The Tale of Miss Matchstick Mouse

Chapter 1
Miss Matchstick Mouse lived in a nice big tree in a little woodland by farmlands with her little brother, sister and mum. She had always had a dream and that dream was to one day, have a nice big house of her own. So one day she told everyone that she was going away but she would be back to see them again another day. They said their fair wells and exchanged hugs and off she went.
As she walked along the riverside she thought to herself “what should I use to make my lovely big house? Leaves are too flimsy and will blow away in the wind, and logs are too heavy.” Miss Matchstick Mouse had been walking for a few hours now and she was starting to get a little bit hungry so she settled down by a blackberry bush and rested for a while.
Once she had rested and picked a few berries for her journey she was off again. Not too long after it was starting to get dark and she had to find somewhere to sleep. At long last before it got too dark to see, she reached one of the farmer’s fields which had big, tall, yellow corn growing. She picked the tallest corn with the biggest leaves and started to climb. She safely nested in one of the big leaves and fell asleep quickly; after all it had been a long day for Miss Matchstick Mouse.
The next day Miss Matchstick Mouse set off very early to get a head start to the day. As she walked across the corn field she ate the rest of her berries and then out of the corner of her eye she spotted something fascinating. It was a big black hill, it was smelly too. She looked around it; she had heard about these from her mum. Her mum had said that they were called bomb fires and they got very hot and they would hurt you if it was glowing an angry red and orange. “They are very dangerous and you shouldn’t ever go near them if they are awake, but they can still hurt you if you get too close.” She recalls her mum saying. So she thought it would be best to leave it alone, after all she didn’t want to wake it up.
She set off once again and in the distance was a very giant house; she wanted to get a closer look so she went further towards it. On the way Miss Matchstick Mouse found a curious little thing lying on the ground, it resembled a very straight stick but it had a red bug attached to the end of it. Thinking that the little red bug would answer her back she spoke to it; “hello there? May I ask what you are doing?” it didn’t reply back to her leaving Miss Matchstick Mouse quite confused. She picked up the strange stick to find that the red bug was not in fact a red bug at all. It appeared to be a form of collected red dust and then, she had an idea.
If she could find any more of these sticks she could make her house. She walked around to see if she could find any more, and she does; they seemed to be leading to the very giant house and she thought to herself “there must be someone living there? Maybe they could help me find some more.” So still curious about the house it gave her a perfect excuse to investigate. She puts down all the sticks but one and hides them under a big brown leaf and scurries off towards the house.

Chapter 2
Back in the wood there was a loud and scary roar, all the animals had vanished apart from one little mouse, his name was Mr Barley Mouse. He had not heard the news about the big yellow monster destroying the wood and was forced to flee instantly after hearing the noise. He ran as fast as he could to out run the big monster and at one point it nearly squashed him with a tree! “I must have been in a very deep sleep not to hear everyone running away!” he said breathlessly as he was running away. He couldn’t believe how far he’d run, he had run into a corn field, it seemed safe; it was the only place the big yellow monster wouldn’t go.
Mr Barley Mouse sat down for a while to get his breath back and seeming as he had to find a new home anyway he went off to explore the big field he was in, but first he had to feed his hungry tummy. He climbed up the corn and started to munch on the corn seeds. He took a few of the seeds for later in case he got hungry again and too tired to climb the corn; after all they were very big compared to him.
Miss Matchstick Mouse was still on the hunt for more of those funny sticks and she had finally managed to reach the house by lunch time. “It wouldn’t have taken so long if that big, silly bird hadn’t been keeping its eye on me and now I am so very hungry” she sighed. She easily climbed under the gate into the front garden and the first thing she noticed apart from the huge house in front of her was another little house which was a little different than the houses she’d ever seen, it had a form of wall made out of hard grey string and it looked like it had a wooden frame.
Curiosity had yet again gotten to Miss Matchstick mouse. She got a little closer and noticed there was something wriggling inside; she took a closer look and still couldn’t see it clearly so she went straight up to the little house. She was now in front of the house and there in front of her was the biggest white fluffy rabbit she’d ever seen. She attempted to talk to the big rabbit “hello? What’s your name?” the Rabbit hesitated then spoke back “hello little mouse, my name is Harvey what’s your name? Why have you ventured up this far from the corn field?” surprised that Miss Matchstick Mouse got a reply she answered back quickly “My name...erm...its Miss Matchstick Mouse. I’m looking for something, some more of these” she presented the funny stick to the rabbit. “You see I want to make a big house and I need some more of these sticks, do you know where there are some?” The rabbit looks closely at the stick. “Ahh!” he seemed to remember something. “That my dear is called a match. I’ve seen my master with a box of those.” A big smile leapt across Miss Matchstick mouse’s face.
“Could you tell me where they are?!”
The rabbit could see her desperation. “If you let me out of this hutch I can help you to get into the house and tell you where to look.”
“Oh? Hutch...? Do you mean this big house that you live in?” Miss Matchstick Mouse asked
“Yes.”
“Ok, how do I open it?”
“You have to pull out that long grey rod it might be a little heavy and stiff so be careful”
Miss Matchstick Mouse put down her match and climbed up the grey string and leapt onto the wooden frame of the hutch and pulls on the rod with all of her might. She pulls and pulls and slowly it eases out of the rings holding it in. Finally it gives way and Miss Matchstick Mouse flew backwards and the grey rod disappeared in the grass.
“Thank you very much Miss Matchstick Mouse! Now I will show you where you can find the matches.” Harvey says happily, pushing the door open.
“Before we go and get the matches could I rest a while? Do you have any food I could eat? I’m so very hungry.” Miss Matchstick Mouse puffs.
“Certainly, I’m sorry I didn’t realise.”
He helps Miss Matchstick down and brings his feeding bowl to her; she picks a few seeds and dried carrots and lettuce out of the bowl and eats them up; she rests a while before she asks him to show her where to go.
“I feel much better now I’m not hungry anymore. Can we go?” Miss Matchstick mouse asked.
Harvey nodded and walked towards the big green door of the house.
Mean while Mr Barley Mouse was on his way through the corn field when he was jumped by a snake. Mr Barley Mouse stood very still making sure not to move. The snake got closer to him and Mr Mouse was starting to lose his nerve and as the snake drew back to strike him, He ran as fast as he could dodging and weaving out of the way of the corn and the chase began.

Chapter 3
They came to the front of the house. It was massive, bigger than Miss Matchstick Mouse ever imagined. “It’s so very big! How am I going to get in there?!” Harvey then nudged her and said “look you can get through that flap there” he hopped to the door, got on his hind legs and pushed open a flap with his nose. Miss Matchstick Mouse smiled with delight! “You’re magical Harvey, you really are!” Harvey was very happy to hear that and they started to go through a plan together.
“This is not going to be easy because there are a few things you need to look out for.” Harvey explained.
“Like what?”
“Like the cat, her name is Daisy and she is not the most friendly of cats; you also have to look out for mouse traps, and you must go straight in and come straight out again otherwise you risk getting caught. Do you understand?”
“Yes I understand” she smiles
“Right I will help you through the flap in the door, when you are through, the first door on the left; that is the kitchen. You go into the kitchen and climb up the big stick with hay attached at the bottom, you climb onto the big units and run all the way along until you get to the big white box, you may have to find something to climb onto to get up to the top of it, and on top of the white box is the matches. Oh and I will leave the flap open for you so you can get back out.”
Miss Matchstick had a giant smile on her face as she said “that’s perfect thank you Harvey, I understand and I promise I’ll come out alright.”
Harvey put his head to the ground to let Miss Matchstick on board. She climbed on to his head and he lifted her up to the flap. She hopped through the flap and as easy as that she was inside the house. She quickly scurried into the kitchen, climbed up the big stick with the hay at the bottom and ran across the units and comes to a stop when she reaches the big white box. She quickly looks around her nervously. The white box was very big and she wasn’t sure if she was able to get up there.
She looks around her again and then scurries off to look for something she could use to climb up onto the white box. “Ah!” she saw the perfect tool; it was a long wooden stick that opened up into a form of scoop. She dragged it across the kitchen units and leant it up against the white box and she climbed onto the wooden stick and before it slipped down she jumped up and managed to grab hold of the edge of the white box.
She saw them instantly. She went up to the box and pulled it open and there in the box was more matches than she’d ever need. She smiled happily and then...out of the corner of her eye, big yellow eyes gazing at her from the front garden and then it was gone, she heard the cat flap go. Miss Matchstick Mouse was in trouble. She saw Harvey panicking frantically “RUN AND HIDE!!!” he yelled! But where would she hide? Miss Matchstick Mouse was so very frightened; she was so scared she couldn’t move. She saw the cat casually walk into the kitchen and easily pounces up onto the kitchen unit.
Miss Matchstick Mouse looks around frantically looking for an exit, she sees an open window, but it was on the other side of the kitchen and her matches? How would she get them across, and then she saw a piece of string. The cat was sitting, observing her every move. Miss matchstick grabbed the string and bit a hole in each side of the match box and pulls it through and tied it around her waist.
Miss Matchstick Mouse didn’t have a clear plan and was only guessing that this would work. The cat was now moving towards her thinking she was going to be easy to catch. Miss Matchstick saw a little ball on the fridge and threw it at the cats face and then she ran as fast as she could, she jumped from the white box onto the kitchen unit and under the cat! The cat confused and angry turned around and took a swipe at Miss Matchstick Mouse; she missed Miss Matchstick but caught the box and Miss Matchstick went flying across the kitchen and landed on the other side. As fast as Miss Matchstick got up and ran for the window the cat had pounced over to the other side of the kitchen and took another swipe but missed.
Miss Matchstick Mouse flew out of the window and before she crashed to the ground Harvey catches her by the string attached to the box and runs through the fence and into the corn field. Thinking that they were finally free Harvey releases Miss Matchstick Mouse in the middle of the cornfield. “Phew... that was so scary, I thought that cat had gotten you for sure, are you ok Miss Matchstick Mouse?” Harvey Puffed. Miss Matchstick Mouse nodded still catching her breath. Then suddenly out of the blue Daisy caught them off guard and pounced at them, before the cat landed Miss Matchstick Mouse and Harvey ran so fast they could barely breathe. Daisy chased them through the field.
Mr Barely Mouse was still running, but he had no choice unless he wanted to become dinner! “Help me!!! Someone!? Please!” He shouted out. But no one came to his aid. His throat burned and his heart was beating very fast. And then suddenly he collided with something and he went flying backwards and something big and fluffy seemed to trip over what he had hit. He had bumped into a very pretty little mouse she had big black eyes and a little bow made from a blade of grass attached at one end of her tail. It was Miss Matchstick Mouse and what had tripped over her was the giant rabbit Harvey.
Miss Matchstick Mouse sat up, dazed and hurting. “Ow...” she groaned. “Are you alright miss, I'm so sorry! It was just I’m being chased by a big snake” he quickly recited then looked around frantically for the big slithering snake. He came over quickly to help, poor Miss Matchstick Mouse up. “We’re being chased too! By a big cat.” She also looked around for her chaser. But they were nowhere to be seen... where were they? Harvey stood up on his back legs to see above the grass and crops and then a ghastly sound came from behind the crops. It sounded like a screeching cat.
Miss Matchstick Mouse, Mr Barley Mouse and Harvey went to investigate, and there in a big heap, all tied up was Daisy and the snake. “Hah ha!” Mr Barley mouse laughed and pointed at the mess in front of them. “Heh he. What a mess!” Miss Matchstick Mouse giggled. And Harvey was rolling on the floor laughing at the two silly animals. “As punishment we should roll them down this hill” Harvey said spitefully. “Yeah! That’s a funny idea!” Mr Barley Mouse agreed excitedly.
Harvey hopped over to the naughty cat and snake and kicked them down the hill and they both landed with a thump against a tree. They all laughed and they were never bothered by Daisy or the snake again.
Harvey and Mr Barley Mouse and Miss Matchstick were able to build her house with the matchsticks and it was so big, both Mr Barely Mouse and Harvey could fit inside. Miss Matchstick Mouse’s Mum, Brother and Sister came to live them too and they all lived together happily.
...THE END...