The Church Mice and the Ring facts for kids
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| Author | Graham Oakley |
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| Illustrator | Graham Oakley |
| Country | UK |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Picture book |
| Published | 25 September 1992 |
| Pages | 32 |
| ISBN | 0333539036 |
| Preceded by | The Diary of a Church Mouse |
| Followed by | Humphrey hits the Jackpot |
The Church Mice and the Ring is a fun children's picture book by Graham Oakley. It's the eleventh story in the popular Church Mice series. This book tells the exciting adventures of the church mice. They try to find a home for a lost dog. Their search soon involves a very important diamond ring that keeps getting lost! Pan Macmillan published this book.
Contents
Plot
A New Friend Arrives
Humphrey the mouse is busy thinking about big world problems. But his thoughts are interrupted by a new arrival! A dog named Percy shows up. Percy used to be a Christmas gift, but now he's lost and has no home. The kind church mice invite Percy to stay with them. They want to help him find a new family. Sampson, the church cat, is not happy about this at all.
The mice first think Sampson is just being grumpy. But they soon realize their mistake. Percy eats all their cheese supply for the week! Now the mice have to eat only tiny scraps of food. These scraps are thrown over the churchyard wall.
The Garden Party Plan
The next morning, the mice meet a young girl named Polly. Polly quickly becomes very fond of Percy. The mice and Polly decide to find Percy a home quickly. They think Polly's rich parents, who live in a big house nearby, might adopt him.
Polly's parents are having a fancy garden party. The plan to introduce Percy quickly goes wrong! Percy pees on the flowerbed. Sampson the cat tries to flirt with another pretty pet cat. And the mice, being mice, steal food from the guests' plates. Everyone gets into trouble! They are all told to leave and never come back.
A Tricky Idea
Humphrey doesn't give up easily. He tries to teach Percy how to be a good dog. He hopes Percy can still win over Polly's parents. But Percy's attempts to be good only cause more trouble. This makes Polly's parents dislike him even more.
Then, Humphrey and Arthur the mouse come up with a clever idea. They decide to "steal" Polly's mother's valuable antique diamond ring. Their plan is for Percy to "find" it. The two mice, with help from Sampson, sneak out at night. They successfully take the ring and leave it on the pavement. Percy is supposed to find it there.
The Ring Goes Missing
But things don't go as planned! Before Polly's parents can find the ring, a sneaky neighbor picks it up. The neighbor then sells the ring! The mice are desperate to get Percy a home. They want to start eating proper food again. So, they sneak into the jeweler's shop at night. They get the ring back! But then, the police arrive and catch them.
At the police station, the sergeant is first willing to let the mice go. He thinks, "They are church mice, so they can't be that bad." But then he calls their adventure "a foolish prank." Humphrey, who thought of the idea, gets angry. He insults the sergeant! So, the sergeant locks the mice up.
An Escape and a Rescue
The clever mice manage to escape from their cell. They hide under the sergeant's helmet. They then slowly move the helmet across the desk. They use it to pick up the ring. The sergeant then puts on his helmet and leaves. Outside, Sampson ambushes the sergeant. He removes the helmet, letting the mice escape with the ring.
A Happy Ending
The next morning, the mice leave the ring outside the church again. They try to get Percy to "find" it once more. But before he can, a jackdaw bird, who lives in the church tower, steals the ring!
Sampson and the mice then try to get it back. They send Percy onto the outside of the tower. He needs to raid the jackdaw's nest. They use the parson's long scarf, called a stole, as a safety harness. Just after finding the ring, the jackdaw attacks Percy! Percy falls off the tower. Sampson and the mice, who are holding the other end of the stole, are pulled off too! Luckily, they land safely. They get caught on a statue in the churchyard.
Polly's mother is amazed by Percy. She says, "He risked his life for a diamond ring!" She is so impressed that she gladly gives Percy a home. The mice are very happy about this!
