Once upon a time, not so long ago, in a house by the sea there lived Mrs. Thomas, Mr. Thomas, a boy called Richard and a girl called Katie.

Their house was so near the sea, that every day the children could paddle in the water.

Mrs. Thomas was very busy looking after her family. She made the bread, cooked the dinner, washed the clothes and cleaned the shoes, so that the little house was like a bright new pin.

Behind the house, under a tree, was the garden shed. Mr. Thomas kept lots of things in it. The lawn mower was next to the door. A big green bag was on the floor and this was where Mrs. Thomas put the carrots and potatoes and cucumbers that Mr. Thomas grew in the garden.

It was a bit dark and dirty in the shed. Mrs. Thomas said, 'Now then Mr. Thomas, just you clean out that shed because I don't like the spiders and cobwebs when I go to fetch the potatoes for dinner.'

Mr. Thomas always said, 'Yes dear' but he didn't clean the shed.

First she took off the apron that had a big orange pocket, washed up the breakfast plates and had a big cup of tea.

'Now then' she said to herself, 'Spiders can't hurt you, don't be such a scaredy cat.'

She put in her hand, then screamed 'Ohohooh there's a big furry mouse in the bag. Arghgh' she screamed louder, 'There's a big furry thing in the bag.'

Still screaming, Mrs. Thomas dropped her bowl on the floor and ran back into the little house. There was no one there to help her.

So Mrs. Thomas ran and she ran, all the way down the road to the telephone box and she was still screaming.

Mrs. Thomas rang the police station, 'Oh help me' she said. 'There's something in my shed; Mr. Thomas has gone in his red boat, Richard is flying his kite and Katie is too small.'

The policeman, PC Nick said, 'Now then, now then, just tell me what's wrong.'

But all Mrs. Thomas could say was, 'Oh its dreadful, its in my shed.' She cried all the more, 'Please come straight away, Mr. Thomas has gone in his red boat, Richard is flying his kite and Katie is too small.'

PC Nick scratched his head, 'You just go home, me and my men will come at once.'

So Mrs. Thomas ran back to her little house by the sea. She was too scared to go near the shed.

Just then a big blue police car rushed along the road, a blue light was flashing on the top and a siren made a very loud noise.

Screech! The police car skidded to a stop by the little house that was near the sea. The blue light was still working and the siren still made a very loud noise.

'Now then, now then' said a policeman as he jumped out to the car. 'What's all this then. Is there a robber in your shed?'

Two more policemen jumped out of the car, they wore big shiny hats and carried wooden truncheons.

Mrs. Thomas had stopped screaming but was out of breath. All she could say was, 'In there, its in there. Oh dear do be careful, don't let it attack you.'

The biggest policeman, with his shiny hat and his wooden truncheon went to the shed. By this time lots of people had come to see what all the noise was about. 'Stand back everyone, stand back, we don't want anyone to get hurt.'

Then the three policemen with their shiny hats and their wooden truncheons, rushed to the shed, they pulled the door open but all they could see was the big green bag for the carrots, potatoes and the cucumber.

Mrs. Thomas started screaming again, 'Its in there, its in there, inside the green bag.'

The three policemen scratched their heads and said, It must be a very small robber.'

Mrs. Thomas' face went bright pink, 'Oh dear' she said, 'its not a robber, its a big furry mouse.' and she started to cry.

The biggest policeman with his shiny hat held his wooden truncheon and bashed the green bag that was for carrots, potatoes and cucumbers. Bash, bash, bash went the truncheons on the green bag.

Mrs. Thomas saw Mr. Thomas coming home from his red boat. 'What is the matter here?' he asked when he saw the police car with the siren still wailing and the blue light turning around.

The big policeman with the shiny hat and wooden truncheon said, 'Don't worry, there will be no more trouble here.' Then he picked up the green bag, turned it upside down and out rolled and old mouldy, furry cucumber.

We shall be delighted if you visit our sister site at Wickford and District Talking Newspaper for the the Blind and see what those dedicated charity workers are doing.