Me

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Itwa salrea
dyni ghttimewhe ns ome oneknoc keda tt
he
Shrews ’house.
“Mum,whoi sthis?
”Li ttl
eShr e
wgots care
d.
Mum ope nedthedoor .Ont hedoor stepwe r
et wof ore
st
mi ce
;onebi ga ndtheot hers mall.Thes malle
rmous e
wa shiddenbe hindthele goft hebigge rmouse .
Litt
leShr ewsa wthef orestmi ceforthef i
rsttime.They
lookeds i
mi l
artohe r,butslightl
ydi ffere
nt.
1
“Mum,whydon' tIunde r
sta
ndwha tt
hey'r
es aying?”
sheasked,whe nMum i nvi
tedthe
mi nandof fer
e d
themtea.
“Honey,forestmiceareusedtoeati
ngfruitand
mushrooms ,t
heyarenotus edtoourcerea
lc akes”
repl
iedMum.“ Weha vetorespec
tthatourfoodmi ght
notbetastyforthe
m.”

2
“Mum,Idon' twa ntt ha tMous etosleepi nmybe d! ”
Litt
leShr ewc riedwhe nMum of fer
e dthelostmic ea
placetos ta
y.
“Iunde rst
and,Hone y
,”s ai
dMum,“ youha vear i
ghtt o
feelangrya nds ad,buts ome ti
mesthe r
ea rethi
ngswe
mus tdoe venifwedon' tfeell
ikeit
.The semi ceha ve
comeal ongwa yanda r
eve rytir
ed.The y'
llgetagood
night'
ss le
epinyourbe d,andwec a
nj ustsleep
together
.”
“Idon'tlikehe rpla yingwi t
hmyt oys,”Li t
tl
eShr ew
grumbl ed.
“Sol et'
sputthet oyst hatyouwa nttoha veonlyf or
yourselfintothec upboa rd,andwe '
llsharetherest,
okay? ”-Mum s ugge sted.Shehugge dLittl
eShr e
w,
nowmor er ea
ssur ed.

3
TheMi c efami l y'shomewa sde s
troyed.The yha dto
fleethef orestwhe rethe yl i
veda ndt ookonl y
as ma llbundl eoft hingswi ththema ndonl yoneof
LittleMous e'
sf a vour itetoys .
LittleShr ewga veLi ttleMous e
someofhe rcl ot he sa ndt oys.
Shec hos ewha ts hewa nted
tos ha re.Littl
eMous ewa s
str
a nge ,c ri
edve ryof ten,
wokeupa tnight ,a nds he
hardlya tea nyt hi ng.He r
mot he rof tenlooke ds a d
ands ome t
ime sl ooke d
outsidet hewi ndowf or
alongt ime ,a si fs he
wa sl ooki ngf or
some thingt her e.
“Mum,whydoe ss henotwa nttopl aywi thme ? ”
“Youknow,hone y,Li ttleMous eha sgoneal ongwa y.
Shel e fthe rhous ei nt hef orest
,he rfavouritecuddly
toysa ndbooks ,a ndmos tofa ll,herDa dwhos he
mi ssesve rymuc h.I ti sve ryhar dforhe r
,s oshedoe sn'
t
wa ntt opl ayj us tye t”a nswe redMum.
“It'
st erribletha ts heha dt oleavee ve r
ything,”Littl
e
Shre ws aid,fe elings a d.“Wi llwea l
soha vet orun
awa y? ”
“Ihopenot ,Hone y"Mum hugge dLittl
eShr ew.“ Butin
lif
ee ve rythingc ha nge s;some t
ime sforthebe tter
,
some time sfort hewor se.Thi sishowl i
fei sandt hi
sis
howi twi l
la l
wa ysbe .”
4
“Mum,Li ttl
eMous eisverybraves i
nces hema nage d
towa lksuc halongwa y!
”c r
iedLi t
tleShrew-“ She’s
ahe ro!”
“It
'
st rue,"saidMum.“ They'r
ebot hverybr ave.It
mus talsobee xtre
me lydiff
icultforhe rmot hertolive
withouthe rbelongings,andins ome onee lse'
shome .”
“Anda m Ialsobrave?”-Li t
tleShr ewa sked.
“Ofc ourse!”Mum ki ssedheront henos e.“Only
braves hrewsletothersslee
pi nthe irbeda ndsha r
e
the
irt oys.
”
Lit
tleShr ewwa sveryproudofhe rself
.

5
Litt
leShr ewdi dnotunde rs
tandLi t
tl
eMous e'
s
language,buts ome t
ime stheywe r
ea bleto
communi c
a t
ewi thoutwor ds.Fore xampl e
,they
woul dsitnexttoe achothe ra nddraworl ookat
booksa boutbut t
erfl
iestoge ther
.Ther ewasnone e
d
tosaya nythingthen;as mi lewa senought o
understandwha ttheyl i
ke d.Some ti
me sLittl
eMous e
woul dsitandlooki ntos pace ,t
henLi t
tleShrewtr
ied
nottodi st
urbhe r
.Ma ybes hewa sreme mbe r
ingher
Da dorima gininghe rhome ?

6
“Mum,Ipr ef
e r
reditwhe nwel ivedalone.NowIha ve
toshareeverythingandIdon' tha vemyownr oom,”
Litt
leShrewc r
ied.
“Iknow,Hone y,
”Mum hugge dhe r
.Suc hac hange
mus tbediff
icultforyou.Butyouknow,t hat'
swha t
realheroesdo:theya cc
e ptchange .Event heonesthey
don'tli
ke.The ytrytofinds ome thi
nggoodi nitor
learnsome t
hingf r
om it
.”
“I'
vea l
readylearnedaf ewwor dsinmous e
language!
”Shr ewr ej
oiced.“ Also,Litt
leMous e
taughtmehowt odr a
wl e a
ve s
!”s hecontinued,
huggingMum.

7
Litt
leShr ew' spa r
e nt
sof tent al
keda boutwha twa s
happe ningint hef oresttha tthemi cees capedf r
om.
Litt
leShr ewdi dnotf ullyunde r
standt heirconversat
ions
ands ome time sitma dehe rwor r
y.
“Da r
ling”Da ds ai
doneda y,see
inghi sda ughterfelt
fri
ghte ned,“youc ana lwa ysa s
kusa boutwha tworri
es
you,a ndwewi llalwayst ryt oexpl a
ini ttoyou. ”
“Wi l
lyoua lsoha vet olea veusoneda y,likeLitt
le
Mous e '
sf a
the r?
”Li t
tl
eShr ewa skedi nat rembling
voice.
Da dtookhe ronhi sl apa ndhugge dhe rtightl
y.
“Ihopenot ,"her eplied.“ Youc an'tbes ureofa nythi
ng
inlif
eyouknow,buti t
'snotwor thwor r
yinga boutnow.
Inst
ea d,let'
sf ocusonwha twec anc ontrol.”
8
“Iknow! ”ExclaimedtheLi t
tleShr ew.“ We '
llteac
h
micet ocookbroth!Whe nwee atbroth,italways
make syoufeelwa rm,andyouc a n'
tthinka boutbad
thi
ngs!”
“Greatidea!
”-Da dsmiled.
Lit
tleMous ewa ntedtohe l
p,s oLi t
tleShr e
ws howe d
Lit
tleMous ehowt ope elcarrotsforbr ot
h.Toge t
her
the
ype e
ledallt
heve get
a ble
s ,andt henMum a ndDa d
hel
pe dtocutthem up.Thehous es me ll
edlikespices
,
andthebubblingoft hehots oups ounde dlike
beauti
fulmusic.Andt hi
ngsgots omuc hbr i
ghterri
ght
away.

9
“Whe nit
'sallover
,we 'l
lhel
pyour ebuildthefor
est
”
saidLit
tl
eShr ew.“Weha veal otofse
e ds,t
heywill
growbeautif
ultrees.Theywillswayint hewindagai
n,
andthebirdswillbuildnewne st
sfortheirchi
cks.
”

10