Jean Petersen Novak

Nickel Jean Petersen Novak

Nickel is adventurous and has dreams of the farm life but how can a little mouse make his way to the country? With determination, creativity, and ingenuity, Nickel finds a way to make it happen. Nickel faces many obstacles and scary situations but continues to persevere and overcome adversity to realize his dreams.

Nickel was a little brown mouse. He had long whiskers and a black nose, with coal black eyes that looked like two, tiny beads.

Nickel lived in the city where there was little for him to do. What he really longed for was to move to the country and make his home in the hollow of a large, cottonwood tree. He could have wandered out of the yard, but there were several cats in the neighborhood.

Every morning, Nickel woke to the noise of the city; he could hear a train whistle. He tried to cover his little ears, but it was no use.

Nickel kept his eyes closed and listened carefully to each of the sounds that he was hearing.

TOOOOT TOOOOT went the sound of the distant train. There were sounds of nearby traffic, with an occasional honking of a horn-- BEEP BEEP.

Augh . . . the country . . . a place where Nickel had only dreamed of, wondering what it would be like to live where his heart had longed to be. Nickel kept his little eyes closed and concentrated on the sounds that surrounded him.