With his strong paws and his sharp teeth, the rabbit gentleman began
peeling the bark off the tree, showing the white wood underneath.

"What are you doing, Uncle Wiggily?" asked Jillie.

"This is a slippery elm tree, and I am making a hill so Squeaky-Eeky
can slide down," answered the bunny uncle. "Underneath the bark the
trunk of the elm tree is very slippery. Dr. Possum told me so. See
how my paw slips!" And indeed it did, sliding down the sloping tree
almost as fast as you can eat a lollypop.

Uncle Wiggily took off a lot of bark from the elm tree, making a long,
sliding, slippery place.

"Now, try that with your sled, Squeaky-Eeky," said the bunny uncle.
And the little cousin mouse did. She put her sled on the slanting
tree, sat down and Jillie gave her a little push. Down the slippery
elm tree went Squeaky as fast as anything, coming to a stop in a pile
of soft leaves.

"Oh, what a lovely slide!" cried Squeaky. "You try it, Jillie." And
the little mouse girl did.

"Who would think," she said, "that you could slide down a slippery elm
tree? But you can."

Then she and Squeaky took turns sliding down hill, even though there
was no snow, and the slippery elm tree didn't mind it a bit, but rather
liked it.