The Rooster and the Two Little Mice

The Rooster and the Two Little Mice

Two merry little mice, Krut and Vert, lived in a farmyard. More than anything, they loved singing, jumping over puddles, chasing each other, and inventing games. With them lived a rooster called Golden Voice. He enjoyed himself too, but he knew that before resting, someone had to do the jobs that would not do themselves. One morning he found a golden ear of wheat beside the fence. “Krut! Vert!” he called. “Look what I've found!” The mice ran over, turned it in their paws, and cheered. “Imagine the buns we could make!” “Buns don't appear by themselves,” Rooster said with a smile. “First we must thresh out the grain. Who will help?” Krut put his paws behind his back. “I was just going to practice jumping.” Vert nodded. “And I have something very important to do. I must make up a new song.” “Very well,” said Rooster. “I'll do it myself.” He threshed the wheat, poured the grain into a bowl, and called them again. “Now it must go to the mill. Who will carry it with me?” “Oh, it's so far!” sighed Krut. “And the bag must be heavy,” added Vert. Again Rooster did the work alone. He carried the grain to the mill and returned with fragrant white flour. Krut and Vert hurried over. “Wonderful! Now we'll definitely have buns!” “Yes,” said Rooster. “But we must make the dough. Who will fetch water and help add the flour?” Krut looked at the sky. “I would, but the clouds are so interesting today.” Vert scratched an ear. “And I haven't finished my song.” Rooster said nothing. He brought water, mixed soft dough, covered it with a towel, and waited for it to rise. Then he lit the oven, shaped little buns, and put them in to bake. Soon such a delicious smell filled the yard that Krut and Vert forgot both the clouds and the song. “Buns!” they cried, rushing to sit down first. Rooster set a basket of golden baking before them, but did not serve it straightaway. “Let's remember,” he said gently. “Who found the wheat?” “You did,” they said quietly. “Who threshed the grain?” “You.” “Who took it to the mill?” “You.” “Who mixed the dough and baked the buns?” Krut and Vert lowered their eyes. “You did that too.” The yard fell quiet. Even the sparrows on the fence seemed to be waiting. Krut stood up first. “Rooster, all we did was wait for everything to be ready.” “And you did all the work,” Vert added. “That wasn't fair.” “What do you suggest?” asked Rooster. The mice looked at one another. “We can set the table!” “And wash the dishes afterward!” “And tomorrow we'll help with the morning jobs!” Rooster smiled. “That's better. When everyone does a share, the work goes faster—and the buns taste better too.” Krut brought plates, and Vert laid out napkins. Together they poured the fruit drink and invited Rooster to sit down. He divided the first bun into three pieces. “To a new beginning,” he said. This time the mice ate slowly. They knew how much work was hidden in every bite. The next morning Rooster woke to a quiet rustling. Krut was sweeping the path, and Vert was carrying a small bucket of water. “What about your song?” Rooster asked in surprise. “The song won't run away,” Vert laughed. “Work first, then we'll all sing together,” Krut added. And so it continued. They still played, laughed, and sang a great deal, but now they knew a simple secret: when work is shared, its joy is shared too. Whenever another golden ear of wheat appeared in the yard, nobody needed to ask who would help. All three began together.

May this story leave a little light in your heart ✨