A Day In The Jungle - Children's Picture Book

"A Day in the Jungle." A day in the jungle, a little gray mouse crept out of the woods, shivering and sighing and shaking all over with fear. "Now, now," said the squirrel who heard him, "things aren't as bad as all that." "Yes, they are," said the mouse. "In my house by the waterhole, there's someone who mumbles to himself and moves around, and I'm afraid to go in." "Come along," said the Squirrel. "We'll give him what for!" So the Mouse and the Squirrel set out for the water hole. But on their way they met a Hare. "Come with us to the Mouse's house by the water hole," said Squirrel. "There's someone inside who mumbles and moans and pushes things around. We're going to give him what for!" "I'll do that," said the Hare. So the Mouse and the Squirrel and the Hare set out for the water-hole together. But they had not gone far when they met a Wolf. "Don't be frightened, my friends," said the Wolf. "I've just had my dinner. But where are you going in such a hurry?" "We're on our way to the Mouse's house by the water-hole," said the Hare. "There's someone inside who moans and groans and pushes the furniture around. We're going to give him what for! But you're not invited." "Oh yes," said the Wolf. "I can chase him for you." "Come along then," said the Hare. "But see that you behave yourself." So the Mouse, And the squirrel and the hare and the wolf set out for the waterhole together. But they had gone only a few steps when they met an antelope. "Excuse me!" said the antelope, starting off in the opposite direction. "Come along, my dear," said the wolf. "We're on our way to the mouse's house by the waterhole." We're going to give a dreadful creature that's inside what for. But what can I do? the antelope wanted to know. Think of your sharp hooves, said the wolf. And by the way, don't be frightened. I've had my dinner. So the mouse and the squirrel And the Hare and the Wolf and the Antelope set out for the waterhole together. But a short distance down the path they met a Black Panther. "Don't be frightened, my friends," said the Panther. "I've had my dinner. But where are you going in such a hurry?" "We're on our way to the Mouse's house by the waterhole," said the Antelope. "There's someone inside who moans and groans and howls and pushes the furniture around." "but we're going to give him what for, but you're not invited." "Oh yes," said the Panther, "I can climb in the windows and get him out for you." "Come along then," said the Antelope, "but see that you behave yourself." So off they went through the woods, the Mouse and the Squirrel and the Hare and the Wolf and the Antelope and the Black Panther, but they had not gone far when they met a Camel who was spending his vacation in the jungle. "Excuse me," said the Camel, starting off in the opposite direction. "Come along, my dear," said the Panther. "We're on our way to the Mouse's house by the waterhole." We're going to give it a terrible monster that's inside the what-for. But what could I do? the Camel wanted to know. Think of your strong legs and your teeth, said the Panther. And by the way, don't be frightened. We've had our dinner. So the Mouse and the Squirrel and the Hare and the Wolf and the antelope and the panther and the camel set out for the waterhole together. But before they had gone very far, they met a rhinoceros. "I can hear you," said the rhinoceros, "but I can't see you very well. Where are you going in such a hurry?" "We're going to the mouse's house by the waterhole," said the camel. There's a horrible monster inside that moans and groans and shrieks and roars and howls and screams and is chopping up furniture and throwing it out the window. We're going to give him what for. But you're not invited, added the Wolf and the Black Panther. Oh yes, said the rhinoceros. I am too! I'm going to the waterhole anyway, to wade in the water and wallow in the mud. Very well then, said the Wolf and the Panther and the Camel, but see that you behave yourself. And off they went then, the Mouse and the Squirrel and the Hare and the Wolf and the Antelope and the Black Panther and the Camel and the rhinoceros, through the woods and on their way to the waterhole. But before they had gone far, they met a giraffe. "Excuse me," said the giraffe, starting off in the opposite direction. "Come along, my dear," said the wolf and the panther. "We're on our way to the mouse's house by the waterhole to give him a horrible, terrible monster inside the what-for." "But what could I do?" the Giraffe wanted to know. "Think of your long neck," said the Panther. "And by the way, don't be frightened. We've had our dinner." So the Mouse and the Squirrel and the Hare and the Wolf and the Antelope and the Panther and the Camel and the Rhinoceros and the Giraffe set out together once more. But just around the next turn they met a Brown Bear. "Don't be frightened, my friends," said the brown bear. "I've had my dinner. But where are you going in such a hurry?" "We're going to the mouse's house by the water hole," said the giraffe. "There's a horrible, terrible monster inside that moans and groans and howls and shrieks and roars and screams and is chopping up their furniture and throwing it out the window. We're going to give him what for. But you're not invited." "Oh yes," said the brown bear. "If someone will chase him out, I'll hug him so tight that he can't get away." So off they went once more. But just a few steps down the path, they met a lion and a tiger. "Don't be frightened, my friends," said the lion and the tiger. "We've had our dinner. But where are you going?" "Wir on our way to give a horrible, terrible monster what for," said the bear. "But you're not invited." "Oh yes, we are," said the lion and the tiger. "We will invite ourselves." But they hadn't gone far before they met an elephant. "Come along," said the tiger and the lion. "There's a terrible, horrible, monstrous ogre in the mouse's house by the waterhole. He moans and groans and howls and shrieks and roars and screams, and besides, he is chopping up the furniture, throwing it out of the window, and is getting ready to pull the house down about his ears. We're going to give him what for. I'm always ready for a bit of fun, said the elephant. So off they went together, the mouse and the squirrel, the hare and the wolf, and the antelope and the panther, and the camel and the rhinoceros, and the giraffe and the bear and the lion and the tiger and the elephant. And when they came to the waterhole, there was a crocodile resting his chin on the mossy green bank. "We've come to give a terrible horrible monster what for!" said the elephant to the crocodile. "What monster?" the crocodile asked. "Why, we don't know," said the lion and the tiger. "What monster, Mouse?" "Oh, he's inside," said the mouse, beginning to weep again. "Shake the tree that holds my house and he'll come out." So the elephant wrapped his trunk around the trunk of the tree and shook it. And the lion and the tiger and the panther and the wolf and the bear roared and howled and barked and screeched. The giraffe and the antelope and the Campbell stamped the ground. The squirrel and the hare got ready to jump. And after a long minute, something small and gray and soft and sleepy flew out of the Mouse's house and sat on the limb of the tree next door. "Hoo-hoo-hoo!" said the soft gray sleepy creature. "Hoo! Oh, it's you! Hoo-hoo!" And away he flew. "Why, it was nothing but an owl," said the Elephant, waving his trunk in a surprised sort of way. "Dear me!" But the lion and the tiger and the bear and the panther and the wolf began to lick their lips with their long red tongues. "It's nearly time for supper, my friends," they said. And in the twinkling of an eye, there wasn't a creature to be seen except the elephant and the rhinoceros, who had stepped into the waterhole to wade in the water and wallow in the mud. And the crocodile was still resting his chin on the bank, of course. But the little gray mouse had crept quietly back into his house.