The Moon Night falls and the birds go quiet Panda is lying outside her den in the mountains Squirrel comes down from the nearby tree and settles beside her Together they look at the moon I wish I could pluck it out of the sky Panda says Why Squirrel asks To play with The moon is a ball Don’t you see Can you play with a ball Squirrel asks The children in the village at the foot of the mountain play with them all the time Panda says Is that fun Squirrel asks The children always seem to be laughing and singing when they throw the ball to each other Ah Squirrel sighs Then it must be fun I wish we were laughing and singing now She stares up at the moon for a while Shall I pluck the moon out of the sky for you Panda she suddenly asks Would you Panda can’t believe her luck 4
Sure We’re friends aren’t we Friends do all kinds of things for each other Squirrel runs straight up the tree trunk As fast as a well as fast as a squirrel At the top of the tree she sticks her paw up into the sky Oh no she cries I can’t quite reach it If you stand on tiptoes Panda calls back Squirrel does her best She stretches as high as she can No I’m still too small What about a stick Panda calls You could knock the moon out of the sky with a stick Squirrel gnaws through a long slender branch Then she swings it so hard she almost falls Too bad she cries It doesn’t help She climbs back down to Panda Too bad she says again At least I tried Panda thinks it over Maybe a ladder she says People use ladders for climbing Onto roofs Or to pick fruit from trees Come on Squirrel gnaw some bamboo Squirrel gnaws down at least thirty stalks while Panda munches on the tender leaves 6
