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