Little Beetle’s Message – Read and Print

By Rachel Dunstan Muller, copyright 2022

(Scroll to bottom for printable PDF)

Early one morning, a little beetle came running through a deep, dark forest. It was so early, that the sun was still fast asleep, and the little beetle ran straight into a little mouse.

“Ouch,” said the little mouse.

“Oh, please,” said the little beetle. “Can you help me? I have a message to deliver to the far side of the mountain, but I am so tired, I can’t take another step.”

“But I’m just a little mouse,” said the mouse, “and the mountain is a BIG mountain. I’m afraid I can’t help you.”

“Oh, please,” said the little beetle. “It’s very important. I must get to the top of the mountain before it’s too late.”

The little mouse had a kind heart, and she wanted to help the beetle. “Very well,” she said. “I will take you as far as I can.”

So the beetle climbed on the mouse’s back, and the mouse started off towards the mountain. It was a long way through the forest, but the mouse made it all the way to the bottom of the mountain before she had to stop. Just as the poor mouse was catching her breath, a squirrel scampered past.

“Wait, little squirrel,” said the mouse. “The beetle has a message that he must deliver to the far side of the mountain, but I’m too tired to go any further. Will you help us?”

“I wish I could,” said the squirrel, “but I’m just a little squirrel, and the mountain is a VERY big mountain.”

“Please, it’s very important,” said the little beetle, who was still clinging to the mouse’s back.

“Very well,” said the squirrel. “I’ll take you as far as I can.”

So the beetle held on tight to the mouse, and the mouse climbed onto the squirrel’s back.

The path up the mountain was very steep, but the little squirrel did his best. He made it halfway up the mountain before he had to stop. “I’m sorry,” he told the mouse and the beetle, “but I can’t take another step.”

Just then, a rabbit hopped by in the dark. “Oh, please help us,” the other animals called. “The beetle has a message that he must deliver to the far side of the mountain, but we’re too tired to go any further.”

“I wish I could,” said the rabbit. “I do! But I’m just a little rabbit, and there’s still a long way to go up this big mountain.”

“Oh, please,” said the beetle and the mouse and the squirrel. “It’s very important.”

“Very well,” said the rabbit. “I’ll take you as far as I can.”

So, the beetle, the mouse and the squirrel all climbed onto the rabbit’s back – and off she hopped up the steep trail. She was almost to the top when she came to a steep cliff and had to stop. “I’m sorry,” she said, “but I can’t go any further.”

Just then, a mountain goat came by. “Oh please,” all the animals cried out together. “The beetle has a message that he must deliver to the far side of the mountain. Will you help us?”

Now, the mountain goat was very strong, and steep cliffs were no problem for him. “Of course I can help,” he said. “Hop on!”

So the beetle, the mouse, the squirrel and the rabbit all climbed onto the goat’s back – and off he went. With his nimble feet, it didn’t take long to reach the very top of the mountain.

“Oh, thank you,” said the beetle. “Thank you,” said the mouse and the squirrel and the rabbit.

Then the little beetle leaned over the far side of the mountain – where the sun was still fast asleep – and he called down in his little beetle voice: “Mr. Sun! Mr. Sun. It’s time to wake up!”

“Wake up, Mr. Sun!” the other animals all cried together.

Then the beetle, the mouse, the squirrel, the rabbit and the mountain goat all sat back and watched as the sun s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d its golden rays and climbed slowly into the sky.

Print PDF

This story may be reproduced and used for personal or educational purposes only. Permission must be obtained from the author for public performance, reproduction or commercial use.