Page 13 - Sophie's Christmas With Teddy & Mouse

This was also his job, in fact the whole household, cooking meals for Father and Mother and cleaning up afterwards, rested on Teddy.
He was used to eating alone.
His father was only concerned about collecting as much honey as he could, which he bought as cheaply as possible from the Bee family in the forest. He then sold the honey for the highest price to the other Bear families.
Since Father was the only one selling honey the other families had no choice, and meekly bought the oh-so-irresistible honey.
At the back on the left was the big tractor, the tractor Father used to ll his pots with honey. A blue metal giant, with tires so high they towered over Teddy. He couldn’t resist the temptation to climb on top of the tractor, and he put the tip of his tongue out in concentration so he wouldn't fall, and scrambled up.
“Watch out, don't hit the claxon!” Once on the tractor's big seat he felt like a pirate who had captured a big blue boat. Fantasizing with one eye closed, the other peering over the high seas, he imagined himself sailing between the raging waves, felt the swell in his body, the pirate ag uttering like a proud pennant and Captain Teddy, at the helm of his own ship.
But when he scrambled down he was again attracted to the right side of the shed, at the very back, where it is so dark and reminded him of the scary closet. He was actually very excited and felt a weird tickle in his tummy, and this made him feel a bit nauseous. But still his curiosity was huge and he shufed slowly, foot by foot, towards the corner.
"What will there be waiting for me here?' he thought.
It was then he heard a strange noise, a high, shrill squeak, squeak-squeak.
The loud noise stopped for a moment, but then he heard it again ... squeak, squeak-squeak.
Teddy lifted his lantern towards the sound and Teddy saw what it was. “It's... a... a... a mouse, it's a MOUSE!”
"Mouse!" Teddy said out loud again as if to encourage himself. "Mouse, what are you doing there?" he asked.
But he saw that the mouse was injured, and he watched the little creature with the black beady eyes look around anxiously.