Alphie, the Brave Little Field Mouse

It was "Fence Day" in the Green Meadow, and songs of liberty, marching bands, and little field mice dancing on their tails filled the air with great excitement celebrating their freedom from the BIG BLACK CAT. Bobbi Brown's father had built a huge chicken wire fence in his back yard to keep the deer and rabbits from destroying his trees and flowers.The BIG BLACK CAT was furious.   He wasn't able to spend his days hunting for field mice. He had to stay in his OWN backyard and play with Pepper, Bobbi's new little puppy.  Pepper's youthfulness was very annoying.  He kept jumping on the BIG BLACK CAT wanting to wrestle and play. The BIG BLACK CAT was bored with the little puppy.  All he wanted to do was to GET into the green meadow again. Every day the BIG BLACK CAT sat in front of the fence just waiting for his chance.

From time to time, on the other side of the fence, Alphie, the little field mouse would sit teasing the BIG BLACK CAT.  He liked to make silly faces and taunt him by saying "You don't scare me  BIG BLACK CAT,"  and then put his paw through the chicken wire, making the BIG BLACK CAT crazy with his scent. Alfie loved to tease the BIG BLACK CAT, but it didn't stop there.  Alfie was known for his jokes, but unfortunately, not everyone thought he was funny, but more of a liar.

While  the"Fence Day" festivities continued, Alfie slipped away to see how the BIG BLACK CAT  was dealing with all the field mice running around the Green Meadow. Was his mouth watering? Before he got to the fence Alfie noticed that the little puppy was digging a hole under the fence.  He ran to tell the mice patrol. "Help, Help, come quickly.  There is puppy digging a hole under the fence".

But because it was Alfie , the police didn't believe him.  They knew that Alfie liked to play practical jokes, so they ignored him.  Alfie kept exclaiming, " I am not lying, this is not a joke. It is the truth!

"Go away Alfie and enjoy the celebration. We don't believe me." said the field mice patrol.

"But...butttt...it is true!  I really am not lying"
Yah,yah, yah, Alfie,that  is what you said the last time.  The trouble with you Alfie, you believe your own jokes. Go away little feller and leave us alone".   

"Little feller," thought Alfie.  " I am NOT a little feller.  I will show them I am telling the truth."

Alfie left the police station, thinking to himself, " Gee, I didn't think I was lying by telling jokes.  I was just trying to be funny, play a joke, what is wrong with that? Alfie rationalized.

His mind quickly reverted back to the fence problem "What if the dog gets under the fence?    He would  do some serious damage, ruin the celebration and threaten many lives!"

Alfie decided that he had better keep his eye on THE BIG BLACK himself.  By the time he returned, the puppy was still digging a hole, while the BIG BLACK CAT stood by watching and waiting for the hole to fit him through.

 "Oh, no you don't BIG BLACK CAT.  You are NOT going to spoil our Freedom Day!" Because of all the many times Alfie had played jokes, he knew that no one was going to listen to him.  He had to deal with this serious situation himself.  Alfie ran to the back of his house, turned on the water and stretched a long garden hose down to the fence. He started spraying the little puppy and he started to yelp.  The puppy's barking disturbed the major's speech. "Will  someone please quiet that dog! I can't talk with all that noise." complained the city major.

The mice patrol went to find out what the trouble was and when they saw Alfie holding a hose on the puppy and the BIG BLACK CAT  drenched with water, they could not believe that it was Alfie. He had saved the day!


"You were telling the truth, Alfie. We will take over now.."  The mice patrol  filled in the hole with dirt ordered a fence patrol  to  watch the puppy from that day on. In the morning,  Alfie found his name in the headlines of the Green Meadow Gazette.  "Alfie saves the day and keeps freedom ringing."

Alfie was a hero that day.  Every year on, "Freedom day" the mayor of the Green meadows opened the festivities first by honoring, Alfie, the brave little field mouse.