Howard R. Garis

Howard Roger Garis, (April 25, 1873 – November 6, 1962) was an American author, best known for a series of books, published under his own name, that featured the character of Uncle Wiggily Longears, an engaging elderly rabbit.*

He captured my imagination as a young child, my father reading me stories every night for weeks. My sisters and I would sit on the couch or someone’s bed and listen to his adventures on the island or in the woods around the Littletails’ home.

Each story was just long enough to get into the action and tell the story. And while the story line was sometimes contrived, it was usually just the thing to get us into the mood for bedtime.

The close

Each story would close with a little teaser and a condition. The teaser was usually just the name of the next story but the condition was sometimes enough to send us over the edge!

. . . and next, if your radio doesn’t talk in its sleep and awaken the vacuum sweeper, I will tell you how they saved the little boy rabbit. (from Sammy Littletail in a Trap)

. . . and I think I shall tell you about it in the next story if you go to bed early now. Though I wouldn’t like to hear that the apple dumpling fell off the table and made crumbs on the gas stove. (from Papa Littletail’s Picture)

But, before they got there something happened, and what it was I will tell you, perhaps, in the next story, if the rooster doesn’t crow and wake me up before I have time to put a clean dress on the lollypop so it can go to school. (from Susie and Sammie Find a Nest)

. . . and the next story will be about Sammie turning sky-blue-pink. But I wish you would ask the piece of cheese not to jump over the apple pie until it is sprinkled with sugar. (from Susie Littletail Jumps Rope)

Perhaps someday I’ll write a little web application that lets you choose your own implausible contrived ending!

The books

One of the things that makes re-reading Uncle Wiggily as an adult (beside having my sons and daughters beg for it) is the book itself.

Great Bindweed Flower 1956 MNH NWF Stamp

Great Bindweed Flower 1956 MNH NWF Stamp

My copy of The Littletails has, on its front page, the date “12/25/48” and in the same hand “Jack, from Butch & Dave”. A Christmas present from my father and his brother to Jack? Then why was this covered over with a stamp of “Great Bindweed” from the NWF, 1956? And in a different hand, “Miss Gifford” (probably my aunt).

Printed in 1942, the binding is shot, the pages yellow and yet I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

My copy of In the Country, while in much better shape, has the same “Miss Gifford” in the same hand, but without a stamp or any other clues.

The next generation

I think our Uncle Wiggily books will survive into the next generation and if I had to guess, I’d say that it was the youngest (KAG) who will likely be the one to claim them.

After all, she’s the one who at age three was running around the playground yelling “Skilligimink Lollypops”!!!


*Howard R. Garis, Wikipedia

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