CHARACTERS (9) – NARRATOR, FATHER MOUSE, MOTHER MOUSE, MOUSE 1, MOUSE 2, MOUSE 3, BIG MOUSE, SMALL MOUSE, OLD MOUSE

NARRATOR – Once upon a time there was a mouse family who had just moved into a new home. They lived in a mouse hole in the kitchen of a farm house.

FATHER – We have been living here for five days. How do you like it here?

MOTHER – I am glad you found us this home in the country. It takes me a short time to clean it.

MOUSE 1 – I like our new home too. It is warmer than our last home was.

MOUSE 2 – I like the food in this house.

MOUSE 3 – I like this house because it is so big. I have found that other mice live here too. Now I can have new friends and we can play games together.

FATHER – I like this house because it is on a farm. There is plenty of food here. I’m going to the barn now to see what food the farmer keeps there.

NARRATOR – So Father Mouse went to the barn to find some food. When he came back, Mother Mouse asked

MOTHER – Well, what did you find in the barn this morning?

FATHER – I found a lot of wheat to eat. I found straw that we could use for our nest. I saw a gray cat in the barn too. She didn’t see me because I stayed away from her.

MOTHER – We can not take our little mice to the barn as long as the cat is in there.

NARRATOR – Later that day the little mice told their mother and father something.

MOUSE 1 – Oh, father, we saw something new.

MOUSE 2 – It had four legs and a long tail.

MOUSE 3 – It was gray and it was big.

FATHER – I’m afraid that you saw a cat. Cats like to catch mice and eat them.

MOTHER – The cat may have smelled us.

FATHER – I shall check to see where the cat is now.

NARRATOR – So Father Mouse went out to see where the cat was.

MOUSE 1 – Mother, will the gray cat find us ?

MOUSE 2 – Will the gray cat catch us ?

MOUSE 3 – Will that gray cat eat us ?

MOTHER – Don’t be afraid. If we stay in our home, the cat will not catch us. She can’t get through a small mouse hole.

NARRATOR – Soon Father Mouse returned with some bad news.

FATHER – That gray cat is in the house right now. She is in the kitchen drinking milk. I am going to tell the other mice to stay in their homes.

NARRATOR – That night the cat did not catch any mice. The next day the Mouse family had visitors.

BIG MOUSE – Thank you for telling us about the cat.

SMALL MOUSE – We stayed in our homes last night.

OLD MOUSE – Now we shall have to watch out for the cat all the time.

FATHER – What are we going to do with that cat? We don’t want her in the house. Does anyone have a plan?

BIG MOUSE – I have a plan. Someone could stay outside and keep watch. He could tell us when the cat is coming from the barn.

FATHER – That is a good idea. But sometimes it is too cold for us to stay outside.

SMALL MOUSE – We could hide her milk. Then she would stop coming into the house.

FATHER – That is a good plan. But there is no way for us to hide the milk.

OLD MOUSE – I have a plan. Put a bell on the cat. Then when she comes in from the barn we will hear the bell ringing.

FATHER – That is a wonderful plan! Now, who is going to put the bell on the cat?

MOUSE 1 – Not I ! I’m afraid to go near that cat.

MOUSE 2 – Not I ! I’m afraid that she will catch me.

MOUSE 3 – Not I! I’m afraid that she will eat me.

SMALL MOUSE – Not I! I’m too small.

BIG MOUSE – Not I ! I’m the biggest mouse here, but I am not as quick as the cat.

OLD MOUSE – I’m the one who thought of putting the bell on the cat. Now I see what a silly plan it was. The cat can catch us because she is bigger and faster than we are.

NARRATOR – That day the mice learned a lesson.

ALL - Mice just have to watch out for cats.