The tale of Timmy Willie: The country mouse
| Do you sometimes wish that you lived somewhere else and not where you live now? Timmy Willie was a mouse from the country and Johnny Town was a mouse from the city. They loved their homes and did not want to stay anywhere else. Let's read about what happened to them. |
Johnny Town-mouse was born in a cupboard in the city. Timmy Willie was born in a garden in the country. The gardener sent vegetables in a big hamper to town once a week by a carrier. One day, Timmy Willie went to town by mistake in this hamper. The gardener had left the hamper by the garden gate for the carrier. Timmy Willie crept in through a hole in the wicker-work, had some peas and fell fast asleep.
He awoke in a fright when the hamper was being lifted into the carrier's cart. Then there was a jolting and a clattering of horse's feet and Timmy Willie trembled amongst the jumbled up vegetables. At last, the cart stopped at a house. The hamper was taken into the house. But there was a lot of noise coming in. Dogs barked, boys whistled in the street, the cook laughed and a canary sang like a steam engine.
Timmy Willie, who had lived all his life in a garden, was frightened to death. Soon, the cook opened the hamper to unpack the vegetables. Out sprang the terrified Timmy Willie. The cook jumped up on a chair, crying 'A mouse! A mouse! Call the cat!' Timmy Willie did not wait. He rushed till he came to a little hole and jumped down. He crashed into the middle of a mouse dinner party breaking three glasses.
'Who in the world is this?' inquired Johnny Town-mouse. However, he politely introduced Timmy Willie to nine other mice, all with long tails and white neckties. The dinner was truly excellent but all the dishes were unknown to Timmy Willie. But he was very hungry and very anxious to behave with company manners and so he ate.
'Try some jelly?' said Johnny Town-mouse. 'No? Would you rather go to bed? I will show you a most comfortable sofa pillow.' But the sofa pillow had a hole in it and it smelt of cat and poor Timmy Willie could hardly sleep.
The next day, there was excellent bacon for breakfast. But Timmy Willie had been reared on roots and salad. Hungry and sad he noticed that the mice hid during the day and went out boldly in the evenings when the cats were away.
Timmy Willie longed to be at home in his peaceful nest in a sunny bank. He did not like the food and he could not sleep for it was so noisy. In a few days, he grew so thin that Johnny Town-mouse noticed it. He listened to Timmy Willie's story and asked about the garden. 'It sounds rather a dull place. What do you do when it rains?'
'When it rains, I sit in my little sandy burrow and shell corn and seeds from my autumn store. I peep out at the blackbirds on the lawn and my friend Cock Robin. And when the sun comes out again, you should see my garden and roses, pinks and pansies. There is no noise except the birds, bees and the lambs in the meadows.'
'There goes that cat again!' exclaimed Johnny Town-mouse. When they had hidden in the coal-cellar he said, 'I confess I am a little disappointed, but we did try to entertain you.' 'Oh yes, yes, you have been most kind; but I do feel so ill,' said Timmy Willie. 'Perhaps it might be wiser for you to return in the hamper.' 'Oh! Will that be possible?' asked Timmy anxiously.
'Why of course for that matter, did you know that the hamper goes back empty every Saturday?' So Timmy Willie said good-bye to his new friends, hid in the hamper and after much jolting, he was set down safely in his own garden.
| GLOSSARY Jolting-sudden movement Clattering-loud noise Terrified-frightened | Reared-brought up Disappointed-unhappy Entertain-to amuse |
Answer the following questions:
1. Where were Johnny Town-mouse and Timmy Willie born?
Answer: Johnny Town-mouse was born in a cupboard in the city. Timmy Willie was born in a garden in the country.
2. How did Timmy Willie feel in the city?
Answer: Timmy Willie did not like the food and he could not sleep for it was too noisy. He was hungry and sad, and longed to go back to his peaceful garden in the country.
3. If Johnny Town-mouse had gone to Timmy Willie's garden, do you think he would have liked staying there? Give reason for your answer.
Answer: I don't think Johnny Town-mouse would have liked staying in Timmy Willie's garden because he thought it sounded like a dull place. Also he was more used to the food in the city, like jelly and bacon and would not have liked roots and salads.
4. Give synonym from the passage for the following words:
a. To find out: inquired
b. A piece of grassland: meadow
LANGUAGE: Keeping the word class in mind, use the given words in sentences of your own.
| WORD | WORD CLASS | SENTENCE |
| Trembled | verb | Rita's hands trembled as she got dressed. |
| Comfortable | adjective | I settled in the most comfortable chair to watch my favourite show. |
| Introduced | verb | Mummy introduced me to her new friend at the gym. |
DIRECTED WRITING
Imagine you are Timmy Willie from the garden in the country. By mistake you have boarded the vegetable carrier and landed in the city. Write a letter to your mother back home, telling her of your experience in the city. Elaborate on the following points in your letter.
a. How did you land up in the carrier?
b. How were the city mice and how did they treat you?
c. Why did you not like the food in the city and why could you not sleep?
d. How did you feel and what idea did Johnny Town-mouse give you to go back home?
e. End your letter properly.
Dear Mummy,
You must be worried for me and wondering where I disappeared. By mistake I crept in through a hole in the wicker-work, had some peas and fell fast asleep. I awoke in a fright when the hamper was being lifted into the carrier's cart. With jolting and clattering of the horse's feet, I trembled amongst the jumbled up vegetables. That's how I landed in a house in the city.
When the cook of the house opened the hamper, he was frightened to see me. I was equally terrified and rushed to a little hole and jumped down. Without knowing, I crashed into the middle of a mouse dinner party, breaking three glasses.
Johnny Town-mouse, who later became a good friend of mine, introduced me to all the mice. They all had long tails and wore white neckties. The dinner was excellent, jelly, bacon, etc. But the dishes were unknown to me. As you know mummy I am more used to eating roots and salads. But I was very hungry and anxious to behave with company manners and so I ate. Later they gave me a sofa pillow which had a hole in it and it smelt of a cat and so I hardly slept.
Mummy, the city is too noisy. Dogs barking, boys' whistling in the street and the canary sings like a steam engine. The mice here hide during the day and come out boldly in the evening when the cat is away. I am so sad and hungry, and I long to be home in my peaceful nest in the sunny garden. I long to see the roses, pinks and pansies and I'm missing you and my friend Cock Robin.
But Johnny Town-mouse has become a good friend of mine. He has come up with a good idea. He says that the hamper goes back empty every Saturday. So I can hide in the hamper and come back to you. I am now waiting for Saturday, so I can come back to you and to my peaceful garden life. So long mummy, see you soon.
Yours loving son,
Timmy Willie.
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