if you have ever tried it. The roots go away down in the earth, and
they are very strong.

Uncle Wiggily pulled and tugged and twisted and turned, but he could
break off only little bits of the underground stalk.

"This won't do!" he said to himself. "If I don't get a big root Dr.
Possum will, perhaps, send me hack for more. I'll try again."

He got his paws under a nice, big root, and he was straining his back
to pull it up, when, all of a sudden, he heard a voice saying:

"How do you do?"

"Oh, hello!" exclaimed the bunny, looking up quickly, and expecting to
see some friend of his, like Grandpa Goosey Gander, or Sammie
Littletail, the rabbit boy. But, instead, he saw the bad old fox, who
had, so many times, tried to catch the rabbit gentleman.

"Oh!" said Uncle Wiggily, astonished like. And again he said: "Oh!"

"Surprised, are you?" asked the fox, sort of curling his whiskers
around his tongue, sarcastic fashion.

"A little--yes," answered Uncle Wiggily. "I didn't expect to see you."

"But I've been expecting you a long time," said the fox, grinning most
impolitely. "In fact, I've been waiting for you. Just as soon as you
have pulled up that sassafras root you may come with me. I'll take you
off to my den, to my dear little foxes Eight, Nine and Ten. Those are