Second part of Sam and Henry children's short stories.

Granddad mouse had been hammering all day in his workshop, while Sam sat patiently waiting outside. There was also someone else waiting, that pesky cat Henry! Mind you, he was careful not to make it too obvious knowing that his Mistress would not tolerate him eating her pet mouse, if he got caught.
The workshop door opened and Grandfather mouse called, "Come and see what I have made for you Sam."
On the floor stood a piece of wood on wheels. "What's that Granddad?"
"Why bless my soul, what do they teach you at school these days? It's a skateboard, of course."
"Oh, I see. But how does it work?" Sam asked, not seeing what use it would be to outwit that cat.
"Stand well back and I will show you."
Sam watched as his Grandfather slid one foot underneath a small loop, propelling himself forward with the other. Round and round he went gathering speed which made Sam feel quite dizzy. Then to his amazement he saw his Grandfather leap high into the air and land on his bench, skidding along the surface at break-neck speed. He gave another giant leap onto the chair, sliding down the leg until he came to a stop.
"Groovy!" Sam cried, trying out the new word he had learned at school.
"Now it's your turn Sam, it is all a matter of balance." If only that had been the case it would have been easy. Poor Sam fell off the skateboard so many times he felt bruised all over. "I'll try again tomorrow," he said.
"No you won't, my motto is, never give up," Grandfather mouse insisted.
All this time Henry the cat had been impatiently waiting, licking his lips until they were sore and getting more frustrated by the second.
At last Sam got the hang of how the skateboard worked and was about to put it away when his Grandfather said, "Not so fast young fellow. Now we have to try it out on that cat." They peered out of the hole and saw the cat was still on duty. He was washing his paws and sharpening up his claws in anticipation!
Sam stood on the skateboard and his Grandfather gave him one mighty push. Out of the hole Sam sped, careering round the room while adjusting his balance. Now it was time to have some fun! Henry sat in the middle of the carpet totally bemused, while Sam moved round him in circles getting closer and closer until he drove right over Henry's tail. What a commotion, what a fuss. Henry screeched as if he had been scalded, then he ran underneath the shelter of the settee and began to cry. Can you imagine it? All that water running over the carpet made it shrink, smaller and smaller until it became mouse size.
"Ta very much, just what I needed for my bedroom ," Sam said, and picking up the carpet he zoomed back through the hole, leaving a very dejected Henry.
Just then the Mistress of the house arrived. "Where is my best carpet?" she cried. "Have you eaten it, own up this minute."
Henry could not utter a word in his defence. Life was just not fair. Cats should be protected against mice that were out of control.
"I have had enough of your bad behaviour, Henry. Pack your case and move out into the empty dog kennel in the garden until you can learn to behave," his Mistress scolded.
There Henry sits in his new home without even a blanket for comfort. Now don't go getting sorry for him because he never learns by his mistakes. Already he is planning...what?

Augustine Nash.