LITTLE GREY MOUSE

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 32, 30 April 1927, Page 23 (Supplement)

LITTLE GREY MOUSE

Little Green Cucumber lived out in the big garden, and held on tight to Mother Vine with his little green tail. Little Grey Field Mouse lived outside the big garden. One day he came prancing up to Little Green Cucumber and looked at him with his bright bead eyes. “My, my, Little Green Cucumber,” he said, “how fast you grow! The last time 1 was here you were just as long as I am. Now you are nearly twice as long. How do you do it? “I hold on to Mother Vine, and grow and grow,” said Little Green Cucumber. “Hum!” said Little Grey Field Mouse, “1 should certainly like to grow as fast as you do; some day 1 might chase the cat instead of the cat chasing me. Do you suppose if 1 held on tight to Mother Vine with my little grey tail that 1 might grow fast, too?” Little Green Cucumber laughed and laughed. ‘T never heard of field mice growing on a cucumber frame,” he said. ’’But 1 am sure that if you hold on with your little grey tail, and not with your little sharp teeth, that Mother Vine will not mind You might try it.” Little Grey Field Mouse sat down under a big leaf by Little Green Cucumber, and he curled his little grey tail very tightly indeed around Mother Vine. And he sat, and he sat, and he sat. After a while he said, *T should very much rather prance around than do this. And I am getting a dreadful cramp in my tail. But whatever is worth trying is worth trying well.” So he sat, and he sat, and he sat. By and by, when he began to think that if he ever moved he would have to be picked off from Mother Vine, the cat came walking by. And with one whisk of his tail, even though it was a cramped whisk. Little Grey Field Mouse was through the fence and down his little hole.

When the cat had gone, Little Green Cucumber called, "Are you coming back to try again, Little Grey Field Mouse?” Little Grey Field Mouse poked his little grey nose through the fence. “1 thank you, no," he answered. Then he came over and measured himself very carefully by Little Green Cucumber, and sighed with relief. “1 was afraid 1 had grown a little,” he said. "My hole felt rathei tight when i went into it. Suppose I had grown so much that I couldn't get in and yet not enough to chase the cat. Sitting is all very well for you, Little Green Cucumber, but for me prancing is better.” At that he pranced away, while Little Green Cucumber laughed and laughed.