Content:

1. The Lion and the Mouse Pg 1

2. The City Mouse and the Country Mouse Pg 2
3. The Ant & the Dove Pg 3
4. The two Cats and a Monkey Pg 4
5. The Great Elephant Pg 5
6. The Monkey and the Crocodile Pg 6
7. The Fox And The Crow Pg 7
8. The Little Red Hen Pg 8-9
9. The Three Little Pigs Pg 10-11
10. The Boy Who Cried Wolf Pg 12-13
11. Color Me Happy, Color Me Sad Pg 14-15
12. The Color Monster | a Story about Emotions Pg 16
13. The Crayon Box That Talked Pg 17
14. Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons Pg 18-19
15. Pete the Cat | I Love My White Shoes Pg 20-21
16. Pete the Cat and the Missing Cupcakes Pg 22-23
17. The Angry Dragon Pg 24-25
18. Grumpy Monkey Pg 26-27
19. The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes Pg 28-30
20. Be Kind Pg 31-33
The Lion and the Mouse

A Lion was sleeping under a tree.

A little Mouse was playing around the Lion.
“Squeak! Squeak!”
Suddenly, the Lion woke up.
“ROAR! Who woke me up? I will eat you!”, roared the Lion.
The Lion picked up the Mouse and opened his mouth.
“Oh no! Please don't eat me! If you let me go, I will help you one day”,
said the Mouse.
“Hahaha. You? I'm a Lion. And you're a Mouse! What can you do?”, the
Lion laughed.
“Fine. I'll let you go”, said the Lion.
The Mouse ran away.
The next day, the Lion got caught in a trap! The Mouse who saw this ran
to the Lion.
It began to chew the rope. Finally, the Lion was saved.
“Thank you. You saved my life”, said the Lion.
From that day, the Lion and Mouse became best friends.
 The City Mouse and the Country Mouse

There once lived a City Mouse and a Country Mouse.

One day, the Country Mouse invited the City Mouse to his place.
When the Country Mouse served a meal to the City Mouse, the City Mouse was
disappointed.
“Is this it? It is nothing more than a few kernels of corn and grain. If you come to my
place in the city, I will give you a great feast”, said the City Mouse.
The City Mouse and Country Mouse went to the city.
When the City Mouse served him his meal, the Country Mouse could not believe
his eyes.
There was bread, cheese, fruit and grain.
But when the two mice sat down to eat, a Cat jumped onto the table.
The two mice hurried and hid in a small hole until the Cat left.
When they were about to eat again, a cook came in.
The cook saw them and screamed out: “Eww. Catch the mice!”
So the two mice rushed inside the hole again.
This happened over and over again.
After all of this the Country Mouse said: “Goodbye. I am going home where I can
enjoy my simple dinner in peace”.
The Ant & the Dove

Once upon a time, a very thirsty Ant was drinking water from the river.
Suddenly, the Ant lost his balance and fell into the river water.
“Help, help, help!” cried the Ant. But no one could hear his cries.
A Dove, sitting on a tree nearby, saw that the Ant was in trouble. She
quickly plucked off a leaf from the tree and dropped it into the water.
The Ant climbed on the leaf. He thanked the Dove for saving his life.
After a few days, the Dove was sitting on a tree. The Ant saw a hunter
aiming his arrow at the Dove.
The Ant knew that his friend, the Dove, was in danger. He quickly bit the
hunter’s leg.
The hunter cried in pain.
The hunter’s arrow missed the Dove. This time, the Ant saved the Dove.
The Dove thanked the Ant for saving her life. And they became friends
forever.

Moral of the story: One good deed deserves another.

The two Cats and a Monkey

Once upon a time, there were two Cats. They were good friends.
One day, they got a piece of bread.
While sharing. They made big and small pieces.
So they began to fight for the bigger piece.
At the same time, a Monkey saw them fighting.
The Monkey said: “I will share it equally”.
He bit the bigger piece to make it equal. But his bite was too big so the
bigger piece of bread became smaller.
Again he bit the other bigger piece to make it equal.
Bit by bit, he ate the whole bread and went away happily.
The poor Cats lost the bread.

Moral of the story: We should learn to share what we have.

 The Great Elephant

One day, an Elephant wandered into a jungle in search of friends.

He saw a Monkey on a tree. Elephant said: “Will you be my friend?”
Monkey replied: “You are too big. You can't swing from trees like me”.
Next day, he met a Rabbit. “Will you be my friend?”, he asked.
Rabbit replied: “You are too big. You can't play in my burrow”.
Then he went to Frog - “Please make friendship with me.”
Frog said:“How is it possible? You are too big. You can't leap about like me”.
Elephant was upset.
A Fox appeared. He asked her: “Will you be happy to have a friend like me?"
Fox said: “Sorry, sir. You are too big”.
The next day, the Elephant saw all the animals were running for their lives.
Elephant asked the Fox: “What is the matter?”
Fox replied: “There is a Lion and he is trying to kill all of us. All the animals were
running away to hide”.
Meanwhile, the Lion kept eating up whoever he could find.
The Elephant went to the Lion and said: “Please, Mr. Lion. Don't eat up all these
poor animals”. Lion replied: “Mind your own business”.
The Elephant had no choice but to give the Lion a hefty kick.
The frightening Lion ran for his life.
The Elephant ambled back into the jungle and announced the good news to all. All
the animals thanked him and said: “You are just the right size to be our friend”.
Moral of the story: A friend in need is a friend in deeds.
 The Monkey and the Crocodile

Once upon a time, in the middle of the forest, there was a river. In that river, there
lived an old Crocodile. He was not able to hunt any more because he was weak.
One day he was hungry. “Oh it is very difficult to hunt on land now”.
Then he sat under a tree. A Monkey saw the Crocodile and asked: “Why are you
so sad, Crocodile? Take some apples. They are very tasty”.
“Thank you, dear Monkey. Can you please give me these apples everyday?”
“Okay Crocodile!”
And the Monkey gave the Crocodile some apples and the Crocodile ate the apples
everyday. One day he thought of eating the Monkey heart. So he thought of an
idea. He asked the Monkey that my friend wanted to meet you.
The Monkey was happy and said: “Yes, I will be very happy to meet him”.
He sat on the Crocodile's back. But when they were in the center of the river. The
Crocodile told the Monkey: “I want to eat your heart and now I will eat your heart”.
The Monkey thought of a plan. He said to the Crocodile: “Crocodile, but I forgot my
heart on the tree”.
So the Crocodile said: “Go and take your heart and give it to me”.
After the Money climbed up the tree, the Monkey said: “What a foolish Crocodile
you are. How you can take the heart from the body. And I gave you so many sweet
apples but now I will never give you those apples again. You are not my friend.”
The Crocodile was very hungry and realized his mistake.
The Fox And The Crow

One day, a hungry Fox was searching for food.

He searched and searched everywhere, but he couldn’t find anything to eat!
Then he saw a Crow, flying with a fine piece of cheese in her beak!
“That cheese is for me”, thought the Fox and he started following the Crow.
The Crow sat on a branch, and was about to eat the cheese,
when the Fox shouted from below. “Good day, mistress Crow”.
The Crow was surprised, and looked down at the Fox.
The cunning Fox said to the Crow: “How well you are looking today!”
“How fine your feathers are”, “How bright are your eyes!”
“What exquisite beauty” exclaimed the Fox!
Then the Fox said, “Please let me hear your voice, which I’m sure will
surpass all the others. Then I will declare you the queen of birds”.
The Crow was truly delighted by the compliments, and the foolish Crow even
thought that her voice was beautiful!
The Crow lifted up her head, and began to caw her best!
But the moment she opened her mouth, the cheese fell down, and it was
snapped up by the Fox!
Then the Fox said, “You foolish Crow. You should never trust flatterers!
Ha haa.. Ha haa..”
The Crow realized her mistake, and the Fox then walked away!
The Little Red Hen

Once upon a time, there was a little red Hen who lived on a farm. She
was friends with a lazy Dog, a sleepy Cat , and a noisy yellow Duck .
One day the little red Hen found some seeds on the ground.
The little red Hen had an idea. She would plant the seeds.
The little red Hen asked her friends, "Who will help me plant the seeds?"
"Not I," barked the lazy Dog.
"Not I," purred the sleepy Cat.
"Not I," quacked the noisy yellow Duck.
"Then I will," said the little red Hen.
So the little red Hen planted the seeds all by herself.
When the seeds had grown, the little red Hen asked her friends, "Who
will help me cut the wheat?"
"Not I," barked the lazy Dog.
"Not I," purred the sleepy Cat.
"Not I," quacked the noisy yellow Duck.
"Then I will," said the little red Hen.
So the little red Hen cut the wheat all by herself.
When all the wheat was cut, the little red Hen asked her friends, "Who
will help me take the wheat to the mill to be ground into flour?"
"Not I," barked the lazy Dog.
"Not I," purred the sleepy Cat.
"Not I," quacked the noisy yellow Duck.
"Then I will," said the little red Hen.
So the little red Hen brought the wheat to the mill all by herself, ground
the wheat into flour , and carried the heavy sack of flour back to the farm.
The tired little red Hen asked her friends, "Who will help me bake the
bread?"
"Not I," barked the lazy Dog.
"Not I," purred the sleepy Cat.
"Not I," quacked the noisy yellow Duck.
"Then I will," said the little red Hen.
So the little red Hen baked the bread all by herself.
When the bread was finished, the tired little red Hen asked her friends,
"Who will help me eat the bread?"
"I will," barked the lazy Dog.
"I will," purred the sleepy Cat.
"I will," quacked the noisy yellow Duck.
"No!" said the little red Hen.
"I will."
And the little red Hen ate the bread all by herself.

The end.
 The Three Little Pigs

Once upon a time, there lived three little Pig brothers.

The three brothers decided to build their own houses.
First, the eldest Pig built his house out of straw. It's light and easy to get from
anywhere. The second Pig built his house out of wood. A tree can build a strong
enough house. But the youngest Pig started to pile up bricks.
“I'm going to build a house out of bricks”, thought the youngest Pig. “It'll take a long
time and a lot of effort, but it'll be worth it”.
The eldest and second Pig finished building their houses and laughed at the
youngest. “Hahaha. Look at him. He's still building his house”.
Eventually, the youngest Pig completed his house.
Then one day, a large, hungry Wolf came into the village. He headed to the eldest
Pig’s straw house.
“Little Pig, little Pig, let me in!”, said the Wolf.
“Not by the hair on my chinny chin chin!”, said the Pig.
“Then, I'll huff and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in”.
Then all the straw flew away, destroying the house.
The eldest rushed into his brother's wooden house.
The Wolf followed him.
“Little Pig, little Pig, let me in!”
“Not by the hair on my chinny chin chin!”
“Then, I'll huff and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in”.
The wood house fell apart. So the second and eldest Pig rushed into
the youngest brother's brick house.
The Wolf followed them.
“Little Pig, little Pig, let me in!”
“Not by the hair on my chinny chin chin!”
“Then, I'll huff and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in”.
But the brick house didn't shake at all. So the Wolf jumped into the chimney. But
the youngest Pig quickly lit the fireplace. Then the three little Pigs put the pot on
fire. “Let's see. The water is boiling nice and hot”, said the youngest Pig. When the
Wolf fell in, the Pigs covered the pot.
“Ahh! Oww! Let me out!”, said the Wolf.
“I’ll let you out if you could promise to leave us alone”, said the Pigs.
“I promise!”, said the Wolf. The Wolf left town and never came back.
The three Pigs lived in the brick house happily ever after.
 The Boy Who Cried Wolf

Once upon a time, there lived a Shepherd boy who took care of the Sheep in the
village. He was very dedicated to his work. Everyday he used to take the herd of
sheep to the top of the hill and bring them down by evening.
But one day, he felt really bored. “I am feeling so bored. All the villagers work
together but here I am, all alone taking care of the sheep and no one else to talk to.
What should I do?”
Suddenly he had an idea. A wicked one.
He went over the edge of the hill and started shouting: “Help! Help! There is a Wolf.
He is gonna eat all our sheep. Help!”
Hearing the boy cry out for help. All the villagers came to the top of the hill to save
the sheep. But reaching there, all they could see were calm sheep grazing the
grassland.
“You silly boy! Where is the Wolf? Why did you cry out for help?”
The villagers were very angry and left the place cursing the Shepherd boy.
“Hahaha. This was so much fun!”
Next day, the Shepherd boy was back again to the routine of taking the sheep for
grazing. And yet again he found himself completely bored.
“Let's try that prank again!”
The boy again went to the hill top and started shouting.
“Help! Help! There is a Wolf. He is gonna eat all our sheep. Help!”
Once again the villagers after hearing the boy cry out for help ran to save the
sheep.
But once again came back after being fooled by the boy. “This is not right. You
would have to pay for this one day!”
With no regrets on his face, the Shepherd boy went back to his sheep.
One day when he was lying under the tree while his sheep were grazing.
He saw some sheep running here and there. After looking closely, he saw a Wolf
approaching the herd. The boy ran to the edge of the hill and started screaming for
help.
“Help! Help! There is a Wolf for real this time. He is gonna eat all our sheep. Help!
Please help!”
This time, the villagers didn't pay any heed to the boy’s screaming.
Let's leave him this time too. He might be playing a prank on us.
The boy kept on crying for help but no one turned up this time.
All he could do was stand there and watch his sheep getting killed by the Wolf.
“Oh! I should have not played that prank with the villagers. Nobody believed me
when the Wolf actually turned up”.
Color Me Happy, Color Me Sad

Color me HAPPY, YELLOW or ORANGE,

Color me SAD, GREEN, PINK, or BLUE,
Color me PEACEFUL, my feelings have colors….
Color me MAD. -> Do yours have them too?

HAPPY feels YELLOW, SADNESS feels BLUE,

like a warm, shining sun. like a cold, rainy day.
I feel joyful and free, I cry sad, salty tears,
and I dance and have fun. -> till it washes away.

GREEN is as CALM PRIDE feels PURPLE

as the tall, peaceful trees. When you do your best,
I breathe in and breathe out it swells up inside,
as the wind stirs the leaves. -> like balloons in your chest.

COURAGE feels BLACK. ANGER feels RED,

Like the ray through the dark like a fire blazing hot.
lights all shadows, and helps When I roar and I scream
give the fear a good fight. -> and I stomp on the spot.
EXCITEMENT feels ORANGE, QUIET feels GRAY,
like adventure’s in store. when I'm lost in my head,
I jump up for joy, with thoughts swirling round,
then I jump round some more! -> like the clouds overhead.

PINK feels like LOVE.

It's soft, caring and snug, YELLOW or ORANGE,
like the way that I feel GREEN, PINK, or GRAY,
when you give me a hug. There's a rainbow of feelings…..
I love you. -> Which did you feel today?

In today's story we learned about different feelings and emotions that

we all have experienced before. It's okay to express those emotions.
The Color Monster | a story about Emotions
This is the Color Monster.
Today he woke up feeling confused,
and he doesn't know why.
Are you all mixed up again,
Color Monster?
Your emotions don't work well
when they're all jumbled up.
You should try to separate them,
and put each one in its own jar.
If you'd like, I can help you.
Let's try to make sense of how you
feel.
This is happiness.
It shines yellow like the sun and
twinkles like the stars.
When you're happy,
you laugh and jump and dance and
play!
You want to share your happiness with
everyone.
This is sadness.
It is lonely and blue like a rainy day.
It washes over you like the sea.
When you're sad,
you hide and want to be alone.
You don't want to do anything….
except maybe cry.
It's okay to cry, Color Monster!
This is anger.
It burns red like a fire and
is hard to stamp out.
When you're angry, life can feel unfair.
Sometimes, you want to take out your
anger on others.
But I'll be nice to you, Color Monster,
and your anger will disappear!
This is fear. It hides and runs away like a
mouse in the night.
When you're afraid, you feel tiny.
You think you don't have the courage to
face the gray shadows.
But I can help you find your way.
This is calm.
It is quiet like the trees and as light as
green leaves swaying in the wind.
When you're calm,
you breathe slowly and deeply.
You feel at peace.
Now you can rest, Color Monster!
All your feelings are in the right place.
See? Don't you feel much better?
Uh-oh….I see you're feeling something
new.
You look different, Color Monster!
Tell me…..how do you feel now?
 The Crayon Box That Talked
While walking in a toy store,
The day before today….
I overheard a crayon box,
With many things to say.
“I don't like Red!” said Yellow,
And Green said, “Nor do I!
And no one here likes Orange,
But no one knows just why.”
“We are a box of crayons
That doesn't get along.”
Said Blue to all the others,
“Something here is wrong!”
Well, I bought that box of crayons,
And took it home with me,
And laid out all the colors
So the crayons could all see….
They watched me as I colored,
With Red and Blue and Green,
And Black and White and Orange,
And every color in between.
They watched as Green became the
grass
And Blue became the sky.
The Yellow sun was shining bright.
On White clouds drifting by.
Colors changing as they touched,
Becoming something new.
They watched me as I colored.
They watched till I was through.
And when I'd finally finished,
I began to walk away.
And as I did, the crayon box
Had something more to say….
“I do like Red!” said Yellow.
And Green said, “So do I!
And Blue, you were terrific,
So high up in the sky!”
“We are a box of crayons,
Each one of us unique.
But when we get together….
The picture is complete.”
Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons

Pete the Cat put on his favorite shirt with four big, colorful, round, groovy buttons.
He loved his buttons so much, he sang this song:
“My buttons, my buttons, my four groovy buttons.
My buttons, my buttons, my four groovy buttons.”
Oh no! One of the buttons popped off and rolled away.
How many buttons are left?
Three. Four minus one equals three.
Did Pete cry?
Goodness, no!
Buttons come and buttons go.
He kept on singing his song:
“My buttons, my buttons, my three groovy buttons.
My buttons, my buttons, my three groovy buttons.”
Oh no! Another button popped off and rolled away!
How many buttons are left?
Two. Three minus one equals two.
Did Pete cry?
Goodness, no!
Buttons come and buttons go.
He kept on singing his song:
“My buttons, my buttons, my two groovy buttons.
My buttons, my buttons, my two groovy buttons.”
Oh no! Another button popped off and rolled away!
How many buttons are left?
One. Two minus one equals one.
Did Pete cry?
Goodness, no!
Buttons come and buttons go.
He kept on singing his song:
“My buttons, my buttons, my one groovy button.
My buttons, my buttons, my one groovy button.”
Oh no! The last button popped off and rolled away!
How many buttons are left?
Zero. One minus one equals zero.
Did Pete cry?
Goodness, no!
Buttons come and buttons go.
Pete looked down at his buttonless shirt,
and what do you think he saw?
His belly button!
And he kept on singing his song. It’s all good.
“My button, my button, still have my belly button.
My button, my button, still have my belly button,”

Moral of the story: Stuff will come and stuff will go.
But do we cry? Goodness, NO!
We keep on singing.
 Pete the Cat | I Love My White Shoes

Pete the Cat was walking down the street in his brand-new white shoes.
Pete loved his white shoes so much. He sang this song:
“I love my white shoes. I love my white shoes,
I love my white shoes. I love my white shoes,
I love my white shoes. I love my white shoes.”

Oh no! Pete stepped in a large pile of …. strawberries!

What color did it turn his shoes? Red
Did Pete cry? Goodness, no. He kept walking along and singing his song.
“I love my red shoes. I love my red shoes,
I love my red shoes. I love my red shoes,
I love my red shoes. I love my red …...”

Oh no! Pete stepped in a large pile of ….. blueberries!

What color did it turn his shoes? Blue
Did Pete cry? Goodness, no! He kept walking along and singing his song.
“I love my blue shoes. I love my blue shoes,
I love my blue shoes. I love my blue shoes,
I love my blue shoes. I love my ….”
Oh no! Pete stepped in a large puddle of …. mud!
What color did it turn his shoes? Brown
Did Pete cry? Goodness, no! He kept walking along and singing his song.
“I love my brown shoes. I love my brown shoes.
I love my brown shoes. I love my brown shoes.
I love my brown shoes. I love my brown ….”

Oh no! Pete stepped in a bucket of water……

and all the brown, and all the blue, and all the red were washed away.
What color were his shoes again? White
But now they were wet.
Did Pete cry? Goodness no! He kept walking along and singing his song.
“I love my wet shoes, I love my wet shoes,
I love my wet shoes, I love my wet shoes,
I love my wet shoes, I love my wet shoes,
I love my wet shoes, I love my wet shoes”.

The moral of Pete's story is: No matter what you step in, keep walking along
and singing your song….. because it's all good.
 Pete the Cat and the Missing Cupcakes
Pete and Gus were as busy as could be.
They were getting ready for the cupcake party. It started at three!
They were making cupcakes for everyone.
Pete and Gus counted them just for fun!
One two three four five six seven eight nine ten.
They had ten when they were done.
Oh no! Hang on! Some of the cupcakes were gone!
They were sure there had been ten.
Pete said, “Maybe we need to count again!”
They counted the cupcakes lined up straight.
One two three four five six seven eight.
Now there were only eight! It looked like someone had taken two.
But who?
Pete and Gus did not know what to do!
Just then they found a clue.
Gus said, “Look what I have found.
Sprinkles on the ground! I bet it was Squirrel. She loves sprinkles”.
Squirrel said, “It wasn't me! It couldn't be! I've been at the spelling bee!”
“Uh-oh. More cupcakes are missing. Come and see!”
This was too weird! Two more cupcakes had disappeared!
Now there were only six! Someone must be playing tricks! But who?
Pete and Gus did not know what to do!
Just then they found another clue!
Pete said, “I bet it was Alligator! He loves to eat”.
Alligator said, “It wasn't me! It couldn't be! I've been learning my ABCs!”
“Uh-oh. More cupcakes are missing. Come and see!”
Now there were only four! Someone had taken two more! But who?
Pete and Gus did not know what to do!
Just then they found another clue.
“I bet it was Turtle”, said Pete. “I know Turtle loves sweets”.
Turtle said, “It wasn't me! It couldn't be! I've been swimming in the sea!
“Uh-oh. More cupcakes are missing. Come and see!”
What on earth was going on?
All the cupcakes were now gone!
Pete and Gus did not know what to do!
They started looking for another clue.
They found Grumpy Toad with icing on his face!
Pete and Gus have solved the case.
“I am so sorry! It was me! I could not stop with just one!
I ate and ate ‘till there were none!”
Everyone agreed - Grumpy Toad would have to miss the fun.
He could not come after what he had done.
Pete said, “But wait! Grumpy Toad made a mistake. This is true. Let's give him a
second chance. That's what friends do!”
Pete told Grumpy Toad they would give him another chance.
He was so excited. He did a happy dance!
The night of the party was so much fun.
Grumpy Toad brought more than enough cupcakes for everyone!
The end!
The Angry Dragon

It was time for George and his pet dragon, Joe, to play.
With all their toys spread out, they were having a fun day
Until George accidentally broke Joe’s favorite toy.
“Hey! Look what you've done!” Joe yelled, “You silly boy!”
Joe flew into a rage. He got angry and red.
"It was an accident," a sorry George said.
"I'm sorry I've upset you. Let's talk it out.
Don't be so angry. You don't have to shout."
"Breathe deeply and let's talk about how you feel.
We can fix the toy. It's really not a big deal."
Joe breathed and felt better. George was right.
He loved his best friend, and he didn't want to fight.
George helped Joe fix his toy with Dad's glue.
Before long, it was as good as new.
That afternoon, George was helping his mom clean.
Joe wanted him to play. He thought George was being mean.
Feeling hurt, Joe called George a very horrible name.
He said, "You're not my friend if you won't play my game."
George breathed deeply and said, "Joe, please don't be mad.
Be patient and wait for me. There's no need to feel bad."
"There's time to help Mom and have fun too.
You're my best buddy, Joe. I will play with you."
Joe listened to his friend and waited until George was done.
Then they played music together and had lots of fun.
They were hungry in the kitchen later that day.
Joe wanted to eat lots of sweets. George said, "No way!
Eating lots of sweets is bad for your teeth and tummy too."
Joe yelled, "I'll eat what I want! Don't tell me what to do!"
Joe ate all of the sweets and then later that night,
He complained that his tummy didn't feel right.
He needed to lie down. He felt so horrible and sad.
"I'm sorry I didn't listen to you," Joe said, "I feel bad."
"Getting my way hasn't turned out very well," Joe said.
As George helped him sip water while he lay in bed.
George took care of his friend. He wanted Joe to feel good.
He did everything for Joe that a best friend should.
"I'm going to be more patient and less greedy," Joe said.
"And instead of getting angry, I'll try talking to you instead."
"That's great. I'm proud of you," George said to his friend.
The boys laughed and chatted until the day came to an end.
 Grumpy Monkey
One wonderful day, Jim Panzee woke
to discover that nothing was right. The
sun was too bright, the sky was too
blue, and the bananas were too
sweet. Jim was confused. “What's
going on?”
“Maybe you're grumpy,” suggested
Norman from next door.
“I'm not grumpy!” Jim insisted.
On his walk, he met Marabou.
“Jim's grumpy,” Norman told Marabou.
“Why are you grumpy, Jim?” asked
Marabou. “It's such a wonderful day.”
“Grumpy! Me? I am not grumpy,” said
Jim.
“But look at how you're standing,”
Marabou said.
“It's true,” said Norman. “You're all
hunched.”
So Jim loosened up.
Then he ran into Lemur.
“Jim's grumpy,” Norman told Lemur.
“Why are you grumpy, Jim?” asked
Lemur.
“It's such a wonderful day.”
“Grumpy! Me? I'm not grumpy,” said
Jim.
“Your eyebrows look grumpy,” said
Lemur.
“It's true,” said Norman. “They're all
bunched up.”
So Jim raised his brow.
Then he tripped over Snake.
“Oh no,” said Norman. “That's the last
thing you need when you're feeling
so grumpy.”
“Grumpy! Me? I’m NOT grumpy,” said
Jim.
“Then why that frown?” said Snake.
“I think it's because he tripped over
you,” Norman whispered to Snake.
So Jim put on a smile.
Finally, Jim looked happy.
But he didn't feel happy inside.
Everyone wanted Jim to enjoy this
wonderful day.
“You should sing with us,” said the
birds.
Jim didn't feel like singing.
“You should swing with us!” said the
monkeys.
Jim didn't feel like swinging.
“You should roll with us!” said the
Zebras.
Jim didn't feel like rolling.
“You should stroll with us!” said the
Peacocks.
Jim didn't feel like strolling.
“You should lie in the grass!”
“You should stomp your feet!”
“You should take a bath!”
“And make a splash!”
“You should hug someone!”
“You should laugh!”
“You should take a nap!”
“You should eat old meat!”
“Or some honey!”
“You should jump up and down!”
“You should sit in the sun!”
“You should dance!”
But Jim didn't feel like doing any of
that.
“Why are you grumpy, Jim?” asked
the others. “It's such a wonderful day.”
“I'M NOT GRUMPY!” shouted Jim as
he beat his chest. And he stormed off.
Jim felt sorry. A little sorry for shouting
at everyone but mostly sorry for
himself.
“I guess I am grumpy,” Jim sighed.
And just as he was starting to feel
really sad….. he came upon Norman.
Norman was slumped. His eyebrows
were bunched up, and he was
frowning.
“What's the matter? Are you grumpy?”
asked Jim.
“No. I danced with Porcupine,” said
Norman.
“Are you okay?” asked Jim.
“It hurts, but I'll probably feel better
soon enough,” said Norman. “Are you
still grumpy?”
“Yes,” said Jim, “but I'll probably feel
better soon enough, too. For now, I
need to be grumpy.”
“It's a wonderful day to be grumpy,”
said Norman.
Jim agreed.
And he already felt a little bit better.
The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes
For Beatrice Bottomwell, Friday began like any other day.
She matched her socks. And, of course, she put her shoes on their proper feet.
She remembered to feed her hamster, Humbert, his favorite food, broccoli.
And when she made a sandwich for her brother Carl's lunch, she used exactly the
same amount of peanut butter as jelly.
When she stepped outside to greet her fans, she didn't forget to say “good
morning” and “thank you.”
They asked if she made her bed. She had.
They asked if she forgot to do her math homework. Nope.
“What about tonight's talent show?” they asked. “I'm ready!” said Beatrice with a
smile. After all, her juggling act had won three years in a row.
Most people in town didn't even know Beatrice's name.
They just called her “the Girl Who Never Makes Mistakes,” because for as long as
anyone could remember, she never did.
Unlike Beatrice, Carl made lots of mistakes.
He ate his crayons and drew with his green beans.
He danced with his hands and played the piano with his feet.
Carl loved to make mistakes!
At school, Beatrice was on a cooking team with her two best friends, Millie and
Sarah. To make their giant rhubarb muffins, they needed four eggs.
Beatrice went to the refrigerator and carefully chose the biggest, eggiest eggs she
could find.
But on the way back, her legs slipped out from under her. The eggs went flying.
Beatrice was about to make her first mistake….
But she didn't. “That was close!” thought Beatrice.
“Sorry, Beatrice…. I dropped a piece of rhubarb.”
“-on’t -ention it, -illie.”
For the rest of the school day, Beatrice could not stop thinking about her Almost
Mistake.
On her way home from school, Beatrice watched Millie and Sarah ice-skating in
the park.
“Come join us!” said Millie. “It's fun!” said Sarah.
Beatrice watched them slip and slide on the frozen pond. Millie and Sarah
laughed as they wobbled on the ice.
“No, thanks,” said Beatrice.
At supper, Beatrice barely touched her food.
“Is everything all right, kiddo?” asked her father.
“I'm worried I'll mess up tonight,” said Beatrice. “And everyone will be
watching.”
“Worry? You don't make mistakes!” he said with a smile.
Beatrice tried to smile too.
After supper, Beatrice got ready for the talent show.
First, she woke Humbert from his nap.
Next she got the salt shaker from the kitchen table.
Finally, she filled a balloon with water.
The school auditorium was packed! Beatrice felt her stomach jumping around
inside her.
Beatrice waited for her judging music to begin.
“That's her! That's the Girl Who Never Makes Mistakes!” said a woman.
“Oh! We know she'll be perfect!” said a man.
When the music started, she tossed Humber into the air.
Next, she added the salt shaker.
And finally, the water balloon.
Beatrice didn't miss a beat! The crowd clapped with delight.
But Beatrice noticed something odd about the salt shaker….
The specks falling out of it were not white!
AAHHCH…OOOO!!!
Humbert was so surprised by his sneeze that he grabbed the water balloon with
his claws.
KABLOOIE!
Humbert, pieces of water balloon, and the pepper rained down on top of Beatrice.
For the first time in as long as anyone could remember, Beatrice made a mistake.
And it was a big one!
The music stopped.
Beatrice didn't know what to do.
Cry?
Run off the stage?
The crowd sat stunned.
They couldn't believe that the Girl Who Never Makes Mistakes made a mistake!
Beatrice looked up at Humbert.
He looked back at her.
His hamster fur was soaked and speckled with bits of balloon.
Beatrice let out a giggle.
The giggle grew into a chuckle.
And the chuckle became a laugh.
The people in the crowd looked at each other and then back at Beatrice. They
began to giggle. Then chuckle. Then–finally–roar with laughter.
Beatrice and the audience laughed until they couldn't remember why they were
laughing.
That night, Beatrice slept better than she ever had!
In the morning, no fans greeted Beatrice.
When she got dressed, Beatrice—for no reason at all—put a polka dot sock on
one foot and a plaid sock on the other.
Beatrice and Carl made sandwiches. This time, they put the peanut butter and
jelly on the outside. They called it an Inside Out PB and J!
Lunch was messy and delicious!
Later, Beatrice found Millie and Sarah skating in the park.
They fell a lot. And laughed!
Now, people no longer call her the Girl Who Never Makes Mistakes.
They just call her Beatrice.
Beatrice Bottomwell has never (not once!) made a mistake….
The end.

Have you ever made a mistake?

Do you think it's a good thing to never make mistakes?
Why or why not?
Be Kind

What does “being kind” mean to you?

Does “being kind” mean helping someone out when they need it?
Or “being kind” can be being generous to your brother or your sister?
Sharing and caring for them and just by being gentle and also being considerate.
Well let's find out what “being kind” means in this book and in the story
Be Kind
Tanisha spilled grape juice yesterday.
All over her new dress.
Everyone laughed.
I almost did, too.
But Mom always tells me to be kind, so I tried.
I don't think it worked.
I said: “Purple is my favorite color”.
I thought Tanisha would smile.
But she ran into the hall instead.
When she came back, snack time was over.
She put on her art smock and didn't look at anyone.
I almost told Tanisha that art was my favorite class,
but I didn't want her to leave again.
So I painted purple splotches and added some green
until I had a bunch of beautiful violets.
While I painted, I thought about Tanisha.
Should I have handed her my napkin?
Let her borrow my sweatshirt?
Spilled my juice so everyone stared at me instead?
What does it mean to be kind anyway?
What does it mean to be kind to you?
Or what does it mean for someone to be kind to you?
Maybe it's giving. Making cookies for Mr. Rinaldi, who lives alone.
Letting someone with smaller feet have my too-tight shoes.
(He might win races in them, too.)
Maybe it's helping. Putting dirty dishes in the sink.
Like helping out Mommy clean up after yourself
Picking up your laundry, making your bed.
Cleaning up after Otis, our class guinea Pig.
(He's a messy eater.)
Maybe it's paying attention.
Telling Desmond I like his blue boots.
Asking the new girl to be my partner.
Listening to Aunt Franny's stories.
(Even the ones I've heard before.)
Being kind could also be saying nice things about someone,
complimenting someone, telling your mom that she looks so pretty today, picking
her flowers.
Being kind should be easy. Like throwing away a wrapper or recycling a bottle.
Or saying. “Thank You!” “Bless you!”
My mom says the quickest way to be kind is to use people's names: “Hey Cayla”,
“What's new, Omar?”, “Good afternoon, Rabbi Mandelbaum”.
Being kind can be hard too.
Even when you know what to do.
Teaching someone something I'm good at is tricky.
(Even when I'm patient.)
Being kind could also be sharing with your siblings.
And sticking up for someone when other kids aren't kind is really hard. (And really
scary.)
Maybe I can't solve Tanisha's grape juice problem.
Maybe all I can do is sit by her in art class.
And paint this picture for her.
Because I know she likes purple, too.
Maybe I can only do small things.
But my small things might join small things other people do.
And together they could grow into something big.
Remember, kids. Small things can make a big difference too.
Something really big.
So big that all our kindnesses spill out of our school….
spread throughout town….travel across the country….
and go all the way…. around the world.
Wouldn't that be the best thing?
If everyone is kind, the whole world would be a big bubble of kindness. Wouldn't
that be cool?
Right back to Tanisha and me.
So we can be kind. Again. And again. And again.
The end.

That is a very special story. What do you think?

So what does “being kind” mean to you?