My students begged to hear this story every time it rained. (It's very similar to "The Mitten.") They also enjoyed pretending to be the animals as they acted out the story.
ROOM FOR ONE MORE!
Materials: large umbrella
Directions: Begin this story by sitting in a
chair holding a closed umbrella. Each
time a character joins the story, make the umbrella go up a bit. The
umbrella should be fully opened when the bear crawls in. Then when
the ant comes quickly close the umbrella with a POP!
Once
there was a little mouse who lived in the forest. One day it started to rain, so he ran and hid under a
mushroom. It was just the right
size for a little mouse – a perfect umbrella.
Soon
a frog hopped by. “Say, may I
please join you?” asked the frog politely.
“I
suppose there’s always room for one more,” answered the mouse. So the mouse moved over and made room
for the frog and the mushroom grew a little.
Next
along cam a little bird. “Please,
do you think you could let me in under the mushroom? I’m getting awfully wet out here,” said the little bird
“Well,
we’ll squeeze in a little. There’s
always room for one more,” replied the mouse. The mushroom grew a little more.
It
wasn’t long before a little squirrel came scampering by. “Please, may I come in with you? I do hate to get my bushy tail wet,”
asked the squirrel.
“There’s
always room for one more,” answered the mouse. And the mushroom grew a little more.
Along
hopped a little rabbit. The other
animals looked so cozy huddled together under the mushroom that the rabbit
asked, “May I join you, please?”
“There’s
always room for one more,” said the mouse as the mushroom grew even bigger.
Next
a fox came by. “I’m so wet and
cold,” said the fox. “May I please
join you under the mushroom?”
“Always
room for one more,” said the mouse as the other animals squeezed in tighter and
the mushroom grew just a little bigger.
Finally
a big bear came along. “Please,
please, may I come in out of the rain with you?” begged the bear.
“Oh,
dear,” thought the mouse. “Well,
there’s always room for one more.
Come on in.” The animals
all huddled in closer and the mushroom grew as big as it could.
Just
then a little ant crawled by.
Without so much as a “please” or “thank you” that little ant tried to
join the others under the mushroom.
That little ant just pushed and shoved until POP! The mushroom burst into a million
pieces. And what do you think
happened then? That’s right! All the animals had to scurry and find
another place to stay dry!