The smallest apple I’ve ever seen. I could pop it into my mouth like a fat cherry. But what a feast it would be to a little mouse. Finally an apple she can carry all on her own back home to surprise her brothers and sisters and brothers and sisters and brothers and sisters with a warm apple pie. She ground the flour herself from the wheat fields above their little burrow, she braved getting the sugarcube and stick of cinnamon by sneaking into the old farmer’s kitchen, she’s been collecting dew from the grass every morning to get cool fresh water for making the dough, and she’s found the perfect little spot underneath the barn heater to set it to bake. All she had to do now was bring all of her ingredients together and bake it. 

The golden stalks of wheat hissed in the cool autumn breeze, shielding our little mouse from the blazing sun overhead. The melody of the grain was met with the harmony of singing cardinals and the long undercurrent of cicadas ticking, chirping, and buzzing away, and beneath it all the hushed pitter patter of mouse feet skittering eagerly across dark earth. As she weaved between the fields, now amber in the honeyed glow of the sun, she alternated between holding her precious apple in her two paws and dropping to all fours with the stem held tight between her teeth. The big red barn came into view just as she made it to the edge of the wheat field, it was only about three yards away but what a long distance that was for such a little mouse. She knew crows flew above, that snakes hid in the grass, and she knew she had to be especially careful of the big black and white barn cat that slept in the rafters. She wasn’t the strongest or the fastest or even the most clever but she was determined and she was going to try her best to be very very brave. 

Tucked into the shade of the field she held the apple’s stem tight in her teeth, wiggled her tail, took a deep breath and broke into a sprint. Even with the apple in her mouth she didn’t think she had ever run so fast, the grass whizzed by as she darted through the open field, her eyes fixed ahead on the tall barn doors. Halfway there! Dark shadows crossed her path and she ran even 

harder. Then, a heavy gust of wind and a sound like a feathered slap to the sky. Before the little mouse there suddenly stood a crow, its large wings outstretched, so black they shimmered blue and purple in the sun, its beady eyes fixed right on her. She stopped so fast her paws dug into the dirt and she skidded forward. For a moment she simply stared at the crow and the crow stared back at her. Then, she dropped the apple from her mouth into her paws and in a very small voice, she spoke. 

“Hello.” Her ears lowered and her tiny heart raced as she looked up at the bird. “Hello.” The crow croaked back. Her ears perked back up. 

“My name is Calliope.” She said, “What’s yours?” The crow cocked his head to the side before shifting in back. 

“My name is Maurice.” He said, folding in his wings. “It’s nice to meet you, Calliope.” He bowed his head in greeting. “Are you not afraid of me?” 

“Oh no.” Calliope protested. “Well, maybe a little bit but you seem very nice so I’m not as afraid as I was a moment ago.” 

“I see.” Maurice cocked his head to the side once again. “I noticed you have quite a splendid looking apple and I was wondering if you would mind letting me have a bite.”

“Oh no! I couldn’t possibly give you my apple! You see, I’m going to bake an apple pie.” Calliope held the apple closer to her chest. 

“It’s a rather big apple for a mouse as small as yourself.” He said, “May I have just a small bite.” 

Calliope considered this for a moment. It was a rather big apple and though it was not too heavy it would be much lighter if the crow had a bite. “Alright.” She said, “But just one bite.” “Oh, thank you, Miss Calliope. Thank you very much.” Maurice bowed his head again as Calliope set the apple before him. Just as Calliope had allowed, he only took one bite. “Good luck with your apple pie!” He said, flying off. 

“Thank you!” Calliope called after him. She continued her journey then, running the rest of the way to the big red barn, placing the apple beside the barn heater- where she had already hidden the cinnamon and sugar- she would later use to bake it. 

Now it was time for her to bring the dew she had collected over the past few mornings. As she made her way to the barn doors she looked all around to make sure the coast was clear. Now she was running again, sprinting in the grass in the direction of a big grey rock on the other side of the barn. This rock was special, it had a hole underneath that stayed nice and cool because the rock shielded it from the sun, this is where she hid her water. Calliope knew that under this big grey rock her water would not dry up in the sun. This distance was not so far, but Calliope knew very well that she should not let her guard down, she would now be entering the tall grass where Papa Mouse had always warned her that snakes liked to spend their time. 

She was able to run much faster without the weight of the apple. She made it to the big grey rock in the blink of an eye, crawling underneath where she found the two hollow acorns she had filled with water. Calliope took the acorns into her arms and crawled out from under the rock. Because her paws were full she would have to walk on her back legs which would make her much slower so she would have to be very careful. 

Calliope walked very carefully and very quietly in the tall grass, she had to be careful as not to spill any of her water and not to alert any snakes that may be hiding nearby. The tall grass swayed above her head as she moved slowly, step by step. The tall stalks again seemed to hiss above her as she walked, but this hissing sounded a bit… different. Calliope quickly turned around, fearing a snake was sneaking up on her but nothing seemed to be there. She sighed and laughed, what Papa Mouse had said about snakes must have scared her more than she thought. She turned back around and 

Hissssssss 

A snake sat half-coiled in front of her, flicking its tongue in the air. The snake's belly was a yellow-brown like chocolate and sand, its back was black with a strip running down the middle the same color as its belly. Calliope held the acorns full of water tight, watching the snake with wide eyes. 

“Hello little one.” The snake slowly began the slither in a circle around Calliope. “It’ssss nicccce to meet you. My name issss Sssselena.” She hissed.

“Nice to meet you, Sssselena.” Calliope tried to hiss the name in the same way the snake had. “My name is Calliope.” 

“What have you got in your armsss, Calliope?” Selena asked, flicking her tongue in the air once again. 

“Water.” Said Calliope, “I’m going to bake an apple pie.” 

“Ssssounds delicioussss.” Selena responded. “That lookssss like a lot of water for one apple pie and I’m really rather thirsssty. May I have ssssome?” 

Calliope considered this. It was quite a bit more water than she needed, she could probably spare one acorn. “Alright.” She said, holding out one acorn. “But you can only have one.” 

“Thankssss, Calliope.” Selena wrapped her tail around the acorn and lifted it to her mouth, drinking the water. “Ahhh, jussst assss I thought, delicioussss.” 

“You’re welcome.” Calliope smiled. 

“Bessst Wishesss with your apple pie.” Selena said as she slithered away. “Thank you, Sssselena.” Calliope said, making her way back to the barn. She set her acorn full of water beside her apple, her cinnamon, and her sugar. 

Now for the part she was most scared about, retrieving her flour. She had stowed it away in the hayloft of the barn one night when she knew the barn cat was fast asleep in the farmer’s house. She snuck toward the ladder to the hayloft and looked all around before scampering up. Once she made it to the top she darted right for the corner where she had left her little pouch of flour. She had made the pouch with a small piece of burlap that had been torn from one of the farmer’s potato sacks. She held the pouch in her teeth and skittered back toward the ladder, when suddenly, across the hayloft she heard a yawn. Calliope stopped in her tracks. 

There before her, laying in the hayloft window, was the sleeping barn cat. Calliope proceeded very slowly and quietly, keeping her eyes on the cat. As she crept closer and closer to that ladder the began to pick up speed, growing too anxious to move slowly any longer. She ran quickly for the ladder and stumbled, causing a floorboard to creek. She stopped. The cat’s eyes snapped open, landing on Calliope. Calliope squeaked and jumped for the ladder. The barn cat darted across the loft, sending hay flying in every direction. Before she knew it Calliope was sliding down the rail of the ladder, gripping the pouch of flour tight between her teeth. She landed like a skipping stone and hit the ground running. She could hear the cat skittering behind her, the sound of its claws scraping against the wood floor of the barn. 

Calliope did not slow down as she made it to the heater, she held the flour close and rolled, still moving full speed as she slid beneath the heater. When the barn cat, who was also still running at full speed, made it to the heater she dug her claws into the barn floor, coming to a scraping halt. 

“Who are you and what are you doing in the farmer’s barn?” The cat hissed, batting under the heater, its arms too short to reach Calliope. 

“My name is Calliope.” Calliope said, peeking her head out from under the heater. “What’s your name?” The cat perked its ears up at the response.

“My name is Briar.” The barn cat replied. She then began to sniff the air, her small pink nose twitching. “What is that I smell?” Briar continued to sniff the air. “Apple? Cinnamon? Sugar?” Her eyes grew wide as she looked down at Calliope. “You’re not making an apple pie are you?” 

“I am!” Calliope crawled out from under the heater excitedly. “You have a very good nose.” 

“Thank you.” Briar lied down so Calliope did not have to look so far up to talk to her. “Oh, I love apple pie.” Briar’s tail began to flick back and forth. “Would you mind if I had a slice? I could help you make it!” Briar’s eyes grew even wider and the speed of her tail quickened. Calliope had to think about this. Surely her family wouldn’t eat the whole pie and she could use the help of a cat’s claws for cutting up the apple and a cat’s paws for kneading the dough. She had made up her mind. 

“If you help me bake the pie it’s only fair that I give you a slice.” Calliope smiled and stuck out her paw. Briar purred in return and stuck out one claw for Calliope to shake. “Deal.” Briar smiled. 

Calliope scurried under the heater and brought out the ingredients. With the help of Briar the pie was ready to bake in no time. They set it on top of the heater and sat side by side, looking out through the barn doors. Calliope asked what it was like being a barn cat and Briar asked what it was like being a field mouse and they sat, watching the clouds move across the sky. Soon the clouds began to grow dark. 

“It looks like it’s going to rain.” Briar said. 

“Oh no. I hope the pie is finished before it starts. I’ve never sat through a thunderstorm without my Mamma before.” She confessed. 

“I don’t like thunderstorms either. I hate it when my fur gets wet.” Briar shivered just at the thought. Still they waited for the pie to bake. Then, pitter patter pitter patter, it started to rain. 

“Do you think the pie is done yet?” Calliope asked, scurrying up to the top of the heater. “Just a few moments more.” Briar said after sniffing the air. The rain began to pick up. “Don’t worry, Calliope, it may just be a bit of rain. It doesn’t look like a storm yet.” Then a rumble from all around that both Briar and Calliope could feel in their bones. Briar hissed at the sound and arched her back and Calliope ran between her legs to hide. Then Briar sniffed the air again. 

“The pie is done!” Briar said excitedly. She clawed out a small slice for herself and set it aside to cool. Then a flash that lit up the whole sky. Briar hissed again, curling around Calliope. “You can spend the storm here with me if you’d like.” Calliope started to nod but another crack of thunder sent her scurrying. 

“I’m too scared! I have to go home to my Mamma!” Calliope picked up the warm apple pie and looked out the barn doors as the rain fell in sheets. “It was very nice to meet you, Briar, but I have to go home!” Calliope said, hugging the pie close to her chest.

“It was nice to meet you too, Calliope. Thank you for the pie. I hope you get home safely.” Briar said as she curled up by the heater. 

Calliope shivered as she looked out at the rain. ‘How scary!’ She thought. ‘But I have to get home.’ So she did what she would often do when she was scared at home. She closed her eyes tight, took a deep breath, and counted down from three. “Three… Two… One!” 

Calliope ran as fast as she could as thunder shook the sky. Her soft fur grew slick with water as the big fat rain drops hurled down from above, her paws grew muddy as she ran through slick dirt and puddles, and worst of all her pie began to get soggy. She ran through the tall grass, through the open field, and through the wheat that was now dark and heavy with rain.When she made it all the way back to her burrow she was crying. 

“Mamma! Mamma!” She cried, running inside. Her mushy pie spilled onto the ground and she cried even harder. 

“Calliope!” Mamma Mouse called out, pulling Calliope into her arms. “Where have you been? Pappa Mouse, your brothers, your sisters, and I have been so worried about you!” As Calliope cried, Mamma Mouse brought her by the warm fire they had set, Papa Mouse brought a cup of hot tea, her Big Brother Mouse wrapped her in a warm blanket, and her Big Sister Mouse began to clean up the spilled, cold, and mushy apple pie. 

All of her brothers and sisters gathered around and sat patiently as she calmed down. Once she had dried her tears she began to tell them the story; she told them about how she found the perfect apple, how she picked the wheat and ground it into flour, how she snuck into the old farmer’s kitchen to get cinnamon and sugar, how she woke up early every morning the collect the dew from the grass, and how she found the perfect spot to bake it surprise them all; she told them about Maurice the crow, Selena the snake in the grass, Briar the barn cat, and the big rain storm that turned her pie into mush. Then she began to cry again. 

“I ruined it! Our apple pie is mush!” She cried, hugging Mamma Mouse. “I was too scared to be alone during the thunderstorm and now our apple pie is just a big mess!” Mamma Mouse dried her tears once again. 

“Oh dear, that sounds like a very eventful day, but Calliope it doesn’t sound to me like you were too scared.” Mamma Mouse said. “It sounds to me like you were very very brave.” All of her brother and sister mice nodded along. 

“I was brave?” Calliope sniffled. 

“Oh, yes!” Mamma Mouse nodded. 

“I’ve never snuck into the farmer’s kitchen before. That was very brave.” Said Big Brother Mouse. 

“I’ve never talked to a crow before!” Big Sister Mouse chimed in. “That was really brave too.” 

“I’ve never talked to a snake.” Papa Mouse pointed out. 

“And none of us have ever talked to a cat before.” Her other mouse siblings all nodded in agreement.

“You might just be the bravest mouse I’ve ever met.” Said Mamma Mouse. Soon all of Calliope’s siblings were asking her to tell them more about her adventure. “Even if I was brave,” Calliope sniffled, “I didn’t get to bring anything home to surprise you.” 

“Well that’s not true at all.” Papa mouse hugged her as well. “You brought us the most wonderful story!” All of her siblings agreed to this as well. Then Papa Mouse raised a hand to his ear. “Do you all hear that?” 

“Hear what?” The other little mice asked. 

“I don’t hear anything!” One replied. 

“Exactly.” Papa Mouse replied. “The rain has stopped.” 

All of the mice looked between each other and seemed to all have the same idea. They all scampered to the door and out of the burrow. As they made it outside Calliope saw that the sun was coming out again and with the sun she saw a crow, a snake, and a cat. Calliope jumped from Mamma Mouse’s arms and ran to her friends. 

“Maurice! Selena! Briar! What are you all doing here?” Calliope asked, looking up at them. 

“We were worried about you because of the storm.” Maurice cawed. 

“And we wanted to thank you for being so generousssss.” Selena hissed. 

“And we thought your pie might get ruined in the rain.” Briar added. “So we thought we would come help you bake a new one!” 

“I found an apple on the ground.” Maurice nudged the red apple forward with his beak. “I collected ssssome rain water from the ssssstorm.” Selena set down a curved leaf full of water. 



“I saved some of the cinnamon and sugar we didn’t use.” Briar set down the sugarcube and stick of cinnamon. “And I snuck some flour from the old farmer’s kitchen.” She whispered. Calliope ran forward and hugged all of her new friends. 

All of Calliope’s siblings got straight to work making the new pie; slicing the apple, kneading the dough, grinding up and mixing in the cinnamon and sugar, laying a thin layer of dough on the top and carving a heart right in the middle. Mamma Mouse and Papa Mouse worked together to carry the pie to the stove. It was the biggest pie any of the mice had ever seen! As the pie baked, Mamma and Papa Mouse thanked Calliope’s new friends for taking such good care of their daughter and all of Calliope’s siblings asked them as many questions as they could think to ask about what it was like to be a crow and a snake and a cat. 

When the pie was done Mamma and Papa laid it out for everyone to share. As they sat down to eat a rainbow appeared, filling the sky with bright color and even though the pie wasn’t made with the perfect apple, or fresh dew, or hand ground flour, it was the most delicious pie that Calliope, any of her new friends or her family, had ever tasted.