Evening star., 1937-03-10

THERE was singing Mouse in
Farmer Browns house. Farmer
Browns Boy and Mother
Il Brown had watched him while
he was singing. Farmer Brown laugh
ed at them when he was told about it,
but when he heard the song issuing
from places where none but Mouse
could be he guessed that probably they
were right. He knew they were right
when at last he saw the little singer.
DO you suppose we have more than
one singing Mouse?" Mother Brown
asked.
mo, don't" replied Farmer Brown.
'Why do you ask?"
Because this morning I heard one
singing down cellar and the one We
first heard and have seen has been
only in the sitting room," replied
Mother Brown.
Farmer Browns Boy chuckled. per
haps we have whole family of sing
ers," said he. Last night after I had
gone to bed heard one singing. He
seemed to be IN my room, but he
stopped singing the instant moved
and he didn't sing again"
Il doubt there's more than one,"
declared Farmer Brown. "a singing
Mouse is too rare for it to happen that
there Is more than one in given
place This little fellow probably
wanders all over the house between
the walls and makes use of several
scattered holes to get out in the rooms.
BY taking note of the various places
you hear him you can get an idea of
how Mice can travel all over house
once they get into it."
So they called the little furry singer
the Wandering Minstrel, and the name
suited him well, for he did lot of
wandering about. He would be heard
in one part of the house, and the next
time that song would come from an
other part. There was no guessing
where he would be heard next A IA
vorite place, however, was the fernery
in the sitting room. 1t was there that
he was seen and heard more often
than anywhere else.
There one night he dug a little hole
In the earth. 1t was only a shallow
little hole he dug that night. The
next morning Mother Brown discov-
cred it and wondered how it had
come there. 1t wasn't until two or
three nights later that he returned to
dig some more This time he left
some footprints and Mother Brown
knew then that this was the work of
Mouse.
Il wonder" said she.
What do you wonder?" Farmer
Brown asked.
"She wonders If that is the work
Of our little Wandering Minstrel
spoke up Farmer Browns Boy.
Just So" replied his mother "That
is just what 1 am wondering"
And if you can be sure that it Is,
what them" asked Farmer Brown.
Il will leave it alone" replied
Mother Brown.
and If you were to be sure that
it Is the work of some other Mouse
you would have me set trap there
right away" spoke up Farmer Browns
Boy with chuckle.
His mother smiled. "Yes," she ad-
mitted. Il suppose would. I can't
abide Mice ir the house"
But this one who sings is just
Mouse, just common house Mouse,
like the rest Of them," said Farmer
Browns Boy.
"You are wrong" retorted Mother
Brown. HE may be a house Mouse,
as you say, but he certainly isn't a
common one. He is a most uncom-
mon one. There's Black Pussy! From
now on that Cat must be kept out Of
this room. In fact, she better be kept
tn the kitchen when she is in the
house. wouldn't have her catch that
Mouse for anything in the world"
So Black Pussy was banished to the
kitchen and didn't know what to make
OF it. for always she had been allowed