00:00Little Mouse and the Big Red Apple
00:30by A.H. Benjamin and Gwyneth Williamson
00:38Mouse was feeling a bit peckish one day when all of a sudden he came across a big
00:43red juicy apple. Just what I fancy, he cried. I'll take it home with me and have a feast.
00:51Mouse set off towards his little house, rolling the apple over and over. He couldn't wait to get
01:03his teeth into the big red juicy apple. Yum yum, he thought, when all of a sudden...
01:13Splash! The apple rolled into a pond.
01:17Oh, no! wailed Mouse. What am I going to do now?
01:23Not to worry, said Frog, popping his head out of the water. I'll help you.
01:32Frog kicked the apple hard with his strong back legs. It flew out of the water and...
01:38Bump! Landed on the ground. There you are, said Frog. He licked his lips and stared at the apple.
01:50Er, thanks, said Mouse as he began to roll it along the path. He did not want to share his
01:57apple with Frog. Mouse went on his way, thinking of the lovely apple dinner he would have later.
02:04His mouth was already watering when...
02:09Crash! The big red juicy apple fell into a thorn bush.
02:15Silly me, muttered Mouse as he tried to rescue his dinner.
02:20Ouch! That hurt, he cried. Those prickles are nasty!
02:29I see you have a problem, said Tortoise, trundling up to Mouse. Leave it to me.
02:35Tortoise didn't have to worry about the sharp prickles. He had his shell to protect him.
02:44Without any trouble at all, Tortoise crept under the thorn bush and brought out the big
02:49red juicy apple. Problem solved, he said, stroking the apple longingly.
02:55I'm ever so grateful, said Mouse in a hurried voice, and he was off again. He did not want
03:01to share his apple with Tortoise. I'll soon be home and tucking into that big red juicy apple,
03:07thought Mouse, when...
03:13Thud! The apple rolled into a log. That's all I need,
03:18sighed Mouse when he saw that the log blocked his path. How do I get around that?
03:25Easy, said Mole, popping out of a nearby hole. I'll dig you a tunnel.
03:31And she did. She dug a tunnel that went right under the log.
03:39It was just wide enough for Mouse and the apple to go through it.
03:47Always glad to help, said Mole, sniffing at the big red juicy apple with her little nose.
03:54It's very kind of you, said Mouse, and he went on his way as fast as he could.
03:59He did not want to share the apple with Mole. He rolled the apple over and over until...
04:08He came to a steep hill. His house was at the very top.
04:14Push, push, heave, heave, went Mouse, grunting and groaning.
04:20Up, up, up he went, until he reached the very top.
04:25At last, sighed Mouse happily. Oh, for that lovely apple meal!
04:31But as Mouse let go,
04:37the apple wobbled, and then it started to roll, down the other side of the hill.
04:44It rolled faster and faster, further and further, until...
04:50It came to a stop at the bottom of the hill. Mouse could see it lying there like a big red jewel.
04:58Oh, no, he cried. I shall have to start all over again.
05:07Mouse scrabbled down the hill on his little tired feet. Faster and faster he ran.
05:14But when he reached the bottom, he found Frog, Mole, and Tortoise had got there first.
05:21How kind of you to send that apple all the way back to us,
05:25called out Mole, chomping away on a piece of it. Mouse gave a big, big sigh.
05:31Don't mention it, he said. Isn't that what friends are for?
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05:46Thank you so much for watching.
