Once upon a time, there was a small town called Central. In Central, there lived a cheap and greedy man named Mr. Moneybags. He loved collecting money more than anything else in the world and kept all his riches locked up in a big vault in his house.

One day, a little mouse named Max was walking around Central when he saw Mr. Moneybags counting his money. Max thought to himself, "I bet that money would make a cozy bed for me!" So, Max made a plan to sneak into Mr. Moneybags' house and steal some money.

Max was a clever mouse, and he managed to sneak into Mr. Moneybags' house without being noticed. But just as he was about to grab some coins, Mr. Moneybags caught him red-handed. "Aha! I've caught you, you little thief!" shouted Mr. Moneybags.

Max didn't give up that easily. He quickly turned the tables on Mr. Moneybags and chased him out of his own house. Mr. Moneybags was running as fast as he could, but Max was too quick. He chased Mr. Moneybags all around Central, until finally, Mr. Moneybags tripped and fell into a big chair.

Max had Mr. Moneybags cornered, and he thought to himself, "This is my chance to get some of his money." But just as he was about to grab some coins, something strange happened. Mr. Moneybags' face changed, and he transformed into a kind and generous person.

"You know what, Max?" said Mr. Moneybags. "I've been a greedy man for far too long. I realized that money can't buy happiness, and I want to make a change in my life. Here, take as much money as you want. I want to start a new century with a clean slate."

Max was shocked. He never expected Mr. Moneybags to change like that. Max thought for a moment and then said, "You know what? I don't need your money. I already have a cozy bed back at my house. But I would love it if you could come have dinner with me and my family."

And that's exactly what Mr. Moneybags did. He had dinner with Max and his family and from that day on, he was a changed man. He spent the rest of his life helping others and spreading joy wherever he went.

And Max? Well, he lived happily ever after in his cozy bed, always on the lookout for his next adventure. The end.

Reflections

1. Who is the main character in the story?
2. Why did Max chase Mr. Moneybags?
3. What happened when Max caught Mr. Moneybags?
4. Why did Mr. Moneybags change his ways?
5. What did Max and Mr. Moneybags do after their chase?
6. How did Max and Mr. Moneybags' relationship change throughout the story?
7. Do you think it's important to be kind and generous like Mr. Moneybags became in the end? Why or why not?
8. How do you think Max felt about Mr. Moneybags after he changed?
9. What did you learn from this story about the power of kindness and generosity?
10. What did you like most about the story?