How Little Mouse Crouton Caught a Cloud

Once upon a time there lived a little mouse named Crouton. His mother, Mama Mouse, gave him this name because he loved to gnaw on everything crunchy with his sharp little teeth. They lived in the forest in a small burrow. The little mouse would wake up in the mornings and run off to take walks in the forest. He loved to collect a little bouquet of beautiful purple bell flowers for his beloved mother.

One hot summer day, Crouton scampered out of his little home and ran to his meadow to pick bell flowers. He quickly pattered along the forest paths on his tiny paws and found himself in his special clearing. He looked around and became very upset.... There wasn't a single flower on the meadow, not a single berry....

The little mouse became very sad, as he had dreamed of giving his mother a bouquet of her favorite flowers and gathering ripe strawberries to make fragrant jam for the winter.

Why didn't the bell flowers grow in the meadow?

Crouton wondered, and in a sad mood, he trudged off to visit his familiar friend – a green frog.

Ribbit the frog lived on a white water lily leaf in the lake and was happy that Crouton had come to see her.

Oh, how hot it is today! Such a stuffy day!

Ribbit croaked.

Yes – it's a scorching summer! I was at my favorite meadow, wanted to gather juicy berries and pick a few purple bell flowers for Mama Mouse.

Squeaked the little mouse.

Croak-croak! There hasn't been rain for a long time – that's why the flowers and berries haven't grown. All plants love water.

Croaked the frog.

Ah, that's the problem! You're right, it's been two whole weeks without rain. Where did it go? Why hasn't there been rain for so long?

The little mouse was surprised.

Who knows? But there's no rain without a cloud. The wind pushes clouds across the earth, and they pour life-giving moisture called "rain" onto it.

The frog observed wisely, as she too didn't like that there hadn't been rain for so long.

Aha, I understand! To have rain, you need a cloud. I should get my own cloud so it can rain whenever I need it. I'll catch it in the sky and put it in my favorite blue bucket! I'll release the cloud over the meadow, it will rain on the soil and purple bell flowers will grow for my mother and lots and lots of juicy strawberries.

And Crouton imagined himself giving his mother a bouquet of flowers and a basket of fragrant berries. But the rain still didn't come. The little mouse sat on a stone and came up with an idea.

Crouton took a net, a bucket, and set off to catch a cloud. But no matter how high he swung, he couldn't catch the cloud. The little mouse jumped high, climbed up a tall hill, even tried to climb a ladder to reach the sky.

Are you catching butterflies?

Asked the frog.

No, I'm trying to catch a cloud in the sky. I'll put it in a bucket and whenever I need to, I'll release it over the meadow where the purple bell flowers grow.

That's a clever idea! But no one has ever managed to catch a cloud.

Said Ribbit.

Well, I'll be the first.

Declared Crouton.

And he continued his difficult task. All evening the little mouse chased the cloud. But he couldn't catch it.

Upset, the little mouse returned home, wished his mother a good night, and went to bed himself. He decided he would continue his important work tomorrow.

But suddenly that night, the long-awaited heavy rain began, and within a week, the entire meadow was overgrown with colorful flowers and fragrant berries. Crouton took a small basket and ran to gather a bouquet of purple bell flowers and juicy, fragrant strawberries for his beloved mother.