The Mouse Story by Suzanne
The Mouse Story contains language not suitable for young children. Parental Discretion is Advised.
Chapter One
Father Mouse quickly scurried across the kitchen floor and into the small hole behind the broom closet. Mother Mouse and their young son, Morty, had been eagerly awaiting his arrival.
"What took you so long?" cried Mother Mouse. "We were so worried about you!"
"I almost didn't make it this time," panted Father Mouse as he dropped their supper onto the floor... and collapsed. "It was that stupid dog! He spotted me again as I was making my way back through the hallway. He chased me all the way home. I really thought I was a goner this time."
"Oh yum... bread crumbs and potato chips," squealed Morty Mouse as he started munching away at the feast his father had collected.
"Mortan... remember your manners," cried Mother Mouse. "You know that we need to pray before supper. Besides... your father is still talking. That was very rude of you!"
"Awwwwwww Mom... but I'm so hungry," Morty Mouse whined as he stomped away.
Mother Mouse turned back towards her husband, using her most stern voice. "Father... how many times have I told you not to go past the kitchen?"
Father Mouse hung his head low. "I'm sorry. I know that it's dangerous to leave the kitchen... but... the baby... the baby was crying again."
Mother Mouse sighed. "A Father Mouse's job is to look after his own family. You can't keep risking your own life to go look after a HUMAN BABY."
"But..." Father Mouse started to explain, but Mother Mouse interrupted him before he could even get another word in.
"NO BUTS... Father." If those humans cannot take care of their own babies... we can't be concerned with it. Someday you may not be so lucky. Someday... you might just end up being supper for that dog," she said angrily.
Father Mouse knew that he'd never win that argument with Mother Mouse, so he decided that it was best just to change the subject. "Who's hungry?" he asked as he began picking up small bits of food and placing them on the table.
"ME!!!!" shouted Morty Mouse.
"Well then... let's eat!" cried Mother Mouse.
After supper was over, Mother Mouse caught Morty Mouse poking his head out the door.
"MORTAN... and just what do you think you're doing, young man?" screeched Mother Mouse as she pulled him back into the room.
"I can hear him," Morty Mouse whispered.
"HIM?" asked Mother Mouse curiously.
"The baby! He's still crying," Morty Mouse said very sadly. "Mother... why isn't someone taking care of that baby? Why do they just let him lay there and cry like that all the time?"
Mother Mouse picked up her son and hugged him closely. "I don't know Morty. I really don't know."
That night, as the mouse family cuddled up closely in their tiny little bed, Father Mouse leaned over and whispered to Mother Mouse. "He's still crying. Maybe something is wrong with his mother. Maybe I should go check again."
Mother Mouse frowned as she shook her head in disagreement. "Go to sleep Father... this isn't any of our concern."
Father Mouse couldn't sleep though. The baby continued to cry and cry... and his voice seemed to echo throughout the entire house. Father Mouse tossed and turned for a very long time. He just couldn't sleep. Then very slowly... and very quietly... he crept out of bed and tiptoed across the room to the door. Just as he was about to take a step out into the kitchen, he heard the floor creek behind him.
"Father... where are you going?" It was Morty Mouse, and he was standing right there behind him rubbing his sleepy eyes.
"Shhhhhh! Go back to bed, son, and please be careful so you don't wake your mother. I'm going to go check on the baby. I need to see if his mother's okay. He's been crying for much too long now. Something must be wrong."
Morty hugged his father. "Please be careful, Father!"
Father Mouse very quietly crept out into the kitchen. There was no sign of the dog anywhere. Slowly... he made his way across the kitchen floor and into the hallway. The baby's cries were so loud... and so pitiful... that Father Mouse had to fight back the urge to cry himself. As he approached the bedroom door... the cries became louder and louder. "Where on earth could this child's mother be?" he wondered to himself. "And why doesn't she hear her baby's cries for help?" As he crouched down to slide under the bedroom door, he was greeted by a most unpleasant odor. He covered his nose and entered the baby's room.
"Oh my... this is terrible!" Father Mouse whispered to himself. The stench of soured milk and dirty diapers was almost more than he could handle. The baby was thrashing back and forth in his crib... screaming for help... and nobody was coming to help. Father Mouse sadly stared at the poor baby in the crib... then he quickly scurried back under the door and into the hallway. "I need to find his mother. I need to tell her that he needs her."
Father Mouse ran from room to room... being very careful to watch out for the dog. He poked his head under each and every door as he frantically searched for the baby's mother. After he had checked every room in the entire house, and still couldn't find her... he sat down in the hallway and cried. He had looked everywhere in the house and there was no mother to be found. The baby's mother wasn't there. The mother had gone away and left him there all alone. There was nobody there to come help this baby. Nobody to bring him food. Nobody to change his diaper. Nobody to hold him... love him... or keep him safe. Nobody... nobody at all.
Father Mouse slowly made his way back down the hallway towards the baby's bedroom. This time he didn't even stop to think about the dog, or the danger that he might be putting himself into. He could only think about the little baby now. The sad little baby that was all alone... with no mother to help him. He slipped himself back under the door of the smelly bedroom and crawled right up into the crib with the baby. "I'm so sorry!" he said sadly. "I tried to find your mother for you... but she's not here. I'm sorry that I can't find anyone to take care of you." Father Mouse curled up very closely to the baby and whispered into his ear. "I will stay here with you until your mother comes home. I won't leave you here alone. I promise. " Then Father Mouse crawled up onto the baby's chest... laid down... and cried with him.
