1
Rita the Rabbit is very lucky. She has a beautiful mango tree in her garden.
2
No one has ever seen such a big tree! Every year it's filled with fruit.
Rita puts all the mangos in bags to take to market. There are so many she cannot bag them all !
"Oh, no," says Rita. "They're mine. Go away!"
"Very well," says Horse, offended. "I don't need to be told twice."
Fox is in the neighborhood and thinks,
"I'm hungry, too!"
Rita's neighbor Sheep stops to chat.
"I'm so thirsty," she says. "Can you spare a mango?"
"They're mine!" says Rita.
"Go away!"
"Oh dear," says Sheep, hurt. "I'm sorry I troubled you."
"I'm thirsty, too," says Fox.
"Very,
very
thirsty!"
Cow, passing, says, "Yum! I'm so hot, may I have one of your mangos?"
"They're mine!" cries Rita. "They're mine! Go Away!"
"I get the message," says Cow, insulted. "I won't bother you any more."
"I'm hot, too," says Fox, wiping his brow.
Donkey stops when he sees Rita.
"Say, my friend, I'm so tired. A mango will surely give me energy."
"Go away! They're mine!" says Rita. "Leave me alone!"
"Forgive me for intruding," says Donkey, sadly. "I'll be on my way."
"I'm tired, too," says Fox.
Fox knows she will never let him have one of her mangos, and decides to grab a bag while she's asleep.
He tip-toes up to the fence, grabs a bag and runs!
Rita wakes up and is very upset.
"Help! Thief!" she cries. "My mangos! I'm ruined!"
But Fox is already far away.
Henri the Lion is watching from a distance.
"Foolish Rabbit. Let me, King of the Neighborhood, ask her."
Rita doesn't look up when Henry asks. She just about has a fit.
"GO AWAY!" she says.
"Why ask for a mango when I can have RABBIT?" says Henri.
With one leap he has Rita in his mouth.
"Help! Help!" cries Rita. Rita's neighbors hear her, but they're afraid.
"We can’t just leave her," says Fox. "We have to save Rita."
The others are not so inclined. Why go out of their way to help her?.
"I'm too thirsty," says Sheep.
"I'm too hot," says Cow.
"I'm too hungry," says Horse.
"I'm too tired," says Donkey.
.........
Horse stops to admire all the ripe fruit on the ground.
"I'm quite hungry," he says. "May I have one of your mangos?
