Make a Difference

by Sarah Dillard

  Tigerlily smirked. “He can stay up there, for all I care.”

  “HELLLP!” Big Red wailed. “Please?”

  “Just climb down the way you went up,” Violet suggested.

  “I can’t.” Big Red whimpered and trembled. “I’m afraid of heights.”

  Tigerlily giggled. She couldn’t help it. How could someone so big and mean be afraid of climbing down from a tree? She climbed up and down things all the time without even thinking about it.

  Violet was more sympathetic. She knew what it was like to be afraid. “Maybe we should do something,” she said.

  “Why?” asked Tigerlily. “Cats are a nuisance. Besides, he was just about to pounce on you. He deserves what he gets.”

  Big Red whimpered again. Violet felt sorry for him in spite of herself.

  “Well, we can’t just leave him there,” Violet said. “Didn’t you read your Mouse Scout Handbook? To make a difference, we’re supposed to be helpful, especially to those in need.”

  “We’ve already made a difference,” said Tigerlily. “We cleaned up the park—twice! We don’t need to do anything else. That badge is ours.”

  “But, Tigerlily, we have to help him.” Violet felt tears coming to her eyes. “He needs us!”

  Tigerlily hesitated. She didn’t trust Big Red, but she hated to see Violet upset. Violet was Violet: If she saw a chance to do good in the world, she was going to take it. It was one of her most annoying qualities.

  Just then, Hyacinth and Petunia walked by on their way to the school.

  “Come on, you two,” called Hyacinth. “It’s almost time for the meeting.”

  Violet gasped. She had never been late to a meeting before. She had heard rumors about Miss Poppy sending mice back to Buttercups for being late—and she wasn’t going to let that happen to her. But she also had to help Big Red. It was her Mouse Scout duty.

  “We’ve got a situation, Scouts.” Tigerlily pointed up at the tree. When they spotted the stranded cat, Hyacinth laughed and Petunia stuck her tongue out.

  “I can’t look down! It’s making me dizzy!” Big Red wailed from above.

  “Too bad, cat,” said Hyacinth. “We’ve got more important things to do.”

  Cricket and Junebug scurried by, then stopped when they saw the other Scouts.

  “Almost…late…meeting,” Junebug gasped. Running aggravated her asthma.

  “Did we miss something?” Cricket asked. “Is the meeting in the park today?”

  “No,” squeaked Violet, and she pointed above her head and explained about Big Red.

  “Even if we wanted to help him,” said Cricket, “how could we ever get the cat down? We can’t carry him, we’re just little mice.”

  “I say we leave him there and go to our meeting,” said Petunia, sticking out her tongue again. “It serves him right.”

  Tigerlily looked up at the tree. She had to admit, Big Red did look scared. But Cricket was right. How could they help? It was a terrible dilemma. I should have just stayed in my elevator, she thought.

  Tigerlily looked at the trash basket. She looked up at the tree. Then she looked back at the basket.

  “Hmmm…,” she said. “Could we…would it…? Hold up, Mouse Scouts!” she shouted. “I have an idea!”

  Teamwork

  Some projects are too big for one mouse alone. But you are a Mouse Scout, and a Mouse Scout always has a team behind her. If you have an idea for a big project, propose it to your troop as something you can do as a team. When Mouse Scouts work together, they can accomplish almost anything!

  A team works best when everyone has a specific task. Decide together what needs to be done and who will do what. If you finish your task before others, try to be helpful to another team member. Remember that you are not competing with your team members, you are all working together to accomplish something great. In a good team, every member is as important as everyone else.

  Here is a fun game that will get you and your fellow Mouse Scouts working as a team.

  Tied in Knots

  1. Have everyone stand in a circle.

  2. With your right hand, grab the tail of the Mouse Scout next to you. With your left hand, reach across the circle and grab someone else’s left hand. It must not be the same mouse whose tail you are holding.

  3. Without letting go, work together to untangle yourselves so that you are again standing in a circle.

  “Listen up, Mouse Scouts,” said Tigerlily. “If we all pitch in, we’ll have that cat down in no time at all. Wait here, I’ll be right back. While I’m gone, take the trash out of the basket.”

  The Scouts watched her in disbelief.

  “But we just put all the trash in the basket,” said Cricket. She was almost always agreeable, but this was getting to be too much.

  “Is Tigerlily crazy?” Petunia asked.

  “Probably,” sighed Violet. The day had gone from bad to worse. It was very nearly time for their meeting, and it didn’t look like they were going to make it. That meant she wasn’t going to get her “Make a Difference” badge. But worst of all, Violet probably wasn’t even going to be an Acorn Scout anymore. Since Miss Poppy didn’t stand for lateness, she was most likely going to send them all back to Buttercups.

  “I think we should forget about Tigerlily,” said Hyacinth. “Let’s just go to the meeting.” Hyacinth turned and started toward the Left Meadow Elementary School.

  “I’m with Hyacinth,” said Petunia as she scurried after her.

  “It is physically impossible for us to do anything about that cat,” said Junebug. “It goes against the laws of nature, not to mention gravity.” She shrugged and followed Hyacinth and Petunia.

  Cricket looked at Violet and shrugged. “The snack today is supposed to be cheddar cheese. There’s nothing better than cheddar.” She gave Violet one last pleading look before running after the others.

  Violet stood alone at the trash basket. She couldn’t believe Tigerlily cared that much about the cat, but Tigerlily was Tigerlily, and when she got a scheme in her head, nothing else mattered until it was done. It was one of her most annoying qualities.

  Violet was torn. She knew she should wait for Tigerlily, but if she didn’t follow the others…well, she couldn’t bear the thought of being a Buttercup again!

  “I’m sorry, Tigerlily. Being an Acorn Scout is just too important to me,” Violet whispered. She hoped she could catch up to the other Scouts.

  “HELLLLLP MEEEEE!” screeched the cat.

  Violet had nearly forgotten about Big Red. He sounded more desperate than ever. She remembered something she had read in the Mouse Scout Handbook:

  At times like this, a Mouse Scout must use her inner resolve and put someone else’s needs above her own.

  “What was I thinking!” said Violet. “I am a true Mouse Scout. No matter what happens, we have to do the right thing.”

  “Come back!” she shouted to the other Scouts. “If anyone can figure out a way to rescue the cat, Tigerlily can. Miss Poppy will understand, she just has to!”

  The other Scouts stopped and listened. Violet had never sounded so sure of herself.

  “Maybe she’s right,” sighed Hyacinth.

  “What’s the worst that could happen?” Petunia said with a shrug. “Buttercups wasn’t all bad.”

  And with that, they all turned and hurried back to the trash basket.

  A few minutes later, Tigerlily returned, dragging her emergency wagon behind her. She pulled out a large ball of twine and a long rope made of trash bags. She tied them together, then tied one end around her waist.

  Tigerlily looked up at Big Red and gulped. She had never realized just how tall trees were.

  Taking a deep breath, she said, “Okay, Scouts, I’m going up.”

  Your Emergency Tool Kit

  Every Mouse Scout should have a collection of tools in case of emergency. You may keep your tools in a small box or any type of container that can hold them. It can be useful to keep the tools in a wagon, so
that they are always readily available and transportable.

  Once you have a container for your tools, you will need to fill it! Many ordinary objects can be useful in an emergency. Below are a few things to keep an eye out for and potential ways to use them. But don’t stop there! Take a good look at any object you come across. With some creative thinking, there is no end to the purposes you might discover!

  Duct tape: This is useful for repairs, or any situation where you need something sticky.

  Toothpicks: Use them as levers, as walking sticks, and for deploying mousetraps.

  Paper clips: With minimal bending, they can make a handy seat. Also good as snowshoes.

  Elastics: These are good for using as slingshots, bungee jumping, and holding things together.

  Cheese: Every good tool kit should have emergency rations.

  “Be careful, Tigerlily!” Violet cried after her friend.

  Tigerlily climbed straight up the trunk of the tree, dragging the rope behind her. But it was slow going. Twice she had to stop to untangle the rope from her tail. Plus, a mosquito was following her. “Get away!” she said, but the mosquito just kept buzzing.

  When she reached the branch below Big Red, Tigerlily stopped to take a breath. She was exhausted! She looked up. It was still a long way to Big Red. She looked down. The ground was also very far away. “Just a little bit more,” she told herself. “I’m almost there.” The mosquito buzzed in her ear and tried to bite her acorn cap.

  Slowly, Tigerlily inched up the trunk again. But just when she was nearly there, the mosquito landed on her nose. Tigerlily swatted it away—and lost her balance! She teetered back and forth and just managed to grab on to a leaf. But she could not pull herself up to Big Red’s branch.

  “Help!” Tigerlily squeaked.

  Big Red looked down. This was an unusual situation for him. He was more used to chasing mice than helping them. He wasn’t sure what to do.

  Tigerlily was exasperated. “Look, cat. Do you want to get out of this tree or not?”

  Big Red couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Are you here to rescue me?” For a minute, he felt bad that he had been thinking of chasing mice. And then he laughed. “That’s impossible.”

  “You’ll never know if you don’t help me,” said Tigerlily.

  Big Red looked at Tigerlily. Then he looked past her to the ground far, far below—and quickly pinched his eyes shut. His stomach flipped and his legs felt like jelly. The thought of trying to get down the tree by himself made him dizzy. He opened one eye and looked at Tigerlily again. She was just a tiny little mouse. But Big Red was so desperate he was willing to try anything. He carefully stretched a paw toward the leaf where Tigerlily was hanging. Tigerlily quickly jumped onto his paw and he lifted it back to his own branch.

  “Thanks,” Tigerlily said.

  “Don’t mention it,” Big Red replied, feeling oddly humbled. No one had ever thanked him for anything before. “But I don’t really see how you can help me. You are a tiny little mouse. I am a pretty big cat. You’ll never be able to do this by yourself.”

  “Just wait, you’ll see,” said Tigerlily. And with that, she looped the twine over the branch and began to rappel down the tree, quickly reaching the ground and the rest of the Scouts.

  “Are you sure this is a good idea?” asked Petunia.

  “He’s probably hungry,” said Cricket. “We must look delicious to him.”

  “I’m pretty sure we can trust him,” said Tigerlily. “But be prepared to run just the same.”

  Tigerlily took the end of the rope and tied it securely to the basket. Then she turned over her emergency wagon and looped the rope around two of the wheels. Using a wooden clothespin, rubber bands, and other items, she devised a pulley.

  “Everyone grab on to the rope!” Tigerlily shouted. “And when I say ‘pull,’ pull!” The Scouts took position.

  “Okay, cat!” Tigerlily shouted up to Big Red. “Wait for the basket.”

  Big Red looked down. It was a long way to the ground.

  Following Tigerlily’s lead, the Scouts pulled on the rope. Slowly, the basket began to rise, and before long it was just below Big Red’s branch.

  Big Red looked at the basket. Was it made out of…trash? Gingerly, he reached a paw out to the basket. It crinkled when he touched it. That will never hold me, he thought. But spending the rest of his life in the tree seemed even worse than trying to get himself into the basket. Slowly…carefully…he stepped off the branch and into the basket.

  “Here goes nothing!”

  The Scouts cheered when the basket reached the ground and Big Red stepped out, unharmed. “That was just like something you would read about in the Mouse Scout Monthly!” Junebug exclaimed.

  “We should tell Miss Poppy. Maybe she’ll write to the magazine!” Cricket joined in.

  “Miss Poppy!” Violet gasped. “OH NO! We’re late for Mouse Scouts. WE’RE GOING TO BE SENT BACK TO BUTTERCUPS!”

  “Maybe I can help,” said Big Red.

  Helping Others

  One of the greatest ways that a Mouse Scout can make a difference is to help those in need. Whether you are assisting a neighbor stack a pile of nuts, bringing some cheese to a mouse who is sick, or simply clearing a leaf away from someone’s door, your consideration can make another mouse’s life easier and brighter.

  Sometimes, a Scout may come across someone in real trouble, and providing assistance may not be easy and can require great courage. Perhaps you see a Buttercup Scout who is stuck in the middle of a puddle and cannot swim. Or maybe another animal is in distress, such as a bat trapped in a wall with no idea how to get out, or a snapping turtle who has managed to flip himself onto his back and is unable to turn himself right side up. At times like this, a Mouse Scout must use her inner resolve and put someone else’s needs above her own. As the Acorn Scout song says, “We’re quick with a plan, and we help when we can.” And always remember, someday you might need some help yourself.

  Here is a fun game to encourage you to be aware of the needs of others. At a Mouse Scout meeting, write down every Scout’s name on a piece of paper and put it in a hat. Every Scout will draw a name, and that person will be your secret buddy. From that meeting until the next, pay attention to your buddy and think of ways that you can help her. See if you can do it without your buddy figuring it out! At the next Mouse Scout meeting, all secret buddies will be revealed.

  Miss Poppy looked at the clock. It was ten minutes after three o’clock and not one of her Scouts had shown up for the meeting. She peered through a crack in the foundation: not a mouse in sight!

  “Maybe it was too soon to have them work on their ‘Make a Difference’ badge,” Miss Poppy muttered. “The Scouts aren’t ready for that kind of independence. They clearly need more structure. If they don’t arrive soon, I have half a mind to send them all back to Buttercups!”

  But Miss Poppy’s frustration turned to worry when she saw Big Red round the corner to the school. A cat on the move was never a good sign. In fact, what if the cat had something to do with her Scouts being late? Miss Poppy reached for her emergency whistle and was just about to blow into it when she noticed something unusual about the cat.

  There, on Big Red’s back, waving, were all six of her Mouse Scouts.

  “Well, I never!” she gasped.

  Suddenly, out of nowhere, came the blur of a furry tail.

  “SQUIRREL!” Big Red hissed. And just like that, he bounded after the squirrel—sending the Mouse Scouts flying from his back. They landed in a heap right in front of Miss Poppy.

  Miss Poppy stood over the pile of Mouse Scouts.

  “YOU’RE LATE!” she said.

  The Scouts hurried to their feet and stood at attention. Violet started to tremble. Was this the end? Was her worst nightmare about to come true? “Are you sending us back to Buttercups?” she squeaked.

  “Am I—I…what?” stammered Miss Poppy. “No, of course not. I mean, not this time. Something tells me you had
a good reason for your tardiness. Now, come inside and tell me what you have been doing to earn your ‘Make a Difference’ badge.”

  Punctuality

  A Mouse Scout prides herself on punctuality. It is as important as trustworthiness and honesty. That’s because a Mouse Scout who is always on time can usually be depended on.

  A Mouse Scout who is punctual is also almost always organized and tidy. She keeps a calendar of important dates, such as birthdays and Mouse Scout holidays, so she is never caught unprepared. She is aware of the time and keeps track of how long it takes to get somewhere. And she always leaves herself a little extra time in case of unexpected delays—or a sudden discovery of cheese.

  A Mouse Scout who is usually tardy is easy to spot. She is often out of breath, her uniform is askew, and she tends to be forgetful. If there are mice in your troop who have trouble with punctuality, try to be helpful by reminding them of important dates and times. While punctuality does not come naturally to all mice, with some awareness, it can be learned!