"Now you're here, make yourself at home," went on the owl, sarcastic-like,
as he locked the front door and put the key in his pocket. "Did you see
the sign?"

"Yes," said Uncle Wiggily, "I did. But I don't call it fair. I thought I
would find my fortune in here."

"The sign says you'll be surprised, and I guess you are surprised, aren't
you?" asked the owl.

"Yes," answered the rabbit, "very much so. But I'd rather have a nice
surprise party, with peanuts and lemonade, than this."

"No matter," said the owl, snapping his beak like a pair of shears, "here
you are and here you'll stay! My friends will soon arrive. I'll now put
the kettle on, to boil for tea."

Well, poor Uncle Wiggily didn't know what to do. He couldn't look in his
valise to see if there was anything in it by which he might escape, for he
had dropped the satchel outside when the owl grabbed him, and he only had
his barber-pole crutch.

"Oh, this is worse and worse!" thought the poor old rabbit.

But listen, Johnnie Bushytail is outside the owl's house, and he's going
to do a wonderful trick.

As soon as he saw the door shut on Uncle Wiggily, that brave squirrel boy
began to plan how he could save him, and the first thing he did was to
gather up a lot of acorns.