Dr Seuss In My Ear

     Dr Seuss, was a genius!  He made us believe a cat could talk, how to count with fish, that foxes could wear socks, and maybe just maybe we could like green eggs and ham.   He entertained and taught us through rhymes and imagination.   I always wondered where he got his inspiration from.  Last night, I think I figured it out.

     My cat Torro, enjoys going out at night to explore my back yard, and garden.  He usually prefers to stay out until my husband comes home.  That is, until last night.  Last night, I could hear him meowing in my bathroom window.

     I went to the door, and let him in.  He proceeded into the house, and he brought a guest!  In his mouth was a mouse, and not dead, very much alive.  So alive in fact, it ran up the edge of my stairs and into my living room! 

    Torro, just sat there and watched his little friend make himself comfortable.   I stood there myself for a moment, trying to process this turn of events.  I was in my pajamas, my granddaughter was sleeping over, and fast asleep in my bed so I quickly shut the door and grabbed a towel from the bathroom and stuffed under the door.  I do not like mice! So, in the style of Dr Seuss, 
 I do not like mice at all,

I do not like mice in the hall!

I do not like mice, or even a mouse!

I do not like either, in my house!

     I had to do something quickly!  I threw Torro in the living room, and all he did was go to the front door and meow.  "Oh no you don't, you brought this visitor into my house, you take him out"!  He looked at me, and walked through my legs, rubbing his fluffy tail on my legs. He was useless. 

     I could hear the mouse skittering behind my sectional.  I froze, but my other cat Bella, jumped into action.  She, immediately ran to the edge of the sectional and tried valiantly to get behind it.  "Yes"!  " Good idea Bella, get it"!  I pulled the sectonal out a few inches and she went hunting.  Bella chased the mouse, the mouse ran out from under the sectional and ran toward me.  "Bad Bella!  Bad idea"!  The mouse, seeing this looming, crazed giant in its path, veered off toward the toy room.  That would be very bad!  Toys, stuffies, it would be like looking for E.T. in the closet full of toys.  Impossible.  I yelled "Nnnooooo" and took off after the mouse, with Bella close on my heels.  The mouse, ran behind a bag full of clothes for donations, sitting in my hall.  

     Bella was frantically looking for the mouse, hoping it would come out, I was hoping it wouldnt!  I could hear echoes of Dr Seuss again.

I do not like mice beside my leg,

I do not like them,  even after drinking a keg.

I do not like these mice you see,

I feel they'll be the death of me!

     There was scratching coming from behind the bag, Bella heard it too and was about to pounce.  Afraid she would terrorize the little mouse further, pushing it to run somewhere else, I picked her up.  She was not happy, and was struggling to get clear of me.  I managed to throw her into the bathroom and shut the door.  

     I had to get that little rodent or I would never sleep.  I was formulating a plan when the mouse seemed to sense it was safe from imminent danger, because it poked it's head out.  I could see its beady little eyes looking at me, sending shivers down my spine.  "Yeuch"!  

     I kicked the bag to warn the mouse to sit still, of course, it didn't,  it took off toward me.  I turned tail and ran towards the kitchen, screaming like a banshee.  Bella was frantically scratching at the bathroom door.  I turned around, looking for the mouse.  It was nowhere in sight.  Torro, on the other hand was sitting in the hall looking bored.  I became frantic now, I had no idea where the mouse was.  I did the only thing I could think of, I called my husband! 

     He didn't know what to do either.  This could be grounds for divorce!  He laughed, and said "Good Luck".  Yes, divorce was assured.

     I was on my own and I woke my granddaughter with all my screaming.  "Grandma,  what's all that noise"?  I couldn't tell her there was a mouse on the loose.   Maybe I can tell her it's Stuart Little. Afterall, she loves that book.  Scrap that idea, mice aren't cute little characters, they're rodents.  Dr Seuss was talking to me again.

I do not like mice, you see,

I am sure, as well, they don't like me.

I do not like them on the run.

I do not think it's any fun!

     My granddaughter didn't seem wise to the situation, I gave her a drink and took her back to bed.  The similarity of the Grinch taking Cindy Lou Who back to bed, was not lost on me at this particular moment either!
     I went back to the hall and listened.  I didn't hear a sound.  I decided I had to bring Bella out,  if only to make the mouse show itself.  Bella came flying out of the bathroom and walked into the living room.   She stood there for a moment, and then her tail began to slowly twitch.  I knew she smelled it or heard it.  I ran to the kitchen and grabbed a plastic bowl,  what for I'm not sure but it felt like the right thing to do.
     I heard movement, and then I saw the flash of gray running along the window,  under the curtains.   Bella was leaping, and making a yak yak yak  noise.  The mouse ran out from under the curtains and was running my way.  I wanted to run away, but I knew if I did this would go on all night.  So, my plastic bowl in my hand, I bent down and dropped it right on top of it!  It worked!  I had it under the bowl.  Bella, pounced on the bowl and she and the mouse and the bowl went sliding across the floor!  I grabbed Bella and threw her back into the bathroom.   I wasn't sure how to pick the bowl up without freeing the mouse.  I placed a glass candle on the bowl to keep the mouse caged and walked around to get some ideas.
     I walked into the kitchen and saw a long metal cooking spatula.   That might work.  I grabbed my oven mitts too.  Mice bite!  They do!  Carefully,  sliding the spatula under the bowl, I flipped the whole thing over and covered it with the oven mitt.  I ran to the front door, but I couldn't unlock it, my hands were full!  I had to put the bowl on the floor, and put my foot gingerly over top it so the mouse wouldn't get out again.  I unlocked the door, and carefully picked the bowl back up, walked outside and, ran down the steps and threw the mouse into the garden.  I felt like an orchestra should be playing, and hands applauding.  They were in my head, and it was glorious!
      As I walked back into the house,  Torro ran out.  I was not letting him back in tonight!  Bella was complaining and scratching at the bathroom door.  I let her out and sat down, soaked from stress and sweat.  My living room was pulled apart, so I pushed everything back into place.  Bella ran around looking for that little mouse, meowing for the rest of the night.
     It was a small victory for me...as well as the mouse.
     Dr Seuss would have approved.
I do not like mice in my bowl,
I think they're yucky, and really quite droll.
I do like mice outside, in my garden, 
I will give to you, out there, a full pardon!