The Story of the Family Mouse
Papa Mouse and Mama Mouse live in a warm cozy place in the side of our wall. There is a little hole in the wall that they use for a door. In the middle of the night when everybody is fast asleep Papa Mouse and Mama Mouse come out of the hole and scurry around the kitchen looking for crumbs to eat. Sometimes they might find a piece of bread. Sometimes they might find a piece of cheese. On special occasions they might find a piece of cake with frosting. That is their favorite.
They gather up all the crumbs and take them into their house. They set them on the little mouse table and pull up the little mouse chairs and have their little mouse meal. Before their meal they always have a little quiet time to calm themselves before they eat so that they won’t get a mouse tummy ache. After they eat their mouse meal they get in their little mouse beds. They pull their mouse blankets up so they will stay nice and comfy cozy. They fluff up their little mouse pillows. And then they say good night to each other. Mama Mouse says, “Good night, Papa Mouse.” “Papa mouse says, “Good night, Mama Mouse.” All is well in the mouse house. Mouse in and mouse out.
Papa Mouse and Mama Mouse have two mouse babies, Brother Mouse and Sister Mouse. mouse babies are pink and don’t have any hair until they grow up to be a little older. They are born with their eyes closed and don’t open them until they are a little older. Papa Mouse and Mama Mouse spend all their time taking care of those poor little mouse babies. Mama and Papa Mouse make a nest out of fur to keep them warm. They feed them milk so they will grow. Soon they will grow their own fur and open their eyes and see how wonderful their mouse house is. Mouse in and mouse out.
The Family Mouse usually sleep very late because they have to stay up late to get their food. When every one else in the house is asleep, especially that mean old Tabby Cat, they are wide awake. They usually sleep all morning and get up in the afternoon. Mama Mouse does a little mouse knitting and Papa Mouse reads the mouse newspaper. Brother Mouse and Sister Mouse like to play their mouse games. They like to play “Mouse Tag,” “Round and Round the Mouseberry Bush” and “Mouse Bridge in Falling Down.” They like to play “The Mouse in the Dell,” “Red Mouse, Red Mouse, Send Mousy Right Over,” and “Leap Mouse.” Instead of jump rope they play jump thread. Instead of hide and seek they play hide and squeak. Yeah, that’s right. Mouse in and mouse out.
So they play and play until it is time for mouse school. They have to learn their mouse alphabet and their mouse numbers. Mama Mouse gets out their little mouse primers and starts to teach them. While Mama Mouse teaches mouse school, Papa Mouse often runs through the walls visiting all the neighborhood. There are more than one Family Mouse in our walls. Papa Mouse goes to visit the Browns (who are little brown mice) and the grays (who are little gray mice). He stops at the Whites (who are little white mice) and then he comes home. Mouse in and mouse out.
By then the children are done with their school work and they all sit around Papa Mouse while he tells a mouse story. He loves to tell “Mousarella,” “Little Red Riding Mouse,” “Mousylocks,” and “Three Blind Mice.” He loves to tell “The Mouse King” and “The Little Mousemaid.” Brother Mouse's favorite story is “Teenage Mutant Ninja Mouse.” Sister Mouse's favorite story is “Beauty and the Mouse.” After Papa Mouse finishes telling his mouse story it is time for everyone else in the house to go to sleep. Mouse in and mouse out.
Papa Mouse peeks out of the hole in the wall to see if that mean old Tabby Cat is asleep yet. Sometimes the Tabby Cat will play a game. She will curl up in a ball and start purring her purring sound, pretending to be asleep. Papa Mouse is too smart for her. He can tell she is still awake because she has one eye open watching the mouse door. When both eyes shut and the purring sound stops, then Papa Mouse knows that Tabby Cat is asleep. Now it is safe for everyone to come out and forage in the kitchen for a few scraps for their dinner. Mouse in and mouse out.
The Family Mouse are very happy and don’t have any mouse problems except for that mean old Tabby Cat. Soon Brother Mouse and Sister Mouse will grow up and find partners. They will have babies of their own. Papa and Mama will be Grandmice. This will go on season after season. Mouse in and mouse out.
Then the children of Brother Mouse and Sister Mouse will find partners and have children of their own. Papa and Mama will be Great Grandmice and Brother and Sister will be Grandmice. This will go on for generation after generation of the Family Mouse inside of our walls. It’s all recorded in the Mouse Book. All of the mouse names and the dates of their births are written in the book. If you ever find a teeny weeny book with teeny weeny writing you can’t even read, you will know that you have found the Mouse Book. Please put it back because the Family Mouse are very proud of their heritage. This has gone on for millennium after millennium. Mouse in and mouse out.
Humans all over the world and in all different times have always had mice in the walls of their dwellings. People have always had cats. Cats love to eat mice. The mice have always waited until the cats are asleep before they come out to scavenge around for scraps and crumbs for their meals. This has gone on world after world. Mouse in and mouse out.
SO...When we land on other planets we may discover that other kinds of people live there in other kinds of houses. Don’t be surprised if in the other kinds of walls, in the other kinds of houses, where the other kinds of people live; don’t be surprised if we find some other kinds of mice there, too. Mouse in and mouse out.
Family Mouse by C. Walker ©03