Fairy Tales From Around the World

The Three Little Ham Hams

Once upon a time, on a little farm on the outskirts of a small village, there lived a mother hamster and her three little ham-hams. The ham-hams all lived very sheltered lives, so they knew nothing of the world beyond their tiny barnyard, although each of them wished to go out and explore it. When they were old enough, the ham-hams were finally allowed to go into the outside world, fend for themselves and live on their own.

On the day of their departure, the three little ham-hams bade their mother farewell and ventured out into the big wide world, unaware of what was really out there. The oldest and most adventurous hamster was named Hamtaro, the middle and proudest hamster was Boss and the young and smartest hamster was named Panda. When the three little ham-hams had traveled a great distance into the forest together, they grew rather tired and decided it was time for each of them to build a home of their own. Hamtaro was the first of three hamsters to spot the building materials he wanted to use.

"Hey, guys, I just had the greatest idea EVER! I'm going to build myself a house out of straw from that huge hay bale right over there...since no one is using it," Hamtaro declared.

"A house made out of straw? Why?" Boss asked, raising an eyebrow at his brother.

"Isn't it obvious? It'll be quick and super easy to build! I don't want to work all day. I want to have fun! You two can spend your time doing whatever, but building my house is gonna be a piece of sunflower cake," Hamtaro replied proudly.

"Hamtaro, are you sure you want to make a straw house? What if it's not safe? Who knows what could happen out here?" Panda cautioned.

"Panda makes a good point. What if something happens? Like a thunderstorm, a blizzard, or a tornado? You should at least think about this first," Boss pointed out.

"Ugh!! Give it a rest, you two. If you worry too much, I'll be just fine. Do I look scared to you? I'll be prepared for anything that comes my way," Hamtaro scoffed.

"You sure about that?" Boss questioned with a raised eyebrow and smirk.

"I've already thought this through really carefully. I'm telling you, a house made out of straw is sure to last long, not to mention I can make it in no time flat. You guys can go on your way and do whatever you want, but I'm gonna finish building first and go play!" Hamtaro said, wandering away from his brothers to begin building his straw house.

With that, the two remaining hamsters walked along the forest path together, leaving Hamtaro to begin building his straw house. Soon, Boss and Panda came upon a small apple orchard with hundreds of apple trees. Boss looked at the trees and smiled as he had an epiphany of his own.

"Hey Panda, I just had an idea! See those sticks and apples over there? I bet they'd make a decent homestead for me. Maybe I should build a house around here. What do you think?" Boss announced, running over to one of the trees.

"Are you sure, Boss? Sticks alone won't help protect you. And with apples? That's even worse! It might sound like a good idea now, but what if something bad happens to you?" Panda cautioned.

"Are you serious? I've already put a lot of thought into this. A house made out of apples and sticks is sure to keep me safe. I'm sure of it."

"Boss, you're acting just like Hamtaro. Either you're being stubborn or lazy."

"Lazy? Me?! Ha! For your information, little brother, I'm using something way stronger than plain ol' straw to build my house. Not the same thing," Boss rudely pointed out.

"Fine, do whatever you want. If you need me, I'll be on my way, working on my own house. Oh! By the way, if your house falls apart, don't say I didn't warn you," Panda said, continuing down the path searching for the right materials and tools to build himself a home.