Fios, Veva, And The Suspicious Delicious Gluten Monsters

The morning started just like every other morning. Fios and Veva climbed
into their chairs at the table for breakfast. A glass of chocolate milk and
a bowl of cereal was on the menu. Fios didn't hesitate to start the
devouring process. He chomped and crunched the cereal and gulped the milk.
Veva started a little more lady like. She took small bites and sipped her
milk. She had just scooped up another bite and was lifting her spoon to her
mouth when it happened. Out of her spoon popped up a little monster. It had
been hiding in her cereal. Veva screamed and dropped her spoon to the
table. She watched as the little monster ran across the table and jumped
back into her cereal bowl. Fios stared wide eyed as Veva tried to tell him
about the little monster. He looked at her bowl, but he didn't see anything
but delicious cereal. Knowing that without seeing the monster Fios would
never believe her Veva picked up her spoon and at arms length and plunged
it into her bowl. She stirred it around and retrieved another scoop of
cereal. She held it in front of Fios, but there was no monster. She tried
again, and again, but every time the spoon had nothing but cereal. With
Fios's growing disbelief Veva knew it was hopeless. The monster was gone.
With the skill of a bomb tech expert she delicately lifted her bowl.
Gracefully she carried it to the sink and poured in down the drain.

The rest of the morning went without any problems. They played and
colored and did their school work. They helped Mommy with some housework.
It didn't take very long before Veva's stomach started hurting. She thought
it was because she hadn't eaten very much for breakfast. Luckily Mommy was
already making lunch. Chocolate sandwiches, Fios and Veva's favorite. They
washed their hands and climbed back into their chairs. Veva looked at the
delicious looking sandwich suspiciously. She wondered if there was another
monster in her lunch like the one in her breakfast. She drank her water
reluctant to pick up her sandwich. Despite the fact that her tummy was
hurting she couldn't bring herself to take a bite. She looked at Fios who
was once again devouring his food in typical Fios fashion. To Veva's
surprise there was another monster poking it's head out of Fios's sandwich.
She saw it, and it saw her. Veva yelled "Stop Fios, stop eating your
sandwich". The monster sprang from the sandwich and landed on the table.
Veva didn't know what to do. It ran past Fios's cup and was about to jump
off the table. Then Veva realized that she was still holding her cup, and
it was empty. She turned her cup upside down and slammed in over the
monster, trapping the little thing. The two children peered through the
glass at the little monster.

"What is it?" Fios wondered. It was a strange looking little thing. It
looked like a piece of food, kind of. It had flaky skin with little spikes
everywhere. It had big eyes, a lot of arms and legs, and a spiky tail.

Veva explained "It's the same monster that was in my cereal this morning."

"I'm a Gluten Monster" the little prisoner corrected from inside the
glass.

The children where shocked that the monster could talk. "Why were you
hiding inside my sandwich?" Fios asked the Gluten Monster.

"Why where you trying to eat my house?" the Gluten Monster asked back.

That didn't make any sense at all to the children. They weren't eating the
monster's house. They were just trying to eat their food. First Veva this
morning, and now Fios at lunch. "We never ate your house." Veva said to the
monster. "At breakfast I was just eating my bowl of cereal and you jumped
out and scared me."

The monster was shocked. "I don't live in cereal. I live in bread. That
was a different Gluten Monster, not me."

About that time Veva's stomach started hurting again. She put her hands
over it and tried not to cry. It hurt really bad though. "I didn't eat much
breakfast and now my tummy hurts because I'm so hungry" she told the
monster.

The Gluten Monster looked very sad as he said, "I don't think your tummy
is hurting because you need to eat. I think it's hurting because you
accidentally ate a Gluten Monster this morning.Our spiky skin will hurt
your tummy if you eat us." The Gluten Monster started to cry. "Why did you
eat a Gluten Monster?" he asked Veva.

Veva started crying too. Not because her stomach was hurting but because
she felt bad for the little monster. "I didn't know there where any Glutens
in my food" she sobbed.

"We make our homes in anything that has wheat in it" the Gluten told the
children. "Things like some cookies, cake, bread, and cereals. If it's
something delicious, you should be suspicious."

Fios and Veva decided to let the Gluten Monster go free. He thanked them
and climbed back into the sandwich that he called home. The children went
running to their Mommy and told her all about the Gluten Monster and what
had happened. Mommy made the children a new lunch with out any Glutens in
it. From that point on Mommy checked everything the family ate to see if it
contained any possible Glutens. Never again did they eat anything that
Glutens lived in. Everyone was happy again.

My Puppy Did It!

Mommy and Daddy uncovered a spill on the rug.
Some kind of juice that most likely had stained.
"It wasn't me, my puppy did it",
Their wide eyed little girl explained.

Mommy and Daddy noticed toys scattered about.
Instead of being picked up and put away.
"It wasn't me, my puppy did it",
Their little girl said while she continued to play.

Mommy and Daddy found a mess in the kitchen.
Candy and wrappers all over the place.
"It wasn't me, my puppy did it",
Their little girl smiled with chocolate on her face.

Mommy and Daddy saw paintings on the wall.
They hoped that someone would confess.
"It wasn't me, my puppy did it",
Their little girl blamed in her paint stained dress.

Mommy and Daddy discovered a messy bathroom.
Bath toys and bubbles where the water did flow.
"It wasn't me, my puppy did it",
Their little girl stated soaked from head to toe.

Mommy and Daddy watched a tired little girl.
Trying her best to keep her eyes open.
"I'm not tired, but my puppy is",
Their little girl whispered while dozing off again.

Told on Mar. 5, 2011

Picking Blue Flowers

If you pick your nose like some children do,
What do you do with your sticky green goo?

Do you ever put it in your pocket to keep,
Or under your pillow when you go to sleep?

Do you wrap it up in a tissue so neat,
Or disregard your mucusy treat?

Here is a secret that very few know,
If you wipe it in grass it will grow.

At first it will start out so very small,
Then it will take off and grow up real tall.

It will sprout green leaves from the ground,
Then top itself off with a pretty blue crown.

Instead of picking and flicking them gone,
Wipe those boogers in a green grassy lawn.

Always remember this little bit of advise,
You could find yourself in a blue paradise.

Me, "Why do you have your finger in your nose?"
Ava, "To get my boogers."
Me, "What do you do with your boogers?"
Ava, "I put them in the grass."
Me, "Why?"
Ava, "Because they grow into blue flowers."

Told on Feb. 17, 2011

Summer Day

There once was a little girl named Summer Day. All that she wanted was to
be able to go outside and play. The only problem was that it was cold and
wintery outside. She couldn't go play when it was so chilly, she might get
sick. So Summer waited. She sat by her bedroom window and watched as the
winter slowly passed by. Finally she couldn't stand being cooped up in her
house any longer. She didn't care how cold it was she was going outside to
play. She put her coat and hat on and out the door she ran. She ran and
jumped and played all day long. While she was outside it actually started
getting warmer. By mid-day there was no longer a chill in the air. Summer
was so happy to be outside that she played until she fell asleep outside in
the yard. Her mother and father carried her to her bed. They knew that now
that it was nice outside that Summer was going to be outside every day.
While Summer slept that night she dreamed about all the fun she was going
to have over the next few months. Playing outside was her favorite thing to
do. She was so happy that now she could play, at least until winter came
again.

Told on Jan. 24, 2011

What Do Clams Do For Fun?

What do clams
do for fun?
They don't play ball,
they can not run.

They don't like
watching cartoons.
They don't play with toys
in their bedrooms.

They don't go
outside to play.
They live outside
every single day.

They don't color,
paint, or draw.
They do none of
those things at all.

They don't read books,
they can not see.
They have no eyes
like you and me.

They don't have feet,
they don't have hands.
It must be tough
to just be clams.

So what exactly
do they do?
They're so different
from me and you.

I really don't know
what clams do.
Except talk about
what we do too.

Told on Jan. 22, 2011

Puppy Gets A Splinter

It was the first sunny day since winter and puppy couldn't wait to go
outside and play. Right after breakfast he rushed out the door to go play
in the woods. Puppy loved to play in the woods by his house. Whenever it
was nice outside that's where he was at. He ran into the woods stirring up
the woodland critters as he ran past them. A few birds took to the sky as
puppy trampled through the underbrush. Puppy spotted a lizard scurrying
along a fallen tree trunk. He decided to chase the lizard. Puppy jumped up
onto the tree trunk and raced towards the lizard. Puppy was so busy
watching the lizard that he didn't see the small broken limb in his path.
Puppy stepped on the limb and started crying immediately. A small splinter
from the limb stuck into the bottom of puppy's paw. It hurt so bad and
puppy didn't know what to do. He climbed down from the tree very carefully
so he didn't use his hurt paw. Then he hopped home with his injured paw
raised up in the air. It took a long time to hop all the way home. Once
puppy was home mommy puppy came to find out why puppy was crying. Puppy
told her about the lizard and what had happened. She took a look at his
paw. Then she reached down very carefully and pulled the splinter from his
paw. Mommy puppy made puppy's paw feel a lot better. He was very lucky to
have a mommy puppy with such great splinter extraction skills. After that
puppy tried to pay better attention to his surroundings. He couldn't wait
until tomorrow so he could go outside and play again.

Told on Jan. 18, 2011

The Cranky Spider

It was past nap time and Baby Spider was very cranky. Nothing would make
him happy. He didn't want a drink. He didn't want food. He needed a nap,
but he didn't want to sleep either.

Mommy and Daddy Spider didn't know what to do. They tried rocking him, he
just cried. They tried bouncing him, he just cried even louder. They tried
laying him in his web but that didn't help at all. He climbed right out of
his web and cried for somebugy to pick him up. Daddy Spider picked him up.
Baby Spider cried and reached for Mommy Spider. She took Baby Spider from
Daddy Spider but it didn't help. Baby Spider cried ever louder then before.
Then Mommy Spider saw what the problem was. When Baby Spider was crying
with his mouth wide open Mommy Spider could see that Baby Spider was
cutting a tooth. His gums were red and looked sore. Mommy Spider went and
got a frozen bug from the refrigerator and placed it into Baby Spider's
mouth. He stopped crying and reached up to see what it was. He pulled the
frozen bug out and looked at it for a second. Then he placed it back into
his mouth. The cold bug on his sore gums felt good. It numbed it enough
that he could finally take his overdue nap. When Baby Spider woke up from
his nap he was in a lot better mood. Mommy Spider looked into Baby Spider's
mouth and saw a new little bitty fang. Baby Spider had gotten his very
first tooth. Everybugy was very happy for Baby Spider. They were also happy
that he had stopped crying.

Told on Jan. 17, 2011

Frogs On Ice

It was a cold wintery morning and the pond was frozen over. The only sign
of life was resting atop the exposed lily pads. There sat two frogs trying
to decide what to do. They were upset because the cold weather had ruined
their plans.

"Well, we can't go fishing," Hoppsy said to Croaker. Hoppsy was a very
pretty frog. She had light green spots and long eyelashes.

Croaker responded after a long silence, "I would suggest swimming, but
the pond is frozen solid." Croaker was more brown then green. He had strong
jumping legs and they helped him swim fast too. Croaker stepped from his
lily pad to the surface of the pond. He was showing Hoppsy that they
wouldn't be able to swim. The ice was cold and slippery and Croaker slid
away from the lily pad patch. Hoppsy stepped off her lily pad to join
Croaker, spinning as she slid.She spun and slid and laughed as she went.

Croaker started laughing too. Hoppsy slid right into Croaker knocking
them both to the ice. They both started laughing even louder. They decided
to spend the rest of the day playing on the frozen pond. They slipped and
slid and spun out of control. It was the most fun they had in a long time.

Told on Jan. 10, 2011

Animals Alike

There once was a puppy that swam like a guppy
There once was a guppy that barked like a puppy

There once was a cat that was blind like a bat
There once was a bat that purred like a cat

There once was a dog that hopped like a frog
There once was a frog that chased cats like a dog

There once was a lark that had teeth like a shark
There once was a shark that ate worms like a lark

There once was a hare that was fast as a mare
There once was a mare that hopped like a hare

There once was a fox that worked like an ox
There once was an ox that was sly like a fox

There once was a doe that cackled like a crow
There once was a crow that frightened like a doe

Told on Jan. 9, 2011

Oxford The Furry Alligator

Everyone knows that alligators have rough tough skin. Everyone is wrong.

When Oxford hatched he was covered from snout to tail in a soft light
green fur. He was the cutest little alligator around. All of the other
alligators thought it was strange but they loved Oxford regardless. One day
a zoologist came to the swamp and asked Oxford if he wanted to travel
around the world. Oxford agreed because he had always wanted to travel to
new places. He packed his things, a single brush, and headed out into the
world. He traveled from zoo to zoo appearing as a special guest. He became
famous over night. All over the world people wanted to see the furry
alligator. Oxford enjoyed the attention for a while but he also missed his
family and friends. One day he decided to give up his fame and go back to
his swamp. What Oxford didn't know was once you're famous you can't just
give it up. The paparazzi followed him home and wouldn't let him relax with
his family for a second. All that he wanted was his old life back, but his
fans wouldn't let that happen. Oxford called a huge press conference and
invited every news channel that there was. They all gathered anxiously
awaiting another peak at the furry alligator. When Oxford emerged he was as
bald as a baby's bottom. He had shaved off all of his beautiful fur. The
news casters were shocked. The nation was shocked. Oxford told them that
now he was the same as every other alligator. The world was sad but they
soon forgot about Oxford the furry alligator. He eventually grew his fur
back out once he was no longer of anyone's interest. Then he was able to go
back to being himself. Never again did he dream of being famous. Through
the entire experience Oxford learned that it wasn't his fur that made him
who he was, it was his alligatorness that defined him.

Told no Jan. 8, 2011

Rocket The Rooster

It was morning time on the farm. Rocket the rooster sounded the alarm to
let everyone know it was time to wake up. Just like clockwork out of the
Chick-Inn-House popped the little heads of the chicklets.

They immediately started in with their chirping about the day. "So, what
are we going to do today," they asked each other. One suggested "lets go
down by the pond."
"Yes, yes, yes," they all agreed simultaneously in their typical chicklet
fashion.
One of the other chicklets said, "First lets dig for grubs," while she
pecked the ground.
"Yes, yes, yes," they all agreed again.
"Before that," another chicklet interrupted, "we should go make sure the
rest of the animals are awake."
"Yes, yes, yes," they all replied and hurried off toward the bard.

Rocket just sat on the fence watching the little chicks try to decide
what they wanted to do first. He watched them make their way over to the
barn. They stopped to talk three times and changed directions twice before
they eventually made it to their original destination. Rocket decided that
he needed to think of something to keep the chicklets occupied so they
weren't bothering the other animals all day. After a few minutes the
chicklets exited the barn and made their way back over to the fence that
Rocket was still perched atop. Rocket said to the chicklets, "I really
could use your help. Do you think that any of you have time to help me?"

"Yes, yes, yes, we can help you Rocket," they all chirped in at once.

Rocket continued, "could you all sneak up to the farm house? Be very
quiet and listen outside the kitchen window. Then come back and tell me
what the farmer is planning for supper tonight."

The chicklets happily hobbled off toward their newest destination. Rocket
thought to himself, "That should keep them quiet and out of everyone's hair
for a while. Just like Rocket had planned, it was a nice and quiet day.

It wasn't until early evening that the chicklets returned from their
detective mission. They excitedly went over to Rocket to tell their
findings. "The farmer and his wife are having pie for supper," they all
told at once.

Rocket thought that was a strange meal to have for supper but he hardly
cared. He was just grateful for the quiet day.

Then the chicklets said, "You haven't heard the best part yet." The
chicklets could hardly contain their excitement. They continued, "The
farmer told his wife that Rocket the rooster was going to be their special
guest tonight. You get to have supper with the farmers," the chicklets said
with so much enthusiasm that they were all jumping up and down.

The look on Rocket's face was priceless.

Told on Jan. 7, 2011

The Mouse Story

On a cold city night there was a squeaky little mouse named Chillón
Ratón. Like most mice she loved cheese. Yellow cheese, white cheese, smelly
cheese, cheese with holes in it, it didn't matter to her. She loved it all.
One night while Chillón Ratón was walking down a street she smelled some
cheese coming from the other end of a dark alley. The alley was between a
restaurant and a deli. She knew that it wasn't safe to go down a dark alley
all alone. She tried to ignore the smell of the cheese but it was too
strong and it lured her in. She slipped into the shadows and made her way
towards the smell. She scurried along as quickly and as quietly as she
could. She followed the yummy scent of the cheese until the alley ended.
There, in the soft glow of a single flickering light was a round log of
cheese. Chillón Ratón glanced around quickly and then dashed out of her
shadowy protection and towards her delicious prize.
If she had taken her time surveying the area she would have noticed two
glowing eyes of a hungry alley cat watching her. The alley cat was Senor
Don Gato. This was not the first time Senor Don Gato had lured a mouse with
his cheese trick. Out came the little mouse with her eyes on the cheese.
Likewise, out came Senor Don Gato with his eyes on the mouse.
She had almost made it to the cheese when she noticed the large alley cat
racing towards her. Chillón Ratón quickly tried to change directions but
Senor Don Gato was a little faster. He cut off her escape and trapped her
in a corner. As Senor Don Gato was moving in for his meal Chillón Ratón
pleaded for her life. "My name is Chillón Ratón," she exclaimed. "I know
that you are hungry but trust me, you do not want to eat me."
Senor Don Gato kept creeping closer with every intention of making this
little mouse a quick meal. Out of politeness he responded to the mouse.
"Chillón Ratón," he addressed his prey, "I am Senor Don Gato the alley cat.
I am very hungry so I assure you that I do indeed want to eat you." His
smile widened as he took another step closer.
"No! No!," exclaimed Chillón Ratón, "what I meant was if you eat me you
will get your meal, but it will only be one meal. If you let me live I can
promise you as many meals as you want."
This did peak the interests of Senor Don Gato, but he was aware of the
trickeries of a fearful mouse with nothing to lose. He inquired, "Please do
tell of the limitless food that you speak of."
Chillón Ratón explained her plan. "Senor Don Gato, your alley is between
a restaurant and a deli. Both of those establishments loath mice. If you
let me go I will sneak into them, when the owners see me they will surely
be upset. That's when you come into the picture. You run in and snatch me
up in your mouth, ever so carefully," she added. "When the people see what
a great help you are to them they will reward you with scraps of food. What
I get for my role with this plan is one; I get to live, two; you give me a
portion of the scraps."
Senor Don Gato liked the sound of Chillón Ratón's plan. He decided that
even if it was a plan for her to escape it was worth the risk because of
the possible rewards. "Chillón Ratón," he addressed her, "I will take my
chances and trust you. Let us see what you can do," and he backed out of
the way allowing Chillón Ratón to pass by unharmed.
Chillón Ratón hurried over to the restaurant and made her way through a
small crack in the door. She scurried around inside the kitchen area until
someone noticed her. The person inside yelled springing Senor Don Gato into
action. He leapt through an open window and immediately spotted Chillon
Raton cornered again. Only this time instead of being trapped by an alley
cat she was now trapped by a frightened human with a broom. Senor Don Gato
raced across the floor scooping up the little mouse as gently as he could
in his mouth. Chillón Ratón fell limp as she lay hanging from the alley
cats mouth. The broom holder stopped yelling and went and opened the door
leading Senor Don Gato back out into his alley. He willingly exited laying
the still motionless mouse on the ground outside. The door stayed open
until the person returned with a bowl of food and a bowl of warm milk, just
like Chillón Raón had promised. The person patted Senor Don Gato on the
head and closed the door behind him.
As soon as the door clicked shut Chillón Ratón looked up at her new
partner and smiled. "Well, what do you think?" she asked the hungry cat.
"I think that you and I are going to be very good friends," Senor Don
Gato replied. The two sat together and ate their meal. It was the best meal
either of them had ever had. The next night it was the deli's turn and
things went just as planned again. Scurrying mouse, yelling person, heroic
cat, and a warm plate of food. From that day on the two of them were the
best of friends.
Told on Jan. 6, 2011

Pet Tails

There once was a kitty named Fluffy
She loved to purr and play
Balls of string, and cat like things
Is what Fluffy did all day

There once was a puppy named Tooter
He loved to dig and bark
Running around, the entire town
Is what Tooter did until dark

One day dear Fluffy met Tooter
And Tooter met Fluffy as well
A kitty and puppy, they were so lucky
To both be named after their tail

Told on Jan. 5, 2011

Chirp Chirp The Wingless Bird

There once was born a baby bird named Chirp Chirp. He was born without
any wings. Instead of wings all he had were little stumps. He could wiggle
and move his stumps, but they were no good for flying. Chirp Chirp lived
his entire chickhood like this. He watched all of the other birds fly and
admired their abilities. He dreamed of being able to fly like other birds.

One day while Chirp Chirp was hopping around on the ground he saw an
eagle soar overhead. The eagle was beautiful and graceful. Chirp Chirp
watched in amazement. The eagle glided with ease, he made it look so
effortless. When the eagle flapped his huge powerful wings a single feather
fluttered towards the ground. Chirp Chirp watched the feather on its
journey down. The feather landed not too far from where Chirp Chirp was
standing. He decided to go take a look at the feather. He hopped over to
the feather and looked at how pretty the single feather was.

Then Chirp Chirp had an idea. He thought that if he could find enough
feathers then he might be able to make a pair of wings for himself. He
started searching around for any fallen feathers that he could find. In no
time he had enough feathers to start his project. He gathered some twigs
and set to work making a pair of wings. He tirelessly worked weaving with
his beak until his wings were complete. He made them so that they would fit
over his stumps like a glove, nice and tight. He slipped them on and
flapped his stumps. His feet came off the ground slightly then he landed
back with a thud. He didn't give up. He tried again but took a running
start this time. He ran, he flapped, and off he flew into the air to join
the rest of his kind. It took some time for him to get use to his new
wings. He kept trying until he was as comfortable in the sky as he was on
the ground.

Just because Chirp Chirp was born a little different it didn't stop him
from flying as high as his dreams could take him.

Told on Jan. 4, 2011

Zoomy Cow

There once was a zoomy cow. He didn't have any legs, instead he had big
blue wheels. He used them to race to and fro, this way and that. He raced
everywhere he went. He would race around the barn. He was super fast. He
would zoom zoom zoom all over there place. None of the other farm animals
could keep up with him because he was a zoomy cow. Zoomy cow's are the
fastest cows on the planet.

One day he noticed that one of his wheels was bent. He didn't know how it
had happened. He didn't remember hurting his wheel but it was surly bent.
His wheel wouldn't zoom very fast at all.This made zoomy cow very sad. All
of the other farm animals could tell that zoomy cow was sad. They wanted to
make him happy again. They decided to have a big race. When zoomy cow won
the race it was sure to make him happy again, the farm animals thought.

They told zoomy cow about the race. Even though his wheel was hurt they
talked him into racing with them. The rooster crowed and the animals took
off. Zoomy cow tried to keep up but his wheel started hurting worse and he
had to slow down. The other farm animals noticed that zoomy cow had slowed
down so they all slowed down too.

When zoomy cow caught up with the rest of the farm animals he asked them
why they had all slowed down. They told him that they wanted him to win the
race so that he would feel better about himself.

Knowing that the other farm animals wanted zoomy cow to be happy made him
feel a lot better. He told them that he didn't want to win the race. He
wanted for all of them to cross the finish line together. They all held
hands and crossed the finish line at the same time. Everyone was happy,
including zoomy cow. It was a good day for zoomy cow and all of his farm
animal friends.

No zoomy cows were harmed in the writing of this story.

Told on Jan. 3, 2011

I Don't Like Tickles

I don't like tickles, no I do not.
I wish the tickle monster would stop.

I don't like tickles, they are no fun.
When I see the tickle monster I run.

I don't like tickles, they make me sad.
So stop your tickles dear old dad.

I don't like tickles,not one bit.
If I get tickled I throw a fit.

I don't like tickles,how about you?
Do you dislike tickles too?

I don't like tickles,but I like to tickle others.
We should tickle our sisters and our brothers.

I don't like tickles, but they like me.
I wish I wasn't so tickley.

I don't think I like tickles, I'll try just one.
Getting tickled is so much fun.

I do like tickles, I changed my mind.
I want to get tickled all the time.

Told on Jan. 2, 2011

The Mouse And The Elephant

There once was an elephant that lived in the circus. He lived with a lot
of other elephants. They worked hard but had a lot of fun too. One day the
elephant overheard some mice picking on a little mouse. The big mice were
telling the little mouse that he was too little to play with them. They
also told him that he was never going to grow up and be big. The little
mouse ran away crying. The elephant didn't want to see the mouse cry. He
followed the mouse and found him hiding behind a small box.

The elephant said, "Hey little fella, what's wrong," even though he
already knew why the mouse was crying.

The mouse looked up and replied, "All of my friends say that I'm too
little to do anything." The little mouse was still crying.

The elephant wanted to make the little mouse feel better, but he didn't
know how. He said, "It doesn't sound like they are very good friends if
they are making fun of you."

The mouse went on to say, "They say that I'm not big enough to do
anything. That I'm always going to be little, and that no one will ever
want to play with me."

It hurt the elephant's feelings to see the little mouse in so much pain.
The elephant said, "You're not too little to be my friend," with a smile.

The little mouse looked up at the elephant and asked, "You would really
be friends with me? Even though I'm so little."

The elephant said, "Your size has nothing to do with how big your heart
is. I do have an idea that would help the other mice look at you in a new
light though." The elephant told the little mouse his plan and they agreed
that it was a good idea.

The next morning when the mice came out they were making fun of the
little mouse again. The little mouse said, "I'm tired of all of you making
fun of me all the time. I'll show you how big I am." Then he stormed off
towards his new elephant friend. This was all part of the elephant's plan.
Little mouse went up to the elephant and squeaked as loud as he could.

The elephant knew what the mouse was going to do and he played his part
perfectly. The elephant looked down at the little mouse and he too screamed
as loud as he could. When the elephant screamed all of the other elephants
screamed too. The elephant had told the other elephants about the little
mouse and how he was going to help his new little friend. The other
elephants were more then happy to play along to help the little mouse. All
of the elephants ran away from the little mouse. When all of the elephants
started running it scared the other circus animals. Before the mice knew it
the entire circus was in an uproar.

The little mouse went back over to the bigger mice and said, "I caused
all of that commotion because I am a big mouse and I can do big things."
The other mice just stood with their mouths open watching the chaos. After
things calmed down the little mouse went and thanked his new big elephant
friend for helping him. He had proved that he could do big things even
though he was so little. The mouse and the elephant became best friends
after that.

So if you ever see an elephant that's scared of a mouse, it's just doing
the mouse a favor. They are actually friends.

Told on Dec. 30, 2010

Pink Dolphin And Zebra

There once lived Pink Dolphin and Zebra. They were best friends. They
loved to play together. The only problem was that they didn't live in the
same type of environment. Dolphin lived in the ocean. Zebra lived on land.
Even though there were huge differences in the two friends it didn't stop
them from playing together. They would meet at the beach in the morning.
Then they would splash each other and throw sand at each other. Zebra would
run down the sandy beach and Dolphin would swim through the water. Zebra
would climb out onto the rocks and Dolphin would jump into the air and
splash Zebra. They loved spending time playing together. It was so much
fun.

Then one day a big storm came. It twirled the water around and pushed
Dolphin way out into the ocean. She was nowhere near the land any more. The
storm winds took all of the animals on the land and scattered them a long
way away. Zebra was nowhere near the ocean anymore.

Once the storm was over Dolphin started swimming back towards her beach.
It was a long way. Once the storm was over Zebra started walking back
towards the beach. It was a long way away too. Dolphin swam and Zebra
walked for days and days. It took a long time.

Finally one day Dolphin made it back to the beach. At the same time Zebra
made it back to the beach too. They were very happy to see each other
again. Zebra jumped into the water and gave Dolphin a big hug. Dolphin
hugged Zebra too. Then it was back to the way things had always been. Zebra
ran along the beach while Dolphin swam in the water. It was the best of
times for the two unlikely friends.

Told on, Dec. 26, 2010

Christmas In Da Hood

Twas the night before Christmas, the house smelled of cyder
Not a creature was stirring, not even a spider.

The stockings were hung up high for a week.
So the little big nose'ees could not get a peek.

The children were snuggled all up in their beds,
With momma in blond curls and I in my dreads

When out in the street a car alarm started beeping
Stopping dear mother and myself from sleeping.

I was slightly angered to say the least,
So out of bed came the dreaded daddy beast.

I pulled back the curtains and yelled at the street,
"Shut that thing off, we're trying to sleep".

When, what to my swollen red eyes should I see,
A couple of hoodlums looking back up at me.

If you hear a strange noise that you think is St Nick,
You might think again because thieves are quite slick.

They were dressed head to toe in nothing but black,
On the ground at their feet was a big bulging sack.

Their arms were all filled with gifts an a bow,
All lifted quickly from the neighbors Pinto.

They dropped their gifts and off those two flew,
I knew that my sleep for this night was now through.

The cops showed up asking questions like they do,
Filling the streets with flashing lights red and blue.

I went out to tell my account of the story,
While the officer insisted on trying to bore me.

As I looked back at my house into our window,
I saw three little faces in the Christmasy glow.

Then the cop said to me before he drove out of sight,
"Merry Christmas to you, lock your doors tonight".

Told on Dec. 24, 2010

The Christmas Bug

There once was a little bug that slept almost the entire year. He would
only wake up when the weather started getting cold outside. When he would
wake up he would be very very hungry. The only thing that he would eat was
grumpiness. He loved to eat up all the grumpiness that he could find. When
he would find someone that was grumpy he would bite them and eat up all of
their grumpiness. After he ate all of their grumpiness they would be happy.
They wouldn't have any grumpiness left in them at all. He would travel
around all winter long looking for the grumps so he could eat them all up.
Whenever he would get done with a town everyone would be happy. They would
sing in the streets and buy presents for each other. Everyone would always
talk about being bitten by the Christmas bug, but none of them had ever
actually seen him. He was very little and very sneaky. Once he had gone
around the entire world he would be stuffed full of grumpiness. Then it was
time for him to hibernate. He would find a nice little place to sleep. He
would sleep almost the entire year. When he would wake up the grumps would
be back and it would be time to start eating again. Year after year
everyone counted on the Christmas bug to get rid of the grumps. Year after
year he did.

Told on Dec. 23, 2010

Bumbly The Bee

One uponce a time there was a bee named Bumbly. He was always playing
tricks on the other bees. Sometimes he would jump out and scare them when
they weren't expecting it. Other times he would sneak up and give them a
little sting when they were carrying something, making them drop whatever
it was. He would always laugh and fly away before the other bees could
retaliate. This had gone on for quite some time. The other bees decided one
day that they had had enough of Bumbly's tricks and pranks. They thought
that it was time to give Bumbly a dose of his own medicine. They waited
until it was night time and they sneaked into his room. They waited for him
to come to bed. When he finally came into his room they all yelled very
loudly. It startled Bumbly something terrible. Then some of the bees gave
him a quick little sting while he was still in shock. Bumbly started
crying. It hurt when the other bees stung him. It wasn't fun when they
scared him and started laughing either. Now Bumbly knew what it was like
for the other bees that he played pranks on. It wasn't fun at all. He
thought it was funny when he did it to the other bees. He never stopped to
think what it was like for them. It wasn't funny when they did it to him
though. After that day Bumbly decided not to play practical jokes on the
other bees. He learned to think about how someone else felt and not just
himself. All it took was being completely humiliated and a few well placed
stings. But he got the point.

Told on, Dec. 22, 2010

Bart The What?

There once lived a little bug named Bart. He lived in a small hole in an
old tree. There were several other bugs that he was friends with. Martha
the moth lived right above him. Sammy the slug lived down below him. Then
there was Rollanda the rolly polly that lived in the hole beside him.

One day Bart started thinking about what kind of bug he was. He knew what
all of his friends were, but he had no idea what kind he was. He decided to
ask his bug friends if they knew what he was. He poked his head outside and
saw Martha the moth flying beside his door. He asked Martha, "Do you know
what kind of bug I am?"

Martha replied, "Well, you have a lot of legs. You are probably a centipede
or something."

That sounded good to Bart. He still wanted to know what his other friends
thought.

Next he ran into Sammy the slug. He asked Sammy, "Do you know what kind of
bug I am?"

Sammy replied, "Well, you have a hard shell. You are probably a snail."

That made since too. Now Bart was confused. Martha thought he was a
centipede and Sammy thought that he was a snail.

Bart decided to ask Rollanda the rolly polly. He went next door and asked,
"Do you know what kind of bug I am?"

Rollanda replied, "Well, you have little antennas. You are probably a
cricket."

Bart didn't know what he was. He thought about what all of his friends had
said. Was he a centipede, or a snail, or a cricket? He had no idea. He
finally came to the conclusion that he was fine just being Bart the bug.

Told on Dec. 21, 2010

I Want To Hug A Bug

Do you ever want to hug a bug?
Just wrap your arms around a slug

Don't think because they're small you can't
Go find yourself a little ant

Hug it in a real tight grip
Make sure that it will not slip

I hug ticks and I hug frees
I hug flies but not their babies

A grasshopper on a branch
I hug them when I get the chance

I hug a grub and an earthworm
When I do they always squirm

When I see a caterpillar I try
To hug it before it learns to fly

I hug ladybugs and when I'm through
I hug boy ladybugs too

When it comes to beetles there are so many
I hug and hug and hug them plenty

I hugged a roach but not for long
The lights came on and it was gone

Praying mantises always pray
That I will hug all them one day

Crickets love my hugs I know
I hug them tight then let them go

Wasps and bees are flying bugs
I learned real fast they don't like hugs

Hugging some bugs is not much fun
Especially then you get stung

Rolly polly's love my hugs
They are one of my favorite bugs

Spiders are the best you see
When i hug them, they hug me

I think that's all the bugs I've hugged
Just so they know that they're loved

Told on Dec. 20, 2010

Party In Bugville

One day in bugville there was going to be a big party. All of the bugs were
excited. There was going to be a lot of fun things to do. There were games
and junk foods. Games like "Roll The Polly" and "The Grass Hopper Bounce.
There was going to be butterfly flying and spin the beetle.

Then right as the party was starting it started raining. All of the bugs
had to go back inside their tree. They were all very upset. They didn't
want to miss the party. All of the bugs were moping around with sad faces.

Then one itsy bitsy bug suggested that they just have the party inside
their tree. All of the bugs thought it was a good idea. They started
playing all the games that they were planning on playing outside. Everyone
was laughing and having a real big time. They ate junk food and partied all
day long. Even though it was raining outside it didn't stop the party. All
because of one itsy bitsy bug.

Told on Dec. 20, 2010

The Golden Duck

One uponce a time there was a little yellow duck. He loved to swim and fish
for food. One day while he was swimming he noticed something shiny in the
bottom of the lake. He decided to swim down and see what it was. He had
never swam down to the bottom of the lake before. He dove into the water
but only made it about halfway down before he had to return to the surface
for air. Once he was back on the surface he looked back down at the shiny
object and tried to figure out how he was going to retrieve it. He thought,
and he thought some more. Then he had an idea. He thought that if he
started with more speed then he would be able to made it to the bottom. He
flew as high as he could, then he dove towards the water. When he hit the
water it made a big splash but only slowed him down slightly. He swam and
swam until he reached the bottom and his shiny reward. He snatched it up in
his beak and swam back toward the surface. When he finally reached the
surface he was tired. He swam over to the edge of the land and rested. Then
he decided to look at what he had recovered from the bottom of the lake. He
placed the item on the ground and was surprised to find that it was a
golden coin. It was worth a lot of money. He thought to himself, "What good
is a gold coin to a duck"? He took the gold coin and dropped it back to the
bottom of the lake. The gold coin sank to the bottom stirring a cloud of
dust when it hit. For a split second under the dust hundreds of shiny coins
could be seen. When the dust settled they were hidden completely. The
little yellow buck swam around on the surface having a fun time fishing for
food. He was completely unaware that he was the richest duck in the whole
wide world.

Told on Dec. 19, 2010

The Ant Riddle

Queen Yama had a hard decision to make. Another Queen's colony was trying
to move in and force her and her family out. Her colony was a huge and
beautiful place. All of her children worked very hard to build and maintain
the palace where they all lived. Queen Yama didn't want to fight with the
neighboring colony. She also didn't want to let them take her home away.

She decided to call a meeting with the other colony's Queen and discuss the
situation. The counsels were called and the Queens met in a private
chamber. The other Queen introduced herself, "I am Queen Calla. What do
you want to talk to me about"?

Queen Yama said, "You are trying to overthrow my kingdom and I wish you to
stop."

Queen Calla replied "My army is stronger then yours. I will take your land
and you can't do anything about it."

Queen Yama didn't want any of her children to get hurt fighting so she made
a proposal. She said, "I will give you my land with no fight if you can
answer my riddle. If you get it correct we will all leave tonight. If you
get the answer wrong you have to move on and never bother us again."

Queen Calla was a very smart ant and she accepted the challenge thinking
that the land would be hers easily this way.

Queen Yama said, "I know that you are a very powerful Queen. Tell me, what
is both below and above you in your kingdom?"

Queen Calla answered immediately, "I am the Queen. Everyone is below me and
there is nothing that is above me." She smiled thinking that Queen Yama's
land was now hers.

Queen Yama smiled too. Then she said, "In your kingdom there is something
that is both above and below you. The correct answer is Dirt."

Queen Calla was mad that she had gotten the answer wrong. She honored their
challenge and left though, never bothering Queen Yama again.

Queen Yama knew that Queen Calla would answer the way she did. Queen Calla
couldn't see the kingdoms or her own power for what it was. Queen Yama was
happy that she had saved her kingdom without violence. That's what makes a
true Queen.

Told on Dec. 18, 2010

A Snake For A Friend

There once was a silly little snake named Strike. He always liked to go
down to the barn and play with the mice. The mice wouldn't play with any of
the other snakes. Only strike could play with them. Strike loved playing
with the mice. He thought that the mice were more fun to play with then the
other snakes.

One day Strike got very very hungry while he was playing with the mice. He
decided to eat just one little mouse. All of the other mice never thought
that Strike would eat any of them. They asked Strike why he ate one of his
friends.

Strike replied, "Because I'm a snake. Just because we play together it
doesn't mean that I'm not a snake. Snakes eat mice, that's what we do."

The mice knew that Strike was a good snake, but he was still a snake. They
asked if he would please not eat any more of them.

Strike could see that it bothered his hairy little friends. He added, "I
have never asked any of you to not be mice. That's who you are. I thought
that a true friend would accept someone for who they were, no matter what.
I will, however try to not eat any more of you.

The mice knew that it was true. He had never asked them to change, so it
was rude for them to ask him to change. He was still their friend. After
that incident the mice tried to only play with Strike when he had already
eaten and was full.

Every once in a while though a mouse would come up missing. When they would
look at Strike he would just smile real big and say "Sorry!" They would all
laugh and continue playing. It's a good thing that mice reproduce as
quickly as they do they all thought, including Strike.

Told on Dec. 15, 2010

Sammy The Snake

Sammy was a slithering slimy snake
He slithered his slippery slimy way

Sammy saw a rodent that seduced his tastes
He slithered and wrapped and gobbled no waist

One rodent, two rodent, three and then four
He chomped and swallowed and searched for more

Sammy soon discovered the largest of rats
Smelly and greasy and so nicely fat

Sammy slithered and wiggled so slippery fast
Then gobbled and swallowed and was full at last

Told on Dec. 14, 2010

The Charity Ant

One uponce a time there was a family of ants that lived in a hillside
village. It was a quiet little place with the exception of one ant. Her
name was ant Charity. She was very loud. She made the baby ants all very
loud too. All of the baby ants loved her. She would play with them and get
them all riled up before bed time. She would tell them things that they
didn't need to here. She would let them do things that their parents would
punish them for. All of the other mommy and daddy ants couldn't wait until
ant Charity had her own baby ants. The other parents wanted to share the
same kind of love with her baby's. All in all they were one big happy
family.

Told on Dec. 13, 2010

The Pirate Puppy

The moon was full and there was a sweet sent in the air. The crisp cool
breeze filled the sails and pushed the small ship forward. The ship was
small, only big enough for one puppy. That's exactly how Sledger liked it.
Just him and his ship and the ocean as far as the eye could see.

Sledger wished that he could take the time to enjoy this night but he was
on a mission. He had been promised a treasure chest full of milk bones to
rid a nearby port city of the dreaded sea flea pirates. He had seen their
sails a few hours ago and now he was in hot pursuit. In that short time he
had gained on them quite a bit. He could see that even though their ship
was a lot smaller it was full of pirate fleas. Sea flea pirates were very
dangerous. They would attack anyone and they always attacked in large
numbers.

Sledger wasn't scared though. He pushed forward gaining on them even more.
One of the pirate fleas finally spotted Sledger and the entire ship went
into an uproar. They knew who Sledger was, he was the bravest pirate
around. The sea fleas knew that they couldn't outrun Sledger's ship so they
turned and prepared for the fight.

Sledger pulled his ship up beside the sea flea pirate ship. There were
hundreds of them against one pirate puppy. The sea flea pirates jumped onto
Sledger's ship with their swords in hand. Sledger drew his own sword and
fought back. All that could be heard was the clanking of sword against
sword. They came at Sledger from every direction. They were fast, but
Sledger was faster. He swatted at them with his tail. He nipped at them
with his sharp teeth. They kept coming and Sledger kept knocking them into
the water. One by one he sent them flying off into the cold waters that he
called home. In no time Sledger had beaten all of the sea flea pirates. He
looked at all of them in the water and warned them that if they ever
returned he would not be such a nice puppy next time.

When Sledger returned to the port city everyone cheered. They gave him the
treasure chest full of milk bones just like they had promised. Then he was
off again. Just Sledger the pirate puppy and his trusted ship.

Told on, Dec. 12, 2010

The Kitty Cat And The Caterpillar

The kitty cat was sneaking through the tall grass in the yard. A bird had
just landed and the kitty cat was planning on making a quick meal out of
it. The kitty cat crept closer and closer until finally she jumped towards
the bird. At the last possible second the bird saw the kitty cat and flew
away as fast as it could. The kitty cat landed where the bird had just been
a little too late. The kitty cat hung her head and started to walk away.

Just then a small voice said, "Thank you for saving my life kitty cat".

The kitty cat looked and saw a small little caterpillar. She was confused
by the caterpillars words. She said "I didn't save your life little bug. I
missed my meal" looking up at the sky to where the bird had flown away.

"No!" replied the caterpillar "That bird was about to eat me and you chased
it away. Thank you so much. I will one day return the favor".

The kitty cat laughed at the silly caterpillar. She said "Dear little bug,
you are much too small to perform such a feat". Then the kitty cat turned
and walked away, still laughing at the absurd little bug.

The season changed and so did the little caterpillar. What was once a plump
green caterpillar was now an elegant butterfly. The kitty cat had long
since forgotten about the caterpillar's promise. The caterpillar that was
now a butterfly had not. The butterfly saw the kitty cat walking in the
yard one afternoon. She also saw a big mean looking bull dog sneaking up
behind the kitty cat. This was the butterfly's chance to make good on her
promise. As fast as she could fly the butterfly dove down towards the
kitty cat. She had to warn the kitty cat about the bull dog. She flapped
her wings as hard as she could. When she was close enough to the kitty cat
she yelled "There's a bull dog behind you. RUN!"

The kitty cat looked up at the butterfly for a split second. She thought
that she recognized the butterfly but couldn't place her. Then she saw the
bull dog that was just about to get her. She ran and climbed the closest
tree as quickly as she could.

The bull dog chased the kitty cat but wasn't able to catch her.

The kitty cat was safe in the tree now. Then it hit her. She did recognize
the butterfly. It was the caterpillar that she had saved so long ago. The
kitty cat realized that just because someone is small it didn't mean that
they couldn't do great things. That little caterpillar had saved the kitty
cats life, just like she said that she would.

Told on Dec. 10, 2010

The Smelly Cat

There once was a cat that smelled very bad.
She knew she smelled bad and it made her so sad.
The smelly, sad cat washed all her feet.
The smelly, sad, wet footed cat would not eat.
Smelly, sad, wet footed, hungry cat cried.
Because wherever she went it smelled like something had died.

Along came a cat that smelled really nice.
This nice smelling cat gave the other advice.
The nice smelling, advisory cat had a smile.
That was the nice smelling, advice giving, smiling cats style.
Nice smelling, advisory, smiling, styled cat too
A long time ago use to also smell like poo

First things first you should start with a wash
The old smelly, newly washed cat dried with a cloth
The washed and dry cat then brushed her hair
The washed, dried, brusher haired cat looked rather fair
Washed, dried, brushed hair, fair looking cat knew
That now she was a good smelling cat too

Told on Dec. 9, 2010

Our Little Spider

Our little spider is
slippery and slimy
cuddly and climby
cute little behiny

Our little spider is
stinky and smelly
crying and yelly
cute little round belly

Our little spider is
tickley and wiggly
smiley and giggly
nose just like a pigly

Our little spider is
yawny and sleepy
nappy and weepy
name a little creepy

Puppy Chase

One day a little puppy was bored with nothing to do. He was just laying
around trying to think of something fun.

A bird landed on the ground beside the puppy and it startled him. The
puppy let out a small bark. When he barked it in turn startled the bird and
the bird started to fly away. Looking for anything to do the puppy started
chasing the bird. The bird flew this way and that. It flew around trees and
parked cars. The puppy followed right behind barking the entire time.

While the puppy was chasing the bird he saw a cat walking through a yard.
The cat looked up and their eyes met. The puppy had already forgotten about
the bird. The puppy and the cat both knew that the race was on. The cat
darted off in the other direction with the puppy hot on its heels. The cat
scaled a fence but that only slowed the puppy for a second. He easily
crawled under and charged again towards the cat. The cat crossed a street
and quickly climbed a tree. The puppy also ran across the street but he
knew that he would never be able to get to the cat.

When the puppy was crossing the street he heard something honk at him.
Just then an old pickup truck drove by. Off the puppy went trying to catch
the truck. The truck was a lot faster then the puppy but it stopped at
every street. The puppy would get right up to the truck and then it would
take off again. He never could get close enough to bite the tire or
anything. The puppy chased the truck all over the neighborhood never quite
catching up to it all the way. The truck made one last turn onto a busy
street and sped off leaving the puppy far behind. The puppy knew that he
had no chance of catching the truck. So he sat down and waited for
something else to chase.

That's when he noticed that his tail was wagging very fast from side to
side. He decided to teach that tail a lesson. He bit at his tail but it was
fast and moved out of the way. He tried again only to get another mouth
full of air. Before he knew it he was running in circles trying to catch
his own tail. He ran and ran but his tail always stayed just out of reach.
That's how the puppy spent the rest of his day. Chasing his own tail.
Although he never did catch his tail, it never really got away either.

Told on Dec. 8, 2010

What Animals Do

Kitten with fur, loves to purr.
Cat in house, chases the mouse.
Puppy on a trail, wags his tail.
Dog in the park, has a loud bark.
Bird in the sky, loves to fly.
Mouse that flees, eats the cheese.
Fish are free, swimming in the sea.
Cow wants to, always says moo.
Horse eats hay, then says neigh.

Told on Dec. 7, 2010

Puppy Or Kitty?

Every day when puppy woke up she was in a bad mood.
Every day when kitty woke up she was in a good mood.

Puppy would pout and stomp her feet.
Kitty would smile and skip along beside puppy.

If puppy didn't get to do what she wanted to do she would cry about it.
If kitty didn't get to do what she wanted to do she would find something
else to do.

When puppy had to eat something that she didn't like she would make
horrible faces and take a long time to finish it.
When kitty had to eat something that she didn't like she would try not to
think about it and gobble it up quickly to be done fast.

At nap time puppy would throw a fit and cry herself to sleep.
At nap time kitty would think about fun happy things until she fell asleep.

Puppy was sad whenever things didn't go exactly like she wanted them to,
and she let everyone know about it.
Kitty was sad whenever things didn't go exactly like she wanted them to
also, but she didn't let it ruin the rest of her day.

Do you want to be a cranky puppy that's sad most of the time?
Or,
Do you want to be a smiling kitty that's happy most of the time?

Told on Dec. 6, 2010

La-fara And The Berry Tree

La-fara was a long-necked giraffe. She loved to eat leaves and berries. She
found a nice berry tree that was just the right height. When she put her
head into the tree she could see a lot of delicious looking berries.

Then she heard a soft little chirping noise. She looked around and saw a
mother bird. The mother bird was hopping from limb to limb picking berries
and then feeding them to her babies. La-fara watched the birds for several
minutes. She was amazed at how hard the mother bird worked to keep her baby
birds full and happy.

La-fara was just about to take a bite of berries when a green spotted
lizard caught her eye. The lizard was racing around the tree branches. It
would run along the tops then circle around to the bottom of a limb without
slowing down at all.There wasn't a part of the tree that the lizard
couldn't navigate with it's sticky little feet. La-fara watched as the
lizard disappeared into a small hole in the tree trunk. Most likely that
was were the lizard lived.

La-fara noticed something buzzing around a small group of rotten berries.
It was a fly. The fly was darting from berry to berry, but only stopping on
the rotten ones. It would land on a berry, take a bite or two, and then
quickly move on to the next one. Back and forth from one side of the tree
to the other and back again. The little fly was fast and tireless in it's
efforts to find the best tasting berry.

La-fara ate some leaves and a few berries. The whole time watching the
mother bird and the fly. She glanced several times to where the lizard had
vanished but never was it again. When she was done she pulled her head out
of the berry tree and slowly walked away. From out here she couldn't even
tell that inside the berry tree was so full of life. She wondered how many
other creatures relied on that single little berry tree for food and
safety. Creatures as big as her and as small as a little bug. What a
wonderful tree that berry tree was. That berry tree gave so much to so many
and asked for nothing in return.

Told on Dec. 5, 2010

Cow And Hippo

Cow and Hippo were best friends. They had been friends forever. They were
born on the same day so they were the same age. Cow and Hippo had been
friends their entire lives. If Hippo wanted to go swimming then Cow went
too. If cow wanted to stand around mooing then Hippo did too. Swimming and
mooing, mooing and swimming, and they were both as happy as could be.

Then one day Hippo and his family had to move far away. Cow and Hippo were
both very sad. They didn't think that they would ever see each other again
or be able to play together. Cow and Hippo said good-by to each other. Then
Hippo and his family packed up and left.

It was a long summer without Hippo, Cow thought.
It was a long summer without Cow, Hippo thought.

One day Cow's parents told him that they were going to have to move also.
Cow was sad because he thought that if Hippo ever came back Cow wouldn't be
there. Cow was scared to leave. Finally the day came for Cow's family to
move. They packed up and started walking. They walked for a long time. Day
and night they walked. When they finally got to their new home Cow looked
around to see if he could find anyone to be friends with. He knew that
no-one could replace Hippo. He still wanted a friend though. He looked and
looked and that's when he saw Hippo. Cow had moved to the same place Hippo
had moved to. From that day on Cow and Hippo were together all the time.
They were both happy again.

Told on Dec. 4, 2010

Pretty Pretty Kitty

One uponce a time there was a pretty little cat
She loved to run and play and then take a little nap

Her belly was all white while the rest of her was black
Except a little spot of white in the middle of her back

Her name was Pretty Pretty given to her by a girl
The girl was also pretty and her name was Suzie Curl

Suzie Curl and Pretty Pretty went everywhere together
They played outside all day except in nasty weather

When Suzie Curl would climb into bed and underneath the sheet
She knew that Pretty Pretty would be there at her feet

Pretty Pretty dreamed of Suzie Curl
And that she was a little girl

Suzie Curl dreamed of Pretty Pretty
And that she was a black and white kitty

Told on Dec. 2, 2010

Love Your Puppy

I will chew on anything I can find
Please don't get mad when I don't mind
I am a puppy and that's what puppies do
Sniff sniff sniff and chew chew chew

I will sometimes have accidents on the floor
Please don't spank me all the way to the door
I am a puppy be patient with me
In time I will learn where to pee

I will run, jump, and bark when I play
Please don't punish me for being this way
I am a puppy and that's how we act
For being like this I shouldn't get whacked

I will occasionally disobey
Please don't think that my loyalty will stray
I am a puppy and the master is you
I will do whatever you want me to do

I will get dirty digging holes in the yard
Please don't do something that will leave me scarred
I am a puppy that plays with the kids too
I'll protect them just like I protect you

I will be impressionable at this age
Please don't respond only with rage
I am a puppy and timid like that
I will always be more faithful then a cat

I will bark all hours of night at nothing
Please don't take your frustrations out on me
I am a puppy but when I am grown
Burglars beware because this is also my home

I will do whatever I can to please you
Please don't forget that you're my family too
I am a puppy and you get what you see
All that I want is for you to love me

The Creature Sisters Take Turns

Inside the clubhouse the two creature sisters sat. They could change into
any animal that they wanted. The only problem was they couldn't decide what
animal. The older sister Starble wanted to be a tiger. The little sister
Swayla wanted to be a puppy. They couldn't decide what animal to pick. So
they just sat there, neither one of them wanting to be what the other one
picked. They were both very hard headed and stubborn. The creature sisters
just sat there staring at each other. They had already wasted all morning.

Then Starble had an idea. They could both be tigers for a little while.
Then they could both be puppies. Swayla liked the idea. So they took turns.
First they played as tigers, then they played as puppies. Whenever they got
tired of what they were playing one of them would pick something new to
play. They took turns. They both got to do what they wanted and they got to
play together. They realized that taking turns was the best way to play.

Told on Nov. 30, 2010

The Creature Sisters

Hidden in the seven acre woods was a small clubhouse. That's were the two
sister creatures played. These two creatures were magical beings. They
could transform into any animal that they wanted to be just by thinking
about it. Some days they were bears while other days they were mice.

This particular day they were both cats. They left their clubhouse in
search of something fun to do. They were running through the woods when
they heard something chasing them. They looked back and saw a pack of
wolves was right behind them. The creature sisters smiled at each other
because they knew just what to do. They led the wolves to the other side of
the woods. There was an old oak tree there that would be perfect for what
they had planned. Both sisters scurried up the tree and out of sight. The
wolves knew that the cats that they were chasing went up the tree. They
circled the base so there was no way out. The creature sisters needed a
strong tree to hold the weight of what they were about to change into. They
turned themselves into huge lions. Then they raced back down the tree
towards the ground, and the waiting wolves. The two creature sister lions
roared and charged at the wolves. When the wolves realized that lions were
coming down the tree they all tucked their tales and ran as fast as they
could. The creature sisters chased the wolves all the way out of the woods.
They went back to their clubhouse and changed back into their regular
creature forms. They laughed and laughed about the looks on the wolves
faces. It was a fun day of dog chase cat, cat chase dog.

Told on Nov. 29, 2010

The Blue Monkey Story

Ava quote "It's not a pink monkey it's a blue monkey. Oh, and it's not
green too".

The Blue Monkey crept through the forest. He was very quiet and super fast.
He jumped from treetop to treetop. He was in search of something very
precious and dear to him. He had been looking for his missing item all
morning long, with no luck.

He suddenly heard laughter in the distance. He rushed over to see what was
happening. He approached as quietly as he could. The source of the laughter
was Pink Monkey, just as Blue monkey had suspected. Down below Pink Monkey
was playing with Blue Monkey's ball. She was bouncing his ball and jumping
up and down. He slowly crept down the tree to get a better look. Pink
Monkey was unaware that Blue Monkey had found her.

Blue Monkey worked his was down the tree to it's lowest branch. He climbed
out on the branch that hung directly over Pink Monkey's head. He stopped
when she was underneath his perch. Blue Monkey swung down by his tail, did
a flip in the air, and landed on top of Pink Monkey. He knocked her to the
ground as she was bouncing his ball. Blue Monkey jumped into the air
catching his ball on the way up and landed back in the tree.

Pink Monkey looked up at him in the tree and smiled. "It took you a long
time to find me this time" Pink Monkey said.

Blue Monkey laughed and replied, "Now it's your turn to find the ball. Good
luck!" and he dashed off into the woods to hide.

Pink Monkey started counting, "One banana, two banana, three banana..."

Blue Monkey and Pink Monkey loved playing hide the ball together. It was
their favorite game.

Told on Nov. 28, 2010

The Pink Monkey Story

One uponce a time there was a little pink monkey.
She climbed UP the tree.
She climbed DOWN the tree.

She went on TOP of the log.
She went THROUGH the log.

She jumped OVER the bush.
She crawled UNDER the bush.

She walked AROUND the water.
She jumped INTO the water.

She ran all the way home.
Now she was tired and it was time to sleep.
Good-night.

Told on Nov. 27, 2010

The Thankful Puppy

There once was a puppy that lived all alone. His family lived in a
different town so he didn't get to see them very often. He missed his
family and wanted to go visit them but he just didn't have enough time.
This made him very sad. He decided to go for a walk so he could think. He
walked around town thinking about his family. He walked for a very long
time. When he finally got home there was a big surprise waiting there for
him. It was all of his family. His family had come to see him. He was oh so
happy. They all sat down and ate supper together. The puppy was very
thankful that he was able to spend some time with his family.

Told on Nov. 25, 2010

The Rolly Polly Way

Rolly pollys go and rolly pollys roll
When rolly pollys roll they never roll real slow

A rolling rolly polly can roll so very fast
A polly that is rolling will roll down rolling paths

If a rolly polly's rolling down a rolly polly hill
A rolly polly's rolling will roll into a rolling thrill

Some pollys never roll because they like to go slow
A slowly rolly polly's afraid it will roll into a poll

Never ask a rolly polly if you can roll the polly way
"You can't roll like a polly" is what the rolly pollys say

Rolly Lolly Polly

One uponce a time there was a rolly polly named Lolly. She loved spending
the day with her Pop. One day Pop took Lolly to the zoo. She saw some cute
little flees, flying bees, and a giant grass hopper. It was a lot of fun.
Next they went to the park and ate lunch. Lolly had a grass seed and a drop
of water to drink. When they were done eating they played together on the
dirt slides. When they were rolling down the dirt slides they would get
going pretty fast. Lolly loved fun days like this. Once they were done
playing at the park Pop took Lolly and got her a drop of ice-cream. It was
vanilla, her favorite. After such a long and eventful day it was finally
time to go home. Lolly got ready for bed. She climbed into her bed while
Pop told her a bedtime story. It was about a grasshopper, like the one that
she had seen at the zoo earlier that day. After the story was over Pop
kissed Lolly and told her good-night. He turned off her lightning bug and
closed the door. Lolly laid in her bed all curled up nice and cozy. She
thought about all the fun things that her and Pop had done that day. They
went to the zoo; ate and played in the park; ate ice-cream; and read a
story. She was happy that she had a Pop like hers.

Told on Nov. 23, 2010

The Rolly Polly Rhyme

There once was a Rolly Polly
That dreamed about being a star
He wanted to travel around the world
To places near and far

Rolly Polly wanted to be famous
To roll with the best of the best
He wanted to eat fancy foods
And always be the best dressed

Rolly Polly wanted his name in lights
For everyone to know his name
To see his own picture on TV
He was a little obsessed with fame

Then one day an agent approached him
He said he could make dreams come true
Polly just had to sign his name on the line
And that's all that he had to do

So Polly signed his name on the line
The next day he got a call
He was going to be in a ping pong game
But he was going to be the ball

Told on Nov. 22, 2010

The Sleepy Rolly Polly Story

One uponce a time there was a cute little rolly polly named Arrollar. He
was a big boy now and he didn't need to take a nap. Taking a nap was for
baby polly's. Instead of taking a nap like he usually did he went outside
to play. He rolled around with the other rolly polly's. They played tag and
ball. Then they played a game of hide and go seek. While Arrollar was
playing hide and go seek he found a super good hiding spot. He was sure
that no one would find him. He crawled into a little hole and waited.

While he was waiting he started getting sleepy. It was because he hadn't
taken his nap. He thought that he would close his eyes for just a second.
As soon as his eyes shut he was asleep.

The other rolly polly's looked and looked but they couldn't find Arrollar
anywhere. They were afraid that something bad might have happened to him.
They all went searching for him.

While they were all gone Arrollar finally woke up. He didn't know how
long he had been asleep but it didn't feel like a long time. He crawled out
of his hiding place only to find that he was all alone. All of the other
rolly polly's were gone. He looked around but he couldn't find them
anywhere. Arrollar started to get scared. He was also worried that
something bad might have happened to all of the other polly's. Arrollar
decided to go looking for the others.

Just as he was about to leave he heard something. It was getting closer
and closer. It was all of the other polly's that had been out looking for
him. They were all happy to finally find Arrollar. He was happy to find
them too. Arrollar decided that if he was sleepy then he was going to go
home and take a nap from now on.

Told on Nov. 21, 2010

The Midnight Zebra

One uponce a time there was a baby zebra that was born with no stripes.
He wanted stripes like all of the other zebras. He searched everywhere
looking for just one stripe. He looked on his belly, but there where no
stripes. He looked on his legs, still no stripes. He looked at his tail, it
was as black as the rest of him. All of the zebras told him that he was
just a horse. He knew that he was a zebra. He just wanted to look like one
too.

Then when it was really dark one night he woke up. It was midnight and
the moon was full. He didn't know why he woke up but he was sure glad that
he had. He had stripes. He couldn't believe his eyes. When he looked down
at his hair. it was striped just like all of the other zebras. The white
stripes were actually glowing under the light of the moon. He ran and woke
up all of the other zebras to show them his stripes. He was excited that he
now had his stripes. He went back to sleep a very happy zebra.

The next morning when he woke up his stripes were all gone. He was a
black zebra with no stripes again. He didn't understand how he had stripes
last night and not today. He went and asked the other zebras and they
remembered seeing his stripes last night. He started thinking that it might
have something to do with the moon. So that night he stayed up until it was
very late. When the moon started shining so did his stripes. His stripes
could only be seen under the light of the moon. He was a special kind of
zebra. He was a midnight zebra. None of the other zebras ever called him a
horse ever again.

Told on Nov. 20, 2010