i.

once upon a time, three fat little prairie dogs lived together in a nice deep burrow, where they were quite safe and warm and snug.

these little prairie dogs had very queer names. one was jump, another was bump, and another was thump.

well, they lived very happily together until one day jump said, “i believe i would rather live up on top of the ground than in this burrow.”

“i believe i would, too,” said bump.

“i believe i would!” said thump. “i’ll tell you what we can do! let us each build a house!”

[4]

“let us!” cried jump and bump, and away they all scampered up out of the burrow.

each one ran in a different direction to hunt for something to use in building a house.

jump gathered some straws.

“these will do,” he thought. “i shall not bother to look for anything else. besides, they are very light and easy to carry.”

so jump built a little straw house.

bump gathered some sticks.

“these will make a nice house. they are quite good enough,” he said.

so bump built a little stick house.

thump saw the straw and the sticks, but thought he might find something better.

pretty soon he came to a pile of stones.

“my, what a fine strong house they would make!” he thought. “they are heavy to move, but i will try to use them.”

so he carried and carried and worked and worked, but finally he had a stone house.

ii.

the next morning when old mr. prairie wolf awoke and stretched himself, he saw the three little houses in the distance.

“what can they be?” wondered old mr. wolf.[5] “maybe i can get breakfast over there.” so he started toward them.

the first house he came to was the straw one.

he peeped in the window and saw little jump.

he knocked on the door. “mr. jump, let me come in,” said he.

“oh, no, by my bark—bark—bark! you cannot come in,” barked little jump, pushing with all his might against the door with his little paws.

“then i’ll blow your house over with one big breath!” growled old mr. prairie wolf.

so he blew one mighty breath, and blew the house over, and ate up poor little jump.

on his way home, old mr. wolf stopped to look in the window of the little stick house. he saw little bump.

“my, what a good breakfast i shall have to-morrow!” he thought to himself.

the next morning he came early and knocked on the door of the little stick house.

“mr. bump, mr. bump,” said he, “let me come in.”

“oh, no, by my bark—bark—bark! you cannot come in,” barked little bump, standing on his hind legs with his back braced against the door.

[6]

“then i’ll throw your house over with one blow of my paw,” growled old mr. prairie wolf.

and he did, and ate up poor little bump.

iii.

on his way home, he stopped to look in the window of the little stone house.

thump sat by the fireplace toasting his feet.

“my, my!” chuckled old mr. wolf, smacking his lips, “he is the fattest one of all. what a fine breakfast i shall have to-morrow!”

the next morning he came earlier than ever, and knocked on the door of the little stone house.

“mr. thump, let me come in,” said he.

“all right,” called little thump, “when my feet get warm.”

so old mr. prairie wolf sat down to wait.

by and by, old mr. wolf knocked on the door again. “aren’t your feet warm yet, mr. thump?” he growled.

“only one,” called thump; “you will have to wait until the other one is warm.”

so old mr. wolf sat down to wait.

after a few minutes had passed, he knocked on the door again.

“isn’t your other foot warm yet, mr. thump?” he growled.

[7]

“yes,” called thump, “but the first one is cold now.”

“see here, mr. thump,” growled old mr. wolf, “do you intend to keep me waiting all day while you warm first one foot and then the other? i am tired of such foolishness. i want my breakfast. open the door, or i’ll knock your house over!”

“oh, all right,” barked little thump, “and while you are doing it, i shall eat my breakfast.”

that made old mr. prairie wolf very angry, and he kicked at the little stone house with all his might; but little thump knew he could not move a stone.

prairied dog rocking in chair in comfort

[8]

after a long while the noise stopped, and little thump peeped out of the window. he saw old mr. wolf limping painfully off; and that was the way he always remembered him, for he never never saw him again.

this story, which is built on the framework of the old classic, “the three pigs,” lends itself readily to dramatization. let the four characters take their parts as they remember the story. by no means have them memorize the words.

questions

which little prairie dog worked hardest to build his house?

the others had an easy time, didn’t they?

but which one was happiest in the end? why?