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The Tales Of Freddie Field Mouse And Friends Book Two - The Narrow Escape
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Lindy Classen
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It was the day before Christmas, early morning and the sun had just started peeping through the kitchen curtains; it was promising to be like a lovely hot summer's day.
The glare through the curtains was hitting the bright clean stove that in turn was lighting up the whole kitchen, which then shone through the hole in the back of the stove which woke up Swanky the door mouse.
He opened his eyes and stretched. "Ahhh what a bright sunny day today," but he still felt a bit down in the dumps, as he was not too happy about spending Christmas alone this year.
His sister, who lived next door under the floor boards of that house, had married and moved away, so Swanky didn't have family this year to celebrate with.
Swanky mouse's tummy began to rumble so he decided to peep out of his hole and see if Fat Cat was anywhere. He needed to get some cat pellets for breakfast.
He peeped around the corner of the stove and saw Hannah, the human lady standing by the counter, putting water in the kettle to boil.
She then turned as she heard a meow - meow by the back door.
She opened the door and Fat cat came walking through with his fat tummy swaying To and Fro.
He walked into the kitchen, and before Hannah closed the back door again, Swanky mouse saw something slipping in through the doorway behind Fat cat, and then quickly scampering behind the grocery cupboard near the door.
Swanky opened and closed his eyes a few times, as he was convinced that he was surely seeing things.
He thought to himself that he must surely still be half asleep.
Fat Cat was purring while walking all between Hannah's legs while she reached down to pet him and give him some milk.
Swanky saw it again.
A quick scamper across the front of the cupboards this time, and then it ran right into him and bumped him backwards as it came hurling around the corner of the stove where Swanky was standing.
When Swanky got up off the floor he saw that it was his cousin Freddie, the field mouse, from a forest called Greenalot.
"Wow!" said Swanky, "that was really a close call, coming in right behind Fat Cat and Hannah, the human, who lives in this house! They both could have seen you!"
After they had both calmed down Swanky said to Freddie, "Well hello old chap, how are you doing?"
"I am doing very well, thank you" said Freddie with a big smile.
By that time Fat Cat had finished his milk and had strolled into the sitting room, Hannah had walked on behind him with two cups of tea in her hands.
Swanky quickly scurried into the kitchen grabbed 2 pellets in each hand and scurried back around the stove into his hole in the wall.
"I hope you're hungry?" said Swanky.
"Yes, very hungry, I had to leave yesterday afternoon to travel to you through the night so I didn't get
easily spotted by alley cats roaming around." said Freddie.
"Well, I am so glad you are here old chap. as I was not looking forward to spending Christmas alone this year! Would you like a cup of tea?" asked Swanky.
"Yes please, I also brought some herbs which I picked along the way for us to make some tea with, it smells really good, I just need go and get it when Hannah and Fat cat are away somewhere, so I don't get spotted." said Freddie.
"Hannah normally goes out at about 7:30am to get the newspaper, then Fat cat goes outside as well to climb the old Oak tree to try catch birds, but he never does catch any because he was way too overweight to move fast enough.
So when they are gone we can go out my secret back exit, next to the drain, under the sink and go and fetch the herbs, then we can also try get to the herb garden for some lunch for tomorrow for Christmas." said Swanky.
So the two of them sat down to their cat pellets and tea, Freddie went on to tell Swanky that old man Owl had sadly passed away and that his one daughter, named Astrid, had moved into his home in the Cedar tree. Anthony the Anteater had got married to a lady Anteater named Annie and they were expecting their new arrival early next year.
Ben and Betty beavers two sons had opened their own raft service a little further up the ravine, as a few of our animal friends that lived further up the ravine, said it was too far to walk all the way down to Ben & Betty each time and they were also scared of Barry the bull frog.
But Barry was much older now and not so fast, but he did try to hide in wait for whoever would come walking past or near him, then try to catch them.
But I heard he hasn't yet caught any of the animals, besides a few grasshoppers which he snatched off the grass when they landed by him.
Freddie then asked if he could go and take a nap until 7:15am as he was very tired from the walk and had no sleep the night before.
So while Freddie took a nap Swanky got his bag and rope together, ready for when Hannah and Fat cat would leave the kitchen and he and his cousin Freddie could go out to get the herbs Swanky brought and some supplies out the herb garden.
A little while later Swanky heard a big stretch coming from the room, then Freddie walked into the sitting room where Swanky was sitting and waiting for Freddie to wake up.
"Did you have a nice nap?" asked Swanky.
"Yes I definitely did and feel so much better as it is very far from Greenalot to Ding-dong land."
While the two little mice where chatting they heard footsteps coming into the kitchen, it was Hannah bringing back the cups with Fat cat right behind her, most probably wishing he could have more milk.
He was purring and purring and almost tripping her up.
Then they heard Hannah say to Fat cat. "Fat cat really; do you have to follow me every time I walk to the kitchen? Do you think I am going to feed you or give you milk every single time?" she asked, she then said, "Fat cat, look at you! Look at that fat tummy moving from side to side as you walk. I really think you need more exercise because just now you not going to be able to move with that fat tummy of yours."
Hannah then said, "Go outside Fat cat; get some exercise and fresh air!" she then opened the back door and Fat Cat went walking out.
The two mice watched as Fat Cat went outside & Hannah washed the cups and placed them on the sink to dry. She then opened the back door and walked to the post box to get the newspaper and mail.
They then discussed their plan of action. Two Minutes went by then they decided to go.
Swanky first, to show the way, then Freddie right behind him.
They slipped through the cupboard door, which thankfully was a little bit open, then ran to the back of the cupboard to where the drain was situated.
They peeped out, looked left then right. The coast was clear. They both quickly ran out and along the back wall.
While they were running they had a look in the direction of the old Oak tree to see if they could spot Fat Cat. Swanky spotted him; on the second branch lounging there with his chin on his paws, he was looking straight ahead so they carried on along the wall until they neared the fence to the herb garden.
Freddie then pointed to where he left the herbs he had picked on his way.
They decided to get it them and tie them to the rest of the herbs they will get from the garden.
Freddie ran quickly and grabbed them, then followed Swanky into the herb garden.
Everything was so green and fresh, they looked all around not knowing what to pick.
In the meantime Fat Cat had dozed off for a minute, but then a Red Robin came and perched on a branch above him and started singing. This woke Fat Cat up.
He looked up and spotted the bird, but as he was getting up the bird flew away.
He then went back to how he was lying earlier, but he then thought he saw some movement in the garden, so lifted his head.
The mice at that stage were behind a large tomato plant, so Fat Cat didn't see them.
Fat Cat then thought he was imagining things. But he decided to keep an eye open and check now and again, to make sure.
The mice decided to get some parsley, origanum, a lettuce leaf & a baby carrot.
While they were both heaving on the top of the carrot to get it out of the garden Fat cat looked up.
He spotted them!
'Well now, look who is in our garden and has brought a friend with him. It is that door mouse from behind the stove; he makes me so angry as he is always too quick for me. Those little legs are so fast. He always gets away behind the stove!! This time however there is nowhere to hide!
These two can now be my toys for the next hour at least. I simply cannot wait to get my claws into them, they look so juicy.' thought Fat Cat.
Freddie & Swanky then heaved one more time and fell backwards with the carrot.
They quickly tied it fast to the rest of their herbs.
Fat Cat in the meantime was making his way down the tree.
Swanky then looked into the tree to check if Fat Cat was still snoozing.
"Freddie, Freddie we've got to go! Fat Cat is no longer in the tree." squeaked Swanky.
The mice then both looked left, right, behind, all over.
They didn't see Fat Cat because he was crouching very low along the ground.
The two mice hurried and grabbed the herbs that Freddie had got, there was no time to tie it to the rest and they started to run towards the fence.
As they got to the fence Fat Cat tried to jump on them but he was too fat.
So Fat Cat was face to face with the two mice.
The mice got such a fright that they quickly pushed the herb that Freddie had picked into Fat Cats' face so they could distract him and run away.
At that moment Fat Cat got a smell of the herb and almost instantly thought he was in love... his eyes glazed over and he took another deep sniff.
Fat Cat was entranced by the aroma... he just could not get enough of that smell... he immediately started purring so loud the mice just stared at him.
The mice then dropped the herb and Fat Cat started nibbling and rolling in it.
The mice could not believe their eyes.
They grabbed their herbs and the carrot that they had pulled up from the garden and ran back to the wall.
Fat cat was now on his back; eyes rolled back, purring so loud they could hear him from the wall.
The mice decided not to chance it, so took off.
Along the wall they ran until they got to the hole.
They looked back again and Fat Cat was still on his back with a piece of the herb in his mouth; chewing it.
Freddie had not known what the herb was that he had picked to make for tea; he just thought it smelt really lovely. It just did not affect him in anyway.
The mice scurried into the kitchen and went straight behind the stove into Swanky's hole in the wall.
They both dropped their herbs and the carrot, and then collapsed on the little chairs that were made out of match boxes. They were both stunned and could not believe what had just happened.
After what seemed like a half an hour they eventually discussed what had happened, but still did not know what herb made Fat Cat react like that.
They were just super glad that Fat Cat had not caught them.
Swanky and Freddie then decided to chop the food up for the next day, for their Christmas lunch, and then take an afternoon nap.
When they woke up it was late afternoon.
The sun was going down and Hannah walked into the kitchen.
She had not seen Fat Cat the whole day. She began to wonder where he was as he was normally back around lunch time to curl up by her on the couch. She opened the back door and looked in the tree.
No Fat Cat.
She then looked all over the garden but did not see him.
She decided to take a walk as see what Fat Cat was up to.
As she neared the herb garden she just saw legs in the air.
She got so worried that she quickly ran up to him.
Fat Cat was on his back, covered in the herb.
He was snoring and purring at the same time.
Hannah then picked the herb off Fat cat and smelt it. "Oh! Fat Cat, now where did you get Catnip from my big fat boy?" but Fat Cat just rolled over and carried on snoring.
Hannah picked him up and carried him inside.
As she walked in she asked Fat Cat again "My fat boy where have you been that you got Catnip all over you?"
The mice overheard her and they both burst out laughing.
"Freddie old chap, you saved the Day, you saved us from Fat Cat, we have our food for tomorrow, you are here and now we can have a lovely Christmas!" said Swanky
They both hugged and danced around the table, so glad to be together for Christmas and not be Fat Cats Christmas lunch.
The End.
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