Once upon a time there was a family of mice. Each night, as the babies readied for sleep, their mother would tell them a bedtime story. It was always the same one, about a princess and a dragon living in a magical kingdom, far-far-away. They listened spellbound as her gentle voice spoke, until each one of them fell fast asleep.
One day, mama and daddy mouse did not return home from the fields on time . But they were often late; so the baby mice went ahead and ate some grain from the cupboard and settled themselves down for bedtime.
It was then, they decided to tell each other the story, and so they started reciting the tale, each adding a line or two as it went along- quite soon however, they had difficulty remembering just what happened next. One would say something as they recalled it and another would pipe in “No, no, no, that’s not right!” and tell their version. Quickly they started squeaking back and forth about how the ending should be told. Some maintained it went on happily ever after and others claimed that no, it wasn’t a happy ending at all. Their little voices kept getting louder and louder as they argued on, each insisting they knew exactly what happened.
Just then, a passing weasel heard the little voices of the mice. It stopped and listened briefly to their bickering. Quickly running down the mouse hole and to their startled little faces it exclaimed, “I can tell you the ending!”*
As he was about to pounce on the little mice, the weasel heard a loud noise. Frightened, he leaped out the back door. With wide little eyes the baby mice ran to the front room, gathering about their parents hugging them with all their might. Quite surprised, the mother mouse smiled sweetly saying, “I thought you were all in bed; I suppose you stayed up wanting me to tell you the story?” Eagerly they cheered in together “Oh yes! Yes, please tell us the story!”
That night while telling it, she noticed that all her little ones listened quietly, but oddly did not fall asleep until the very end. Only when she said the words “happily ever after” while kissing their little heads goodnight, did they slip quietly into pleasant dreams.
* an alternate ending for naughty children:
Just then, a passing weasel heard the little voices of the mice. It stopped and listened briefly to their bickering. Quickly running down the mouse hole and to their startled little faces it exclaimed, “I can tell you the ending!” Then gobbled them up, one at a time, till none were left to either hear or tell the tale ever again.
One day, mama and daddy mouse did not return home from the fields on time . But they were often late; so the baby mice went ahead and ate some grain from the cupboard and settled themselves down for bedtime.
It was then, they decided to tell each other the story, and so they started reciting the tale, each adding a line or two as it went along- quite soon however, they had difficulty remembering just what happened next. One would say something as they recalled it and another would pipe in “No, no, no, that’s not right!” and tell their version. Quickly they started squeaking back and forth about how the ending should be told. Some maintained it went on happily ever after and others claimed that no, it wasn’t a happy ending at all. Their little voices kept getting louder and louder as they argued on, each insisting they knew exactly what happened.
Just then, a passing weasel heard the little voices of the mice. It stopped and listened briefly to their bickering. Quickly running down the mouse hole and to their startled little faces it exclaimed, “I can tell you the ending!”*
As he was about to pounce on the little mice, the weasel heard a loud noise. Frightened, he leaped out the back door. With wide little eyes the baby mice ran to the front room, gathering about their parents hugging them with all their might. Quite surprised, the mother mouse smiled sweetly saying, “I thought you were all in bed; I suppose you stayed up wanting me to tell you the story?” Eagerly they cheered in together “Oh yes! Yes, please tell us the story!”
That night while telling it, she noticed that all her little ones listened quietly, but oddly did not fall asleep until the very end. Only when she said the words “happily ever after” while kissing their little heads goodnight, did they slip quietly into pleasant dreams.
* an alternate ending for naughty children:
Just then, a passing weasel heard the little voices of the mice. It stopped and listened briefly to their bickering. Quickly running down the mouse hole and to their startled little faces it exclaimed, “I can tell you the ending!” Then gobbled them up, one at a time, till none were left to either hear or tell the tale ever again.
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