(A Fractured Fairy Tale, Which Sniffy Reads to Twitch)
Sniffy pulled a book off Oma’s shelf. “Would you like to hear a story, Twitch?”
“Sure, which one?” Twitch scooted over to Sniffy so he could see the pictures as he read.
Once upon a time, an old gray mouse lived in the woods. She made friends with a squirrel, a chipmunk and a raccoon.
Twitch smiled. “Those would be great friends!”
“Keep listening. You’ll see if they were.” Sniffy turned the page and continued to read.
One day she had a brilliant idea. She decided to make chocolate chip cookies.
Twitch hopped up, flipped a somersault and sat back beside Sniffy. “I wish I had some chocolate chip cookies. Can we make some, Sniffy?”
“I’ll think about it after we finish this story. Should I keep reading?”
“Yes. I’m sorry, Sniffy, but you made me hungry.”
Sniffy turned another page. But she didn’t have all the ingredients to make them––the cupboard was empty.
“Sounds like our cupboard,” Twitch said. “But go on. What’d she do?”
The old gray mouse asked her friends, “Who will go to the store for me to buy some flour, sugar, and chocolate chips?”
“Who? Me?” the squirrel asked.
“Don’t look at me,” the chipmunk said.
“I’m supposed to be sleeping.” The raccoon yawned.
“Then I’ll walk there myself.” The old gray mouse grabbed her basket and headed for the store.
When she returned, she said, “Okay, I have all the ingredients now. Who will help me make the cookie dough?”
“Who? Me?” the squirrel asked.
“Don’t look at me,” the chipmunk said.
“I’m supposed to be taking my nap.” The raccoon yawned again.
“Then I will.” The old gray mouse pulled a bowl and spoon out of the cupboard. She mixed up all the flour, sugar, baking powder, eggs, vanilla and chocolate chips. “Now who will help put the cookies on the pan?”
“Who? Me?” the squirrel asked.
“Don’t look at me,” the chipmunk said.
“It’s way past my bedtime.” The raccoon yawned a third time.
“Oh, well, I’ll do it.” The old gray mouse rolled the dough into balls and put them on the pan.
When she had finished that, she turned on the oven. “Now who will help me bake them?”
“Who? Me?” the squirrel asked.
“Don’t look at me,” the chipmunk said.
By this time the raccoon slept soundly.
“Then I will.” The old gray mouse put the pan into the hot oven. Soon the house smelled like freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. When they had cooled a bit, she placed them on a clean plate. “Now who will help me eat these cookies?”
“I will!” The squirrel hopped over to get one.
“I will!” The chipmunk skittered over to grab one.
The raccoon kept snoring. He didn’t even know the cookies had finished baking.
“Oh, no, you won’t,” the old gray mouse said. “You didn’t help get the ingredients from the store. You didn’t help mix the cookie dough. You didn’t help put them on the pan. And you didn’t help bake them.”
As she said this, five little mice burst through the door and smelled the cookies. “May we please have one, Grandma?”
“You sure can!” She handed one to each of them. “If you finish that one, you can have one more.”
“She’s a good grandmother,” Twitch said.
“Yes, just like Oma,” Sniffy said.
The squirrel and the chipmunk slinked off into the forest, wishing they had helped. Much later, when the raccoon woke up, he felt mighty hungry. He snooped around the old gray mouse’s house, but he couldn’t even find a crumb. The little mice and their grandmother had eaten every one of the chocolate chip cookies. “Maybe I should help her bake them next time,” the raccoon said.
Note: Now take the grandchildren to the kitchen and bake some cookies together!
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