The General is the head of the Teenie Weenie family. He is very kind and
wise and all the little folks trust and love him.
The Doctor looks after the health of the Teenie Weenies, and he is often
called to help sick birds, mice and squirrels, for his skill as a doctor
is known for quite a distance about the rose bush. He has an office in
the Teenie Weenie hospital, and there he is able to treat the sick
Teenie Weenies in the best possible way.
The Teenie Weenie Cook is boss of the kitchen and he cooks the most
wonderful food that any Teenie Weenie ever tasted. His stove is made out
of an old tin tobacco can. The oven is so big that a whole stuffed prune
can be baked in it.
Gogo, the little colored Teenie Weenie, is the assistant cook and he can
get up almost as good a meal as the Cook. The General says that no one
can bake a lima bean as well as Gogo.
The Dunce is a foolish fellow, who is always doing funny things. He is
always hungry and the Cook says that he can eat a thimbleful of pudding
and then get inside the thimble. All the Teenie Weenies love the Dunce,
for he is a kind hearted little chap.
The Old Soldier has only one leg but he is a good carpenter and he can
make beautiful furniture out of a few matches. He is also a good tailor
and he knows how to mend shoes wonderfully.
The Lady of Fashion is the most beautiful Teenie Weenie lady. She
dresses in the very latest style and makes many things with her tiny
needle. She is house keeper at the shoe house and often helps the
Doctor, for she is a good nurse.
The Policeman is a fat little fellow whose duty it is to walk about and
look after the Teenie Weenie children. He settles disputes among the
Teenie Weenies and chases away bugs that get too near to the Teenie
Weenie houses.
Grandpa is the very oldest Teenie Weenie. He is crippled up with
rheumatism and spends most of his time sitting in front of the Teenie
Weenie fireplace.
The Chinaman looks after the Teenie Weenie washing. He lives in an old
tea pot, which has been made into a fine laundry. The spout of the tea
pot makes a good chimney, for the Chinaman must have a fire most of the
time, as he needs hot water to wash the clothes and also a place to heat
his tiny irons.
Zip is the Teenie Weenie wild man. He came from a tribe of tiny wild men
to live with the Teenie Weenies. He rooms with the Chinaman and helps
with the washing.
The Cowboy is a great mouse-back rider; in fact he can ride most
anything. He once rode a bucking grass hopper but he said it was pretty
hard work. He can throw the lasso with wonderful skill and he is a good
hunter.
The Indian is a silent little fellow. He spends much of his time in the
woods and he can follow the trail of a caterpillar in the wildest jungle
of tall grass.
The Scotchman is quite a musical Teenie Weenie. He plays the bagpipes
and dances many fancy steps.
The Sailor is a great swimmer and knows all about boats.
The Turk is very strong. He can lift a thimble full of water above his
head and he can carry a lead pencil on his shoulder. He knows a great
deal about machinery, too.
Rufus Rhyme is the Teenie Weenie poet, who writes verse and songs for
the rest of the Teenie Weenies to sing.
Paddy Pinn is the tallest Teenie Weenie and he is a very jolly and wise
man.
The Clown is a happy-go-lucky fellow, who can walk on his hands and
tumble as well as an acrobat. He loves to play jokes and the Dunce is
his great chum.
Tessie Bone is the newest Teenie Weenie. She joined the Teenie Weenie
family not long ago and all the little people are very fond of her, in
spite of the fact that she is quite a tomboy.
There are several Teenie Weenie women and children and all these little
people live very contentedly in their tiny houses under the rose bush.
All the Teenie Weenies must do their share of the work. If you don’t
work you can’t eat, is their motto and the work is usually done, for all
the little folks have good appetites.
Every day some Teenie Weenie has to help the Cook and Gogo wash up the
dishes and the next day he has to help the Lady of Fashion make the beds
and sweep up the house, while on another day he must help cut wood for
the stoves and the fireplaces.
With all the Teenie Weenies helping it does not take a great while to do
the work, so the little people have most of the day to spend as they
like.
The Teenie Weenies are always ready to help a friend in need and many
times they have helped the squirrels, the birds, the rabbits and the
mice, who live near the rose bush.
Every summer the little people plant a garden and raise many vegetables
which they store away in a great cellar under a tiny hill near the shoe
house.
Each fall the Cook makes delicious jelly and apple butter and puts up
many cans of fruit and vegetables for use during the long winter. The
little people smoke many fish and frog hams too.
Four potatoes will keep the Teenie Weenie family supplied all winter and
when the Cook wants some potatoes for a meal he goes into the cellar and
cuts off a piece. He then covers the place on the potato where he has
cut out the piece with hot paraffine and in this manner he keeps the
potato in good shape until it is used up.
Apples, carrots, and beets are kept in the same way, so you see the
Teenie Weenies have plenty to eat during the winter.
In the summer they live on fresh fruit and vegetables from their garden,
while once a week they buy a fresh minnow from a friendly King Fisher
for a fish dinner. Occasionally they buy an egg from an old hen, which
keeps them supplied with food for a long time, but the Teenie Weenies
don’t have eggs often, for they are expensive, as the old hens demand
twenty-five grains of corn for each egg.
[‡Illustration: A Strawberry]
[Illustration: “Mother Bunch Drinks a Toast”–See Page 126.]
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