The Mouse Who Wanted Her Tail Back
Adaptation by Connie Manson
Winter is the perfect time for baking. It’s fun to share this little puppet tale when baking at home or on a classroom baking day
Once upon a winter’s day, there was a little cat and there was a little mouse. They began to play together, and then mousie nibbled on cat’s tail! “Ouch,“ said cat. And so, the cat took the mouse’s tail!
“Give me my tail back!”, said the mouse.
“I will give you your tail back if you will give me a bucket of milk.”
First she lept and then she ran, ‘til she came to the cow and thus began, “Good day, cow!”
“Good day, mouse.”
“Would you please give me a bucket of milk?”
“I will give you a bucket of milk, if you will give me a bale of hay.”
First she lept and then she ran, ‘til she came to the farmer and thus began, “Good day, farmer!”
“Good day, mouse.”
“Would you please give me a bale of hay?”
“I will give you a bale of hay if you will give me a loaf of bread.”
First she lept, and then she ran, ‘til she came to the baker and thus began, “Good day, baker!”
“Good day, mouse.”
“Would you please give me a loaf of bread?”
“I will give you a loaf of bread, if you will give me a sack of flour.”
First she lept and then she ran, ‘til she came to the miller and thus began, “Good day, miller!”
“Good day, mouse.”
“Will you please give me a sack of flour?”
“I will give you a sack of flour if you promise never to nibble on my grain again.”
“I promise,” said the mouse.
And so the miller gave the mouse a sack of flour. The mouse gave the sack of flour to the baker. And so the baker gave the mouse a loaf of bread. The mouse gave the loaf of bread to the farmer. And so the farmer gave the mouse a bale of hay. The mouse gave the bale of hay to the cow. And so the cow gave the mouse a bucket of milk. The mouse gave the bucket of milk to the cat and then and there, the cat gave the mouse her tail back, and shared her bucket of milk with little mousie.
Easy Mousie Finger Puppet
White or brown felt
White or brown thick yarn 2 1/2” long
White or brown embroidery floss
Small velcro dots in white or tan
Small black seed beads or black embroidery floss
Small black pom pom (optional)
1. Cut out the pattern and fold in half lengthwise. Pin to hold.
2. Sew a stitch or wrap a french knot for each eye with black embroidery floss.
3. Sew the felt from the x near the back of the mouse to the point of the mouse shape--at the nose--with matching floss, using an overcast or a blanket stitch.
4. Cut 2 ears from pattern. Fold each one in 1/2. Attach the ears on either side on the head of the mouse as indicated by the ‘x’.
5. Attach a tiny velcro dot at the spot indicated by the x above, attach the other side of the dot on the wool yarn tail. Tie a knot at the end of the tail.
Happy Autumn, everyone! Enjoy a story I wrote "Little Mousie's Seed." Though the story spans all seasons, it begins and rests in Autumn. You'll find it in my resource for parents and teachers called "A Journey Through Spring" available here: https://starlitepuppets.blogspot.com/p/shop.html. I've included a picture of one of the puppets I use when I tell it as a puppet story. Happy Autumn Journeys to you!
Once upon a time Little Mousie was in the fields, searching for seeds. He found some! He gathered them up into his cheeks to bring home to his house under the roots of a tree. But he picked up a seed that was left in the field and diggity, diggity, he dug a little hole and dropped the seed inside. Then shuttity, shut! He covered up the seed with a soft blanket of soil. Then off to his house he scurried to settle in for the winter and a nice long nap.
The seed also napped a long, long time. One spring morning it woke up. It yawned and stretched, and . . . CRACK! It’s hard brown jacket split in two.
“Oh!”, said the little seed, “that feels so much better!”
The seed pressed a soft root into the moist earth below, and pushed a tender shoot up, up through the dark, warm earth. It kept on pressing up, up, until, all of a sudden its head reached the top of the earth. It peeked out from the soil and saw Father Sun smiling down brightly. The little seedling opened its leaves wide to the warm sunshine. The seedling sipped the sparkling dew the water fairies brought. Its stem grew stronger and taller, and its leaves grew larger.
Every morning Father Sun sent his bright sunbeams down to play upon the earth. Some would dance on the soft green leaves of the little plant. “Good morning, sunbeams!” the little plant would say. And every evening after Father Sun had traveled across the sky, as He ducked down behind the trees, the little plant would call, “Good night, Father Sun!”
One morning, a sunbeam danced down from Father Sun, and tickled the little plant‘s head. The plant was so happy! All of a sudden, the green cap that covered its little head opened wide, and out popped its face ringed with golden sunbeam petals! The flower would watch for Father Sun to rise in the morning, and follow Father Sun as he traveled across the big sky during the day.
It wasn’t long before the flower heard a gentle humming sound as soft little bee bodies touched its brown face gently. “Zoom . . . zoom . . . hmmm . . . hmmm . . . thank you for your nectar sweet, and your soft golden dust to tickle our feet,” sang the bees. Where ever the golden bees touched the flower’s face a seed began to grow. The seeds grew larger, and the flower was so happy.
But one day the seeds became so heavy that the flower bowed its head down towards the earth. The seeds tumbled out and landed softly on the ground. Father Sun sent his pink and purple rays and wrapped them ‘round the flower then said softly, “Pleasant dreams golden sunflower, mine!” Brother Wind whispered a soft lullaby as night tip toed to the earth.
The next morning Little Mousie scurried into the fields to look for seeds. He found some! He tucked all of the seeds into his cheeks to carry them to his house for the winter. But he took one seed in his teeth and diggity, diggity, he dug a little hole and dropped the seed inside. Then shuttity, shut! He covered it up and left it there. Then off to his house he scurried to settle in for the winter and a nice long nap!
