Can You Help Me?

Written by the CNA team

“Hey! Someone! Anyone! Please, can you help me?” yelled a voice in the distance.

The call was coming from outside Teeko’s front window. She opened her door and looked around. It was hard to see from so far away, but she saw a figure waving their hands frantically.

Teeko put on her rainboots and jacket and went to see if she could help.

1

It was raining heavily. Teeko stepped outside and put up her hood. Teeko could see that it was Sharma, her neighbor, who was yelling for help.

Teeko ran over to Sharma. Sharma’s foot was stuck in a muddy hole.

2

“Oh my!” said Teeko. “This is quite a problem!” Teeko took Sharma’s umbrella which had fallen into the mud, opened it and gave it to Sharma to protect her from the pouring rain. Teeko asked if Sharma was hurt.

“I’m not hurt, I’m just stuck! My rain boot has filled with mud and I can’t move it at all”, said Sharma.

Teeko and Sharma’s neighbor, Isaac, heard the shouting and brought out a shovel. Isaac began to dig around Sharma’s leg to loosen up the mud.

3

As Sharma was getting unstuck, a small furry creature emerged from the hole.

Muddy and wet, the creature exclaimed loudly, "wow, it's cold out here!" to everyone's surprise and Teeko's glee.

"Who are you?" asked Isaac.

"I am the Rain Mouse, bringer of rainbows. Teeko knows me, don't you dear?"

"Yes!" exclaimed Teeko, "It's been a long time since I have seen you. Will you bring rainbows today?"

4

“I will make a deal with you,” said the Rain Mouse, “I need a favor from each of you before I will stop the rain and bring a rainbow for all.”

Teeko, Sharma, and Isaac looked at each other suspiciously for a moment. Soon Teeko spoke up for herself and her friends, “I think we could agree to three favors to stop the rain and dry all this mud.”

“Very well,” said the Rain Mouse, “You must do three nice things for somebody else. It can be large or small, but it must be nice. Please come find me when you have completed your kind deed. Then I will bring the most beautiful rainbow that any of you have ever seen.”

5

With that, the Rain Mouse disappeared leaving Teeko, Sharma & Issac to search out their first nice deed.

Just as they were wondering where they should start, a car whizzed by them in a hurry, drove through a big puddle, and splashed water and mud all over their neighbor Iana who was walking on the sidewalk.

They all rushed over to see if they could help her.

6

“Oh my!” said Iana. “I need to get this letter to the post office and now won’t have time if I have to go home and change out of my wet, muddy clothes!”

“We can help you! One of us can take the letter to the post office for you now, so it will get there in time” said Sharma.

“Thank you!” said Iana. “That is so nice of you. You made my day!”

Iana turned to head home.

“I’ll take the letter!” volunteered Isaac, “I have to put the shovel back in my garage, so I can get my car and drive to the post office! I’ll be there and back in a flash.”

“That makes sense,” Teeko and Sharma agreed and started to go around for their second good deed as Isaac hurried off.

“I wish we could ask the Rain Mouse if you and Isaac digging my foot out of the mud counts as one of our three good deeds,” Sharma mumbled as they made their way down the road. She held her umbrella over Teeko and herself.

7

“I don’t think it does, but it should be easy to find two more neighbors to help!”

Teeko answered. As she said it, the neighbors noticed a small tree that had fallen on Farmer Danika’s shed and shattered the side window.

“Look at Farmer Danika’s shed!” Teeko exclaimed, “Let’s knock on her door to let her know. We can offer to move the tree and put a tarp over the window. That way the rain can’t get in!”

Teeko and Sharma knocked on Farmer Danika’s door. When Farmer Danika opened the door, Sharma said, “We noticed that a tree fell on your shed.

We can help move the tree and cover up the hole.”

“That is very kind of you," said Farmer Danika. “When you are done why don’t you come back here and have something to eat? It is pretty cold out and I have homemade chicken noodle soup on the stove.”

8

Teeko and Sharma sang songs in the rain while they fixed the shed. When they were done, Teeko said, “Time flies when you are helping others.”

“It sure does,” said Sharma. “Now let’s have some soup with Farmer Danika. I worked up an appetite moving that tree.”

“So did I," said Teeko. “But we can’t stay too long. We still have one more good deed to perform.”

Teeko and Sharma ate some soup and loved it! “Wow, Farmer Danika, this soup is very good. Thank you,” said Teeko. “Yes, I enjoyed the soup too. We have to get going. Be on the lookout for the prettiest rainbow ever,” said Sharma. The two left Farmer Danika’s farm.

They still had one good deed to perform.

They walked back to the Rain Mouse's little hole. As they walked, they saw their friend Joey chasing his hat. A burst of wind had blown it off.

9

“I got it!” yelled Teeko. She ran so fast after the hat and grabbed it. “Here is your hat, Joey.”

Joey put his hat back on. “Thanks, my little legs couldn’t move fast enough!”

“No problem, I like to help. I like doing good deeds for others because it makes others happy.”

Suddenly, a rainbow appeared right before their eyes. It was as if the Rain Mouse knew all the good deeds were done.

Teeko, Sharma, and Joey stood in amazement. “Look how beautiful it is,” said Sharma.

Teeko and Joey agreed it was the biggest brightest rainbow they had ever seen.

Then Joey said, “The best way to do good for yourself is to do good for others.”

10

This book was collaboratively written by the CNA team: Erica Daiell Bernice Lorenz Laura Manfredi Crystal Miller Rebecca Toffolon Adelinne Whittenhall Michael Coffey Cover illustration by: Todd Miller Assistant writing by: Mariah Law, Reading Partners AmeriCorps Member