Verja the Lost Jungle Bunny

There is this book about a little badger, and she has such adorable little stories. Her name is Frances. Here we go. You'll love it!

It was a quiet evening.
Father was reading his newspaper.
Mother was feeding Gloria, the new baby.
Frances was sitting under the kitchen sink.
She was singing a little song:

Plinketty, plinketty, plinketty, plink.
Here is the dishrag that's under the sink.
Here the buckets and brushes and me,
Plinketty plinketty plinketty plee.

She stopped the song and listened.
Nobody said anything.
Frances went to her room and took some gravel out of the drawer where she had been saving it. She put the gravel into her empty coffee can and put the lid on it.
Frances marched into the living-room and rattled the gravel in the can. As she marched she sang a marching song:

Here we go marching, rattley bang!

"Please don't do that, Frances.", said Father.
Frances stopped.
"All right.", she said.
She went back into the kitchen and sat down under the sink. Mother came in, carrying Gloria.
"Why are you sitting under the sink?" said Mother.
"I like it here." said Frances. "It's cozy."
"Would you like to help me put Gloria to bed?" asked Father.
"How much allowance does Gloria get?" asked Frances.
"She is too little to have an allowance", said Father. "Only big girls like you get allowances."
"May I have a penny along with my nickel now that I am a big sister?" Asked Frances.
"Yes," said Father. "Now your allowance will be six cents a week because you are now a big sister."
"Thank you."
"I know a girl who gets seventeen cents a week. She gets three nickels and two pennies."
"Well," said Father, "it's time for bed now."
Father picked Frances up from under the sink and her a piggy-back ride to bed.
Mother and Father tucked her in and kissed her goodnight.
"I need my tiny special blanket." Frances said.
Mother gave her the tiny special blanket.
"And I need my tricycle and the sled and both teddy bears and my alligator doll." said Frances.
All the necessary bedtime items were fetched, and finally Frances drifted off to sleep.
In the morning Frances got up and washed and began to dress for school.
"Is my new blue dress ready for me to wear?" asked Frances.
"Oh, dear. I was so busy with Gloria that I didn't have time to iron it. You'll have to wear the yellow one again."
Mother buttoned Frances up in the back. Then she brushed her hair and put a new ribbon in it and put her breakfast on the table.
"Why did you put sliced bananas in my oatmeal. Did you forget I like raisins?" Frances asked.
"No, I did not forget. But you finished up the raisins yesterday and I haven't been out shopping yet."
"Well," said Frances, "things are not very good around here anymore. No clothes to wear. No raisins for the oatmeal. I think maybe I'll run away."
"Finish your breakfast, Frances. It is almost time for the school-bus." Mother said.
"What time will dinner be tonight?" asked Frances.
"Half past six." Mother replied.
"Then I will have plenty of time to run away after dinnertime." finished Frances.
She kissed her mother and went to school.
After dinner that evening, Frances packed her knapsack very carefully. She put in her tiny special blanket and her alligator doll. She took all of the nickels and pennies out of her bank, for travel money, and she took her good luck coin for good luck. Then she took a box of prunes from the kitchen and five chocolate sandwich cookies.
"Well," said Frances, "it is time to say goodbye. I am on my way. Goodbye."
"Where are you running away to?" said Father.
"I think that under the table is the best place. It's cozy." Frances replied. "And the kitchen is near if I run out of cookies."
"That is good. But we'll miss you, Frances." Mother said.
Father nodded.
"Well," said Frances, "goodbye,'' and she ran away.
Father sat down with his newspaper.
Mother took up the sweater she was knitting.
Father put down his newspaper. "I miss Frances." He said.
Mother nodded. "I miss her, too."
Frances sat under the table and ate her prunes.
Father picked up his newspaper. Then he put it down again.
"I miss her little made-up songs."
"Yes, I do, too." Said Mother. "I love the tomato one she made."
"What does the tomato say, early in the dawn? Time to be all red again, now that night is gone." Father sang. "And her other one--when the wasps and the bumblebees have a party, nobody comes that can't buzz."
"Well. We're going to have to get used to a quiet house now." Said Mother.
Frances ate three of her sandwich cookies, and set aside the other for later.
She began to sing:

I am poor and hungry here, eating prunes and rice.
Living all alone is not really all that nice.

She had no rice, but chocolate sandwich cookies did not sound right for the song.
"I can almost here her now." said Father, humming the tune Frances had just sung. "She has such a lovely voice."
"It isn't like a family anymore. Families are all together. We need Frances back."
"I wish she would call." Said Father. "I'd like to see how she's getting along in her new place."
"Hello?" called Frances from the dining-room. "This is me on the telephone. Hello, hello, this is me. Is that you?"
"Hello, Frances! This is us. How are you?" Mother said.
"I am fine. This is a nice place, but you miss your family when you're away. How are you?"
"We are all well. But we miss you too." Said Father.
"I will be home soon." said Frances. And she hung up.
When Frances returned, she sang a little song:

Big sisters really have to stay
At home, not travel far away.
Because everybody misses them.
And wants to hug-and-kisses them.

"I'm not sure about that last rhyme." Said Frances.
"I love it." said Mother and Father at the same time. And the hugged her.

VERSE:

Children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right Eph. 6:1.

HAPPY SUNDAY!