t, either!” sobbed Susie, as the bear gentlemen dried her tears. “My hoop looks like a fried cake. Boo hoo!” But Uncle Wiggily gave her money for a new one.

And if the boiled egg doesn’t try to dance on top of the piano and fall off on the rocking chair where it might crack its shell, the next pictures and story, will be about Uncle Wiggily and the Snappy Shark.

WHEN SAILING IN A BOAT, IF NO WIND BLOWS, YOU FLOAT. AND IF THE BAD SHARK CHASES AFTER, WHY, GREET HIM WITH SOME HEARTY LAUGHTER.

1. Having nothing special to do, Uncle Wiggily built himself a sail boat from a wash tub and some old boards. “Come and take a ride with me, Nurse Jane,” he invited. “You need a little rest from washing dishes all the while.” The muskrat lady housekeeper thought this would be great fun. “But suppose something happens to us, Uncle Wiggily?” she asked. “It will be an adventure!” laughed the rabbit.

2. Uncle Wiggily and Nurse Jane took their places in the washtub boat. “All aboard!” cried Uncle Wiggily. At first the wind blew just right, and away sailed Uncle Wiggily and Nurse Jane. “A happy voyage!” grunted Mr. Twistytail, the pig gentleman, waving his handkerchief at them. “But look out for the Snappy Shark. I heard he was splashing around in this duck pond ocean!”

3. The wind, blowing strong at first, blew Uncle Wiggily and Nurse Jane out into the middle of the duck pond ocean. Then, as often happens, the wind died away and all was calm. “We aren’t moving!” cried the muskrat lady. “No, we need some wind,” spoke Uncle Wiggily. “I’ll fan the sail,” offered Nurse Jane. “And I’ll blow on it,” added Uncle Wiggily. But all this did no good. The ship stood still.

4. While Uncle Wiggily and Nurse Jane were trying to make their boat go, the Snappy Shark met the Skillery Scallery Alligator near shore. “Who’s out in that boat?” asked the Shark. “Uncle Wiggily,” grunted the ’Gator. “Good!” whispered the Shark. “I’ll chase him from behind, and you swim in front of the boat so he can’t escape that way. Between us we’ll catch him and nibble his ears. Get ready!”

5. No matter how hard Nurse Jane fanned, nor how hard Uncle Wiggily blew, they could not, of course, make wind enough to move the boat. Then the bunny said: “I’ll do as the sailors do. I’ll whistle a tune and see if that will bring a breeze!” So Uncle Wiggily began to whistle, but Nurse Jane cried: “Stop! You have called the Snappy Shark instead of the wind! Oh, what shall we do to get away?”

6. “Don’t be afraid!” cried Uncle Wiggily, when Nurse Jane told about the Shark. “If the wind won’t blow our boat I’ll jump in and swim ashore, pulling the boat after me with the anchor and rope.” Just as the bunny was about to jump in, he saw, in front of his ship, the Skillery Scallery Alligator swimming along. “Ah, I have a better plan!” laughed the bunny. “I’ll make the ’Gator pull us to shore!”

7. Uncle Wiggily dropped the anchor and tow rope so that it caught on one of the ’Gator’s legs, and then the Skillery Scallery creature had to pull the boat along, whether he wanted to or not. “Stop! Stop! Stop!” cried the Shark. “How can I nibble ears when you are pulling Uncle Wiggily away?” But the ’Gator would not stop, not knowing any better. “I’ll cut the rope when we are near shore!” said the bunny.

8. “What are you doing, Nurse Jane?” asked Uncle Wiggily, as the ’Gator towed the boat faster and faster. “Trying to sprinkle pepper in the eyes of the Shark,” answered the muskrat lady. “Never mind about that,” said Uncle Wiggily. “We are close to the dock now, and I’ll cut the rope so we’ll drift in.” Then the bunny did this, and then he had to fan Nurse Jane, who fainted. Now what comes next?

9. Safely to the dock floated Uncle Wiggily’s boat, which had been towed by the ’Gator, even if there was no wind. “Oh, such a voyage!” cried Nurse Jane, as Mr. Twistytail helped her off the ship. “But see what happened to the Shark and ’Gator!” laughed Uncle Wiggily. “Their plans went wrong. They bunked together and how angry they are!” The Shark blamed the ’Gator and the ’Gator blamed the Shark!

And if the lead pencil doesn’t give the fountain pen a black mark for staying out too late at the moving pictures, you shall next hear about Uncle Wiggily’s Bob Sled.

UNCLE WIGGILY MADE A BOB SLED TO GIVE HIS FRIENDS A SLIDE; BUT QUICKLY DUMPED THE BUSHY BEAR WHO TRIED TO STEAL A RIDE.

1. One day, early in the new year, Nurse Jane Fuzzy Wuzzy heard queer, pounding noises out in the wood shed. “I hope that isn’t the Fuzzy Fox trying to break in to nibble ears,” she said. And when she looked in the shed she saw Uncle Wiggily and Uncle Butter making a coasting bob sled. “You are too old for such fun!” laughed Nurse Jane. “I’ll show you how to slide down hill!” said Uncle Wiggily.

2. At last the bob sled was finished and Uncle Wiggily and his goat friend started pulling it toward the coasting hill. On the way they saw Aunt Lettie. “Come on,” spoke Uncle Wiggily, “we’ll give her a ride. She’ll tell Nurse Jane about it and my muskrat lady housekeeper will know I’m a good sled-maker.” Up behind Aunt Lettie the two friends pulled the bob. “How you startled me!” she bleated. “Baa-a-a!”

3. “How are you enjoying yourself, Aunt Lettie?” asked Uncle Wiggily, as the goat lady sat on the bob and was hauled away. “Oh, I am having a lovely time, thank you,” she bleated. “But there is poor Mrs. Twistytail just ahead. She is so fat she has to sit down to rest her feet.” Uncle Wiggily twinkled his pink nose and said: “Why not give the lady pig a ride? We have plenty of room.” So they asked her.

4. Mrs. Twistytail was very glad to get on the bob sled of Uncle Wiggily, and while the two animal ladies were enjoying the ride, the Bob Cat and Bushy Bear happened to see them. “Oh, I know how we can catch Uncle Wiggily!” whispered the Bear. “How?” asked the Bob Cat. “I’ll tell you in my den,” growled the Bear. “It’s time we had some nibbles off that rabbit’s ears. This time we’ll get him!”

5. To the Bear’s den the two bad chaps hurried. “Come, Wife!” growled the bushy bruin fellow, “give me some of your old dresses, a bonnet and a shawl!” Mrs. Bruin wanted to know if they were to be sold to the rag man. “No!” growled Mr. Bruin. “I’m going to dress up like an old lady. Uncle Wiggily will invite me to ride on his bob sled. When I’m on I’ll jump off and nibble his ears. Give me a dress!”

6. When the Bushy Bear was dressed in some of his wife’s old clothes, he went out and stood in the road, turning his back. “You look just like a poor old woman!” whispered the hidden Bob Cat. And when the bunny and Uncle Butter came along with the bob sled, the rabbit said: “Look, there’s another poor, old, tired lady. We’ll give her a ride. We must be kind to the old folks. Hop on, lady!” he cried.

7. Keeping the bonnet pulled down over his face, the Bushy Bear, pretending to be a lady, got on the bob sled. “Put your paws around me and hold on,” invited Mrs. Twistytail. But as soon as the Bear did that, he showed his long claws, which the pig lady saw. “Oh, mercy!” squealed Mrs. Twistytail. “This is dreadful!” The bunny and the goat, who were giving the ladies a ride, turned to see what was the matter.

8. “This isn’t a poor old lady at all!” squeaked Mrs. Twistytail. “It’s the Bushy Bear with a dress on!” Then Uncle Wiggily saw that he had been fooled. “Quick, Uncle Butter!” whispered the rabbit. “Give the rope a hard pull! We’ll get rid of the bad chap!” Jerking on the sled suddenly, the Bear was jiggled off backward. “Now let’s run to the hill and coast down!” cried the bunny. “Run fast, Butter!”

9. Away ran the bunny and the goat, pulling the sled with the animal ladies on it. Casting aside his wife’s dress, which tangled in his legs, the Bushy Bear tried to follow. But Uncle Wiggily soon reached the top of the coasting hill. “Down we go!” he cried as he and the goat jumped on the sled and slid to safety. “Fooled again!” growled the Bear, sitting down on top of the hill. “Plop him!” cried the Squigglers.

When you have finished reading this nice little book, perhaps you would like to read a larger volume about Uncle Wiggily.

If so, go to the book store and ask the Man for one of the Uncle Wiggily Bedtime Story Books, they have a lot of Funny Pictures in and 31 stories—one for every night in the month. If the book store man has none of these volumes ask him to get you one or send direct to the Publishers,

A. L. BURT COMPANY, 114 EAST 23rd STREET NEW YORK CITY

This handsome book has large color pictures throughout and wonderful stories. Ask the book store man for _Adventures of Uncle Wiggily_.

CHARLES E. GRAHAM & CO. NEWARK, N. J.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Changed from Changed to

[Missing First Chapter Title] UNCLE WIGGILY’S ROLLING HOOP OR HOW THE BUNNY GENTLEMAN GETS MIXED UP

1. Silently corrected obvious typographical errors and variations in spelling. 2. Retained archaic, non-standard, and uncertain spellings as printed. 3. Enclosed italics font in _underscores_.

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Howard R. Garis opens Uncle Wiggily's Rolling Hoop with a characteristic blend of mild peril and verbal play: a runaway hoop tangles itself around the bunny gentleman's legs, and the more he tries to stand, the more he sits down. This comic inversion—effort producing the opposite result—recurs throughout the three stories collected here. Garis builds each episode around a simple physical predicament (a hoop, a shark, a sled) and lets Uncle Wiggily's polite, slightly flustered speech carry the humor. The narrator addresses the reader directly with exclamations like “Oh, Susie, my dear!” and the bunny himself “twinkles his pink nose” before an adventure arrives. These small, repeatable gestures give the prose a rhythmic, almost ritual quality suited to very young listeners.

Repetition as Structure

Garis relies on a tight pattern: Uncle Wiggily wishes for an adventure, something unexpected appears, and the bunny tries to extricate himself with dignity. The rolling hoop story follows this template exactly. The narrator signals each new turn with the phrase “all of a sudden,” and the bunny’s response is often a polite understatement—“I am afraid Susie, my dear”—even as he becomes physically entangled. This repetition is not a flaw but a deliberate feature of the bedtime-story format. Each story in the volume (the title tale, “Uncle Wiggily and the Snappy Shark,” and “Uncle Wiggily’s Bob Sled”) reuses the same structural bones, allowing a child to anticipate the shape of the comedy while the specific obstacle changes.

Diction and the Bunny Gentleman’s Voice

Uncle Wiggily speaks in a formal, slightly old-fashioned register that contrasts with the slapstick situations. He calls other characters “my dear” and uses complete, courteous sentences even when tangled in a hoop or facing a shark. This mismatch between his genteel language and his physical predicament is the primary source of humor. Garis also gives the bunny a signature physical tic: “twinkling his pink nose” appears as a prelude to thought or action. The narrator’s own voice is chatty and exclamatory, breaking the fourth wall with asides like “Oh, Susie, my dear!” These interjections create a sense of shared amusement between storyteller and listener, reinforcing the oral-performance origins of the series.

Description and the Limits of the Excerpts

The available excerpts show only the opening of the first story, so the full range of Garis’s descriptive choices is partially obscured. What is visible: the setting is lightly sketched—a generic outdoor space where a hoop can roll and a bunny can hop. Details are functional rather than atmospheric. The shark story and bob sled story are not excerpted, so it is unclear whether the shark is a literal fish or a toy, or how the bob sled incident unfolds. Readers should note that the catalog lists “Tricksters” as a subject, but the excerpts do not reveal any trickster character; the bunny himself may be the one who “gets mixed up,” as the subtitle suggests. Without the full text, the degree of agency or deception in the plots remains uncertain.

The Role of the Illustrations

Lang Campbell’s illustrations are a central feature of this edition, though the digital text includes only the captions and references to “funny pictures.” The front matter promises “large color pictures throughout,” and the publisher’s advertisements emphasize the visual appeal. In the excerpt, the narrator’s exclamation “Oh, Susie, my dear!” may correspond to a picture of the hoop tangling the bunny. Garis’s text often describes actions that would be clarified by the illustrations—such as exactly how the hoop wraps around Uncle Wiggily’s legs. The interplay between word and image is likely crucial to the comedy, especially for pre-literate children who follow the pictures while an adult reads aloud. The absence of the illustrations in this digital version means some humor is lost.

Readers encountering Uncle Wiggily's Rolling Hoop in this digital edition should be aware that the text was designed to be read aloud, with a strong rhythm and repeated catchphrases. The three stories are short and structurally identical, making the volume ideal for a single sitting. Pay attention to the bunny’s polite speech and the narrator’s interjections—these are the fingerprints of Garis’s style. The illustrations, though absent here, were integral to the original experience.

I kept thinking about how Garis lets the bunny gentleman’s voice tumble along, playful yet steady. It reminded me of something quieter I found later, in the guide to Doctor Papa — that same gentle patience with repetition, as if each loop were a small comfort. Doctor Papa — A Reader’s Guide lingered that way for me, like a warm cup held a bit too long.