Uncle Wiggily and Bunty's Slippers

Name: Uncle Wiggily and Bunty's Slippers
Author: Howard R. Garis

Uncle Wiggily Longears, a kind-hearted bunny rabbit gentleman, is tasked with getting slippers for Baby Bunty, who is preparing for a party hosted by Alice Wibblewobble, the duck girl. Nurse Jane Fuzzy Wuzzy, Uncle Wiggily's muskrat lady housekeeper, has prepared Baby Bunty with a new dress and hair ribbon, but she still needs slippers. Uncle Wiggily sets off to the store to buy them. On his way, Uncle Wiggily encounters a hoptoad lady struggling to carry a loaf of dandelion bread due to an automobile accident that injured her toes. He helps her by carrying the bread to her home. Continuing his journey, he assists a bumblebee trapped in pine tree gum, freeing it with his rheumatism crutch. Both the hoptoad lady and the bumblebee express their gratitude and offer to help him in the future. Upon reaching the store, Uncle Wiggily finds it closed. He searches other places, including drug stores and a moving picture show, but cannot find slippers for Baby Bunty. Distressed, he worries about disappointing her. The bumblebee he helped earlier appears and offers assistance, leading Uncle Wiggily to a bed of flowers called "Lady's Slippers." The bee suggests using these flowers as slippers for Baby Bunty. The hoptoad lady, whom Uncle Wiggily also helped, offers to adjust the flower slippers to fit Baby Bunty using toad-flax. Uncle Wiggily picks two small lady slipper flowers, and the hoptoad lady makes them fit perfectly. Baby Bunty wears the flower slippers to the party, and they are admired by all the animal girls. The story concludes with everything turning out well, thanks to Uncle Wiggily's kindness and the help of his grateful friends.

By Howard R. Garis · First published 1922 · Genre: Children's Literature, Animal Fiction, Fantasy · 1,142 words

First lines

"Well, I think she is all ready now, except her slippers," said Nurse Jane Fuzzy Wuzzy.

"Who is ready? " asked Uncle Wiggily Longears, the bunny rabbit gentleman, as he hopped up the steps of his hollow stump bungalow, in time to hear his muskrat lady housekeeper ring the dinner bell.

What this Textopian page supports

Uncle Wiggily and Bunty's Slippers is listed on Textopian as a short story by Howard R. Garis, dated 1922 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

Work type: Short story
Author: Howard R. Garis
Date: 1922 CE
Language: English
Genres: Children's Literature, Animal Fiction, Fantasy, Fable, Adventure
Length: 1,142 words
Structure: 1 section, 28 paragraphs
Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)

Good citation fit

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Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Discussion starters

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Genres

Children's Literature — The narrative is crafted for young readers with whimsical, anthropomorphic characters and simple moral lessons.
Animal Fiction — The central characters are animals with human traits, a hallmark of animal fiction.
Fantasy — The story incorporates fantastical elements, including talking animals and imaginative settings typical of fantasy.
Fable — The tale imparts ethical lessons through exaggerated, symbolic adventures, aligning with fable characteristics.