text: [Themes: family friendly, drama, animal perspective, poetry]
  
  Welcome all readers, both young and old!
  
  Before the story begins to unfold,
  
  please adhere to what you are about to be told.
  
  4 Little Mice; Mo, Li, Pa, and Ru,
  
  oh, the trouble they are about to get into!
  
  Choices, choices, they must make.
  
  Their lives are in your hands, for their sake
  
  be careful, as you cannot undo!
  
  Important choices will look like this.
  
  It is important that they are not to be missed!
  
  Now on with the tale, for impatience I can see,
  
  Will their tiny, trouble souls escape and be set free?
  
  > Chapter 1
  "Four Little Mice went to search for some cheese. One of them got trapped, and then there were three."
  
  Once upon a time, at the top of a hill,
  
  in a tiny, little house next to a water mill.
  
  There lived an woman, battered from old age,
  
  but still standing strong, even at this stage!
  
  In the old house lived four tiny mice,
  
  Pa, Li, Mo, and Ru were their names, to be precise!
  
  Without a clue, the old woman never knew
  
  of these small creatures and what they were up to.
  
  The 4 little mice lived under the floor,
  
  right behind the woman's bedroom door.
  
  Pa was the oldest and wisest of the group,
  
  his nose was strongest, best for finding food.
  
  Li was the second oldest sister of the gang.
  
  Tough, fierce, and had two large fangs!
  
  Mo was the foolish one, always trying to impress,
  
  he sometimes caused a lot of stress,
  
  his siblings could confess.
  
  Ru was the quiet one,
  
  Speedy fast, her passion was to run.
  
  Perhaps even faster than the shot of a gun.
  
  On this summer night,
  
  the mice were hungry.
  
  They just wanted one bite,
  
  of anything, even something junky.
  
  "Where shall we go this time?" Li asked.
  
  Rubbing her tummy, she needed dinner fast.
  
  "We could check the kitchen." Mo shouted.
  
  "Keep quiet, or Stella will hear us! Besides it's too dangerous!" Pa doubted.
  
  Stella was the old woman's house cat.
  
  She had an appetite for tiny rats,
  
  especially for their furry fat!
  
  "Maybe we could try the pantry?" Li whispered.
  
  "That's a great idea!" Ru nodded with her sister.
  
  Important Decision: Should the mice risk searching for food in the kitchen? OR Should they play it safe and search for food in the pantry?
  
  > look for food in the Kitchen
  Together, the mice made their way through the floorboards,
  
  pitter, patter, pitter, patter, their tiny legs ushered forwards.
  
  "Are we there yet?" Mo called from the back.
  
  "We're almost there!" shouted Pa, front of the pack.
  
  The time was late, the old lady should be asleep,
  
  deep in her dreams, counting many, many sheep!
  
  "I see the fridge!" Pa cried.
  
  "Yes!" Li nodded "Pa be our guide!"
  
  With that, the four mice scuttled through the kitchen,
  
  Hoping Stella the Cat was not having a listen.
  
  To the fridge they paved way,
  
  searching for cheese, rice, or a tiny buffet.
  
  And then Ru spotted, beneath an old saucer,
  
  her favorite bits of cheese, which she called muenster.
  
  "Yum!" she licked her chops,
  
  grabbed as much as she could, giving herself props.
  
  "Good job, Ru!" Mo stopped and smiled.
  
  He added, "It's too bad, I don't like my cheese mild."
  
  Li pushed her brother, "Oh, stop! We now have cheese!"
  
  She grabbed Ru's shoulders, "Ru could you hand me some please?"
  
  "Enough, we'll eat back at home." Pa demanded.
  
  The mice nodded, happy to not leave empty handed.
  
  > The Needle
  As the mice made their way,
  
  back home to feast for their buffet,
  
  Mo stopped in his tracks,
  
  as if his tiny feet were made of wax.
  
  "What's going on?" Ru asked from behind.
  
  "Look what I found!" Mo couldn't believe his mind.
  
  Pa turned around to see the commotion,
  
  and saw Mo holding a needle, while full of emotion.
  
  Ru looked at the needle up and down,
  
  She couldn't believe her eyes,
  
  Making sure to look all around,
  
  just in case Stella got wise.
  
  Without hesitation or doubt, Li grabbed the needle.
  
  "Mo is too foolish, he'll lose it. Pa should have it!" she wheedled.
  
  "I won't lose it! I promise!" Mo cried.
  
  Pa turned and shrugged, "I am more responsible, I cannot lie."
  
  "We must hurry, for Stella could be on our tracks!" Ru gasped.
  
  "Well, then who should take the needle, Ru?" Li asked.
  
  Important Choice: Should Ru tell Mo to keep the Needle? OR Should Ru tell Pa to keep the needle?
  
  "Four Little Mice went to search for some cheese. One of them got trapped, and then there were three."
  
  Once upon a time, at the top of a hill,
  
  in a tiny, little house next to a water mill.
  
  There lived an woman, battered from old age,
  
  but still standing strong, even at this stage!
  
  In the old house lived four tiny mice,
  
  Pa, Li, Mo, and Ru were their names, to be precise!
  
  Without a clue, the old woman never knew
  
  of these small creatures and what they were up to.
  
  The 4 little mice lived under the floor,
  
  right behind the woman's bedroom door.
  
  Pa was the oldest and wisest of the group,
  
  his nose was strongest, best for finding food.
  
  Li was the second oldest sister of the gang.
  
  Tough, fierce, and had two large fangs!
  
  Mo was the foolish one, always trying to impress,
  
  he sometimes caused a lot of stress,
  
  his siblings could confess.
  
  Ru was the quiet one,
  
  Speedy fast, her passion was to run.
  
  Perhaps even faster than the shot of a gun.
  
  On this summer night,
  
  the mice were hungry.
  
  They just wanted one bite,
  
  of anything, even something junky.
  
  "Where shall we go this time?" Li asked.
  
  Rubbing her tummy, she needed dinner fast.
  
  "We could check the kitchen." Mo shouted.
  
  "Keep quiet, or Stella will hear us! Besides it's too dangerous!" Pa doubted.
  
  Stella was the old woman's house cat.
  
  She had an appetite for tiny rats,
  
  especially for their furry fat!
  
  "Maybe we could try the pantry?" Li whispered.
  
  "That's a great idea!" Ru nodded with her sister.
  
  Important Decision: Should the mice risk searching for food in the kitchen? OR Should they play it safe and search for food in the pantry?
  
  > look for food in the Pantry
  Off to the pantry, the mice made their way,
  
  hoping the old woman's snacks were not put away.
  
  Down the hall, sneaking past her door,
  
  "SNK-X-X-X-X!" the mice could hear her very loud snore!
  
  "Shhh! We must be quiet, only for a little more!"
  
  Pa led the pack, like tiny soldiers in war,
  
  hoping Stella the Cat won't get up to explore.
  
  At last, they made it to the pantry door,
  
  Pa sniffed, "I can smell it now, her snacks we must not ignore!"
  
  With that, they went inside the pantry,
  
  searching for anything, maybe even some candy!
  
  Pa narrowed his eyes, searching in the dark,
  
  persistent and alert, like a Great White Shark!
  
  "I found it, the cheese puffs!" Mo cried out,
  
  He went to take a bite, until Pa let out a shout,
  
  "We will eat when we get back!"
  
  The mice nodded, happy to have found their little snack!
  
  > The Needle
  As the mice made their way,
  
  back home to feast for their buffet,
  
  Mo stopped in his tracks,
  
  as if his tiny feet were made of wax.
  
  "What's going on?" Ru asked from behind.
  
  "Look what I found!" Mo couldn't believe his mind.
  
  Pa turned around to see the commotion,
  
  and saw Mo holding a needle, while full of emotion.
  
  Ru looked at the needle up and down,
  
  She couldn't believe her eyes,
  
  Making sure to look all around,
  
  just in case Stella got wise.
  
  Without hesitation or doubt, Li grabbed the needle.
  
  "Mo is too foolish, he'll lose it. Pa should have it!" she wheedled.
  
  "I won't lose it! I promise!" Mo cried.
  
  Pa turned and shrugged, "I am more responsible, I cannot lie."
  
  "We must hurry, for Stella could be on our tracks!" Ru gasped.
  
  "Well, then who should take the needle, Ru?" Li asked.
  
  Important Choice: Should Ru tell Mo to keep the Needle? OR Should Ru tell Pa to keep the needle?