33 THE MOUSE, THE CRICKET, AND THE BEE

Once there was a little mouse.

One spring day she sat in the sun.

A cricket and a bee came along.

“Winter is over, ”said the little mouse.

“Let us make a house.

We are so little.

We can all live in one little house.

We can be so happy there.”

“That is a good plan, ”said the cricket.

“I like that plan, too, ”said the bee.

“Where shall we make a house? ”said the bee.

“Let us find a very dark place, ”said the cricket.

“I like the dark.

It is dark under the barn.

The sun can not find us there.

I like to chirp in the dark.

I do not like the light.”

“Oh, dear! Oh, dear! ”said the mouse.

“I do not like to live in the dark.

I am not happy in the dark.

The warm sun is the place for me.

Let us try to find a light place.”

“Yes, yes! ”said the bee.

“Yes, yes! I like the sunshine, too.

I know a good place for a house.

It is up in a tall tree.

It is very light there.

The tree is in a pretty meadow.

The meadow has flowers in it.

The sun will keep us warm.

The wind will sing to us.

I like to buzz in the sunshine.

I am very happy in the sunshine.”

“Oh, dear! Oh, dear! ”said the cricket.

“I never chirp in the sunshine, and I can not fly.

I cannot live in a tall tree.

Oh, dear, no! That place would not do for me.

What shall I do? What shall I do? ”

“Let us try my place, ”said the mouse.

“I know a good place for a house.

It is on the ground.

It is in the sunshine, too.

I like to live in a corn field.

We can eat the corn.

We can run and play in the sunshine.

That will be such fun.

I can make a warm home for us.

There we can be very happy.”

“Oh, dear! Oh, dear! ”said the bee.

“I can not eat corn.

That place would not do for me.

We can not live together.”

So the bee flew to the tall tree.

“Buzz, buzz, ”he sang in the sunshine.

“See how high I am.

My home is best.”

The cricket ran under the barn.

“Chirp, chirp, ”he sang in the dark.

“I have a good hiding place.

My home is best.”

The mouse ran into the field.

She made a soft, warm nest.

“Squeak, squeak, ”she said in the corn.

“My home is best.”

She went to sleep in the sunshine.

(Adapted from Poem by Sidney Dayre)

Word list

cricket: a kind of insect that chirps at night

chirp: a short, sharp sound by a bird

You Practice

A) Answer the following questions.

1) Where did the cricket want to build a house and why?

2) Where did the bee want to build a house and why?

3) What is a meadow?

4) Why is Bee happy that there are flowers in the meadow?

5) Where did the mouse want to build a house and why?

6) What season was it? How do you know?

7) How do you know this story is not real?

8) Where would you built a house if you could build it anywhere you wanted?

B) Opposites—Match each word to its opposite by putting the chosen letter next to the number.

_____ 1. happy

A. big

_____ 2. good

B. cool

_____ 3. little

C. under

_____ 4. over

D. always

_____ 5. warm

E. ugly

_____ 6. tall

F. no

_____ 7. pretty

G. short

_____ 8. yes

H. work

_____ 9. never

I. sad

_____ 10. play

J. bad

C) Word groups—Complete the following word groups with words from the story.

1) mouse, cricket, b _ _

2) house, meadow, b _ _ _

3) chirp, buzz, s _ _ _ _ _