In her heart, Leslie thought it was much better, and while Granny Graham ate one of the oranges they both decided that the story of Little White Riding-Hood had a much pleasanter ending than the old one in Leslie's book.
—Written for Dew Drops by Marion Mallette Thornton.
Musical Hespie and Her Play.
Little Hespie, the wood mouse, sang sometimes as long as nine minutes. Her song usually came forth when she was at play, or exercising in some way. One time she became especially delighted because her wheel squeaked when she turned it. You know how pleased a boy is when his hobbyhorse creaks. So Hespie, too, enjoyed the new noise; but it so drowned her pretty little warble that a drop of oil was put in the wheel to stop the creaky sound.
Poor Hespie became quite excited over this change, and bit the wires of her wheel. So a plan was made to soothe poor mousie's feelings. A small strip of stiff paper was placed in such a way that it hit the wheel every time it turned and so made a nice little noise. Hespie forgot her trouble and worked at the wheel joyously, making the paper noise and singing her pretty song at the same time.
If Hespie had not had her wheel to play with, her life would have been quite dull. One time her wheel was corked up so that she could not go inside. She became quite angry and ran in and out of her bed-box, hardly knowing what to do. Her rage did not last long, however, and she was soon frolicking about the cage and singing. The song sounded at first like the cooing of a dove; then it changed to quick notes more like the cuckoo; and, after that, the noise was like the tapping of Mr. Woodpecker on a tree.
One of Hespie's favorite games, which she played with the children, they called "hauling in the lines." She seemed never to grow tired of it. The children would hold a long cotton cord, while Hespie sat upon her hind legs and pulled it in like a sailor, hand over hand. Then the children would pull it out again just to see her pull it in.
Happy little Hespie often sang when she ate. One day a small twig with insects' eggs on it was handed to her. She sat up straight in her cunning way, took the twig in her hands, and held it in her mouth. While she nibbled, she sang; so that she looked very much like a little musician playing a fife.