Soon after, he heard the sound of something being

dragged across the floor. Baby was pulling the kitchen stool

over so she could climb up and help herself to a cookie.

Baby climbed up to the top of the stool. She slid the

cookie jar across the counter, took the lid off and reached in.

Then, the jar slipped and tipped over! Little Mr. Cookie

tumbled out and fell on the floor, along with three other

cookies.

The other cookies stayed where they were in a little heap.

But, Little Mr. Cookie rolled himself over behind a chair in the

corner, where he was hidden.

Baby’s Mommy heard the clatter and came running in to

see what was wrong. She was shocked.

When she saw the mess, she said, “O Baby! Mommy

needs to help you when you want a cookie! Now, we need to

clean up the crumbs and dirty cookies!”

When Little Mr. Cookie heard that, he was glad he had

hidden behind a chair in the corner. He did NOT want to be

swept up into a dustpan and then dropped into the garbage

can!

So, baby helped by holding the dustpan carefully, while

Mommy swept up the mess.

Mommy said, “Now, I will hold the jar while you reach in

and get a cookie.”

Baby smiled, because that was all she was wanting after

all!

So, baby reached into the big, blue jar and picked out her

own cookie—a nice brown one, with lots of chocolate chip

freckles. Mommy gave her a cup of milk to drink with the

cookie. Baby was very happy.

Soon, Baby and Mommy left the kitchen, smiling and

happy.

Little Mr. Cookie looked out to see what he could see. He

saw that it was safe to come out from behind the chair, so he

rolled across the floor, through the hallway and into a large

sunny room.

There were lots of pretty flowers sitting in the windows

looking outside. Little Mr. Cookie wished he could see outside

too.

One flower turned and said, “Hi, little cookie. Are you

lost? We don’t see cookies in here very often. The kitchen is

back down the hallway, but you may stay and visit with us for

awhile, if you would like.”

Little Mr. Cookie smiled. Then, he rolled across to a nice

sunny spot on the rug. Then, he began talking to the flowers.

“:I want to see the world! Can you see the world from the

window?”

The flowers all twisted back around on their stems to look

outside. They enjoyed the nice, sunny window but had not

thought about seeing the world like the cookie.

One answered, “There is a big green tree

With a nest and some eggs…

And a boy running across the lawn

On sturdy, brown legs…

Two others said,

The sun is shining brightly,

Not a cloud to be seen,

And, it’s all very beautiful—

All rainbow colors and green!”

Little Mr. Cookie was all excited and said. “I want to see

it all for myself!” So, a tall tiger lily responded by saying,

“Hop up here into my shiny blue and gold foil. I’m going to be

a present to Grandma from Mommy this afternoon.”.

So, Little Mr. Cookie rolled across the rug, up a chair, up the

lily pot and snuggled down deep in the blue and gold foil out of

sight. Tiger Lily began singing a lullabye. Soon, Little Mr.

Cookie was fast asleep.

Suddenly, Little Mr. Cookie woke with a jolt. Mommy

had picked up Tiger Lily and happened to tip the pot. Little

Mr. Cookie almost fell out onto the floor. Mommy opened the

car door. Then, she set the pot down carefully while she put

Baby in her car seat. Then, she set Tiger Lily on the seat so she

could see out of the window. She leaned the pot against the

seat back so it would not fall in the floor, bracing it with two

books. Then, she started the motor and drove away.

Tiger Lily whispered, “All Clear!” Mr. Little Cookie

wriggled up to the edge and looked out the window at the

world whizzing by. Road signs, trees and houses were a blur.

“Is this gray blur what the world looks like?” asked Little

Mr. Cookie, very disappointed in what he was seeing.

Tiger Lily said, “Pick out one house or tree; then, look at

it until we are past. Then, pick out something else. It won’t

look all blurry if you do. There are many things to look at—

but, just look at one thing at a time. Then, you’ll enjoy the

ride!”

Little Mr. Cookie looked up at the sky. He saw a seagull

swoop down low, then high again,

Next, he picked out a white house with pretty curtains

and lots of rainbow colored flowers growing in front. Little

Mr. Cookie liked to look at the flowers. They made him feel

very happy.

Next, he saw a flash of red--something bright red. He

looked at it intently. It was a red car speeding past. Mommy

did not drive very fast. Little Mr. Cookie was glad she was a

careful driver.

A giant truck caught his eye as it rumbled by delivering

groceries.

He saw a stop light…And a store

window full of nice things to buy like apples, carrots, bicycles,

juice and ice cream.

Little Mr. Cookie said, “Thank you, Tiger Lily! The

world is WONDEREFUL!”

Tiger Lily said, “It is true that we get to see what we are

looking for most. Trying to look at everything at once makes

the world speed by in a blur…But, looking at things one-at-a-

time makes it possible to see plainly.”

Soon, they arrived at a nice brick house. Little Mr.

Cookie barely had time to scramble back into the safety of

Tiger Lily’s foil when Mommy stopped, got out and opened the

car door. She lifted the pot out. She left the baby sitting in her

car seat while she carried the Tiger Lily up to the door.

She rang the door bell. Grandma opened the door and

said, “O how beautiful! And, a nice cookie besides—my

favorite!”

Mommy went back to get Baby, then, carried the pot into

the house. Little Mr. Cookie whispered ‘goodbye’ to Tiger

Lily. Grandma picked up the cookie intending to have a bite.

Little Mr. Cookie jumped out of Grandma’s fingers and rolled

under her couch.

“My goodness! That was a surprise on top of a surprise!

I wonder what that cookie is up to!”

Mommy was too surprised herself to think of an answer.

She remembered the story of the Gingerbread Boy, and

wondered if Mr. Little Cookie would stay out of trouble!

As Grandma, Baby and Mommy began to search for him,

Little Mr. Cookie spotted an air vent and quietly rolled into it

out of sight.

‘I can’t understand why we can’t find that cookie!” said

Grandma. “It has to be somewhere close by!”

Though Grandma and Mommy moved the couch and

hunted thoroughly, they did not find him. Little Mr. Cookie

was very quiet. That’s why.

Little Mr. Cookie’s Second Adventure

Little Mr. Cookie waited a long time before he came out

of hiding. He watched Grandma and Mommy move the couch.

They shook the couch cover and cushions. Grandma found her

missing crochet hook, a dime and two pencils. Baby took the

two pencils and began drumming on the piano bench.

Mommy swept and vacuumed. NO Little Mr. Cookie.

They finally gave up, and Mommy and Baby went home.

Grandma carried Tall Tiger Lily into the kitchen and placed

her on the windowsill. She poured a glass of water down by

the roots to give Tiger Lily a drink. Then, she went to take a

nap.

Tall Tiger Lily knew that Little Mr. Cookie had to be

nearby. She began to whistle the lullabye she had already sung

to him to put him to sleep.

Soon, she heard sounds of scraping, then rolling. Little

Mr. Cookie came into the kitchen.

“Hi!” called out Little Mr. Cookie.

Tall Tiger Lily was very glad to see him. She already

missed all her friends at Mommy’s house. “Now, what are you

going to do?” she asked.

Little Mr. Cookie had not thought of what he was going

to do next; he had been too busy surviving.

“Have you seen enough of the world?” said tall Tiger

Lily. “I think I am destined to stay right here with Grandma.

Why don’t you stay here with me?”

Little Mr. Cookie did not answer for a little while. He

thought and thought about what to do next.

Finally he said, “What can you see from the window?”

Tall Tiger Lily twisted around on her stem. She saw a

bunny hopping through Grandma’s backyard. She also saw

lots of pretty flowers.

“Oh! I see lots of other flowers to be friends with. I will

not be so lonely now. There is also a cute bunny living out

back in a hole! I see some ducks out by a ditch. This will be an

interesting place to stay in!”

Little Mr. Cookie said, “I’ve never seen a bunny or any

ducks. Will they be nice?”

Tall Tiger Lily said, “They look nice to me!” Little Mr.

Cookie was very interested in seeing Grandma’s backyard. He

still wanted to go outside to see for himself.

Little Mr. Cookie said, “I really want to go outside. How

can I get out to see what you are seeing and play with the

bunny, flowers and ducks?”

Tall Tiger Lily began to look for a place for Little Mr.

Cookie to squeeze through to get out to the backyard.

Finally, she spotted a small swinging door at the bottom

of Grandma’s kitchen door. “I see a little door you can

squeeze through if you try very hard! It is for Grandma’s dog,

Jewel. Try it.”

Little Mr. Cookie rolled over to the little door. He pushed

and pushed, but it would not budge. He was too small.

Tall Tiger said, “I think you can squeeze out the doggie

door right after the dog goes through if you hurry. Why don’t

you wait for her?” Little Mr. Cookie did not see any other way

to get outside. He decided to wait for the dog.

He waited and he waited. He had almost given up, when

Jewell ran through the back door and started barking. When

the door swung back, Little Mr. Cookie quickly rolled through.

He was surprised to see how big the world outside was.

He hoped Jewell would stay inside for awhile so he could

explore. He stood in one spot close to the door just looking.

He looked up at the blue sky. He saw a bird flying to feed

her baby birds in a nest in a big green tree. He looked at the

little trees. He looked at the medium green trees. He looked at

a small worm wriggling along the ground. He liked what he

saw.

Meanwhile, Grandma went into the kitchen to feed Jewel.

Jewell ate and ate. She got very full. She did not go outside for

a long time. She went to sleep because she was drowsy from

her full tummy.

.

Little Mr. Cookie began to explore. First, he looked for

the bunny Tall Tiger Lily had seen from the window. He could

not see anything, so he called up to Tall Tiger Lily for

directions. She pointed to a hole ‘way over in the corner of the

garden. Little Mr. Cookie rolled and rolled until he was on the

edge of the hole.

“Hey, Mr. Bunny! Please come out and play!” But,

Bunny did not come out. And, Bunny did not answer. Little

Mr. Cookie was very disappointed.

A row of flowers waved to him and invited him over.

“Hi!”, they all said. They were always glad when unexpected

guests happened their way.

Little Mr. Cookie was dazzled by all their colors. He

loved their smiling faces. He began turning cartwheels to

impress them. They all clapped.

He loved being outside!

Then, three ducks began quacking loudly. The flowers

told him that the ducks wanted to play with him.

Little Mr. Cookie was thrilled with all the friends he was

making. He rolled over to the ditch to see his duck friends.

“Hi!”, he called. The ducks were much bigger than him,

so he felt a little worried. They asked him where he was going.

Little Mister Cookie said, “I want to travel and see the

world! Tall Tiger Lily has been very kind and shown me much

of it. She wants me to settle down here and stay with her.”

The ducks were impressed with his answer. They wanted

him to play with them. They invited him to come take a swim

with them.

At first, he declined. But the water looked very inviting,

so he rolled to the edge.

.

He started to roll down the bank, when he heard Tall

Tiger Lily whistling and saw her waving frantically. He

stopped and turned back.

The ducks were still urging him to come on and play with

them in the water. But, he saw that Tall Tiger Lily was very

excited about something.

So, he rolled back under the kitchen window.

“What is it?” asked Little Mr. Cookie.

Tall Tiger Lily began to tell Little Mr. Cookie the story of

the Gingerbread Boy, and how WATER would surely melt

him.

Little Mister Cookie thanked Tall Tiger Lily. He went to

wait by the doggie door for Jewell to come out. The ducks

coaxed and coaxed, but Little Mr. Cookie stayed where he was.

Finally, Jewell woke up. She rushed right by Little Mr.

Cookie, barking.

Little Mr. Cookie quickly rolled through the swinging

doggie door, up the drawer handles, up the flower pot and

cuddled down safely in Tall Tiger Lily’s gold and blue foil.

There, he lived happily ever after!