Once upon a time, there was a little mouse named Charlie. You can find Charlie living in the valley at the bottom of a big hill, in a little house made out of wood.

        On this particular morning, as Charlie lay in his bed, he could see the sun shining. This could not be misread. He could hear the birds singing such a delightful tune. While butterflies flitted from flower to flower, back and forth they danced, for this was their hour.

        It’s such a wonderful, sunny day that I must get outside. It’s time to play! So Charlie sat up straight, and then he got out of bed. He put on his slippers, the ones that were red. He then reached for a shirt - the long-sleeved one, of course. And he put on his comfy pants that he pulled on with a dance. It could be a little chilly first thing in the morning. Then Charlie finished his breakfast of tortillas, cheese, eggs, and beans, then he washed up his dishes, all shiny and clean. 

        Then Charlie went outside to look around. He wanted to see what could make this great sound. He gazed high in the sky, and he looked to and fro, he even saw birds that were flying too low. Then, just like singing high up in the air, the buzzing from bees was almost like ringing. “Wow, this day will be amazing, I know it too well, I have an idea, today will be swell”. He smiled with excitement, for he could already tell. 

        Charlie walked over to the little shed he had built by his house.

It was made out of sticks and even some mud. He had built it years ago, as many may know, on a day much like this one, full of adventure and fun.

        Once inside the shed, Charlie rummaged around. He gathered some things, even treasures he'd found. He grabbed a roll of twine, which he'd used more than once, and an old wooden barrel he hadn’t seen in six months. A bike tire, of course, still sat on its rim, and some fabric he’d found, tucked away in a bin. And a crumpled old tarp, worn through here and there,

with a needle and thread to make the repair. Then Charlie grabbed a wooden stick, a long candle wick, and, of course, the green chair that was no longer quite fair. It had not seen much use since the flying machine, but it held up quite well as the helm of the sea.

        Once Charlie had everything he felt was required, he spread it all out, all over the deck. He had to be certain and take time to check. He then broke up the barrel into various lengths, and wrapped twine around tight, with all of his strength.

He shook out the fabric and stretched here and there. Then, he nailed on some panels—he had plenty to spare. He'd used these before with the flying machine and, of course, on the vessel whose name you've seen. Its name was Fropin, if you've read in between. Although it was twisted and a little bit bent, Charlie knew it would be perfect for this event. So, with a little twine here and a dab of glue there, he put the cone on top with only a drop. Charlie grinned with excitement and giggled with glee, for he knew it was time to set his space machine free.

        Now Charlie was finished, as clearly could be seen, but what would he name this new space-pointed machine? He hummed, and he hawed, but nothing came forth. Then all of a sudden, as if from nowhere, the name jumped inside him with almost a flare. Charlie grinned with excitement, and he even let out a laugh, for he knew it was perfect because it was fast. He stepped back to admire as the sun caught it just right and announced the new name, minutes before its first flight. It would be called "Elixoombarré," pronounced Elli-Zoom-Bar-ey.

        Charlie was now ready. As he gazed at the sky he looked over his shoulder and he knew Elixoombarré would fly. Charlie stared in wonder at what he'd just built. He stared at the moon—he was heading there soon. So he zipped up his suit, his new flying attire, pulled on his helmet, and fastened it tight. It was made of glass and a large broken bowl. It had been repaired, of course, to withstand the space toll. It had to be right, to take this first flight. So he climbed aboard the new rocket machine, then he started the engine, which howled and screamed.

        Charlie went through his checklist, which he'd made just before. He started pressing the buttons that would soon help him soar. He flipped a few levers and pulled on some too,
then fastened his seatbelt and tightened his shoe. He slipped on his gloves with a nudge and a tug. Then, as the countdown started, it was almost time. One last glance high up, so high in the sky, he then input the coordinates to make this thing fly. The math had to be right, or he'd fly too fast, or perhaps too slow, or even too low.

        Then Charlie turned the key, the count-down reached 10, he held on tight and the engines began. It was aimed just right, not to his surprise; for if he was wrong, it would be his demise. The rocket grumbled and groaned as it broke free from the earth. It screeched, and it moaned as it began to take flight, now the machine Charlie built took off through the night. The force was so strong it stuck Charlie to his chair, the green one, of course, that wasn't quite fair. The broken barrel strips held fast,