1. By Sacha Dedicated to Ella

2. One day Ella the mouse sat in her room wondering what was outside the hole. “I wonder what is out there” she said. So she went down stairs to ask her mother. “Mother” she said. ”What’s out there?” “Out where?” her mother replied. “Out there!” Ella pointed at the front door. “Well… That’s not important! You go play with your friends!” Ella sighed then went to the bench where her friends were at.

3. Ella sat down sadly beside Caitlyn and Maya. “Why so glum?” Caitlyn asked “I want to know what’s outside but my mother won’t tell me!” Ella replied. “I asked my mother too! But she just said that it wasn’t interesting and told me to go away!” said Maya. “My mother won’t say anything either!” Caitlyn said sadly. “I know!” Caitlyn shouted, ”What? What?” Ella and Maya said. “You know the window up there? We’ll look through the window!” Caitlyn said, “but we are too short!” said. We’ll stand on each other shoulders!” Caitlyn said. “Good Idea” Ella said.

4. So Ella, Maya, and Caitlyn went to the window and stood on each others shoulders. “Can you see anything?” Maya asked Ella. “I’m still not tall enough!” Ella said. Ella stood on her tippy toes. “I can see–” Ella started. “Hurry up! Said Caitlyn. Then Maya and Caitlyn started to wobble and Ella fell off. AAAAAAAAAHH!!!!!!!!!!! Then Ella fell down. Luckily there was a pile of hay down there and Ella fell into it.

5. “That didn’t work!” Maya said. “Yeah! I wish we could REALY go out side!” said Caitlyn. “I know!” Said Maya. “What? What?” Ella and Caitlyn said. “We’ll distract your mother, Then go out side!” Maya said. “Good idea!” said Caitlyn. The next day Ella walked over to her mother. “MOTHER MOTHER! A SPIDER IS IN MY ROOM!” Ella yelled. “Don’t worry I’ll get the spider!” Ella’s mother said while walking to her room. “It worked!” Ella said.

6. So Ella and her friends went to the door. “I can’t wait! I wonder what’s out there!” said Caitlyn. “Yeah I wonder if there will be cheese!” said Maya. “Or some candies!” said Ella. “There is only one way to find out! Lets go!” Caitlyn said. So the three mice opened the door and went outside. But there was no cheese or no candy. “There is nothing out here!” said Maya. “Lets go explore!” said Ella. Snickers

7. So Ella, Maya, and Caitlyn went exploring when Maya said “HEY! Look at that big furry thing!” “What is it?” said Ella. “I don’t know… lets find out!” said Maya. Then they went near the big furry object. Then They heard a big “SNORE” “What was that?” Ella said nervously. “ I don’t know its coming from the furry thing!” said Caitlyn. “I think we’d better leave!” said Maya “Yeah lets go!” So they creped away. But Caitlyn stepped on a stick. “CRRRRACK” Then the object yawned and look at the mice hungrily. “IT’S A CAT!” Cried Ella. “I’ve heard about them! They chase mice then eat them!” said Maya.

8. “RUN!!!” yelled Ella. So the cat chased the mice and nearly got them but they got into the door just in time. “Wow! That– That was close!” said Ella panting. “I don’t want to go out side anymore! Its too dangerous!” said Maya. “Yeah!” agreed Caitlyn. “Oh come on! Its not THAT bad!” protested Ella. “Yeah It is! You can continue alone! ”said Caitlyn. Then they left. “Scardy cats!” Called Ella. “I’ve got to find a way to get past that cat!” said Ella. So she thought and thought and thought and thought and thought and thought and thought and thought until she got an idea. “I’ve got it!” she Exclaimed.

9. Ella approached the door with her water gun loaded when suddenly “ELLA!” her mother exclaimed. “WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? THERE’S NO SPIDER!” Ella stopped. “Isn’t there?” Ella said nervously. “NO!” Her mother yelled. “Look in the cracks! The spider hides!” Ella said. Her mother didn’t move. She just looked at Ella. “I know you’ve been gone!” her mother tapped her foot. Ella tried to think of an excuse. “I went over to my friends! That’s all! I really DID think that there was a spider!” Ella said honestly. “Well…I guess that explains everything! But tell me next time, Okay?” Ella’s mother said. “Okay!” Ella crossed her fingers. “Good!” Ella’s mother went away.

10. Ella waited in till her mother left then she crept to the door and opened it very slowly. She walked on her tipy toes in till she found a BIG furry animal. “AHA!” Ella exclaimed. The animal looked at her then she squirted the water in the animals eyes. ”AAAAH!” exclaimed the animal. “I’ve got you now” Ella said proudly. Why did you do that? asked the animal. “Because!” Ella said. “You chased us! AND you were going to eat us!” “Me? Eat you?” the animal laughed. “I’m a dog!”

11. “A wog?” said Ella cluelessly. “No, A dog! You are thinking of a cat!” “Cat?” Ella said puzzled. “Yes! A cat! Dogs chase cats who chase mice!” the dog explained. “Oh!” Ella said very embarrassed. “You shouldn’t do that! Its not nice!” said the dog waving a finger. “I was just trying to protect myself from the fierce outdoors!” said Ella honestly. “Fierce outdoors?” exclaimed the dog. “There is nothing fierce about it!“ “But--- The cad!” Ella said. “Cat!” corrected the dog. “I mean. The cat!” Ella said. “Well… I guess its not very safe for you mice…” the dog admitted. “But its home for us!” “I understand” said Ella. “You’d better go now! Good bye” said the dog. “Bye!” Ella waved to the dog then went back into her home.

12. Ella shut the door behind her. But her mother saw her. “ELLA!” her mother yelled. “YOU WERE OUTSIDE! WEREN’T YOU!?!?” “I…. Yes mother… I was….” Ella admitted. “Why would you do that?” Her mother said angrily. “I wanted to know what was outside so I went outside because you didn’t tell me” Ella said. Her mother paused. “I guess I’m to blame! Just don’t do it again!” Ella’s mother said. “I won’t mother!” said Ella as she went to her friends to tell them what happened.

13. So Ella told her friends what happened. “Wow! I never seen a wog before!” said Caitlyn. “Dog!” corrected Ella. “Whatever!” replied Caitlyn. “Do they look like cats?” asked Maya. “Yes… But they are a bit bigger!” Replied Ella. “It sounds like it was fun!” said Caitlyn. “Yeah!” agreed Maya. “It was!” said Ella. “It really was!”

14. 1.What did Ella use on the dog?What did Ella use on the dog? 2.What was the first thing Ella and her friends tried to see what was outside?What was the first thing Ella and her friends tried to see what was outside? 3.What did Maya say cats do to mice?What did Maya say cats do to mice? 4.What did Ella use as a excuse to get past her mother?What did Ella use as a excuse to get past her mother? 5.What did Ella first call the dog?What did Ella first call the dog?