A Mouse Tale

“The last time we did this, Harold, the humans set out the loud traps. They think they are so smart, those humans do; putting cheese or peanut butter on that board so we will try to eat it, then SNAP,  you’re dead.  I don’t like those traps, Harold. Why, we lost Uncle Ediie to one a few months ago. That mean lady with the glasses just picked him right up in that trap and threw him in the trash can.  I don’t want to die like that, Harold, and if you go looking for food, that’s what’s going to happen.”

“For goodness sake, Evelyn, we are just going to get some crumbs off the floor in that blue room where the humans eat.  Quit gettin’ your whiskers in a knot, woman.  We're just gonna get in and out and have a feast.  The building is dark. There ain’t nobody here, just you, me and a bunch of books the humans read.  I wonder what their fascination is with books.  I wonder sometimes what it is like to do what they do, reading they call it.  They sure do spend a lot of time looking at these books. What do you think those books have in them?”

“How the heck would I know?  Let’s just get to that room and find us some crumbs.  Is that your stomach rumbling? It sure is loud.  Anyway, stay close to me, okay? It’s pretty creepy in here.”

“You have always been a scaredy mouse, Evelyn.  No, that noise was NOT my stomach, probably one of those car things humans have.  Anyway, I’m hoping maybe we will find cheese and bread and salami; the last time there was salami and oooohhh it tasted so good.”

“Is that all you think about is food, you crazy mouse?”

“Yep, I can’t help it. I’m a growing boy.”

“Ha,” I don’t know any boy that has that much gray hair!”

“Oh you hush, woman, you know you love this gray.  All this time we have been together,

you have adored me and you know it.”

“I will adore you more when we get some food and get safely back in our hole in the wall.”

“Almost there, Evelyn.”

“Harold? There’s that noise again. It sounds..louder.”

“I told ya, baby, it’s just one of those car things outside.  They are really loud.  We are good. The building is dark and I’m telling you, there are no humans in here. Humans can’t make their way in the dark like we can.  They have to have bright lights to see.  There are no lights, so that means, no humans.  Relax, Evelyn.  You are very anxious tonight.  A little cheese will make you feel all better.  I promise.”

“Whatever you say, dear. My goodness, there sure are alot of those book things here.  Can we stop for a minute? I’m gettin’ a hitch in my giddyup.”

Okay, my dear, but we can’t stop for long.  The humans will be back at some point.  Wow! Look up!  There really are lots of those book things. I wonder what the pages taste like.  Do you think the pages in each of these book things taste different?  Wouldn’t that be absolutely amazing?”

“You are so funny, Harold. You can bring any conversation back to food. You make me laugh.  I do love you, you crazy mouse!”

“I love you too, woman.  I think that the next trip we take out of the hole we should taste some pages.  Just for the heck of it.”

“Haha.  I want to find one that tastes like ice cream!  Look at that.  Now you have my stomach rumbling now.  Let’s get to that room.”

“It is right here around the corner, my sweet lady.  Keep close to me and I will show you a whole new world of delights for your tummy.”

“What a charmer you are, and my knight in shining armour!”

“Look, Evelyn.  Is this the most amazing thing you have seen? Crumbs everywhere! Oh my! I found salami! It tastes so good!”

I found bread! I love bread, don’t you Harold?  If I was a human I would eat this stuff every single day! Come over here, you have got to try this!”

“I do believe you are right, my dear.  This bread is beyond good.  Wait. What was that noise?”

“H-h-h-a-a-r-o-l-d! I’m scared! It’s that noise again!”

“Don’t you worry your pretty little self now, Evelyn.  I’m sure it’s nothing.  Let’s just go ahead and grab us a few crumbs and we will head home, okay? First I want to peak out the door and see if there are any lights. Remember, I told you, humans need lights to see. I’ll just take a peak.”

“Don’t you leave me here, you crazy mouse! I’m going with you!”

“Scaredy mouse.  C’mon, let’s look. I don’t hear nothin’ now so whatever it was is gone.”

“I-I-I don’t see any lights, Harold.  Does that mean we can go home to our hole now?”

‘Let’s grab some crumbs and then yes, we will get home.”

“For goodness sake, Harold, we may be in danger and all you can think about still, is food.  Food, food, food.”

“Sh-h-h-h, Evelyn.  I hear something humming.”

“Humming? I don’t hear humming, Harold.”

“U-oh, there’s a light in that other path where the book things are.  It looks like the light is

moving up and down and up and down on the floor.  C’mon.  Let’s go see.”

“ARE YOU CRAZY?  Nevermind, yes you are. I just want to go home!”

“We will.  C’mon we will just peak around the corner. I want to see what that is.”

“You know what they say, Harold, curiosity killed the mouse.”

“That’s just an old Cat’s tale, Evelyn.  Look! That human is pushing that big thing. I bet that is one of those sucker things Uncle Amos told me about.  It sucks things off the floor and it goes into a bag and then the humans throw it away.  Uncle Amos said he saw one suck up a whole piece of cake crumbles on the floor, and the human threw it away.  Just like those trap things. The humans just throw them away, can you imagine?

“No, I can’t imagine, but I know if we get too close…H-H-H-Harold!  My tail! Ouch!”

“Don’t worry, Evelyn. I will never let you go!”

“Oh Harold! They are going to throw us away!”