Once upon a time, there was a little mouse named Max who lived in a cozy mouse hole in the wall of an old house. Max loved his home, but he was always cold in the winter. One day, he decided to fix that by adding some insulation.

Max went out to gather materials and found an old gutter, some scraps of cloth for the insulation, and a piece of wood for the jamb. He worked hard all day, cutting and fitting the pieces together.

When he was finished, he proudly showed off his new insulation to his friends. They all gathered around the hearth to admire it, but then one of Max's friends pointed out a problem. "Max, you forgot to add a jig to hold it in place," she said. Max was disappointed, but he didn't give up.

He went back to work, using his hip to support the board while he worked on the jig. He finally got it just right and added the inlay to the jamb. He stood back to admire his work and was so proud of himself.

That night, Max snuggled into his mouse hole, feeling warm and cozy for the first time in a long time. He went to sleep with a smile on his little mouse face, his heel tapping happily as he drifted off to dreamland. From that day on, Max was known as the mouse with the warmest home in the whole house.

Reflections

1. Why did Max want to add insulation to his mouse hole?
2. How did Max use his hip to help him with his project?
3. What did Max's friends suggest he add to his insulation to make it better?
4. How did Max feel when he finally finished adding the insulation to his mouse hole?
5. Why was Max known as the mouse with the warmest home in the whole house?