The Squirrel Who Wanted To Live In A House

There once was a squirrel who wanted to live in a house.
One morning the squirrel said:
"Mommy, I want to live in a house."
Mommy shook her head and said,
"Squirrels live in trees and you are
a squirrel so you live in a tree."
The squirrel ran down the tree.
He ran to the house down the road.
He looked into the window.
He saw a cat looking out at him.
A dog was sleeping near the fireplace.
The dog woke up and looked at the squirrel.
The squirrel really wanted to live in the house.
He could sleep near the fireplace
and he could look out at squirrels playing in the trees.
The squirrel ran up the tree and said,
"I want to live in a house."
Daddy squirrel said, "You are a squirrel
and squirrels live in trees."
The squirrel ran back down the tree.
He went to the house.
He knocked on the window.
The dog came to the window and asked,
"What do you want?"
"I want to live in a house," said the squirrel.
"But you are a squirrel," said the dog,
and squirrels live in a tree."
The cat was playing with a ball of yarn.
She came over to see what was going on.
The squirrel said, "I want to live in a house."
The cat said, "But you are a squirrel,
and squirrels live in a tree."
The squirrel ran up the tree.
He told his Mommy and Daddy, "I want to live in a house."
They told him, "You are a squirrel,
and squirrels live in a tree."
The squirrel ran down the tree.
He climbed up to the roof of the house.
He chewed a little hole in the roof.
He crawled into the house
and he ran down the stairs.
The dog was sleeping near the fireplace.
The cat was sitting on the window sill.
"I like this house," said the squirrel
but I can't see the sky.
I can't see the clouds.
I can't see the flowers.
I can't see the grass.
I can't see other squirrels.
I can't see the sun.
I can't see the stars at night
and I can't see the moon.
I don't think I like living in a house.
I miss being outdoors.
I miss the squirrels that live in trees.
I miss Mommy and Daddy.
No, I don't like living in a house.
The little squirrel ran back to the roof,
squeezed his body through the hole
until he was outside.
He ran up the tree.
"Mommy.  Daddy. Guess what!
I'm a squirrel
and I love living in my tree.

Written for my grandchildren
on August 20,  1999
E. Moscoso