P – The Peddler’s Bed

The Peddler’s Bed written by Lauri Fortino and illustrated by Bong Redila (2015)

One day a peddler came to town with his cart full of things to sell. An old man working in the garden saw him and admired the peddler’s bed. This bed was specially made with fine oak trees and soft goose feathers. The peddler took down his bed and allowed the old man to sit on it. He guaranteed that the bed would never squeak. He told the man, that if he could make the bed squeak before the end of the day, he could keep it free of charge. The old man tried putting a mouse on the bed, but the mouse fell asleep. The old man invited the peddler to stay for dinner. The peddler did. And he heard everything in the old man’s world squeak, his door, his hanging pot, his porch steps, his water pump, even his table and chair. Finally, it was time for the peddler to leave. He allowed the old man to sit on his bed on more time. The old man sat, then laid down and fell asleep. Then the peddler hear a squeak, squeak come from the old man’s nose as he slept on the bed. Quietly the peddler got on his cart and went away, leaving the bed with the sleeping old man with the squeaky nose. As he left, he heard the squeak, squeak of the wheel on his cart.

A fresh new story with a classic folktale flavor. Enjoy this one on your soft, comfy bed with a little one who may or may not squeak as you read it.

What sounds can you hear in your house? Does your teakettle whistle, your front door bang, your shoes squeak, your air vent whoosh? Take a sound walk around your neighborhood. What else can you hear?

Look at these cute little squeaky mice.