Mouse Hunters Read online

  This EPUB edition published 2013

  First published in 2006 by

  MACMILLAN EDUCATION AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

  15–19 Claremont Street, South Yarra 3141

  Visit our website at www.macmillan.com.au or go directly to www.macmillanlibrary.com.au

  Associated companies and representatives throughout the world.

  Copyright © Felice Arena, Phil Kettle 2006

  All rights reserved.

  This publication (or any part of it) may not be reproduced or transmitted, copied, stored, distributed or otherwise made available by any person or entity (including Google, Amazon or similar organisations), in any form (electronic, digital, optical, mechanical) or by any means (photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise) without prior written permission from the publisher.

  Mouse hunters.

  ISBN 978 1 4586 4737 5 (EPUB)

  Series created by Felice Arena and Phil Kettle

  Project management by Limelight Press Pty Ltd

  Cover and text design by Lore Foye

  Illustrations by David Cox

  Visit www.macmillan.com.au/primary to read more about all our books and to buy both print and ebooks online. You will also find subject catalogues, teacher support material and news of professional development events.

  Contents

  CHAPTER 1

  It’s a Mouse!

  CHAPTER 2

  Getting Ready

  CHAPTER 3

  I Spy

  CHAPTER 4

  The Trap

  CHAPTER 5

  What Now?

  EXTRA STUFF

  Mouse Hunting Lingo

  Mouse Hunting Must-dos

  Mouse Hunting Instant Info

  Think Tank

  Hi Guys! (Author Letter)

  When We Were Kids

  What a Laugh!

  CHAPTER 1

  It’s a Mouse!

  Con and Josh are standing near the workshop at the back of Con’s house.

  Josh “What’s your dad swearing about? He sounds really mad!”

  Con “There’s a mouse in his workshop. He’s trying to catch it before it eats the whole workshop and starts on the house!”

  Con “I hate mice.”

  Josh “Me too, they’re so creepy.”

  Con “Let’s catch it.”

  Josh “How bad would it be if the mouse ate its way right through your house?”

  Con “Yeah, you might wake up one morning to find the mouse has eaten your house and you’re sleeping on the ground.”

  Josh “I reckon that it’d take more than one mouse to eat a whole house.”

  Con “Mice are really big eaters.”

  Josh “How do you know that?”

  Con “Well, they must be, ’cause they’re always looking for more food.”

  Josh “Just like you!”

  Con “Yeah right, so how are we gonna catch this house-eating mouse that’s living in my dad’s workshop?”

  Josh “Well, we’ll have to think like great hunters do.”

  Con “You mean like hunters in Africa who hunt lions and tigers?”

  Josh “Yeah, this’ll be like being on an African safari.”

  Con “Well, we should get ready. Great hunters need to look like great hunters.”

  Josh “And great hunters need all the right hunting gear!”

  CHAPTER 2

  Getting Ready

  The boys go back into the house and pack their backpacks with all the things that they might need … Vegemite sandwiches, drinks, cheese, binoculars and of course, the world’s biggest rat trap.

  Josh “Why do we need a rat trap?”

  Con “Because that’s what we’re gonna catch the mouse with.”

  Josh “But a rat trap is for catching rats.”

  Con “Yeah, I know, but this mouse has to be as big as a rat … and anyway, mice are really just small rats.”

  Josh “So do you reckon that mice turn into rats when they grow up?”

  Con “Of course. That makes sense doesn’t it?”

  Josh “No, not really. But anyway, what’s the first thing that we’ve got to do now?”

  Con “We’ve got to find where the mouse hides in the shed.”

  Josh “Yeah, we’ve got to hunt it down.”

  Con “We can follow its footprints. That’ll take us to where it’s hiding.”

  Josh “You’d have to be a pretty good hunter to follow a mouse’s footprints. It’s not like an elephant, leaving giant footprints everywhere.”

  Con “Maybe we could just follow its poop.”

  Josh “If we do that, then we’ll just be poop trackers.”

  Con “There’s got to be a better way of finding the mouse.”

  Josh “What if we look through the holes in the wall of the workshop and spy on it?”

  Con “Yeah, that’s a cool idea.”

  Josh “We’ll sorta be like ‘Spy Kids’ … only we’ll be mouse hunters.”

  Con “Then when we find out everything about the mouse, we’ll know how to destroy it.”

  Josh “Cool! So how are we gonna destroy it?”

  Con “That’s what we’ve got the rat trap for.”

  Josh “All we have to do is put some cheese on the trap.”

  Con “And as soon as the mouse steps on the trap … bang!”

  Josh “The trap comes down on its head and squish … its brains go everywhere!”

  CHAPTER 3

  I Spy

  Con and Josh find some holes to spy through and start their mouse stake-out.

  Josh (whispering) “How long do you think we’re gonna have to wait?”

  Con (pointing) “Not long, look, there it is, sneaking along the wall!”

  Josh “Gee, it’s huge. It’s just as big as a rat.”

  Con “Maybe it’s already eaten half of the workshop!”

  Josh (whispering) “He looks like a really tough mouse. I reckon he’d be really tough in a fight.”

  Con “But no match for great hunters like us.”

  Josh “I wonder who’d win a fight between a cat and this mouse?”

  Con “I reckon that this mouse could beat any cat.”

  Josh “Yeah, I think the only cat that could beat this mouse is a lion.”

  Con “And there aren’t many lions around here.”

  Josh “After we catch this mouse we’ll probably go to Africa and be big game hunters.”

  Con “How cool would that be? We could even have our own TV show.”

  Josh “We could call the show ‘Big Game Hunters’.”

  Con “Yeah, and the show would star us—Con and Josh—the greatest hunters in the world.”

  Josh “Well, maybe we should start by catching this mouse first.”

  CHAPTER 4

  The Trap

  Con and Josh take the rat trap into the workshop.

  Con “All we have to do is set the trap and wait.”

  Josh “But, we’ve got to put the cheese on the trap first.”

  Con “You can do that.”

  Josh “How come I’ve gotta put the cheese on the trap?”

  Con “Because if it goes off while you’re putting it on the trap, then your finger’ll get smashed, not mine.”

  Josh “So how come I’ve gotta get my finger smashed? Why don’t you put the cheese on the trap?”

  Con “Because it was my idea to catch the mouse. You have to do some of the work.”

  Josh “I think that we should do this together. I can hold the spring back, and you put the cheese on the trap.”

  Con “Fine. Ready?”

  Josh “Ready. Now, quick, put the cheese on … done!”

  Con “All we have to do now is wait.”

  Josh “Yeah, soon that wild mouse
will come along and slam! The trap will squash its brains out.”

  The boys take up position outside the workshop and wait patiently for the mouse to appear.

  Con “Look, look, look! There it is.”

  Josh “It’s stopped! I think it knows that it’s a trap.”

  Con “Come on mouse. Take a bite. The cheese is really tasty. I tried some. I know it is.”

  Josh “Look, the mouse has changed its mind. It’s going away.”

  Con “It must know that it’s about to have its brains squashed.”

  Josh “Well, that was a great idea. How are we supposed to catch it now?”

  Con “Look, it’s back, and it’s got two of its mates.”

  Josh “Its mates look a lot smaller.”

  Con “Maybe they’re the baby mice and that’s the father.”

  Josh “Gee … if we kill the father mouse then the baby mice won’t have a dad.”

  CHAPTER 5

  What Now?

  The boys sit up and look at each other. Now the thought of killing the mouse doesn’t seem quite so appealing.

  Con “Maybe we shouldn’t kill it. Maybe we should just tell it to go and live somewhere else.”

  Josh “We could be like a different sort of hunter. We could just trap animals and then let them go, or maybe take them to a zoo.”

  Con “Yeah, but I’ve never heard of a mouse zoo!”

  Josh “Look, the big mouse is sniffing at the cheese.”

  Con “He doesn’t know whether to take a bite or not.”

  Josh and Con look at each other and both start yelling.

  Josh and Con “Don’t touch the cheese!!!”

  Con “Quick, we’ve gotta go and spring the trap.”

  Josh “So what are we gonna tell your dad?”

  Con “We can just tell him that the mouse promised not to eat any more of his workshop.”

  Josh “We can make a sign that says ‘Mice please stay out!’, and hang it on the workshop door.”

  Con “Good idea.”

  The boys race to the workshop door as fast as they can. Just as they get there, they hear Con’s father yelling.

  Josh “I think your dad might’ve gone into the workshop.”

  Con “Yeah, and I’m guessing he’s just found the rat trap.”

  Con’s father appears at the door of the workshop. He’s hopping and holding his foot—with the rat trap attached to it!

  Josh “Well, at least we’ve saved the poor mouse.”

  Con “Now we can change the sign.”

  Josh “To what?”

  Con “‘Dad in workshop—beware, bad language!!’”

  hunter A person that hunts wild animals.

  mouse A small rodent that lives in the bush or infests houses and workshops.

  rat A rat can be a person who eats your lunch when you’re not looking or it can be a long-tailed rodent, resembling a mouse, but a lot bigger.

  trap What hunters sometimes use to capture animals.

  wild animal An animal that spends most of its time hiding from hunters.

  Keep your fingers and toes well away from a set rat trap. Remember, if you get your finger caught in a rat trap it might break—then how hard would it be to pick your nose?

  Wear sneakers when you’re trying to sneak up on mice. They’ll help you stay quiet.

  When you catch a mouse, put on gloves before you pick it up. Mice sometimes carry diseases, and if it’s hungry, it might bite!

  Remember that mice are always hungry. Smart mice live in places where there is lots of food.

  If you don’t want mice in your house make sure that you don’t leave uncovered food around. Put a sign up at the front door that says “All food securely locked away”.

  Block all the holes and places in your house and workshop that mice might be able to get through.

  Try not to touch the cheese you put on the trap. Mice are really good at smelling and if they smell someone’s touched the cheese, they won’t eat it.

  If you can’t catch a mouse that has invaded your house, get a cat. Cats are the best mouse catchers in the world!

  The biggest mouse ever seen was so big that it had a cat in its mouth. That mouse was at Disneyland—it was Mickey Mouse!

  There are more than 20 species of mice and rats.

  The house mouse is the most common pest in houses.

  Mice prefer to eat grains and seeds, but they will nibble on almost anything you leave out.

  Female mice can have seven or more litters each year, and each litter has five to seven pups (baby mice).

  Mice make their nests in hidden, enclosed spaces. They often use newspaper, bits of insulation or other soft materials to make their nests. They even use string.

  Mice can gnaw through almost anything. They can also squeeze through cracks that are only 1 centimetre wide.

  Mice poo is dark brown pellets, about 6 millimetres long. Mice leave them wherever they go.

  1 Do mice like cheese?

  2 How many different types of mice and rats are there?

  3 Why do mice have tails?

  4 How can you tell where a mouse has been?

  5 Who is the biggest mouse in the world?

  6 What are baby mice called?

  7 What’s bigger, a mouse or a rat?

  8 Are mice pests or pets?

  How did you score?

  If you got all 8 answers correct, then you’re ready to be a full-time mouse hunter.

  If you got 6 answers correct, then you might need some help if you want to catch mice. They can be pretty tricky.

  If you got fewer than 4 answers correct, then you should never try to catch mice! Perhaps you should keep some as pets instead.

  Hi Guys!

  We have heaps of fun reading and want you to, too. We both believe that being a good reader is really important and so cool.

  Try out our suggestions to help you have fun as you read.

  At school, why don’t you use “Mouse Hunters” as a play and you and your friends can be the actors. Bring some binoculars and plenty of food for your adventure. Has anyone got any toy mice? And, of course, don’t forget to bring a rat trap!

  So … have you decided who is going to be Con and who is going to be Josh? Now, with your friends, read and act out our story in front of the class.

  We have a lot of fun when we go to schools and read our stories. After we finish the kids all clap really loudly. When you’ve finished your play your classmates will do the same. Just remember to look out the window—there might be a talent scout from a television station watching you!

  Reading at home is really important and a lot of fun as well.

  Take our books home and get someone in your family to read them with you. Maybe they can take on a part in the story.

  Remember, reading is a whole lot of fun.

  So, as the frog in the local pond would say, Read-it!

  And remember, Boyz Rule!

  Felice “Did you ever catch a mouse when you were a kid?”

  Phil “Yes, I set a trap next to my sister’s bed. I thought I saw a mouse go into her room.”

  Felice “Did you catch the mouse?”

  Phil “No, but I caught something else.”

  Felice “So, what did you catch?”

  Phil “I caught her toe.”

  Felice “Then what happened?”

  Phil “Well, I caught something else.”

  Felice “What was that?”

  Phil “My sister’s chores for a month!”

 

 

  Felice Arena, Mouse Hunters

  Thanks for reading the books on GrayCity.Net