The Tales of Tiptoes Lightly by Reg Down

looking after him,
but he woke up hungry.”
    “He’s always hungry,” said Pepper Pot.
    “Let’s visit him,” said Ompliant.  “Do you want to
ride on my back?”
    “Yes, please,” cried the gnomes.
    Ompliant stretched out his trunk, picked them up and
put them on his back.
    “Off we go,” he called.  “Watch out for branches,
Pepper Pot. Remember what happened last time.”
    “I think you should watch out for branches this time,”
said Pepper Pot.
    “Looking out is your job,” replied Ompliant. “I
walk—you look.”
    “That’s not fair,” said Pepper Pot.  “You’re the
driver—I’m the passenger. I sit—you look!”
    Pine Cone closed his ears and watched out for
branches. He knew that no matter who won the argument it was always Pepper Pot
who ended up on the ground.

Ompliant comes to Farmer John’s
    Pins and Needles were chatting to Jeremy Mouse.

    “Now that you’re better, Tom Nutcracker and June Berry
will let you go,” said Pins.
    “I wish they’d hurry up,” grumbled Jeremy Mouse. “I’m
tired of this shoe box.”
    “They had to go to town. At least you’re alive and
safe,” said Needles. “Tiger the Tabby Cat is locked in the living room.”
    “And they brought you cheese and crackers,” chimed in
Pins.
    “I like cheese and crackers,” said Jeremy Mouse.
“They’re yummy.”
    “Look!” exclaimed Needles. “There’s an elephant
outside the window!”
    “It’s Ompliant,” cried Jeremy Mouse, “and Pine Cone
and Pepper Pot are with him!”

    Ompliant was so big he could look into the second
floor of Farmer John’s house. He waved his trunk and flapped his ears.
    “Open the window with your trunk,” called Pins as loud
as she could. “It’s not locked.”
    Ompliant opened the window. “Hoo, Hoo,” he said, “are
you okay Jeremy Mouse?”
    “I’m fine,” said Jeremy Mouse, “but I want to go
home.”
    Ompliant reached over with his trunk, picked him up,
and put him on his back. Pine Cone gave Jeremy Mouse a huge  hug. Then Pepper
Pot gave him a bigger hug.
    “Achoo!” sneezed Jeremy Mouse.
    “Close the window,” called Pins and Needles.
    Ompliant closed the window, and they all waved goodbye
as he lumbered away.
Tiptoes loves Blue
    Tiptoes sat inside a Morning Glory. A gentle breeze
swayed the flower back and forth and she felt as if she was rocking in a sea of
blue. “This must be the color of heaven,” she thought. She loved being surrounded
by such a beautiful blue.

    A bee flew by. He was big and extra chubby, and looked
like he shouldn’t be flying at all.
    “Buzz, buzz,” he said. “Who are you?”
    “I’m Tiptoes the Fairy,” she replied. “What’s your
name?”
    “I’m Rumble the Bumble Bee. Are you looking for
nectar?”
    “No,” said Tiptoes. “I’m waiting for Jeremy Mouse to
be let out of Farmer John’s house.”
    “Oh, he’s gone already. I saw him riding on the back
of the biggest animal you ever laid eyes on. He was gray and round, with funny,
sticking-out teeth in front.”
    “That must be Ompliant the Elephant,” said Tiptoes.
    “An elephant!” exclaimed Rumble the Bumble Bee. “Why
have I never seen one before?”
    “He escaped from the zoo and lives in the forest,”
replied Tiptoes. “He comes from Africa.”
    “By my buzz,” said Rumble Bumble Bee, impressed. “He
had the hugest, flappiest ears you ever saw. Can he fly?”
    “Oh, no,” said Tiptoes, smiling, “but he trumpets
loudly if he wants to.” Then she waved goodbye. “I have to catch up with them,”
she said, and flew away.

Jeremy Mouse is Gone
    Tom Nutcracker and June Berry came back from town with
Farmer John. They ran upstairs to see how Jeremy Mouse was doing.
    “He’s gone!” exclaimed June Berry, looking into the
empty box.
    “He’s got to be here somewhere,” said Tom Nutcracker.
“Let’s look.”
    They searched the bedroom high and low, but Jeremy
Mouse was nowhere to be found.
    “We’ve looked everywhere,” said