That thing on the left is a weasel
Beginning around 1910, a man named Howard Garis (1873–1962) began writing a series of stories about a character called Uncle Wiggily Longears, a wise old gentleman rabbit, for newspaper serialization. Estimates are, he wrote five thousand of them. Every day but Sunday. They were hugely popular.
And they were a feature of my childhood. I suppose the books belonged to my father, or my auntie (who died earlier this year at a very respectable age). Back when bedtime stories were a thing.
As you might expect, they were highly formulaic. Uncle Wiggily went out on an errand, encountered a villain, villain was thwarted by pure chance, happy ending (the villains above are Pipsisewah the weasel and the Skeezicks, the whatever it is). Very rigid structure, tight word count.
And they always, always ended with a line like:
“And if the dish of ice cream doesn’t skate away with the spoon and hide behind the lemon pie, I’ll tell you next about Uncle Wiggily and the striped chipmunk.”
or
“And if the pancake doesn’t flip over the stove and tickle the coffee pot with a feather, I’ll tell you next about Uncle Wiggily and the hollow stump.”
It comes to mind because that’s what I think whenever ChatGPT ends an answer by saying, “if you like, I can tell you some more odd facts about Victorian underwear” or “there’s an interesting connection between the Bolivian nose flute and prostate cancer.”
Incidentally, Howard Garis also wrote the first 38 Tom Swift books (all authors for the series wrote under the pseudonym Victor Appleton).
Posted: March 12th, 2026 under personal.
Comments: 11
Comments
Comment from Bob Mulroy
Time: March 12, 2026, 6:59 pm
I remember a rabbit character named Uncle Wiggly, but I had no idea of his provenance.
Thanks.
Comment from Bob Mulroy
Time: March 12, 2026, 8:50 pm
I was slightly aware of a rabbit character named Uncle Wiggly. But now I’ve really gone down the rabbit hole!
Walmar.com still has the board game for sale.
Comment from Durnedyankee
Time: March 12, 2026, 9:21 pm
Tom Swift and the electric car!
Actually we had 8 or 9 of the Tom Swift books in the family library, which I read, but can’t remember a single story from, along with ERB Tarzan stories like Tarzan and the Ant Men, which I at least remember the title for…
Then again, that was sometime before the 3rd quarter of the last century, so I hope I can be forgiven.
Comment from durnedyankee
Time: March 12, 2026, 9:22 pm
still a can of SPAM eh?
Comment from Uncle AL
Time: March 12, 2026, 11:49 pm
“I wonder what that object coming rapidly through the water directly towards us is,” Tom said torpidly.
Comment from technochitlin
Time: March 13, 2026, 1:13 pm
@Uncle Al ^^ Threadwinner! (you might have had to of read some original Tom Swift to get it)
Comment from OldFert
Time: March 13, 2026, 3:53 pm
Bird reminded me of Heckle and Jeckle, the talking magpies
Comment from LesterIII
Time: March 13, 2026, 5:02 pm
I had the Uncle Wiggly board game as a kid. The Skeezicks scared the bejeezus out of me.
Comment from LesterIII
Time: March 13, 2026, 5:06 pm
I had the Uncle Wiggly board game as a kid. Was sort of like a demented Chutes and Ladders with horrifying illustrations, and the Skeezicks scared the bejeezus out of me.
Comment from LesterIII
Time: March 13, 2026, 7:50 pm
This is the version of vintage Uncle Wiggily board I grew up with. Surprising that there have been so many differing versions.
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/vintage-board-game-uncle-wiggly-1967-3861844142
Comment from Bob Mulroy
Time: March 13, 2026, 10:57 pm
Normally when I double post, we can blame my Alzheimer’s, but the first comment didn’t post until after the second one.
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