Ryers Readers - A Piece of Cake

Episode Date: March 21, 2022

Mouse has baked a special treat for little bird‘s birthday! But delivering it to his friend isn’t easy… Not when everyone he meets along the way offers to trade some thing for a piece of cake!

Let's do this. Before we get into today's story, do you want to know a fun fact? Did you know that chickens are the closest living relative to the Tyrannosaurus Rex? Pretty cool, huh? Okay, story time. We will be reading a piece of cake. It was little bird's birthday. Mouse, who was a very kind mouse,

made her a cake. He worked the whole morning through and used up everything in his pantry. Mouse began to walk to little birds home. On the way, he met chicken sitting with all of her eggs. Hello, chicken, said Mouse. Chicken said, yommers, that's one tasty looking cake. Hey Mouse, could I have some? If you give me a piece of cake, I'll trade you a cork. A cork, said Mouse. Sure, just think of all the things you can use it for. Mouse didn't think that little bird would need a cork,

but Mouse was a very kind mouse. Surely little bird would not mind if I give chicken some of her cake, so Mouse traded one piece of cake for the cork and went on his way. Next, Mouse met Squirrel who was gathering some nuts. Hello, squirrel, said Mouse. Squirrel said, Gazooks, that's one tasty looking cake. Mouse, old buddy, how about you giving me some?

If you give me a piece of cake, I'll trade you... A wire. A wire, said Mouse. Oh, yeah, just think of all the fun things. you could do with a wire. Mouse couldn't imagine that little bird would need a wire, but Mouse was a very kind mouse. Surely little bird would not mind if I gave squirrel some of her cake.

So Mouse traded one piece of cake for the wire and went on his way. Soon, Mouse met Bear, surrounded by many pots of honey. Hello, Bear, said Mouse, said Mouse. said Mouse. Bear said, Wowzers, that's one tasty looking cake. Mouse, my fine little fellow, would you mind giving me some? If you give me a piece of cake,

I'll trade you, uh, a net. Annette, said Mouse. Sure, Annette. You can always use a net, I tell you. Mouse was sure, that little bird. did not want a net. But Mouse was a very kind mouse. Sure the little bird would not mind if I gave bear some of her cake.

So Mouse traded one piece of cake for the net and went on his way. Further on, Mouse met cow, who was surrounded by bottles of milk. Hello, cow, said Mouse. Cow said, holy cow, that cake looks good. cake looks good. Mouse, my dear, may I have some? If you give me a piece of cake, I'll trade you a fly swatter.

A fly swatter, said mouse. Yup, a fly swatter. Nothing more useful than a fly swatter. Mouse knew that little bird would not want a fly swatter. But mouse was a very kind mouse. Surely little bird would not mind if I gave cow some of her cake. So Mouse traded the last piece of cake for the fly swatter and went on his way. Finally, he reached Little Bird's house. Oh, little bird, I wanted to bring you a

cake for your birthday, but I traded the pieces of cake for a cork, a wire, a net, and a fly swatter. I would make you another cake, but I've used up everything in my pantry. I am so sorry. But Little Bird, who was a very clever bird, said, Oh, but Mouse, these are wonderful presents. Come with me and I'm sure we'll find a use for them. First, they met cow. What's wrong, cow? asked Mouse.

I lost the cap to my soap bottle. If only I had something to cork it up with. Well, said, said clever little bird. Cow, my dear, if you give us some milk, I'll give you a wire. A wire, said cow. Yes, for blowing bubbles with your soap.

And little bird twisted the wire into a loop, dipped it into the soap, and blew bubbles. Wow, said cow. So cow traded the milk for the wire, and mouse and little bird. went on their way. Next, they met Bear. What's wrong, Bear? asked Mous.

These bees won't leave me alone, if only I had something to swat them away. Well, said clever little bird. Bear, my fine fellow, if you give us some of your honey, we'll give you a cork. A cork, said Bear. Yes, to close up the hole on the hive, so the bees can't come out. And Little Bird popped the cork into the hive to keep out the bees.

Excellent, said Bear. So Bear traded the honey for the cork, and Mouse and Little Bird went on their way. Soon they ran into squirrel. What's wrong, squirrel? asked Mouse. I can't get my first. I can't get my nuts into the tree, if only I had something to carry them up with. Well, said clever little bird.

Squirrel, my friend, if you give us some nuts, we'll give you a fly swatter. A fly swatter, said squirrel. Yes, you can use it as a catapult to throw your nuts into your nest. And Little Bird bent the fly swatter into the ground, loaded it with nuts, and let it go. The nuts flew through the air and landed right in the nest. Cool, said Squirrel. So Squirrel traded some nuts for the fly swatter, and Mouse and Little Bird went on their way. Finally, they met Chicken.

What's wrong, chicken? I dropped the piece of cake mouse. gave me. Oh, if only I had another piece to eat. Oh dear, said little bird. Well, said kind mouse, chicken, dear chicken, if you give us some eggs, we'll give you an invitation. An invitation? said Chicken? Yes, to Little Bird's birthday party. With your eggs, squirrels nuts, bears honey, and cows' milk, we can make another cake.

Invite everyone, and we can each have a piece of cake. Hey, said Chicken. So Chicken traded two of her eggs for the invitation and ran off to tell the others. And Mouse and Little Bird went on to Mouse's house. Mouse and Little Bird worked all afternoon, and together they made a cake that looked and tasted even better than the first one. After everyone was given a piece,

Mouse gave Little Bird one last present. A net filled with beautiful flowers. You are such a clever mouse, said Little Bird, And you're such a kind little bird. The end. Before you go, do you think you can answer today's paying attention question? Whose birthday was it in the book we just read? I hope you enjoyed that story.

I wonder what we're going to read next.