not a mousetrap, a mouse... inconvenience
Setting himself apart, he always built his entrance facing southwest. This afforded him a view of the farmers house and the nearby stables. And had the added effect of keeping the north wind out, which was a must in these parts of Ireland. He would burrow for hours at a time, adding rooms, widening corridors. He knew one day he'd start a family, and he wanted the best for them. He left nothing to chance. He was a very meticulous mouse.
A friend once asked the mouse, why do you build rooms for children you don't have yet? Because I plan to have them, and I want to be ready. But you don't even have a wife. I know, and after I finish building my house I will find one.
I will bring her here and we will live and we will start a family. All my days and months of preperation will have not been in vain. I will be the happiest mouse in the world.
But then the unthinkable happened. The mouse was sleeping, dreaming about his future family, when he was shaken violently out of bed. At first he thought, maybe an earthquake, but that would be unheard of around here. Then the walls started to collapse around him. He ran to what he thought was the exit only to have the corridor dissolve around him. He was covered. Covered in his own house, the ceilings, floors, and walls literally melted together. Nothing was left but loose dirt.
The mouse dug his way to the surface, only to find the farmer busily plowing up the land. Why have you done this! the mouse screamed.
I had no idea, the farmer explained. I didn't realize I was plowing under your house. I truly am sorry.
So the mouse explained to the farmer how he had destoyed his dream house and how now he would never be able to find a wife and start a family.
But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane,
In proving forsight may be vain;
The best-laid schemes o'mice an' men
Gang aft agley,
An'lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promis'd joy!
(Thanks Robert Burns, right back at you!)
I realize in the title he refers to the mouse as "her" but I have to come at it from the male perspective. Cause I don't understand "her".
A friend once asked the mouse, why do you build rooms for children you don't have yet? Because I plan to have them, and I want to be ready. But you don't even have a wife. I know, and after I finish building my house I will find one.
I will bring her here and we will live and we will start a family. All my days and months of preperation will have not been in vain. I will be the happiest mouse in the world.
But then the unthinkable happened. The mouse was sleeping, dreaming about his future family, when he was shaken violently out of bed. At first he thought, maybe an earthquake, but that would be unheard of around here. Then the walls started to collapse around him. He ran to what he thought was the exit only to have the corridor dissolve around him. He was covered. Covered in his own house, the ceilings, floors, and walls literally melted together. Nothing was left but loose dirt.
The mouse dug his way to the surface, only to find the farmer busily plowing up the land. Why have you done this! the mouse screamed.
I had no idea, the farmer explained. I didn't realize I was plowing under your house. I truly am sorry.
So the mouse explained to the farmer how he had destoyed his dream house and how now he would never be able to find a wife and start a family.
But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane,
In proving forsight may be vain;
The best-laid schemes o'mice an' men
Gang aft agley,
An'lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promis'd joy!
(Thanks Robert Burns, right back at you!)
I realize in the title he refers to the mouse as "her" but I have to come at it from the male perspective. Cause I don't understand "her".
posted by RBP at 8:50 PM
1 Comments:
I've always thought the tone was a little condescending towards the mouse. At the end the farmers like, well it sucks to be you now, but you're just a mouse, and you will forget this whole thing by tommorrow. I, on the other hand, will remember it and be troubled by it because I'm human. But I've always thought of it as totally ruining the mouse's life. I think the mouse will always remember it, and that's why I came up with that back story. To give people the mouse's perspective. And I guess that's why it's my favorite poem.
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