Excerpt from Bella's Fables

Bella’s Fables - Chapter One

Once upon a time, there was a kind dog named Bella. Bella had a long, silky coat that shone like sunlight, big brown eyes, and a gentle smile for everyone she saw.

Bella was the mother of three puppies - two girls, Abby and Emma, and their brother, Freddy - who all looked just like their mother. The family lived on a farm and had a cozy space in the barn that was all theirs.
Bella loved her puppies more than anything in the world. She spent her days caring for them and teaching them. The puppies chased each other, tumbling and rolling in the grass. Bella watched over them, her heart full of love.
The puppies played all day.
The puppies played all night.
Poor Bella was tired!
No matter what she tried, she could not get her puppies to settle down at night and go to sleep. She knew they needed plenty of rest so they would grow big and strong. Bella needed rest too!
Every night, Bella tucked her puppies into their soft, fluffy blankets and sang them a lullaby. But the puppies wiggled and squirmed and barked and played. They would not sleep.
Night after night, Bella tried everything to get her puppies to go to sleep. Nothing seemed to work. Finally, she had an idea. She could teach the puppies some important lessons and help them get ready to sleep. At least that’s what she hoped!

She gathered the puppies together and said, “I am going to tell you a story, and you have to lay very still and quiet so you can listen.”

“Yes, Momma!” The puppies said. They loved stories. They settled in to hear the story. They lay in a pile with their heads resting on each other and watched Bella eagerly.

Bella began the story.

THE BAT AND THE WEASELS
One day, a silly bat found himself in a weasel’s nest. The weasel caught him and was ready to eat him. The little bat begged the weasel to spare him.

“You are a mouse!” the weasel said. “I eat mice, and I am hungry!”

“What?” cried the bat. “I am not a mouse. Look! I have wings! Mice can’t fly. I am a bird.”

The confused weasel agreed that the little bat could not be a mouse, so he let him go.

A few days later, the silly bat found himself in the nest of another weasel. This weasel hated birds. He saw the bat’s wings and caught him in his claws, ready to eat him.

"Wait!" cried the Bat, "I am not a bird! Birds have feathers! I do not have feathers. I am a mouse.” He tucked his wings and stuck out his little mouse-like face. The weasel agreed that the little bat was not a bird and set him free.

“That was funny!” cried Emma.

“I’m a mouse!” said Freddy.

“I’m a bird!” said Abby.

The three puppies laughed, falling back and rolling into each other.

“One more story, Momma! Please!” they cried.

Three little tails wagged, and three little bodies curled up together to hear one more story before sleep time.

“One more,” Bella agreed.

 

I hope you enjoyed this excerpt from Bella’s Fables by Deb Evans.