The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-01-18
The Mouse
Who Dared

Little White Ear ran to mis- mother.
"A big human being is lying across
our door--on the other side! I'm
afraid to go out"
Stay in. then" answered his
mother. She was a mouse of few
words. The human being will move
soon. They never rest long"
But there's some cheese near by."I
urged White ear. IT want IT."
Cheese" said Mouse Mother
alarmed. Then it's trap. Don't
go near it,
How tiresome." exclaimed Father
Mouse. who had just come along.
I'VE want cheese badly enough"
White Ear crept back to the hole.
There she lay. the strange big thing
white frock and her golden hair
with the blue bow over one eye. He
could see one small foot, with its
| openwork sock and black, shiny slip
per What he could not ses was any
sing of her getting up and walking
| away. Father Mouse came, too, and
looked.
Now It happened that their stores
were low: the piece Of cheese beside
the quiet figure was exactly what they
wanted. Nothing but Mother Mouse's
warnings kept Father Mouse from
making a dash for IT,
II should get back before she had
| Mouse shook her head. They all had
short nibble at a piece of bacon
rind. which was the only thing that
! was left in the larder, and then they
. all went to bed.
! Bright and early the next morning
/ White Ear was at the hole. There
| lay the human being. Nothing about
not moved an inch. She could not
have turned her head She sleeps
soundly" observed Mother Mouse.
! The cheese Is there" replied
| Father Mouse. But his wife shook
her head.
By and by some neighborly mice
came along. They listened to the
! they discussed the stiffness of the
sleeping human being and the size
and flavor of the cheese. But they
all agreed that 1t would be foolish
to try to get it. You never know
when human being will move, or
| what 1t will do.
! The visitors. who had called in hope
away disappointed. White Ear had
to be contented with SMELL and his
| father and mother did not even take
| that
White Ear was very hungry. A
smell is nice for, the time being. but
| 1t does not last long. He returned
to the hole. Very still was human
| being; very large looked the cheese
At last White Ear could bear 1t
no longer. He squeezed through the
hole, and made bold dash for the
cheese. AT the very moment he
started. his father and mother saw
him, and Mother Mouse snatched at
his tail--but she was too late. White
Ear grasped the cheese, pushed 1t
toward , the hole, and through 1t;
then he got safely through himself
and turned to look at the danger he
had passed. Human being was just
As quiet as before, and her blue bow
did not even flutter.
Now that he was safe back with
the cheese, Mother Mouse had not
the heart 20 scold him. Father
| tail They ate some of his booty,
and put the rest away for supper.
AS soon as White Ear had had, not
enough, but all that they would let
him eat of the cheese, he rushed
back to the hole. And then he saw
"a strange sight
Human being began to move--but
slowly passed out of his sight. with
out sitting up or even crawling! She
was being dragged away
/ White Ear had to put his sharp
nose and long whiskers through the
hole Just to see how she managed
| It, And then he understood 1t all.
I Mother" he cried. - he ran
back to Mrs Mouse, What do you
suppose? She was a human being,
but--she was that always quiet kind
they call a dollv'--Frances Harmer,
in Youths Companion.