The Rattrap

One day, a young rat saw a funny contraption near the entrance of his abode.

The THING looked like a rectangular box with three holes on top. In each hole a piece of lard was suspended on a string.

“ This must be a RATTRAP,” he told himself. “ My father has strictly prohibited me from entering such devices. He said they were deadly dangerous. So, I will listen to my father. He knows best.”

But the smell of the meat was a temptation hard to resist. And so, the young rat decided to have a closer look. “I will be very careful and only examine it a bit closer.”

One step, two steps, three steps closer and young rat could almost taste the lard. He stretched his neck and with the tip of his muzzle he attempted a n-i-b-b-l-e ….


CLIC, the string broke and VLAM… Our bold young rat was no more. He received the same fate the rattrap reserves for all rats that cannot resist temptation.


Activity: 1. Draw a rattrap as in the story.
2. Using a shoe box, make a rattrap as in the story.
3. Invent your own contraption and build a story around it.

Sweet Chicks

Old Lady Snoopy lives in a small town where neighbors know each other very well. She loves to walk about and look this way and that way just to make sure she knows all that is going on and that everything is in order.

In this small town, people are allowed to have backyard animals. Eve and her family have hens and chicks. Eve has a keen interest in these familiar birds.

One evening, Mrs. Snoopy sees Jacinthe running after the chicks. Mother Hen is in distress. She sends cries of alarm, spreads and flaps her wings and calls to her chicks to come to her.

Eve’s father, attracted by the noise, comes upon the incident and reprimands Eve for scaring the hen and her chicks.

The following evening, Mrs. Snoopy again sees Eve on her way to the henhouse. The birds are again in a panic. Mrs. Snoopy informs Eve’s father.

“Eve, what are you doing?” He asks.

“I was so sorry for scaring the chicks yesterday. I wanted to kiss the little chicks and tell them I meant them no harm.” replies Eve.

Father and Mrs. Snoopy are warmed by Eve’s good heart. But they both warn her that the hen and chicks are by nature very nervous and should be loved from a distance.

Mrs. Snoopy is happy that her curiosity, which is sometimes criticized, has restored order to her small town.