Uncle Wiggily facts for kids

Uncle Wiggily Longears is a famous rabbit character from a series of children's stories. These popular tales were created by an American writer named Howard R. Garis. He started writing about Uncle Wiggily for the Newark News newspaper in 1910.

Garis wrote a new Uncle Wiggily story almost every day for over 52 years! He published 79 books during his lifetime. Garis was inspired to create the character during a walk in the woods in Verona, New Jersey. Many artists helped bring Uncle Wiggily to life with their drawings. A well-known illustrator was Lansing Campbell. Other artists included George L. Carlson, Louis Wisa, Elmer Rache, Edward Bloomfield, Lang Campbell, and Mary and Wallace Stover.

Meet Uncle Wiggily and His Friends

Uncle Wiggily is a kind, older rabbit. He has a condition called rheumatism, which makes him a bit lame. Because of this, he always uses a special crutch to help him walk. This crutch is described as being "striped like a barber-pole" or "candy-striped" like a peppermint stick. It has spiral red and white stripes.

Uncle Wiggily's Animal Friends

Uncle Wiggily meets many friendly animal characters in his neighborhood. These include Sammie and Susie Littletail, who are his young nephew and niece. There are also Lulu, Alice, and Jimmie Wibblewobble, who are duck children.

Other friends are Dr. Possum, the local doctor, and Uncle Butter, a goat. You'll also find Charlie and Arabella Chick, Jackie and Peetie Bow-Wow, and Billie and Johnnie Bushytail, who are squirrel boys. Joie, Tommie, and Kittie Kat, Jennie Chipmunk, Munchie Trot, a pony boy, and Dottie and Willie Lambkin also appear. Neddie and Beckie Stubtail, who are friendly bear cubs, are also part of the group.

In shorter stories, Uncle Wiggily often helps his friends out of trouble. He might save them just before a "bad chap" tries to bother them. In longer stories, Uncle Wiggily might go on a camping trip or a long journey with a friend. He often has to deal with mean tricks from villains. Luckily, his crutch or a special "thing-a-ma-bob" from his satchel often helps him escape.

The Villains and Their Tricks

The stories also feature several "bad chaps" who try to cause trouble for Uncle Wiggily. These include the Woozy Wolf, Bushy Bear, Skillery Skallery Alligator, and the fierce Bobcat. They often try to "nibble the souse" off Uncle Wiggily's ears, but he always manages to escape.

In shorter stories, Uncle Wiggily often escapes using something new he just bought. He might have been running an errand for his muskrat housekeeper, Nurse Jane Fuzzy Wuzzy. For example, Uncle Wiggily once used an umbrella to stop the Skillery Skallery Alligator. He pushed the umbrella into the alligator's mouth and opened it, stopping the creature from biting him.

Unusual Characters in the Stories

Besides the common villains, there are also some very unusual characters. The Pipsisewah is a mean bully who looks like a rhinoceros. He has a snout with two small horns and large, snorting nostrils. He wears a black, cone-shaped hat and patched red pants. He is stout with a giraffe-skin body and a cow-like tail. He walks upright on two legs and has hands, but his feet are hooves.

The Pipsisewah is usually with a crow-like character called Skeezicks. Skeezicks wears a tall red cap and a red-and-yellow-striped suit. These two characters mostly cause harmless mischief. Other strange characters like the Bazumpus, the Crozokus, and the Scuttlemagoon appear less often. Uncle Wiggily, often with his animal friends, always finds a way to handle them.