by Julia Donaldson

A mouse took a stroll through the deep dark wood.

A fox saw the mouse and the mouse looked good.

"where are you going to little brown mouse? come and have lunch in my

underground house." "It's terribly kind of of you fox, but no I'm

going to have lunch with a... gruffalo." "A gruffalo? what's a gruffalo?"

"A gruffalo! why didn't you know?" "He has terrible tusks, and terrible claws,

and terrible teeth in his terrible jaws" "Where are you meeting him?"

"Here, by these rocks; and his favourite food is roasted fox."

"Roasted fox! I'm off!" fox said. "Goodbye little mouse" and away he

sped. "Silly old fox! doesn't he know? there's no

such thing as a gruffalo?" On went the mouse through the deep

dark wood. An owl saw the mouse and the mouse

looked good. "Where are you going to little brown

mouse? come and have tea in my treetop house."

"It's frightfully kind of you owl, but no, I'm going to have tea with a gruffalo."

"A gruffalo? what's a gruffalo?" "A gruffalo! why didn't you know?"

"He has knobbly knees, and turned out toes and a poisonous wart at the end of

his nose." "Where are you meeting him?"

"Here by this stream; and his favourite food is owl ice-cream."

Owl ice-cream? toowhit toowho! goodbye little mouse." and away he flew.

"Silly old owl! doesn't he know? There's no such thing as a gruffalo?"

On went the mouse through the deep dark wood.

A snake saw the mouse and the mouse looked good.

"where are you going to little brown mouse? come for a feast in my log-pile

house" "It's wonderfully kind of you snake but no,

I'm going to have a feast with a gruffalo." "A gruffalo? whats a gruffalo?"

"A gruffalo! why didn't you know?" "his eyes are orange, his tongue is black

and he has purple prickles all over his back."

"Where are you meeting him?" "Here, by this lake. and his favourite food

is scrambled snake." "Scrambled snake! It's time I hid!"

goodbye, little mouse and away he slid. "Silly old snake! doesn't he know? there's

no such thing a gruffal... oh" But what is this creature with terrible

claws and terrible teeth in his terrible jaws.

He has knobbly knees and turned out toes and a poisonous wart at the end of

his nose. His eyes are orange, his tongue is black

and he has purple prickles all over his back.

"Oh help! oh no!" "It's a gruffalo!"

"My favourite food!" the gruffalo said "You'll taste good on a slice of bread!"

"Good?" said the mouse. "don't call me good!"

"I'm the scariest creature in this wood!" "Just walk behind me and you'll soon see,

everyone is afraid of me." "Alright." said the gruffalo bursting with

laughter. "You go ahead and I'll follow after."

They walked and walked, till the gruffalo said;

"I hear a hiss in the leaves ahead." "It's snake." said the mouse "why snake,

hello." Snake took one look at the gruffalo.

"Oh crumbs, goodbye little mouse" and off he slid to his log-pile house.

"You see?" said the mouse. "I told you so."

"Amazing!" said the gruffalo. They walked some more till the gruffalo

said: "I hear a hoot in the trees ahead."

"It's owl." said the mouse "why owl, hello."

Owl took one look at the gruffalo. "oh dear!" he said "goodbye little mouse"

and off he flew to his treetop house. "you see?" said the mouse. "I told you

so" "Astounding!" said the gruffalo.

They walked some more till the gruffalo said;

"I hear feet on the path ahead." "its fox." said the mouse "why fox, hello."

Fox took one look at the gruffalo. "Oh help!" he said "goodbye little mouse"

and off he ran to his underground house. "Well, gruffalo." said the mouse. " you

see? everyone is afraid of me! But now my tummy is beginning to rumble

and My favourite food is- gruffalo crumble!"

"Gruffalo crumble!" the gruffalo said And as quick as the wind he turned and

fled. All was quiet in the deep dark wood.

A mouse found a nut and the nut looked good.

THE END.