The Little Fish And The Big Fat Bean

Story :

One day, a little fish was out swimming in the river with her mother.

The water was clear and warm, but the little fish wanted to swim faster and go farther. So the swam on and on till she reached the riverbank. She looked, and there, growing on the bank, she saw a large bean stalk and on the bean stalk, a big, fat bean. The little fish thought that she had never seen anything so funny.

"Hullo there, Fatso!" she called to the bean.

"Hullo, Midge!" the bean called back.

The little fish felt very hurt that she should be called that. She burst into tears and hurried off to complain to her mother about it.

"Oh, Mother!" she wailed. "That big fat bean called me Midge, of all things! I'm not as tiny as that, am I? I even have a tail!"

"Perhaps you hurt the bean's feelings yourself in some way," said the mother fish.

"Oh, no, mother dear, I didn't!"

"Well, let's swim back to the bank again and I'll ask the bean what made him say such a thing."

And the two of them, mother and daughter, made for the bank.

"Good morning, Mr. Bean!" the mother fish called.

"Good morning to you, Mrs. Fish!" the bean called back.

"Tell me, Mr. Bean, what made you hurt my little daughter's feelings? Why did you call her Midge?"

"She only got as good as she gave. She called me Fatso, so I called her Midge in return!"

♦♦ End ♦♦

Read More

The Lost and Found Anteater Baby

Story :

Father and Mother Anteater and their baby Alice were all resting near some bushes in the grasslands of South America. Father and Mother Anteater had long pointed noses and long pointed tongues, but their tails were thick ad bushy. As they rested, they spread their tails and covered themselves with the long, grayish fur. They looked as if they were resting under two grey tents. Alice was curled up beside them, dozing in the hot sunshine.

After a while Father and Mother woke up. They both felt hungry, and seeing that Alice was asleep they went off to look for some ants and other tasty insects. Before long Father smelt a nest and began digging with his sharp pointed nose, whilst his tongue shot in and out to catch the insects.

Meanwhile Baby Alice woke and found she was alone. Uncurling herself, she set off to find her mother and father, but she went the wrong way. In no time she came to a village where she was soon captured by a little boy and put into a wooden crate.

Father and Mother Anteater went to the bushes where they had left Alice, but Alice wasn't there. Anxiously they sniffed with their long sharp noses until they found her trail, then they hurried after her until they came to the place where she was hidden.

All was quite in the village, everyone had gone to bed. Father and Mother Anteater tore at the wooden crate with their strong claws, then they poked with their long noses, until at last Alice was free.

Back to the grasslands the little family hurried. Then they settled beside the bushes, spread their tails over themselves once more, and were soon fast asleep under their grey, furry tents.

♦♦ End ♦♦

Read More

Goldilocks and the three bears

Story :

Once upon a time there were three bears, who lived in a little house in the woods.

There was Father Bear, a great big bear, Mother Bear, a middle sized bear and Baby Bear, a tiny bear.

One day Mother Bear made some porridge and poured it into three bowls.

There was a great big bowl for Father Bear, a middle sized bowl for Mother Bear and a tiny little bowl for Baby Bear.

Then, they left their porridge to cool and went for a walk.

While they were out, a little girl called Goldilocks came along.

She looked through the window - Nosy girl ! Seeing no one about, she opened the door, walked in and had a good look round.

She saw the porridge on the table and helped herself.

First she tried Father Bear's porridge- That was too hot.

She tried Mother Bear's porridge- That was too cold.

But when she tasted Baby Bear's porridge it was just right. So she ate it all up!

Goldilocks looked around for somewhere to sit.

First she sat in Father Bear's chair. It was too high.

Then she tried Mother Bear's chair. That was too wide.

Then she saw Baby Bear's sweet little chair. It looked just right, so she plonked herself down in it !

The little chair broke into pieces! "Oh bother !" cried Goldilocks and ran up the stairs.

Goldilocks then felt quite sleepy. She saw the three bears' beds and they looked very comfy.

First she tried Father Bear's bed - It was too hard.

Then she lay down on Mother Bear's bed. It was too soft.

She then tried Baby Bear's bed. It was lovely and cosy. Just right ! So she got under the blankets and went to sleep.

At that moment the three bears came home ! They were hungry and were looking forward to their porridge.

They were shocked to see the mess in the house.

"SOMEBODY HAS BEEN EATING MY PORRIDGE !" said Father Bear in a deep growly voice.

"Somebody has been eating my porridge" said Mother Bear in a middle sized voice. "Somebody has been eating my porridge" said Baby Bear in a tiny little voice. "And they've eaten it all up!"

"SOMEBODY HAS BEEN SITTING IN MY CHAIR!" said Father Bear in a deep growly voice.

"Somebody has been sitting in my chair" said Mother Bear in a middle sized voice.

"Somebody has been sitting in my chair " said Baby Bear in a tiny little voice. "And they've broken it !"

The three bears went upstairs...

"SOMEBODY HAS BEEN SLEEPING IN MY BED !" said Father Bear in a deep growly voice.

"Somebody has been sleeping in my bed" said Mother Bear in a middle sized voice.

"Somebody has been sleeping in my bed" said Baby Bear in a tiny little voice. "And look! She's still here!"

Goldilocks got such a fright that she jumped out of bed, ran down stairs and out of the house.

When she got home she was sent to bed without any supper for being out so long.

Which served her right, didn't it?

♦♦ End ♦♦

Read More

The Rooster That Wouldn’t Crow

Story :

It was the driest summer on record, and all the crops were wilting away. Every farmer in the region was reeling from their losses. Desperate to change his fortunes, Peter Harpole decided to try his luck with poultry farming. Peter didn't know much about chickens, but selling eggs would be a great source of food, and hopefully income for him and his family. If he was successful at it!

As the sun got closer to rising over the Harpole farm, Toby, the Harpole's new rooster, took his place atop a wooden fence next to the barn. It was Toby's first chance to showcase his ability to crow. Peter purchased Toby the night before from the McHenry farm down the road. The Harpole's were desperate for a good crower, because the other rooster on their farm had laryngitis. With the purchase of Toby, the Harpole's now had a total of two roosters, and twelve hens.

When the sun broke across the horizon it triggered Toby's internal clock. He clinched the spurs of his feet against the wood, and then proceeded to belt out the loudest MOOOOOOOOOOO you ever heard. Again, and again, Toby proceeded to belt out MOOOOOOOOOOO, MOOOOOOOOOOO, and MOOOOOOOOOOO some more. Toby's mooing shocked everyone on the farm - especially since the Harpole's didn't own a cow.

"Ma, did you hear that?" asked Peter to his wife.

"Are you referring to the biscuits in your stomach, or our new cow you forgot to tell me about?"

"I didn't buy any cow."

Peter got up from the table and proceeded to walk out the front door of his home. His two daughters, Annie, and Ellie followed him.

"It's probably just some old cow that got loose from the McHenry farm, Peter," shouted Mrs. Harpole from behind the screen door.

As Peter and his daughters approached the barn, Toby was still sitting atop the wooden fence.

"Hello, Toby. Where's the cow at?" asked Peter.

Toby didn't say anything.

"Toby, where did that mooing come from?" asked Peter.

Toby started to shake because he still had some moo left in him. He tried to keep it inside, but his body started to twitch as if he had been holding his breathe for over two minutes. His shaking became uncontrollable. Unable to hold it in any longer, Toby let out the loudest MOOOOOOOOOOO ever heard in Brackford County.

Annie and Ellie jumped up and down with excitement.

"Daddy, we have a cow now," said Annie.

"Yeah, listen to him moo, Daddy," said Ellie. Both of the girls laughed hysterically.

"We don't have a cow. What we've got is a rooster with a weird sense of humor. Girls, go inside with your Mother. I want to talk with Toby alone please."

"But, Daddy, I want to play with him," said Ellie.

"You heard me. Get along now."

As the girls walked away disappointed, Peter looked Toby over and shook his head. "Well, let's take it from the top," said Peter. "What's with the mooing, Toby?"

"Mr. Harpole, you seem really nice and I hope that you'll have some patience with what I am about to share with you."

"All right, I'm listening," said Peter.

"I'll explain the mooing in a minute, but first there is something I have to tell you. Last night, I was taken from my home, and nobody even asked me if I was okay with it. I had a life at the McHenry farm and was very happy there."

"Toby, this is your home now. I paid for you. Mr. McHenry was your rightful owner and he had every right to sell you if he wanted. If it's a nice hen you're looking to settle down with they're plenty available on this farm. In case you haven't already met her, Hazel's the cute brown-and-white colored hen over in the henhouse. She's a little feisty, but I think you two would hit it off once you got to know her."

"But I already care about somebody else, and I miss her terribly," said Toby in a sad voice.

"Toby, you're going to have to get used to living here. This is your home now. Forget that hen over at the McHenry farm, and move on with your life."

"She isn't a hen," said Toby.

"What do you mean?" asked Peter with a puzzled look on his face.

Toby broke out in tears and said, "My Edna, oh how I miss my dear Edna."

"All right, all right, take it easy. Edna's very important to you. I get it. That's nice. I am curious though, Toby - if Edna isn't a hen, what is she?"

"She's a cow, Mr. Harpole. Edna is a big, beautiful cow."

"You're joking, right?" asked Peter.

"No, sir, I'm not. That's why I've been mooing. I told Edna before I was taken away that I would moo as loud as I could for her. I want her to hear me so she knows I am thinking of her."

"Toby, the first question I have for you, is how did you fall in love with a cow? You're a rooster for crying out loud."

"Whoever said love was easy, Mr. Harpole."

"Well, I'll give you that. But Toby, Mr. McHenry doesn't have any other roosters to sell. I asked him about that last night. He's one of the few farmers close by that even has chickens. Farmers in this region aren't looking to sell their roosters right now anyway, because they're trying to breed them. If you haven't noticed the crops aren't doing so well this year."

"I realize that Mr. Harpole, but what's the problem with me mooing anyway? Is it really that big a deal?" asked Toby.

"When it's coming from a rooster, yes, Toby it is. Let's say word gets out around town that my rooster moos instead of crows. The local grocers would probably quit buying from me, because they think I have defective chickens."

"This just isn't fair, Mr. Harpole."

"Toby, I want you to think about everything we've discussed. Bright and early tomorrow morning, when you start to cackle, I'll be expecting to hear several loud crows out of you." As Peter walked back toward the house, Toby collected his thoughts and pondered what he was going to do.

"Excuse me," said one of the hens to Toby. "I hope you don't mind, but I was listening to your conversation with Mr. Harpole, and I would like to offer you some friendly advice."

"Sure, fire away," said Toby. "I could use it right now".

"Well, first you've got to understand Mr. Harpole's just trying to make an honest living to support his family," said the hen.

"And what's so wrong with our place anyway? I think you would really like it here if you gave it a chance."

"Let me stop you right there. I completely understand and appreciate Mr. Harpole's situation. I really do. But what kind of life are we living for ourselves, if we just settle for whatever makes everyone else happy? This is a great farm, and everyone here has been wonderful so far. This isn't about where I live. I'm talking about how I live. I'm talking about being with the one I care about. Please don't take this personally."

"It's a little hard not to. Your wanting to be on a different farm is one thing, but wanting to get back to a cow; well, now every hen on this farm believes you feel you're too good for them."

"That is absolutely not true. Haven't you ever been in love?"

"Yes, Toby, but it wasn't with a frog, a goat or a tiger. His name was Charlie, and he was, believe it or not, a rooster. Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by that. I know this is tough, but you'll figure everything out. My name is Paula, Toby. If you ever need to talk just come over to the coop and peck three times."

"I will, Paula. And thanks for the advice."

Toby couldn't sleep a wink that night. He didn't know what he was going to do. He thought about running back to the McHenry farm, but was afraid that would get him and Edna both in trouble. The next morning as the sun peeked over the horizon, Toby followed his heart and let out a very loud MOOOOOOOOOOO. About ten seconds after doing so, Peter ran out of the house to confront Toby!

"Toby, what are you doing? Did you not listen to a thing I said yesterday?"

"I did, Mr. Harpole. But I've got to do what I believe in."

Peter shook his head and went back into his house to get the keys to his truck.

"Where are you going so early?" asked Mrs. Harpole.

"I'm going to town to hopefully find a buyer for that crazy rooster."

"Daddy, please don't sell Toby? We love him," pleaded Annie.

"I don't have a choice, Annie. We've got to make a living." Peter stormed out of the house and sped off in his truck.

"Mommy, please don't let Daddy sell Toby? Please, Mommy!" cried Ellie.

The next month was not the best of times at the Harpole farm. Peter had failed to find a buyer for Toby, because word had already spread about his mooing rooster. Every morning Toby mooed with all his might. People were starting to flock to the Harpole farm like seagulls to see Toby moo his heart out. When Toby's unusual behavior was mentioned in the local paper, Peter had all he could stand, and decided he would have to find a buyer for Toby out of the region. He didn't care if it meant driving three states away. Peter wanted to be done with this troublesome bird once and for all.

One evening during supper, Peter mentioned his intensions to sell Toby out of state. It didn't sit well with his daughters.

"Daddy, I am begging you. Can we please keep Toby?" asked Annie.

"Annie, we've already talked about this. We can no longer have this rooster causing so much disruption in our lives."

"He doesn't cause me dis-rup-tins, Daddy," cried Ellie. Peter looked at his daughters’ sad faces and it tore him up inside.

He got up from the table and walked outside to take a walk. As Ellie was being consoled by her mother, Annie became excited and blurted out, "I have an idea, Mommy. I have an idea how we can save Toby."

"Well, what is it?" asked Mrs. Harpole.

"Toby wants to be with Edna more than anything, right?"

"Yes, I'm listening."

"Well, why can't Toby and Edna be together at the petting zoo in Belvar?"

Mrs. Harpole was sold on Annie's idea the moment she suggested it, and was anxious to share it with Peter upon his return. Mrs. Harpole believed in her heart this could be the solution to their ever-growing dilemma. And it was. After a long sit down talk with both Peter and Mr. McHenry, the Belvar petting zoo agreed to take on Toby and Edna as pets.

Most of the money generated to see this unusual couple would go to the petting zoo, and the rest would be split equally between Peter, and Mr. McHenry.

In no time at all Peter had made more money from the zoo than he would have with twenty roosters on his farm. As for Toby and Edna, well, they're still together to this day. They couldn't be happier. People who see them now don't find it that odd anymore. But they do have the strangest looking kids you ever did see.

♦♦ End ♦♦

Read More