32 LITTLE MOUSE AND THE STRANGERS

LITTLE MOUSE: Squeak! squeak! squeak! Oh, Mother, Mother! I have had such a fright!

MOTHER MOUSE: What has happened, Little Mouse? Where have you been?

LITTLE MOUSE: Oh, Mother! I was tired of our little home, so I have been out to see the world.

MOTHER MOUSE: Oh, my dear child! Did you go all alone? No wonder you are frightened. Home is best for Little Mouse. Where did you go?

LITTLE MOUSE: I went to the barnyard. Squeak! squeak! It frightens me yet, when I think of it.

MOTHER MOUSE: Tell me about it. What did you see to frighten you so?

LITTLE MOUSE: At first I was not frightened. I saw a beautiful animal who looked a little like me.

MOTHER MOUSE: A little like you? Oh, no! There is no one like you in the barnyard.

LITTLE MOUSE: Yes, she was like me, Mother, but she was much bigger than I am. She had fur like mine, but it was much longer.

MOTHER MOUSE: Little Mouse, you frighten me. Quick, quick! Tell me more about this animal. I am afraid I know who it was.

LITTLE MOUSE: She was lying on the grass, in the sun. She looked kind and gentle. I thought she might like little mice, so I started to go up and speak to her. She made a pleasant sound—purr-r, purr-r, purr-r!

MOTHER MOUSE: Oh, my dear Little Mouse, that was a cat! You have been in great danger. The cat does like little mice, but she likes them to eat!

Quick, tell me! You did not try to speak to her, did you?

LITTLE MOUSE: No, Mother; I did not have time. For just then I saw a strange and dreadful animal.

MOTHER MOUSE: Who could that be, Little Mouse? The cat is the most dreadful animal you could see.

LITTLE MOUSE: Oh, no, Mother! Listen, and I will tell you. This animal had a long, sharp nose.

MOTHER MOUSE: A long, sharp nose? The pig has a long nose, but it is not sharp.

LITTLE MOUSE: He had a red chin that shook when he moved.

MOTHER MOUSE: A red chin? None of the animals in the barnyard has a red chin.This must have been a strange, wild beast. Tell me more about him.

LITTLE MOUSE: He had something red on his head, too, and he had only two legs.

He stretched out his long neck and made a dreadful noise—cock-a-doodle-doo! cock-adoodle-doo!

MOTHER MOUSE: Oh, squee-hee-hee! Never mind if I laugh, Little Mouse. Now I know what the strange beast was. That was a cock! He has a red comb and a long beak, but he will not harm you.

LITTLE MOUSE: But, Mother, how shall I tell what beasts will harm me? The cat looked so kind, and the cock looked so fierce.

MOTHER MOUSE: Do not speak to strange beasts. You can not tell by their looks what they will do. Remember, Little Mouse, that good deeds are better than good looks.

(Retold from a Fable by Æsop)

Word list

strangers: people or animals who don't know each other

fur: the hair that covers many animals

purr-r: the sound that a cat makes

fierce: very angry and dangerous

deeds: good things that are done for others

You Practice

A) Answer the following questions.

1) Why did Little Mouse go out to see the world?

2) Had Little Mouse asked Mother's permission to go to the barnyard? How do you know?

3) What two animals did Little Mouse meet in the barnyard?

4) What did Mother Mouse mean when she said “good deeds are better than good looks”?

5) What other animals did Little Mouse see in the barnyard?

B) Rhyme time—Find word in the story that rhyme with these ones.

1) wild: c _ _ _ _

2) brighten: f _ _ _ _ _ _ _

3) nice: m _ _ _

4) boys: n _ _ _ _

5) house: m _ _ _ _

C) True or false? Read these sentences carefully. Write true of false for each one.

1) _____ Little Mouse was eaten by a cat.

2) _____ Little Mouse thought the cat looked kind.

3) _____ Little Mouse thought the cock looked scary.

4) _____ Mother Mouse said that looks are more important than actions.

5) _____ Little Mouse didn't know she was in great danger.