
Uncle Wiggily and the Red Tulip
Uncle Wiggily Longears, a rabbit gentleman, is captivated by a red tulip in Nurse Jane's garden. Despite his admiration, Nurse Jane reminds him of his errand to buy sugar for her tea party. Distracted by the tulip, Uncle Wiggily delays and finds the store closed. Disappointed, he considers using molasses instead. Returning home, he hears a voice from the closed tulip—a bee trapped inside. Uncle Wiggily gently opens the tulip, freeing the bee. Grateful, the bee offers to bring honey with its friends for Nurse Jane's tea, resolving the sugar dilemma. Nurse Jane finds the honey even better than sugar.
By Howard R. Garis · First published 1922 · Genre: Children's Literature, Fantasy, Fable · 1,245 words
First lines
Down in Nurse Jane's garden, near the hollow stump bungalow, grew many flowers besides the roses, out of which flew the black beetles to nip the noses of the Skeezicks, the Skuddlemagoon and the Pipsisewah, as I have told you.
Among the flowers were big tulips, white, golden and pink, and, best of all, Uncle Wiggily Longears, the rabbit gentleman, loved a tulip that was red.
What this Textopian page supports
Uncle Wiggily and the Red Tulip 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, Fantasy, Fable, Animal Fiction, Adventure
- Length: 1,245 words
- Structure: 1 section, 29 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Uncle Wiggily and the Red Tulip by Howard R. Garis
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering Uncle Wiggily and the Red Tulip?
- How does this short story by Howard R. Garis fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Children's Literature first become important in the reading?
Genres
- Children's Literature — The narrative is written for a young audience with simple language, whimsical characters, and playful situations.
- Fantasy — The story features anthropomorphic animals and magical elements such as talking flowers and a buzzing bee with a solution, typical of fantastical worlds.
- Fable — The narrative uses animals to convey moral lessons and gentle reminders about helping others and the consequences of inaction.
- Animal Fiction — The central characters are animals depicted with human traits, engaging in a narrative that relies on their unique behavior and interaction.
Tags
children's literature · animal fable · anthropomorphic · whimsical · adventure · classic · fantasy · morality · nostalgia · imaginative · storytelling · fable
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