Khalil's Dream and other stories: Stories for Boys and Girls

By Danielle Michaud Aubrey and Nadia Ilchuk

10 new and original stories with painted illustrations by Nadia Ilchuk. Imaginative stories of day-to-day adventures with human and animal characters that teach a life lesson. The story-telling is in the style of classics like The Adventures of Peter Rabbit, The Wind in the Willows or Winnie the Poo

• Language: English
• Publisher: Petra Books
• Release date: Dec 8, 2019
• ISBN: 9781989048382

Danielle Michaud Aubrey

BA Sociology, Psychology and Women's Studies, MA Conflict Studies.

Book preview

Stories for Boys and Girls

Khalil’s Dream and other stories

BOOK THREE

Danielle Michaud Aubrey

Khalil’s Dream and other stories

Stories for Boys and Girls

10 New Stories in the Series: A Walk in the Wind

BOOK THREE

by Danielle Michaud Aubrey

Available in French with Translation by Sébastien Bonastre.

Le rêve de Khalil et autres histoires Histoires pour garçons et filles

10 Nouvelles histoires de la série : Une promenade dans le vent

Troisième livre

Illustrated by Nadia Ilchuk

© Danielle Michaud Aubrey 2019

BA Sociology

BA Psychology, Women’s Studies

MA Conflict Studies

Editing and design

Petra Books

petrabooks.ca

Dedicated to

Emma, Léo, Sacha, Victor

Table of Contents

The Intruder

Marble Games

Flip-Flop’s Vegetable Garden

Follow the Leader

Gorf the Goofy Frog

The Hidden Treasure

Missy Mouse Learns to Sew

Khalil’s Dream

Just Sam

The Winter Carnival

The Intruder

Farmer Fred and his wife Lilly were enjoying one of the first warm days of Spring, sipping tea and rocking on their porch. There’s a lot of work to be done planting … he stopped mid-sentence when he heard a ruckus in the henhouse. Whoa! What’s happening to the hens? he exclaimed, running down the steps to the fenced yard.

Just as he arrived he saw the back side of a scrawny fox racing away with a chick in her jaws. The hens were squawking and screeching as they flew around the yard. Darn, how did that animal get in here? he wondered aloud as he walked into the yard. He checked the henhouse to see if there were any more hens that had been hurt or gone missing. He would check the fence later.

Ginger the cat was sitting and watching from her perch on the window ledge. She had seen the fox once before sniffing around the barn. Most like the fox is looking for food, thought Ginger as she yawned and stretched. And Ginger thought that it might be a good time to have a chat with Missy the Mouse. Missy lived under the floor boards in the barn, and was probably there now getting ready to forage for food tonight. Its best that she hears about this from me, thought Ginger as she sauntered over to see Missy.

Meow-meow — hello Missy, have you time for a chat? asked Ginger.

Yes, I’m coming. Missy squeaked as she scurried up from her warm nest. How are you Ginger? You are looking quite relaxed. The sunshine certainly makes you look so comfy, she said as the cat rubbed and purred against a post.

Ginger meowed and told Missy what she had just seen. Yes, it was a small dark fox, not as big as our fox friend Red. And she caught a chick. She was heading for the woods. Farmer Fred is not happy at all.

Oh dear, Missy worried aloud. Do you think he will blame Red the fox? I think we should all meet and see who this small fox is and where she comes from. Do you think she has moved into the area?

I don’t know, replied Ginger. Shall I talk to the others? We could have a meeting tonight. I think that it is important. We need to help Farmer Fred protect the hens.

That’s a good idea! Tell them that we will have a meeting tonight — in the barn when the moon is bright. You contact Bushy the squirrel, and Bushy can tell ol’ Mr. Hoot the barn owl, and Mr. Hoot will tell Snoop the raccoon who will tell Red the fox. Missy scurried out of the barn, and called behind her, I’ll go and talk with Miss Henrietta the hen.

The hens were still greatly disturbed by the nasty intruder. They were all gathered around the hen that had lost her chick. Their little heads were bopping up and down and all around. Pawk- pawk — are we safe? they squawked.

Henrietta the hen saw Missy coming up the ramp. Pawk- myrrawk — did you hear what happened? she asked Missy.

Ginger just told me what she saw. What happened? Missy was very sad to see her friends so upset.

Cluck-cluck — well, one of our own little ones was just taken by a fox. We don’t know who the fox is, but she was very small and very fast. She was gone before we could peck at her! Cluck-cluck — so sad indeed. Henrietta looked down at Missy.

Are you sure it wasn’t Red? asked Missy.

Yes, we are sure. Red has been our friend ever since we have been laying extra eggs for him and Snoop behind the coop. No, we have never seen this fox before. And I hope to never see her again!

Missy reassured Henrietta: We are having a meeting tonight in the barn when the moon is bright. I will ask the others what we can do to help protect you. I’ll be back tomorrow with our plan. I do hope you will be able to sleep well. And then she scurried back to the barn to prepare for the meeting.

That night Missy watched as the ‘Pact’ animals — all the animals who had agreed to take care of each other over the long winter — walked into the barn. Bushy the squirrel climbed onto the attic beams and looked down on the others. Ol’ Mr. Hoot the barn owl perched high above near the small attic door while Snoop the raccoon, Red the fox and Ginger the cat slipped in through the door. The tone of the meeting was serious, as the animals knew that their health and