"Hey Harry, look at this. The door is wide open. They inviting us in. The smell of the cooking is so good. I think I like it here. Should I go in and look around? You stay here and I'll go to make sure there isn't any cat or dog there. If you see me running out, run as well."

"George shouldn't we walk a bit further to find something more quiet. There seems to be a lot of animals here. You can hear them all. I wouldn't like to loose you now. We've been together for such a long time."

"We have been on the road too long. We should find ourselves a nice little place. We have been out there in all kinds of weather. You look as tired and bedraggled as I am. It does take it out of you. Why aren't you so keen to go in there?"

"I don't know, George. There are humans in there and they hate us. I'll think, I'll go over there to the stable and have a look around. Other than that we might find something better altogether, further down the road."

"All right Harry, if that's what you want to do. Be careful, the cows have big feet and don't look where they step. If you don't like it here and want to walk on, I'll come with you. Oh, that cooking smells good. Harry, what you want us to do?"

"No, George, your are right we need a break from the road. We feel a bit worn out. You go and look around in there and I'll go over there. If we have to run and loose ourselves, remember the milestone up by the road. We'll be meeting there."

"Yes, Harry, that is a very good idea. I don't want to loose you."

"I don't like houses with humans in it. I prefer stables. It is all right with you, George?"

"Of course, it is all right with me. Good luck to you."

"And to you."

George went through the door and carefully looked around. Harry ran across the yard to the stables.

George looked and sniffed around and couldn't see or smell a cat or dog. George started to relax and saw that he picked the right place. He could smell again the good cooking.  In the corner, there was little house with cheese in it. How kind, he thought, it is perfect for me, They even left the door open on the little house. Such a welcome. He decided to leave the cheese for his supper later at night and better had another look around. 'I'll better make sure it is safe,' he thought.

George could hear somebody coming and ran to hide. From his hiding place, George saw the woman put on the light and sat down at the table to have her meal. 'Oh, it smelled good, I wish I could have some,' George thought. His stomach was rumbling. He wished she would go out and put off the light. He could run over and have his cheese and go to sleep in his house.

She got up, took the plate into the kitchen and as George started to run out, she came back. She sat down on the chair. She even started to nod off. George thought, 'she could go to sleep somewhere else and put the lights off. I could have my cheese and go to sleep. Oh, I miss Harry.'

At long last she woke up, got up and went upstairs. 'Thank goodness. I am starving to death here, waiting,' thought George.

Right, it was dark and she went upstairs a long time ago. George ran across and into his house. He ate his cheese and gone to sleep. 'What a lovely house she put there for me,' was his last thought before he went to sleep.

George woke up because he could hear heavy footsteps coming down the stairs. You just can't trust humans.

There she came into the room. Her steps were so heavy they nearly made him deaf. She went and looked into the house, picked it up and shook it.

"Here, a bit more careful, don't break my house," shouted George.

George watched her opening and closing his front door, shaking her head and mumbling to herself.

He thought, 'isn't she caring making sure it works. Oh look, she put another piece of cheese in,'

"Thank you, it is really kind of you," said George.

The woman never said anything or looked at him. George was so pleased that he found such a good place. He missed Harry more and more. He wished he was here with him.

When it was dark again, she went upstairs. George had his cheese and went to sleep. George made sure he was up at sunrise because he knew she would come down early. Besides it was bad manners, when you are a guest, to sleep late. George went for a walk to have another look around.

Soon he could hear her coming downstairs. 'It's like an earthquake,' thought George. Again she looked into his house and shook it even harder than yesterday. Oh dear, George hoped she wouldn't break. He told her already once not to be so rough with it, but she wouldn't listen. Again she opened and closed the door. Why would she do all that? At last she put another cheese in it. Isn't she kind?

It is so lovely in here, dry and warm. Food put in my own house. 'What more do I want,' thought George. He decided to visit Harry to see how he is getting on. Maybe Harry would come back with him. George missed Harry so much. Nobody to talk to. After all Harry is his best friend.

George made sure the door, in the kitchen, is open already and it is all safe. Yes, it is but she is standing outside the door. George ran as fast as he could.

"Keep along the wall," George told himself.

"Harry, Harry where are you? It is George." Oh, these cows with there big feet. They never look where they put them. 'After all I am only a little fellow,' thought George.

"Harry, Harry, H-A-R-R-Y where are you?"

Oh no, there came Miss Greeneye. George decided to run. Where to? Ah into that big pile of straw. That should be safe enough. What's this? He ran down a passage which ended in a big chamber with a lot of babies. George knew at once, these babies are of his big cousins.

That side of the family is bigger with a long tails and very vicious. Their family name is Rat. Nobody crosses their path and all his family kept well away. George quickly ran down the other passage and got away.

It is not safe here anywhere. George wished he could find Harry. George was going to have one more search and then he would go back to his house. 'Maybe if I would have another try tomorrow, I might be lucky and find Harry,' thought George.

When George crossed the yard he had to be careful not to be trodden on by the cows. By the time he reached the kitchen door, he was exhausted. George was still worried because he couldn't find Harry.

George reached the door but, oh no, it was closed. What to do now?

"Hello, hello, open the door and let me in. I want to get into my house. Please hurry. I can't stay here too long," shouted George.

The moment he said it, there came Miss Greeneye. This is too much. George ran and ran and saw a long pipe lying on the ground. He had to take his chance. When George ran in there, Miss Greeneye just missed his tail. George's heart was beating so fast. He sat down to rest for a minute. Then he ran on, hopefully, to safety.

On the other side of the pipe George could see high grass. He carefully looked around but couldn't see Miss Greeneye. He quickly went to their meeting place and looked for Harry.

"Harry, Harry where are you?"

"Here I am. I am so glad you have come. I have been here since yesterday. It was so dangerous over there. I came over in the night to join you but the door was closed. I couldn't stay there to wait for you. I could see two green eye coming across the yard. That is why I came here. I have been waiting here ever since. Come on let's have something to eat and then we'll go on the road again."

"Harry I wish you'd have come with me. I had my own house and she put a big piece of cheese in there, everyday. She opened and closed the door to make sure it works. She was so caring. I am sure she'll miss me. You wouldn't want to come back with me, would you?"

"I am sorry, George, but one or two night inside is enough, I long to go on the road again. Not so much danger, plenty of food and everyday some where else."

"As you know it is all right now, when the sun is shining. It's not much fun when it rains, freezes and snows. Oh well, here we go again. Hopefully, we'll find something which will be nice and we'll both enjoy living there."