Duolingo

Oliver sat in wait. His head turned in the direction it should be. His body laid low to the ground and he barely breathed. He was waiting. His New Year’s Resolution was to finally get that pesky mouse that had run control of the house for the whole year. Oliver felt that he was not doing his mousley duty letting that mouse run past him every night and not catching him for his humans. He longed for the day he could put that old gray mouse at the feet of his humans and sit there and purr in happiness and accomplishment. That was his goal. Oliver knew that the mouse would be hiding in the kitchen. The kitchen was his favorite room. He knew that when it got dark outside that the old gray mouse would rear his tiny head and scamper across the floor and then climb to the counter and stove looking for any scramps or crumbs his human may have left for him. The mouse loved the delicious treats. 

Oliver walked to the kitchen and he eyeballed every corner of the kitchen and waited, back arched, nails out, ready to attack. His human had turned on the lights so he knew it was only a matter of time. His human clicked off the kitchen lights too. She had just finished doing the dishes and tucked all the leftovers inside the fridge away from the mouse. She even swept the floor and the trash was taken outside in the big garbage. She tried to remove any traces of food or crumbs from the kitchen which she thought the mouse might want to eat. She had set traps for the little mouse but the mouse was too smart for a little old mouse trap. The cheese was gone in the trap and that was all. No mouse trapped ever as hard as she tried. She even tried to get one of those non kill traps. She checked it every day and nothing. So, Oliver decided to take action. He decided that he and only he could get that mouse out of the house.

“Come on little mouse.” Oliver thought. “What are you waiting for? I am here waiting for you.” He continued his thoughts.

“Oliver, what are you doing?” Oliver turned his head to see his owner standing a few feet away. If he could talk he would have said, “Emma, what does it look like? I’m waiting for the mouse to come out so I can pouce.” Humans can be so dumb, Oliver thought. Oliver didn’t move. 

“Ollie, are you hungry? Want some yum, yum?” Emma asked.

“No, you fool. I don’t want any of your yum-yum. I am waiting for the mouse. Can you just go away? Don’t you have a bath to take or something?” Oliver wanted to say.

“Okay, Ollie, I will leave you be. Mama is going to take a shower. Be right back.” Emma said as she walked to the bathroom.

“Thank goodness. Emma is going to make me miss the mouse with all her talking. Now, come here little mouse. I’m waiting for you. Where are you? Where are you? It's a dark little mouse. Don’t you want some treats?” Oliver thought.

Oliver walked around the kitchen looking at every corner and even the countertops and stove. He knew that the mouse had to come out sooner or later. When he did Oliver would be here to catch him.

“Ollie, Ollie, Mama is back, do you want to eat now?” Emma’s voice rang in his ears again.

“Emma is going to drive me crazy. Can’t she see what I am doing?” 

“Okay Oliver, I see. Are you waiting for that little ole mouse?” Emma continued.

Oliver wanted to scream at her, “Yes, yes, I am and now can you please just leave me be?” 

Emma went to the living room and turned on the TV. She tried to keep an eye on Oliver in the kitchen best she could. She knew that he was after the mouse and she felt sorry for the little mouse. Although the mouse was a pest she just wished he would leave on his own without Oliver's help. But, she knew that there was not a lot she could do about it since the mouse refused to leave on his own. So, she continued to watch TV and Oliver too.

Oliver watched in his attack position. He continued to watch every corner of the kitchen. He was not going to move until he saw the black eyes of the mouse and his little body race across the floor. “Maybe he knows I am here.” Oliver thought. “Okay little mouse you are smarter than I gave you credit for. I am going to pretend to leave and hide. Then you will come out and then I will get you.” 

Oliver waited all night trying not to sleep. But, no mouse. Emma saw Oliver in the kitchen curled up in a corner in the kitchen and picked him up to put him to bed in the wee hours of the morning. 

“Oh Ollie. You silly cat.” She whispered in his ear. 

Oliver waited for that mouse night after night. He was determined to catch him. But, he couldn’t catch what he could not find. He moved through all the rooms of the house looking for signs that the mouse had been there and was still there. He looked under beds, under tables, and even under the sofa. He climbed on the counter and sat in wait near the stove. He looked in closets and when Emma opened the drawers he peeked inside of those too. Night after night he waited and he looked but night after night he saw nothing. 

“Oh that old cat thinks he is going to catch me.” Mr. Mouse said hiding near the trash can in the bedroom. “Nope, I am too smart for an old Ollie boy.” The mouse laughed. “He’ll never catch me.”

Oliver walked into the kitchen to check it one last time for the night when what he see? He saw something scamper across the living room floor coming out of the bedroom. Could that be the mouse? He must get a closer look. That tricky mouse. Oliver ran as fast as he could and he was right behind him in a matter of seconds. The mouse ran to the kitchen looking for the hole under the sink that leads to the outside. If only he could make it out in time. He ran as fast as he could with Oliver a few feet away. He tried to slide under the sink but he felt something hit him on his back. 

Oliver had him. His paw was on his back. The mouse couldn’t move. He was trapped. Oliver smiled like only a cat can. Finally, his resolution would come true. Finally this year would be the year he caught that old pesky mouse. Victory was his. Oliver tried to scoot the mouse closer to him but the mouse wiggled and tried to get away.

“Stop it and keep still.” Oliver purred.

“No, you stop it and let me go.” The mouse chimed in.

“Can you understand me?” Oliver asked.

“Of course I can. How do you think that I have been running around your apartment for the past year and haven’t been caught yet?” The mouse replied.

“So, why are you here?” Oliver asked, loosening his grasp on the mouse.

“Oh, cats are so dumb. Why do you think?” The mouse asked Oliver.

“I suppose you are here for the free food.” Oliver said.

“Not just for me but for the rest.” 

“The rest?” Oliver asked.

“Yes, the rest. I do have a family you dumb cat. I have a wife and kids and I have to feed them so I am not looking just for food for myself I am looking for food for them too and since I found an abundance of food here I am here every night.” The mouse explained.

“I didn’t know.” Oliver said.

“Of course you didn’t know. Cats are so self-centered.” The mouse said.

“What’s your name?” Oliver asked the mouse.

“It’s Holiday. My name is Holiday Austin Mouse.” 

“Well, Holiday if I let you live will you agree not to come back?” Oliver asked.

“Oh, Oliver, I can’t agree to that. I need to feed my family as I just explained. So, I need to be here.” Holiday explained.

“Well, that’s understandable but can’t you go somewhere else for food? You know you really are a pest.” Oliver said. 

“I do go to other places. Do you think I just stay here all the time?” Holiday asked.

“I guess I have a lot to learn about mice.” Oliver said.

“I have an idea. I will continue to come here every night when it gets dark but I will only stay for a few minutes and then go. I won’t bother you or Emma.” The mouse said.

“You know what Holiday that sounds like a plan but what am I going to do about my new year's resolution? I have resolved to catch you.” 

“Well, in a way you have. You caught me but you just didn’t eat me or kill me.” Holiday responded.

“Yes, Yes, I did. I guess I did complete my New Year’s resolution after all.” 

“Oliver, can you do me a favor?” Holiday asked.

“What is it, my new friend?” 

“Can you please get your foot off of my back?” 

“Sorry. Now, go and feed your family. See ya tomorrow night or not.” Oliver snickered.