A little mouse tries to take shelter inside the trunk of an old tree, when it suddenly scolds her in a gruff, menacing voice. The mouse runs away and meets a squirrel, who disbelievingly scampers up to the tree but soon beats a hasty retreat. A rabbit then a chaffinch receive the same treatment, when finally a tortoise comes along who does not let herself be taken in. An educational tale for toddlers, ‘The Gruff-voiced Tree’ is a variation on a light-hearted African story.