A Squash and a Squeeze
01 - A little old lady lived all by herself
with a table and chairs and a jug on the shelf.
02 - A wise old man heard her grumble and grouse,
“There’s not enough room in my house.
Wise old man, won’t you help me, please?
My house is a squash and a squeeze.”
03 - “Take in your hen,” said the wise old man.
“Take in my hen? What a curious plan.”
04 - Well, the hen laid an egg on the fireside rug,
And flapped round the room knocking over the jug.
06 - The little old lady cried, “What shall I do?
It was poky for one and it’s tiny for two.
My house has a tickle and there’s no room to sneeze.
My house is a squash and a squeeze.”
And she said, “Wise old man,
won’t you help me, please?
My house is a squash and a squeeze.”
07 - “Take in your goat,” said the wise old man.
“Take in my goat? What a curious plan.”
08 - Well, the goat chewed the curtain and trod on the egg,
then sat down to nibble the table leg.
09 - The little old lady cried, “Glory be!
It was tiny for two and it’s titchy for three.
The hen pecks the goat and the goat’s got fleas.
My house is a squash and a squeeze.”
And she said, “Wise old man,
won’t you help me, please?
My house is a squash and a squeeze.”
11 - “Take in your pig,” said the wise old man.
“Take in my pig? What a curious plan.”
12 - So she took in her pig who kept chasing the hen,
And raiding the larder again and again.
14 - The little old lady
The Smartest Giant in Town
01- George was a giant, the scruffiest giant in town. He always wore the same pair of old brown sandals and the same old patched-up gown. “I wish I wasn’t the scruffiest giant in town,” he said sadly.
02- But one day, George noticed a new shop. It was full of smart clothes. So he bought… a smart shirt, a smart pair of trousers, a smart belt, a smart stripy tie, some smart socks with diamonds up the sides, and a pair of smart shiny shoes. “Now I’m the smartest giant in town,” he said proudly.
03- George left his old clothes behind in the shop. He was about to go home when he heard a sound. On the pavement stood a giraffe who was sniffing sadly. “what’s the matter?” asked George.
04- “It’s my neck,” said the giraffe. “It’s so very long and so very cold. I wish I had a long, warm scarf!”
05- “Cheer up!” said George, and he took off his stripy tie. “It didn’t match my socks anyway,” he said, as he wound it round and round the giraffe’s neck. It made a wonderful scarf. “Thank you!” said the giraffe.
06- As George strode towards home, he sang to himself, “My tie is a scarf for a cold giraffe, but look me up and down- I’m the smartest giant in town.”
07- George came to a river. On a boat stood a goat who was bleating loudly. “What’s the matter?” asked George.
08- “It’s my sail,” said the goat. “It blew away in a storm. I wish I had a strong new sail for my boat!”
09- “Cheer up!” said George, and he took off his new white shirt. “It kept coming untucked anyway,” he said, as he tied it to the mast of the goat’s boat. It made a magnificent sail. “Thank you!” said the goat.
10- George strode on, singing to himself, “My tie is a scarf for a cold giraffe, my shirt’s on a boat as a sail for a goat, but look me up and down- I’m the smartest giant in town!”
11- George came to a tiny ruined house. Beside the house stood a white mouse with lots of bay mice. They were all squeaking. “What’s the matter?” asked George.
Doctor De Soto, the dentist...
did very good work,|so he had no end of patients.
Those close to his own size...|moles, chipmunks, et cetera...
sat in the regular|dentist's chair.
Larger animals sat on the floor.
For extra large animals,|he had a special room.
Doctor De Soto was especially|popular with the big animals.
He was able to work|inside their mouths...
wearing rubbers|to keep his feet dry.
His fingers were so delicate,|and his drill so dainty...
they could hardly feel any pain.
Being a mouse,|he refused to treat animals...
dangerous to mice,|and he said so on his sign.
Doctor De Soto and his wife|wouldn't admit...
even the most timid-Iooking cat.
One day,|when the doorbell rang...
they looked out and saw|a well-dressed fox...
with a flannel bandage|around his jaw.
I cannot treat you, sir!
Sir! Haven't you read my sign?
Please!
Have mercy, I'm suffering!
Just a moment!
That poor fox!
What shall we do?
Let's risk it!
Bless your little hearts!
I beg you, do something!
My tooth is killing me!
Sit on the floor, sir...
and remove the bandage, please.
Oooo-wow!
The fox had a rotten bicuspid|and unusually bad breath.
This tooth|will have to come out.
But we can make you a new one.
Just stop the pain!
Keep open!
Wide open!
Despite his misery,|the fox realized...
he had a tasty little morsel|in his mouth.
I'm giving you gas now.
You won't feel a thing|when I yank that tooth.
Soon the fox was in dreamland.
Mmm, yummy.
How I love them raw|with just a pinch of salt...
and a dry white wine.
They could guess|what he was dreaming about.
I'm bleeding!
The worst is over.
I'll have your new tooth|ready tomorrow.
Be here at :sharp.
On his way home,|the fox wondered...
if it would be shabby of him|to eat the De Sotos...
when the job was done.
After office hours...
Mrs. De Soto molded a tooth|of pure gold and polished it.
Raw with salt, indeed!
How foolish to trust a fox!
He didn't know|what he was saying.
Why should he harm us?
We're helping him.
Because he's a fox!
They're wicked,|wicked creatures!
That night, the De Sotos|lay awake worrying.
Should we let him in tomorrow?
Once I start a job, I finish it.
My father was the same way.
But we must do something|to protect ourselves.
They talked and talked|until they formed a plan.
The next morning,|promptly at :...
a very cheerful fox turned up.
He was feeling|not a particle of pain.
Just a joke!
Be serious! We have work to do!
The fox caressed the new tooth|with his tongue.
My, it feels good!
I really shouldn't eat them.
On the other hand,|how can I resist?
We're not finished.
I have here a remarkable|preparation...
developed only recently|by my wife and me.
With just one application...
you can be rid|of toothaches forever!
How would you like to be|the first one...
to receive|this unique treatment?
I certainly would!
I'd be honored!
The fox hated any kind|of personal pain.
You will never|have to see us again!
No one will see you again.
He had definitely made up|his mind to eat them...
with the help|of his brand new tooth.
Doctor De Soto stepped|into the fox's mouth...
with a bucket of|secret formula...
and proceeded|to paint each tooth.
Now close your jaws tight...
and keep them closed|for a full minute.
The fox did as he was told.
Then he tried to open|his mouth...
but his teeth|were stuck together!
Ah, excuse me,|I should have mentioned...
you won't be able to open|your mouth for a day or two!
The secret formula must first|permeate the dentine.
But don't worry.
No pain ever again!
The fox was stunned.
He stared at Doctor De Soto,|then at his wife.
They smiled and waited.
All he could do was say,|"Frank oo berry mush"...
through his clenched teeth,|and get up and leave.
He tried to do so with dignity.
Then he stumbled down the stairs|in a daze.
Doctor De Soto and his assistant|had outfoxed the fox.
They kissed each other...
and took the rest of|the day off.
Once upon a time in China there was a baby girl who lived in a big room with lots of other babies.
The girl shared a cribs with one another and became great friends. The girl had nannies to take care of them, but each was missing something---a mother.
Far away across the ocean was a woman who also had many friends, but she was missing something, too---a baby. That woman was me.
So I wrote a letter to officials in China and asked if I could adopt one of the babies who lived in the big room.
Monthes later, I received a letter with a picture of a beautiful girl...that was you. The people in China said I could adopt you if i promised to take good care of you.
A few weeks later, I packed my suitcases with toys, books, diapers, food, and clothes just for you and boarded a plane for the very long trip to China.
There were other families who were also waiting to meet their babies. I couldn't wait to hold you.
The next day, your nannies brught you and your friends from the countryside to the city to meet us.
I was so happy that I cried the moment I took you in my arms...you cried, too.
I had been waiting for you my whole life.
I brought you back to the hotel and sat you down on the bed to get a good look at you.
Your rosy cheeks made you look like a soft, pink doll.
When you looked at me with those big brown eyes, I knew we belonged together.
"I love you like crazy cake," I whispered.
How did someone make this perfect match a world away?
The first night, I laid you down in your crib made up with crisp white linens and new blankets.
I tucked you in and kissed your little hands and tiny feet a hundred times.
I was falling in love.
Whenver you weren't sleeping, I played with you. I put silly hats on you and took your picture. I stared at you while you napped.
On the long trip home you stood up in your seat and smiled at the man behind us. It was the end of one amazing journey and the beginning of another.
When we finaly landed, your new grand-parents, aunts,uncles,cousins, and friends were waiting for you with lots of hugs and kisses.
Your new room was filled with touys, stuffed animals, and a new crib. All the grown-ups watched as you carefully checked out your new room.
Then you smiled as if to say"I'm home."
But when everyone left and that first day turned to night, I took you to your room, played a lullaby and rocked you to sleep.
I held you tightly, kissed you softly,and cried.
The tears were for your Chinese mother, who could not keep you.
I wanted her to know that we would always remember her.
And I hoped somehow she knew you were safe and happy in the world.
One Fine Day
by Nonny Hogrogian
One fine day a fox traveled through a great forest. When he reached
the other side he was very thirsty. He saw a pail of milk that an old
woman had set down while she gathered wood for her fire. Before she
noticed the fox, he had lapped up most of the milk.
The woman became so angry that she grabbed her knife
and chopped off his tail, and the fox began to cry.
"Please, old woman, give me back my tail. Sew it in place
or all my friends will laugh at me."
"Give me back my milk," she said, "and I´ll give you back your tail."
So the fox dried his tears and went to find a cow.
"Dear cow," he begged, "please give me some milk so I can give it to
the old woman so she will sew my tail in peace."
The cow replied, "I'll give you some milk if you bring me some
grass."
The fox called to the field, "Oh beautiful field, give me some grass.
I'll take it to the cow and she'll give me some milk. then I'll take the
milk to the old woman so she will sew my tail in place and I can
return to my friends."
The field called back, "Bring me some water."
The fox ran to the stream and begged for some water, and the stream
answered, "Bring me a jug."
The fox found a fair maiden. "Sweet maiden," he said,
"Please give me your jug so I can fetch some water to give the filed
to get some grass to feed the cow to get some milk to give
the old woman to sew my tail in place so I can return to my friends."
The maiden smiled. "If you find a blue bead for me," she said,
"I´ll give you my jug."
So the fox found a peddler and said, "There is a pretty maiden down
the road and if you give me one blue bead for her she'll be pleased with
you and pleased with me. then she'll give me her jug so I can fetch
some water to give the field to get some grass to feed the cow to get
some milk to give the old woman to sew my tail in place."
But the peddler was not taken in by the promise of a pretty smile or
the cleverness of the fox and he replied, "Pay me an egg and I'll give
you a bead."
The fox went off and found a hen.
"Hen, dear hen, please give me an egg to give to the peddler in
payment for the bead to get the jug to fetch the water to give the field
to get some grass to feed the cow to get the milk that I must give the
old woman in return for my tail."
the hen clucked. "I'll trade you an egg for some grain."
The fox was getting desperate, and when He found the miller he began
to cry.
"Oh kind miller, please give me a little grain. I have to trade it for
the egg to pay the peddler to get the blue bead to give the maiden in
return for her jug to fetch the water to give the field to get the grass to
feed the cow to get the milk to give the old woman so she'll sew my
tail in place, or all my friends will laugh at me."
The miller was a good man and felt sorry for the fox.
So he gave him the grain to give to the hen to get the egg
to pay the peddler to get the bead
to give the maiden to get the jug to fetch the water
to give the field to get the grass to feed the cow
to get the milk to give the old woman to get his tail back.
The fox returned to the old woman and gave her the milk.
Then she carefully sewed his tail in place,
and off he ran to join his friends on the other side of the forest.
Rapunzel (1998 Caldecott Medal Book)
01 - Long ago, there lived a man and a woman who had no children. As year followed year, this was their only sorrow. Then one spring, the wife felt her dress growing tight around her waist. Joyfully she said to her husband, "We are going to have a child at last."
02 - The wife liked to sit by a small window at the back of their house and look down into a beautiful garden. Flowers grew there, and rare fruits and herbs of every kind. The garden belonged to a sorceress, who had enclosed it on all sides with a high wall. No one ever dared to enter it.
One day, as the wife sat by the window, her eyes fixed on a bed of rapunzel. The herb looked so luxuriant, so green and thick and fresh, that she felt a terrible longing to taste it. Day after day her craving grew, until she began to suffer from it. She became pale and wretched, and said to her husband, "If I cannot eat some of the rapunzel from the garden behind our house, I am going to die."
03 - Her husband was alarmed to hear such desperate words. He loved his wife dearly, and saw no choice but to bring her some of the rapunzel.
Ten times, twenty times he circled the garden wall, but found neither door nor gate. So, lowering himself through the window at the back of the house, he climbed down into the sorceress' garden. Quickly he pulled up as much rapunzel as he could hold and scrambled back up through the window.
His wife made a salad of the roots and greens, and devoured it with a wild hunger. So intensely delicious was the taste that she nearly fainted as she ate. Yet the next day her craving for rapunzel was even fiercer than before.
04 & 05 - Once again the husband made his way down the wall and into the garden. But this time as he reached for the rapunzel, the sorceress rose up before him. "How dare you come here to steal my rapunzel!" she cried. "Oh, it will serve you ill!"
"Have mercy on me," the man begged. "My wife is carrying our child. She has seen your rapunzel from our window and conceived such a longing for it that she will die unless she can eat some. What am I to do?"
The sorceress considered his words. "If what you say is true, you may take the rapunzal that you need. But in return, you must give me the child your wife will bear."
The frightened busband did not know what to say. Rather than see his wife die, he agreed to the demand. And when the child was born, the sorceress appeared in the roon. She named the baby girl Rapunzel and carried her away.
06 - The sorceress cared for the baby, seeing to her every need. Rapunzel grew to be a child of rare beauty, with pale skin and an abundance of flowing red-gold hair. When she reached the age of twelve, the sorceress led her into the forest to live in a high tower.
07 - The tower was a great column rising in the middle of the woods. Although it looked narrow on the outside, on the inside it was large, with many elegant rooms. Yet no door led into this tower, and its only window was at the very top.
When the sorceress wished to enter, she stood below the window and called, "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair." Then Rapunzel would unpin her silky braids, wind them around a hook on the window frame, and let them tumble all the way to the ground. The sorceress would grab hold of them and hoist herself up.
08 - For years, Rapunzel lived alone in her rooms above the treetops, visited only by the sorceress. Then one day a king's son came riding through the woods. As he neared the tower, he heard a voice sweeter than any he had ever known. It was Rapunzel, singing to the forest birds. Charmed by her voice, the prince fell deeply in love. He circled the tower ten times, twenty times, but found no entrance. "How strange this tower is," he said to himself, and felt he would die of sadness.
He inquired at the nearest houses, where he was told that the tower belonged to a sorceress, who was keeping a youny girl shut away inside. Day after day the prince returned, hoping to glimpse the girl whose sweet singing had moved him so.
09 - One morning he saw the sorceress appear below the window and call up, "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!"
At once the prince knew how he, too, might enter the tower.
The next evening he stood under the window and called, "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!" Rapunzel's hair came billowing down. The king's son took hold of it and pulled himself up.
"Heaven preserve me!" cried Rapunzel when the prince stepped through her window, for she had never set eyes on a man before. But he began to speak to her in such a friendly way that her fear was soon gone.
10 - "Your singing was so beautiful," the prince told her, "that I knew I must see your face, or my heart could have no peace." Rapunzel saw that he was young and handsome; in her own heart she felt a happiness she had never known. And when the prince, grown bold, proposed to marry her then and there, she consented. They held a ceremony in the tower, and every evening after that, he returned. The sorceress, who came only by day, knew nothing of his visits.
11 - One day when the sorceress entered the tower, Rapunzel said, "If you please, Stepmother, help me with my dress. It is growing so tight around my waist, it doesn't want to fit me anymore."
Instantly the sorceress understood what Rapunzel did not. "Oh, you wicked child!" she shrieked. "What do I hear you say? I thought I had kept you safe, away from the whole world, but you have betrayed me!"
12 - In a rage, she seized the braids and coils of Rapunzel's silky hair and sheared them off. Then she sent the miserable girl to a wild country, to live alone with no one to care for her. After some months in this wilderness, Rapunzel gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl.
13 - Once the sorceress had cast Rapunzel out of the tower, she gathered the cutoff hair and fastened it to the window-hook. That evening, when the prince called up, "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!" she let the hair cascade down. The poor prince pulled himself up to the window, only to be confronted by the sorceress, her eyes wild with fury. "So you have come to fetch your dearest darling?" she cried. "Well, you shall not see her again--Rapunzel is lost to you forever!"
Struck through with grief, the prince let go of the braids, and he plummeted to the ground.
14 & 15 - Although the fall should have killed him, the prince lived. But his eyes were hurt; he could no longer see. Wretched and blind, he stumbled from place to place, eating nothing but roots and berries, thinking of nothing but the loss of his beloved wife. After a year of wandering in such misery, he came into the same wilderness where Rapunzel was living with her children. There one day he heard a voice so dear to him that he rushed toward it. Rapunzel saw him and opened her arms to him, weeping.
16 - As Rapunzel embraced the prince, two of her tears fell into his eyes. Suddenly his vision grew clear; once again the prince could see.
He gazed at Rapunzel and at their two beautiful children. He looked up at the hills beyond the rocky landscape and knew that he was not lost. The prince led his family out of the wilderness toward his kingdom, where they were received with great joy.
17 - There they lived a long life, happy and content.
The eye has no shadow.
All the children of the Moon
and the Sun, the Earth,
the Water, the Air, the Fire,
own no shadow.
Shadow itself has no shadow.
........
Shadow never speaks;
it only listens.
It follows man everywhere—even to war.
As long as there is light or fire,
there is Shadow—and when night falls,
Shadow goes back to the forest.
........
There was a wee house in the heather--
'Twas a bit o' a but and a ben--
And in it there lived all together Lachie MacLachlan And his good wife,
And his bairns to the number of ten.
"There's a fire on the hearthstone to warm me,
And porridge to spare in the pot," Said Lachie.
"The weather is stormy, So me and my wife And our ten bairns,
Will be sharing whatever we've got."
So he hailed every traveler that passed by his door.
Said Lachie MacLachlan, "There's room galore.
Och, come awa' in! There's room for one more,
Always room for one more!"
A tinker came first, then a tailor,
And a sailor with line and lead;
A gallowglass and a fishing lass,
With a creel o' fish on her head;
A merry auld wife full o' banter,
Four peat-cutters up from the bog,
Piping Rury the Ranter,
and a sheperd laddie Down from the brae,
With his canny wee sheperd dog.
He hailed them all as he stood at the door.
Said Lachie MacLachlan,
"There's room galore.
Och, come awa' in!
There's room for one more,
Always room for one more!"
Rury's pipes set the rafters a-ringing Till the clock danced a reel on the shelf,
And they all fell to dancing and singing,
And the little dog danced by himself.
Och, the walls they bulged out and bulged in then,
The walls they bulged in and out.
There will never be heard such a din, then,
As came from the folks In the wee little house
While they rollicked and frolicked about.
They filled all the house up from door to door,
But Lachie cried out, "There's room galore.
'Twould be a tight fit, but there's room for one more,
Always room for one more!"
Then the rafters they clappit like thunder,
And folks in the nearby town Stood stock-still to listen and wonder,
When the wee little house With its but and its ben And its walls and its roof DINGED DOWN!
Then the tinker and the tailor,
And the sailor with line and lead;
The gallowglass, and the fishing lass,
With the creel o' fish on her head;
The auld wife full o' banter,
The four peat-cutters up from the bog,
Piping Rury the Ranter,
And the sheperd laddie down from the brae,
With his canny wee sheperd dog,
AND Lachie MachLachlan,
His good wife, And his bairns to the number of ten,
They all tumbled out again!
And they gowked at the place where the house stood before.
"Och, Lachie," they cried,
"there was room galore, But worry and woe, there's no room no more,
Never no room no more!"
They wailed for a while in the heather,
As glum as a grumpetie grouse, Then they shouted,
"Have done with this blether!
For Lachie MacLachlan, His wife and his bairns,
We'll raise up a bonny new house."
The house that they raised from the auld one Was double as wide and as high. Should an army come by it could hauld one,
With Lachie MacLachlan, His wife and his bairns,
And whoever else happened by.
And then the whole lot of them stood at the door,
And merrily shouted,
"There's room galore!
Now there will always be room for one more,
Always room for one more!"
为什么蚊子在人耳朵里嘤嘤嗡嗡(Why Mosquitoes Buzz inPoeple'sEars)。
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears.
by
Verna Aardema.
WHY MoSQUITOES BUZZ IN PEOPLE'S EARS.
One morning a mosquito saw an iguana drinking at
a waterhole. The mosquito said, "Iguana, you will never
believe what I saw yesterday."
"Try me," said the iguana.
The mosquito said, "I saw a farmer digging yams that
were almost as big as I am"
"What's a mosquito compared to a yam?" snapped the
iguana grumpily. "I would rather be deaf than listen to
such nonsense!" Then he stuck two sticks in his ears and
went off, mek, mek, mek, mek, through the reeds.
The iguana was still grumbling to himself when he
happened to pass by a python.
The big snake raised his head and said, "Good morning,
Iguana"
The iguana did not answer but lumbered on, bobbing
his head, badamin, badamin.
"Now, why won't he speak to me?" said the python to
himself. "Iguana must be angry about something. I'm
afraid he is plotting some mischief against me!" He be-
gan looking for somewhere to hide. The first likely place
he found was a rabbit hole, and in it he went, wasawusu,
wasawusu, wasawusu.
When the rabbit saw the big snake coming into her
burrow, she was terrified. She scurried out through her
back way and bounded, krik, krik, krik, across a clearing.
A crow saw the rabbit running for her life. He flew into
the forest crying kaa, kaa, kaa! It was his duty to spread
the alarm in case of danger.
A monkey heard the crow. He was sure that some
dangerous beast was prowling near. He began screeching
and leaping kili wili through the trees to help warn the
other animals.
As the monkey was crashing through the treetops, he
happened to land on a dead limb. It broke and fell on an
owl's nest, killing one of the owlets.
Mother Owl was not at home. For though she usually
hunted only in the night, this morning she was still out
searching for one more tidbit to satisfy her hungry babies.
When she returned to the nest, she found one of them
dead. Her other children told her that the monkey had
killed it. All that day and all that night, she sat in her tree
so sad, so sad, so sad!
Now it was Mother Owl who woke the sun each day
so that the dawn could come. But this time, when she
should have hooted for the sun, she did not do it.
The night grew longer and longer. The animals of the
forest knew it was lasting much too long. They feared
that the sun would never come back.
At last King Lion called a meeting of the animals. They
came and sat down, pem, pem, pem, around a council
fire. Mother Owl did not come, so the antelope was sent
to fetch her.
When she arrived, King Lion asked, "Mother Owl, why
have you not called the sun? The night has lasted long,
long, long, and everyone is worried."
Mother Owl said, "Monkey killed one of my owlets.
The king said to the gathered animals:
"Did you hear?
It was the monkey
who killed the owlet,
and now Mother Owl won't wake the sun
so that the day can come."
Then King Lion called the monkey. He came before
him nervously glancing from side to side, rim, rim, rim,
rim.
"Monkey," sand the King, "why did you kill one of Mother
Owl's babies?"
"Oh King," said the monkey, "it was the crow's fault. He
was calling and calling to warn us of danger. And I went
leaping through the trees to help. A limb broke under
me, and it fell taaa on the owl's nest."
The king said to the council:
"So, it was the crow
who alarmed the monkey,
who killed the owlet-
and now Mother Owl won't wake the sun
so that the day can come."
Then the king called for the crow. That big bird came
flapping up. He said, "King Lion, it was the rabbit's fault!
I saw her running for her life in the daytime. Wasn't that
reason enough to spread an alarm?"
The King nodded his head and said to the council:
"So, it was the rabbit
who startled the crow,
who alarmed the monkey,
who killed the owlet-
and now Mother Owl won't wake the sun
so that the day can come."
Then King Lion called the rabbit. The timid little crea-
ture stood before him, one trembling paw drawn up
uncertainly.
"Rabbit," cried the king. "Why did you break a law of
nature and go running, running, running, in the daytime?"
"Oh King," said the rabbit, "It was the python's fault.
I was in my house minding my own business when that
big snake came in and chased me out."
The king said to the council:
"So, it was the python
who scared the rabbit,
who startle the crow,
who alarmed the monkey,
who killed the owlet,
and now Mother Owl won't wake the sun
so that the day can come.
King Lion called the python, who came slitherin,
wasawusu, wasawusu, past the other animals. "But,
King," he cried, "It was the iguana's fault! He wouldn't
speak to me. And I thought he was plotting some mis-
chief against me. When I crawled into the rabbit's hole, I
was only trying to hide,"
The king said to the council:
"So, it was the iguana
who frightened the python,
who scared the rabbit,
who startled the crow,
who alarmed the monkey,
who killed the owlet,
and now Mother Owl won't wake the sun
so that the day can come."
Now the iguana was not at the meeting. For he had
not heard the summons.
The antelope was sent to fetch him.
All the animals laughed when they saw the iguana
coming, badamin, badamin, with the sticks still stuck in
his ears!
King Lion pulled out the sticks, purup, purup. Then he
asked, "Iguana, what evil have you been plotting against
the python?"
"None! None at all!" cried the iguana. "Python is my
friend!"
"Then why wouldn't you say good morning to me?"
demanded the snake.
"I didn't hear you, or even see your!" said the iguana,
"Mosquito told me such a big lie, I couldn't bear to listen
to it. So I put sticks in my ears."
"Nge, nge, nge," laughed the lion. "So that's why you
had sticks in your ears!"
"Yes," said the iguana. "It was the mosquito's fault,"
King Lion said to the council:
"So it was the mosquito
who annoyed the iguana,
who frightened the python,
who scared the rabbit,
who startled the crow,
who alarmed the monkey,
who killed the owlet,
and now Mother Owl won't wake the sun
so that the day can come."
"Punish the mosquito! Punish the mosquito!" cried all
the animals.
When Mother Owl heard that, she was satisfied. She
turned her head toward the east and hooted: "Hoo!
Hooooo! Hoooooooo!"
And the sun came up.
Meanwhile the mosquito had listened to it all from a
nearby bush. She crept under a curly leaf, semm, and
was never found and brought before the council.
But because of this the mosquito has a guilty con-
science. To this day she goes about whining in people's
ears: "Zeee! Is everyone still angry at me?"
When she does that, she gets an honest answer.
Once there was a peddler who sold caps.
But he was not like an ordinary peddler
Carrying his wares on his back.
He carried them on top of his head.
First he had on his own checked cap,
Checked cap,
Then a bunch of gray caps,
The a bunch of brown caps,
The a bunch of blue caps,
And on the very top a bunch of red caps.
He walded up and down the streets,
Holding himself very straight so as not to upset his caps.
As he went along he called,
“caps! Caps for sale!
Fifty cents a cap! ”
One morning
He
couldn’t
see any caps.
He walked up the street and he walked down the street calling,
“caps! Caps for sale!
Fifty cents a cap! ”
But nobody wanted any caps
That morning.
Nobody wated even a red cap.
He began to feel very hungry,
But he had no money for lunch.
“I think I’ll go for a walk in the country,”
Said he.
And he walked out of town—
Slowly,slowly,
So as not to upset his caps.
He walked for a long time
Until he came to a great big tree.
“that’s a nice place for a rest,”
Thought he.
And he sat down very slowly,under the tree
And leaned back little by little
Against the tree-trunk so as not to disturb the caps on his head.
Then he put up his hand to feel if they were straight—
First his own checked cap,
Then the grey caps,
Then the brown caps,
Then the blue caps,
Then the red caps on the very top.
They were all there.
So he went to sleep.
He slept for a long time.
When he woke up
He was refreshed and rested.
But before standing up
He felt with his hand to make sure his caps were in the right place.
All he felt was his own checked cap!
He lookded to the right of him.
No caps.
He looed to the left of him.
No caps.
He looked in back of him.
No caps.
He looked behind the tree.
No caps.
Then he looked up into the tree.
And what do you think he saw?
On every branch sat a monkey.
On every monkey was a gray, or a brown, or a blue, or a red cap!
The peddler looked at the monkeys.
The monkeys looked at the peddler.
He didn’t know what to do.
Finally he spoke to them.
“you monkeys,you,”
He said.
shaking a finger at them,
“you give me back my caps.”
But the monkeys only shook their fingers
back at him and said,
“TSZ,tsz,,tsz”
This made the peddler angry,
so he shook both hands
At them and said,
“you monkeys,you!
You give me back my caps.”
But the monkeys only shook both their hands
back at him and said,
“TSZ,tsz,,tsz”
Now he felt quite angry.
He stamped his foot,
And he said,
“you monkeys,you!
You better give me back my caps”
But the monkeys only stamped their feet
back at him and said,
“TSZ,tsz,,tsz”
By this time
the peddler was really
very ,very angry.
He stamped both his feet and
shouted ,”you monkeys,you!
You must give me back my caps!”
But the monkeys only stamped both their feet
back at him and said,
“TSZ,tsz,,tsz”
At last he became
so angry that he
pulled of his own caps,
threw it on the ground,and
began to walk away.
But then,
each monkey
pulled off
his cap…
and all the grey caps,
and all the brown caps,
and all the blue caps.
and all the red caps
came flying down
out of the tree.
So the peddler
picked up his caps and
put them back on his head—
first his own checked cap,
then the gray caps,
then the brown caps,
then the blue caps
then the red caps
on the very top.
And slowly,slowly,
He walked back to town calling,
“caps! Caps for sale!
Fifty cents a cap!”`
Have You Filled a Bucket Today? -----A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids
All day long, everyone in the whole wide world walks around carrying an invisible bucket.
You can't see it, but it's there.
You have a bucket.
Your mom and dad each have a bucket.
Your sister and brother have a bucket.
Your grandparents,friends, and neighbors all have a bucket.
Everyone carries an invisible bucket.
Your bucket has one purpose only.
Its purpose is to hold your good thoughts and good feelings about yourself.
You feel very happy and good when your bucket is full, and you feel very sad and lonely when your bucket is empty.
Other people feel the same way, too. They're happy when their buckets are full and they're sad when their buckets are empty.
It's great to have a full bucket and this is how it works.....
You need other people to fill your bucket and other people need you to fill theirs. So, how do you fill a bucket?
You fill a bucket when you show love to someone, when you say or do something kind, or even when you give someone a smile.
That's being a bucket filler.
A bucket filler is a loving, caring person who says or does nice thing that make others feel special.
When you make someone feel special, you are filling a bucket.
But, you can dip into a bucket and take out some good feelings. You dip into a bucket when you make fun of someone, when you say or do mean things, or even when you ignore someone.
That's being a bucket dipper.
A bully is a bucket dipper.
A bucket dipper says or does mean things that make others feel bad.
Many bucket dippers have an empty bucket. They think they can fill their own bucket by dipping into someone else's... but that will never work. You never fill your own bucket when you dip into someone else's.
But guess what.... when you fill someone's bucket, you fill your own bucket too! You feel good when you help others feel good.
All day long,we are either filling up or dipping into each other's bucket by what we say and what we do. Try to fill a bucket and see what happens.
You love your mom and dad. Why not tell them you love them? You can even tell them why. Your caring words will fill their buckets right up. Watch for smiles to light up their faces. You will feel like smiling too. A smile is a good clue that you have filled a bucket.
If you practice, you'll become a great bucket filler. Just remember that everyone carries an invisible bucket, and think of what you can say or do to fill it.
Here are some ideas for you.
You could smile and say"HI!" to the bus driver. He has a bucket too.
You could invite the new kid at school to play with you.
You could write a thank-you note to your teacher.
You could tell your grandpa that you like to spend time with him.
There are many ways to fill a bucket.
Bucket filling is fun and easy to do .
It doesn't matter how young or old you are.
It doesn't cost any money.
It doesn't take much time.
And remember, when you fill someone else's bucket, you fill your own bucket too.
When you are a bucket filler, you make your home, your school, and your neighborhood better places to be. Buckets filling makes everyone feel good.
So, why not decide to be a bucket filler today and every day? Just start each day by saying to yourself, " I'm going to do something to fill someone's bucket today." And, at the end of each day, ask yourself, "Did I fill a bucket today?" "Yes, I did!" that's the life of a bucket filler...
And that's YOU!
Little one, whoever you are, wherever you are, there are little ones just like you all over the world.
Their skin may be different from yours, and their homes may be different from yours.
Their school may be different from yours, and their lands may be different from yours.
Their lives may be different from yours, and their words may be very different from yours.
But inside, their hearts are just like yours, whoever you are, wherever you are, all over the world.
Their smiles are like yours, and they laugh just like you.
Their hurts are like yours, and they cry like you, too, whoever you are, wherever you are, all over the world.
Little one, when you are older and when you are grown, you may be different, and they may be different, wherever you are, wherever they are, in this big, wide world.
But remember this:
Joys are the same, and love is the same.
Pain is the same, and the blood is the same.
Smiles are the same, and hearts are just the same------
wherever they are, wherever you are, wherever we are, all over the world!
Have you ever planted a tomato seed? If you cover your seed with rich, dark soil and water it and make sure it gets plenty of sunlight, pretty soon a little green shoot will appear.
If you give it more water each day, the green shoot will turn into a big stalk with leaves and flowers. And then one day, a tomato will appear!
If you keep tending to your plant, more and more tomatoes will appear. Soon you will have so many tomatoes that you might have to go to the library for a tomato cookbook so you can learn to make tomato sauce and tomato soup.
Tomatoes will appear in your salad and next to your tuna fish. You will find tomato sandwiched in your lunchbox, tomato juice for a snack, and tomato paste for dinner. And one day, there will be so many tomatoes that your dad will suggest chopping them up to make tomato ice cream and tomato cookies!
All of those tomatoes will have come from one little seed that you planted and tended every day.
Did you know that worries are like tomatoes? No, you can’t eat them. But you can make them grow, simply by paying attention to them.
Many children tend to their worries, even though they don’t really mean to. And pretty soon, what might have started as just a little seed of worry has become a HUGE PILE OF PROBLMES that you don’t know how to get rid of.
If this has happened to you, if your worries have grown so big that they bother you almost every day, then this book is for you.
The bad news, as you know, is that worries can grow pretty fast and cause a lot of trouble.
The good news, which you may not know, is that you have the power to make the worries go away. You do.
A long time ago in China there was a boy named Ping who loved flowers. Anything he planted burst into bloom. Up flowers, bushes, and even big fruit trees, as if by magic!
Everyone in the kingdom loved flowers too.
They planted them everywhere, and the air smelled like perfume.
The emperor loved birds and animals, but flowers most of all, and he tended his own garden every day. But the Emperor was very old. He needed to choose a successor to the throne.
Who would his successor be? And how would the Emperor choose? Because the Emperor loved flowers so much, he decided to let the flowers choose.
The next day a proclamation was issued: All the children in the land were to come to the palace. They would be given special flower seeds by the Emperor. " Whoever can show their best in a year's time," he said, "will succeed me to the throne."
This news created great excitement throughout the land! Children from all over the country swarmed to the palace to get their flower seeds.
All the parents wanted their children to be chosen Emperor, and all the children hoped they would be chosen too!
When Ping received his seed from the Emperor, he was the happiest child of all. He was sure he could grow the most beautiful flower.
Ping filled a flowerpot with rich soil. He planted the seed in it very carefully.
He watered it everyday. He couldn't wait to see it sprout, grow, and blossom into a beautiful flower!
Day after day passed, but nothing grew in his pot.
Ping was very worried. He put new soil into a big pot. Then he transferred the seed into the rich black soil.
Another two months he waited. Still nothing happened. By and by the whole year passed.
Spring came, and all the children put on their best clothes to greet the Emperor. They rushed to the palace with their flowers, eagerly hoping to be chosen.
Ping was ashamed of his empty pot. He thought the other children would laugh at him because for once he couldn't get a flower to grow. His clever friend ran by, holding a great big plant. "Ping!" he said. " You're not really going to the Emperor with an empty pot, are you? Couldn't you grow a great flower like mine?" "I've grown lots of flowers better than yours," Ping said. "It's just this seed that won't grow."
Ping's father overheard this and said, " You did your best, and your best is good enough to present to the Emperor."
Holding the empty pot in his hands, Ping went straightaway to the palace.
The Emperor was looking at the flowers slowly, one by one. How beautiful all the flowers were! But the Emperor was frowning and did not say a word. Finally he came to Ping. Ping hung his head in shame, expecting to be punished.
The Emperor asked him, "Why did you bring an empty pot?" Ping started cry and replied, "I planted the seed you gave me and I watered every day, but it didn't sprout. I put it in a better pot with better soil, but still it didn't sprout! I tended it all year long, but nothing grew. So today I had to bring an empty pot without a flower. It was the best I could do."
When the Emperor heard these words, a smile slowly spread over his face, and he put his arm around Ping. Then he exclaimed to one and all. "I have found him! I have found the one person worthy of being Emperor!
"Where you got your seed from, I do not know. For the seeds I gave you had all been cooked. So it was impossible for any of them to grow.
"I admire Ping's great courage to appear before me with the empty truth, and now I reward him my entire kingdom and make him Emperor of all the land!
Once upon a time
there was a Little House
way out in the country.
She was a pretty Little House
and she was strong and well built.
The man who built her so well said,
"This Little House shall never be sold
for gold or silver and she will live to see
our great-great-grandchildren's
great-great-grandchildren living in her."
The Little House
was very happy
as she sat on the hill
and watched the countryside around her.
She watched the sun rise in the morning
and she watched the sun set in the evening.
Day followed day,
each one a little different
from the one before.
but the Little House stayed
just the same.
In the nights
she watched the moon grow
from a thin new moon to a full moon,
then back again to a thin old moon;
and when there was no moon
she watched the stars.
Way off in the distance
she could see the lights of the city.
The Little House was curious about the city
and wondered what it would be like to live there.
Time passed - quickly
for the Little House
as she watched the countryside
slowly change with the seasons.
In the Spring,
when the days grew longer
and the sun warmer,
she waited for the first robin
to return from the South.
She watched the grass turn green.
She watched the buds on the trees swell
and the apple trees burst into blossom
She watched the children
playing in the brook.
In the long Summer days
she sat in the sun
and watched the trees
cover themselves with leaves
and the white daisies cover the hill.
She watched the gardens grow,
and she watched the apples turn red and ripen.
She watched the children swimming in the
pool.
In the Fall,
when the days grew shorter
and the nights colder,
she watched the first frost
turn the leaves to bright yellow
and orange and red.
She watched the harvest gathered
and the apples picked.
She watched the children
going back to school.
In the Winter,
when the nights were long and the days short,
and the countryside covered with snow,
she watched the children
coasting and skating.
Year followed year.
The apple trees grew old
and new ones were planted.
The children grew up
and went away to the city.
and now at night
the lights of the city
seemed brighter and closer.
One day
the Little House
was surprised to see
a horseless carriage coming down
the winding country road.
Pretty soon there were more of them
on the road and fewer carriages pulled bay horses.
Pretty soon along came a steam shovel and dug a road
through the hill covered with daisies.
Then some trucks came and dumped big stones on the road,
then some trucks with little stones,
then some trucks with tar and sand,
and rolled it all smooth,
and the road was done.
Now the Little House
watched the trucks and automobiles
going back and forth to the city.
Gasoline stations.
roadside stands.
and small houses
followed the new road.
Everyone and everything
moved much faster now than before.
More roads were made,
and the countryside was divided into lots.
More houses and bigger houses.
apartment houses and tenement houses-
schools- stores- and garages.
spread over the land
and crowded around the Little House.
No one wanted to live in her
and take care of her any more.
She couldn't be sold for gold or silver,
so she just stayed there and watched.
Now it was not so quiet and peaceful at night.
Now the lights of the city were bright and very close,
and the street lights shone all night.
"This must be living in the city."
thought the Little House,
and didn't know whether she liked it or not.
She missed the field of daisies
and the apple trees dancing in the moonlight.
Pretty soon
there were trolley cars
going back and forth
in front of the Little House.
They went back and forth
all day and part of the night.
Everyone seemed to be very busy
and everyone seemed to be in a hurry.
Pretty soon there was an elevated train
going back and forth above the Little House.
The air was filled with dust and smoke,
and the noise was so loud
that it shook the Little House.
Now she couldn't tell when Spring came,
or Summer or Fall, or Winter.
It all seemed about the same.
Pretty soon
there was a subway
going back and forth
underneath the Little House.
She couldn't see it,
but she could feel and hear it.
People were moving faster and faster.
No one noticed the Little House any more.
They hurried by without a glance.
Pretty soon they tore down
the apartment houses and tenement houses
around the Little House
and started digging big cellars- one on each side.
The steam shovels dug down three stories on one side
and thirty-five stories on the other.
Now the Little House only saw the sun at noon,
and didn't see the moon or stars at night at all
because the lights of the city were too bright
She didn't like living in the city.
At night she used to dream of the country
and the field of daisies
and the apple trees
dancing in the moonlight.
The Little House
was very sad and lonely.
Her paint was cracked and dirty-
Her windows were broken and her shutters hung crookedly.
She looked shabby- though she was just as good a house as ever underneath.
Then one fine morning in Spring
along came the great-great-granddaughter
of the man who built the Little House so well.
She saw the shabby Little House, but she didn't hurry by
There was something about the Little House
that made her stop and look again.
She said to her husband,
"That Little House looks just like the Little House
my grandmother lived in when she was a little girl,
only that Little House was way out in the country
on a hill covered with daisies
and apple trees growing around."
They found out it was the very same house,
so they went to the Movers to see
if the Little House could be moved.
The Movers looked the Little House all over
and said, "Sure, this house is as good as ever.
She's built so well we could move her anywhere."
So they jacked up the Little House
and put her on wheels.
Traffic was held up for hours
as they slowly moved her
out of the city.
At first
the Little House
was frightened,
but after she got used to it
she rather liked it
They rolled along the big road,
and they rolled along the little roads,
until they were way out in the country.
When the Little House saw the green grass
and heard the birds singing, she didn't feel sad any more.
They went along and along, but they couldn't seem to find
just the right place.
They tried the Little House here,
and they tried her there.
Finally they saw a little hill
in the middle of a field-
and apple trees growing around.
"There," said the great-great-granddaughter,
"that's just the place."
"Yes, it is," said the Little House to herself.
A cellar was dug on top of the hill
and slowly they moved the house
from the road to the hill
The windows and shutters were fixed
and once again they painted her
a lovely shade of pink.
As the Little House settled down
on her new foundation,
she smiled happily.
Once again she could watch
the sun and moon and stars.
Once again she could watch
Spring and Summer
and Fall and Winter
come and go
Once again
she was lived in
and taken care of.
Never again would she be curious about the city.
Never again would she want to live there.
The stars twinkled above her .
A new moon was coming up.
It was Spring.
and all was quiet and peaceful in the country.
When the chameleon moved slowlyacross the yellow sand, it turned yellowish. You could hardly see it.
When the chameleon was warm andhad something to eat,
it turned sparkling green.
But when it was cold and hungry,it turned grey and dull.
When the chameleon was hungry, itsat still and waited.
Only its eyes moved---up, down,sideways---until it spotted a fly.
Then the chameleon’s long andsticky tongue shot out and caught the fly.
That was its life. It was not very exciting. But one day…
the chameleon saw a zoo! It had never seen so many beautiful animals.
The chameleon thought: Howsmall I am, how slow, how weak!
I wish I could be big and white like a polarbear.
And the chameleon’s wish cametrue. But was it happy? No!
Iwish I could be handsome like a flamingo.
Iwish I could be smart like a fox.
Iwish I could swim like a fish.
Iwish I could run like a deer.
Iwish I could see things far away like a giraffe.
Iwish I could hide in a shell like a turtle.
Iwish I could be strong like an elephant.
Iwish I could be funny like a seal.
Iwish I could be like people. Justthen a fly flew by. The chameleon wasvery hungry. But the chameleon was verymixed-up. It was a little of this and itwas a little of that. And it couldn’tcatch the fly.
Iwish I could be myself. Thechameleon’s wish came true.
Itwas night and some fireflies danced around the moon.
Atfive o’clock in the morning the sun came up. A friendly ladybug flew in from the left. It saw a leaf with many aphids on it, anddecided to have them for breakfast. Butjust then a grouchy ladybug flew in from the right. It too saw the aphids and wanted them forbreakfast.
“Goodmorning,” said the friendly ladybug.
“Goaway!” shouted the grouchy ladybug. “Iwant those aphids.”
“Wecan share them,” suggested the friendly ladybug.
“No.They’re mine, all mine,” screamed the grouchy ladybug.
“Ordo you want to fight me for them?”
“Ifyou insist,” answered the friendly ladybug sweetly.
Itlooked the other bug straight in the eye.
Thegrouchy ladybug stepped back..
Itlooked less sure of itself.
“Oh,you’re not big enough for me to fight,” it said.
“Thenwhy don’t you pick on somebody bigger?”
“I’lldo that!” screeched the grouchy ladybug.
“I’llshow you!” It puffed itself up and flew off.
Atsix o’clock it met a yellow jacket. “Heyyou,” said the grouchy ladybug.
“Want to fight?” “If youinsist,” said the yellow jacket, showing its stinger.
“Oh, you’re not big enough,” said thegrouchy ladybug and flew off.
Atseven o’clock it met a stag beetle. “Heyyou,” said the grouchy ladybug.
“Want to fight?” “If youinsist,” said the stag beetle, opening its jaws.
“Oh, you’re not big enough,” said thegrouchy ladybug and flew off.
Ateight o’clock it came across a praying mantis.
“Heyyou,” said the grouchy ladybug.
“Want to fight?” “If you insist,” said the praying mantis,
reaching out with its long front legs.
“Oh, you’re not big enough,” said thegrouchy ladybug and flew off.
At nine o’clock it almost flew into asparrow.
“Hey you,” said the grouchy ladybug.
“Want to fight?” “If youinsist,” said the sparrow, opening its sharp beak.
“Oh, you’re not big enough,” said thegrouchy ladybug and flew off.
At ten o’clock it saw a lobster. “Hey you,” said the grouchy ladybug.
“Want to fight?” “If you insist,” said the lobster, stretchingits claws.
“Oh, you’re not big enough,” said thegrouchy ladybug and flew off.
Ateleven o’clock it bumped into a skunk.
“Hey you,” said the grouchy ladybug.
“Want to fight?” “If you insist,” said the skunk, starting tolift its tail.
“Oh, you’re not big enough,” said thegrouchy ladybug and flew off.
Attwelve noon it spotted a boa constrictor.
“Heyyou,” said the grouchy ladybug.
“Want to fight?” “If you insis-s-s-t,” said the snake, “rightafter lunch.”
“Oh, you’re not big enough,” said thegrouchy ladybug and flew off.
At one o’clock it happened upon a hyena.
“Heyyou,” said the grouchy ladybug.
“Want to fight?” “If you insist,” said the hyena,
laughing eerily and showing its teeth.
“Oh, you’re not big enough,” said thegrouchy ladybug and flew off.
At two o’clock it met a gorilla. “Hey you,” said the grouchy ladybug.
“Want to fight?” “If you insist,” said the gorilla, beatingits chest.
“Oh, you’re not big enough,” said thegrouchy ladybug and flew off.
At three o’clock it ran into arhinoceros.
“Heyyou,” said the grouchy ladybug.
“Want to fight?” “If you insist,” said the rhinoceros, lowingits horn.
“Oh, you’re not big enough,” said thegrouchy ladybug and flew off.
Atfour o’clock it encountered an elephant.
“Heyyou,” said the grouchy ladybug.
“Want to fight?” “If you insist,” said the elephant,
raising its trunk and showing its bigtusks.
“Oh, you’re not big enough,” said thegrouchy ladybug and flew off.
At five o’clock it met a whale. “Hey you,” said the grouchy ladybug.
“Want to fight?” But the whale did not answer at all.
“You’re not big enough, anyway” said thegrouchy ladybug and flew off.
At five fifteen the grouchy ladybug saidto one of the whale’s flappers,
“Hey you, want to fight?” But it got no answer. So it flew on.
At five thirty the grouchy ladybug saidto the whale’s fin,
“Hey you, want to fight?” But it got no answer. So it flew on.
At a quarter to six the grouchy ladybugsaid to the whale’s tail,
“Hey you, want to fight?” And the whale’s tail gave the grouchy ladybugsuch a SLAP… that it flew across the sea and across the land.
At six o’clock
the grouchy ladybug arrived right backwhere it had started from.
“Ah, here you are again,” said thefriendly ladybug.
“You must be hungry.
These are still some aphids left.
You can have them for dinner.”
“Oh, thank you,” said the wet, tired,and hungry ladybug.
Soon all the aphids were gone. “Thank you,” said the leaf.
“You are welcome,” answered bothladybugs, and they went to sleep.
He’ll ask you for your lunchbox.
When you give him your lunchbox, he’ll want a sandwich –
And a snack for later.
Then he’ll need a notebook and some pencils.
He’ll probably want to share your backpack, too.
When you get to school,
He’ll put his things in your locker and take a look around.
He might do a little math, and spell a word or two.
He’ll even try a science experiment!
Then he’ll need to wash up.
You’ll have to take him to the bathroom.
Once he’s nice and clean,
He’ll be ready for his lunch.
One the way to the lunchbox, he’ll see some building blocks.
He’ll build a little mouse house.
And make some furniture out of clay.
Then he’ll need some books for his bookshelf.
He’ll start by writing one of his own,
So he’ll need a lot of paper.
He’ll probably use up all your pencils.
When he’s finished, he’ll want to read his book to you.
Then he’ll want to take it home.
So he’ll put it in your lunchbox,
And tuck it in a safe place.
When the bell rings,
He’ll run out to wait for the bus.
While he’s waiting,
He’ll play a quick game of soccer.
Then he’ll ask you to shoot a few baskets,
And do a little skateboarding.
When he stops to catch his breath,
he’ll want to eat his snack.
So he’ll ask you for your …
Lunchbox. And chances are,
if he asks you for your lunchbox,
you’ll have to take him
back to school.