In a sunny little meadow, not too far from a sparkling stream, lived three best friends. There was a tiny Mouse, a cheerful Bird, and a plump, happy Sausage. They shared a cozy little home and a very organized life.

Every day, Mouse was in charge of fetching water from the stream and lighting the fire in their little stove. She was quick and clever, and always had the water ready and the fire crackling.

Bird’s job was to fly into the nearby woods and gather twigs and small branches for the fire. His wings were strong, and he always found the driest, best wood.

And Sausage? Sausage had the most delicious job of all! When it was time to cook the soup or stew, Sausage would gently slide into the pot, swim around a little, and make everything taste wonderfully rich and flavorful. Then, he’d hop out just before serving.

They lived this way for a long, long time, perfectly happy and content. Their home was always warm, and their meals were always tasty.

One day, when Bird was out collecting wood, he met another bird. "My, you work hard," chirped the new bird. "Flying back and forth with all that wood! What do your friends do?"

Bird puffed out his chest. "Mouse gets water and makes fire, and Sausage cooks our meals!"

The other bird tilted its head. "Sausage cooks? How interesting! It sounds like you do all the heavy lifting, while they have easy jobs at home."

Bird had never thought of it that way. Suddenly, his job seemed very tiring, and the other jobs seemed very easy. He flew home with his beak full of twigs and his head full of new ideas.

"Friends," he announced, "I think we should swap jobs! It’s only fair that we all try different things."

Mouse twitched her whiskers. Sausage wiggled a bit nervously. They liked their jobs. But Bird was so excited, they agreed to try it for one day.

So, the next morning, Sausage set off to collect wood. He rolled and waddled towards the forest. It was slow going. On the path, he met a big, shaggy dog. The dog sniffed the air. "Mmm," barked the dog, "a delicious sausage, all by itself! What a treat!" And before Sausage could explain he was on an important job, the dog gobbled him right up.

Back at the cottage, it was Mouse’s turn to cook. "Sausage always swims in the pot to make the soup tasty," she thought. "I'll do the same!" So, she climbed onto the edge of the big soup pot and, with a little squeak, jumped in. But oh dear! Mouse was not a sausage. The hot soup was much too hot for a little mouse, and she quickly disappeared into the bubbling broth.

Later, Bird returned, expecting to find a warm fire and a tasty meal. But there was no Sausage and no Mouse. "Where is everyone?" he chirped. He decided to fetch the water himself. He flew to the stream with the little bucket, but as he tried to fill it, he leaned too far and *splash*! The bucket fell into the water and floated away. Then, he tried to light the fire, but he wasn't as careful as Mouse. A spark jumped out and landed on a dry leaf. Whoosh! The little house caught fire.

Bird tried his best to put out the flames, flapping his wings and chirping for help, but it was no use. The fire grew bigger and bigger.

And so, because they tried to change what was already working perfectly well, the happy little home was gone, and the three friends were no more. It was a sad end to what had once been a very happy arrangement.

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