The Mouse’s Journey to The Moon ネズミの月への旅

The Mouse’s Journey to the Moon

When Willie Mouse was a little boy, his mom and dad often said, “Look at the moon. It is big and beautiful. And, it is made of cheese.”

Willie Mouse loved cheese, so one day, he decided to go to the moon.

He packed his bag with a piece of bread and a piece of cheese. He took his lantern, and he set off on his journey.

After a short time, he met his friend, Mr. Woodmouse.

“Where are you going?” he asked.

“Oh!” said Willie, “I’m going to find the moon. It’s made of cheese, you know.”

“Huh? I don’t think the moon is made of cheese,” said Mr. Woodmouse. But Willie wasn’t listening, and he was already walking away.

When he reached Clover Green Field, he met Miss Jenny Wren. She looked very beautiful in her yellow hat.

“Where are you off to?” she asked.

“I’m on my way to find the moon.”

“The moon!” cried Miss Wren, “you’ll never reach it.”

“One evening, I flew so high in the sky, I didn’t seem to get any nearer. The moon was still so far away!”

“Well,” said Willie, “you didn’t go far enough.” And he continued on.

Soon after, he entered a forest. He looked up and saw Mr. Squirrel jumping from branch to branch.

“Good afternoon,” the squirrel said.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Squirrel. You are so high in the tree. Surely you can tell me the way to the moon. It’s made of cheese, you know.”

“I don’t think it’s made of cheese. Isn’t it made of nuts?”

“Everyone is so ignorant,” Willie Mouse said to himself.

Willie Mouse continued on his journey. He stopped when he came to a little hold in the ground. He was very curious, so he looked inside.

Inside the hole, there was Mrs. Mole. When she saw him, she came out to greet him.

“Do you live down there?” asked Willie politely.

“Yes,” replied Mrs. Mole.

“Oh, that’s too bad. That means you can’t tell me how to get to the moon. It’s made of cheese, you know. My mom says so.”

“That’s nonsense, dear child. Don’t waste your time looking for the moon. You should be looking for food. Keep your eyes open for worms.”

Willie said goodbye to Mrs. Mole. Then he sat down and opened his bag. It was getting late and he thought he should have some dinner.

“I might not reach the moon for a while,” he thought, “so I should save a little piece of cheese for later.”

After dinner, he fell asleep. He slept for a while, and when he woke up, he realized that it was dark. He looked up and he saw the moon high in the sky.

“Oh, Mr. Moon!” he cried. “You seem so far away! I think it will be difficult for me to get up there. Instead, you should come down here.”

But Mr. Moon did not come down. He stayed high in the sky.

While looking up, Willie Mouse saw two big, shiny eyes in the dark. They were Mrs. Owl’s eyes.

Willie was only a little mouse, so he didn’t know that Mrs. Owl was dangerous. He didn’t know that Mrs. Owl liked eating little mice.

“Excuse me, Mrs. Owl,” he said, “How can I get to the moon?”

Mrs. Owl flew down. “I can help you. I’ll bring you to the moon,” she said. She picked him up with her beak and she carried him away.

But she didn’t carry Willie to the moon. She carried him back to her house in a tree.

At the owl’s house, Willie saw all the little baby owls with their beaks open. They looked hungry. He began to feel scared. He realized that the owls might eat him.

Luckily, there was a good green elf. The elf also lived in that tree. He saw Mrs. Owl flying in with a little mouse.

Mrs. Owl held Willie over her baby’s mouths. They opened their mouths wide. Just when Mrs. Owl dropped the mouse, Mr. Elf flew up and caught him.

With Willie on his back, Mr. Elf flew down to the ground.

The good green elf flew Willie all the way home. He dropped off Willie at his front door.

“Thank you, Mr. Elf,” said Willie. “Can I ask you a question? Is the moon really made of cheese?”

The little elf did not answer. He simply flew away.

Willie went inside. He still believed that the moon was made of cheese. He hoped to find the moon one day and eat all the cheese.

The End