The Project Gutenberg EBook of Willie Mouse, by Alta Tabor This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: Willie Mouse Author: Alta Tabor Illustrator: Florence White Williams Release Date: July 3, 2006 [EBook #18742] Language: English Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WILLIE MOUSE *** Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Sankar Viswanathan, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net Illustration Willie Mouse by Alta Tabor Illustration The Saalfield Publishing Company Chicago Akron, Ohio New York PRINTED IN U. S. A. Illustration Willie Mouse Goes on a Journey to Find the Moon Illustration Willie Mouse Willie Mouse had often heard his Ma and Pa say that the moon was made of green cheese, and one evening he thought he would see if he could find it. He packed up a piece of cheese and a crust of bread, and, taking his lantern, set out on his travels. Illustration Illustration He had not gone far when he met his friend, Mr. Woodmouse, who asked him where he was going. “Oh!” said Willie, “I'm going to find the moon; it's made of green cheese, you know.” “I don't believe it's made of green cheese at all,” said Mr. Woodmouse, but Willie wouldn't listen to him and went on his way. Illustration Coming round by Clover Green whom should he meet but Miss Jenny Wren, looking very gay in her yellow bonnet. “Where are you off to?” she asked. “I'm on my way to find the moon.” “The moon!” cried Miss Wren, “you'll never reach it.” Illustration “I flew ever so high one evening and I didn't seem to get any nearer.” “Well,” said Willie, “why should it be made of green cheese if you can't reach it?” And on he went. Illustration Presently he came up to a wood, and looking up he saw Mr. Squirrel jumping from branch to branch. “Good afternoon,” he said. “You do seem high up. Surely you can tell me the way to the moon. It's made of green cheese, you know.” “I don't think it's made of green cheese; why shouldn't it be made of nuts?” “How ignorant everybody is,” said Willie Mouse to himself. Illustration Illustration Illustration So on he went once more until he came to a little hole in the ground, and being very curious he peeped inside. There sat Mrs. Mole, who came out when she saw him. “Do you live down there?” asked Willie politely. Illustration “Yes,” replied Mrs. Mole. “Then I'm afraid you can't tell me how to get to the moon. It's made of green cheese, you know; Ma says so.” “Nonsense, my child. Don't waste your time looking for the moon; keep your eyes open for worms.” Illustration Willie said “Good-bye” to Mrs. Mole. Then he sat down and opened his parcel because it was getting late and he thought he had better have some dinner. “I may not reach the moon yet awhile,” he thought, “so I had better save a little piece of cheese for supper.” Illustration Illustration Illustration After dinner he fell asleep, and on waking he found that it was quite dark. He looked up and there was the moon right high up in the sky. “Oh, Mr. Moon!” he cried, “You do seem a long way away. I think it would be much easier for you to come down here than for me to get up there.” But Mr. Moon stayed where he was. Illustration Illustration Illustration Looking up Willie Mouse saw two big eyes gleaming in the dark. They belonged to Mrs. Owl, and as Willie was only a little mouse he didn't know that Mrs. Owl had a special liking for little mice.