The Fable of Risky the Little Brown Mouse

Deep within the ground, a small round room made of dirt and roots and twigs had been created in the late fall.  Now, it was well into winter, with snow piling up in the woods.

📸by MDC Staff MO Dept of Conservation

Inside the small round room, a ball of fluff was curled up.  Brown, soft fur covered the ball, and unless one would carefully watch, one might miss the slow, rhythmic movements, showing a sign of life.  Breaths so slow, so tiny.  Therein lay the little brown mouse named Risky.  All by himself.

Above on the ground stirred life.  Birds searching for seeds, flitting amongst the limbs of frozen trees.  A fox bounded, jumping here, jumping there, in search of a mole or two.  Deer quietly trotted along, sniffing and nibbling amongst the bushes.  

Risky, the little brown mouse, deep in the ground, within his small round room, stirred.  A little hunger pang rumbled through his tummy.  His eyes, blinking awake, opened fully.  “Oh, no,” he thought. “Is it time to go find some food?”  Again a little hunger pang responded, keeping the little brown mouse awake.  “Perhaps I should stir a bit outside, but no, it is much too cozy here.”  Risky closed his eyes and readjusted his round little body into a tighter circle.

A loud rumble from his tummy startled him again.  “My goodness! I’ll never get to sleep if I stay hungry!  I must take a trip away from my warm, cozy, small round room and venture outside into the cold, scary, large spacious world where there is hopefully food for me.”

So the little brown mouse named Risky, yawned and stretched.  He cleaned his little paws and brushed his back and tail.  He licked his paws and cleaned his ears (he learned that from watching cats! Hee-hee!)  Wide awake and with another pang of hunger hollering to remind him of his task, he climbed up the tunnel to the ground level.  

📸 by Hanna Knuttson, Flickr

📸 Theresa M

Being met with snow he dreaded having to travel through the cold flakes.  But up went his little nose, he sniffed the air; then his beady little eyes peered out, and he cautiously looked all about. Risky saw the birds flying among the trees.  He saw the fox in the distance, thankfully pouncing in the opposite direction.  He saw the deer chewing on the shrubs. 

📸 by Yvonne Huijbens, pixabay

Bravely, he crawled out onto the snow, and darted hither and thither searching for seeds and crumbs, and whatever else was edible.

The little brown mouse named Risky was brave indeed, as he darted and dashed among the wintry landscape.  He was much smaller than most of his fellow diners, so he had to be extra careful to not become someone’s dinner.

After getting his tummy full, Risky popped back into the hole in the ground and tunneled down to the small round room made of dirt and roots and twigs.  He cleaned his little paws and brushed his back and tail.  He once again licked his paws and cleaned his face (just like he learned from watching cats!).  Satisfied, he curled up into a brown, soft furry ball.  He closed his eyes.  He fell asleep.

Quiet was the night, without a rumbling sound.  The little brown mouse named Risky made it safely through another day.

Moral of the story:  To risk your life for a need is to live a life indeed.  May comfort follow.     

 Theresa M

📸 pixabay

Love Is

 Someone once said, to know if you understand love, read this piece of scripture while replacing the word “love” with your own name (as well as when “it” is used):

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, 

it does not boast, it is not proud.

It is not rude, it is not self-seeking,

it is not easily angered,

it keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil

but rejoices with the truth.

It always protects, always trusts,

always hopes, always perseveres.”

     I Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV

Wow! I have much to learn.  But that’s OK.  Love is willing to grow.        Theresa M 

To all a happy Valentine. To people, to pets, to animals everywhere.

 May love be in your lives and in your hearts.  ❤💚💙💛💜

The Fable of Doggie the Little Yellow Cat

 Purring in the moment, a little yellow cat named Doggie basked in the glorious sunshine.  He lay on a mat in his very own yard, of which also had a little house he lived in with his humans.

Today was sunny and warm and springlike.  So having a nap seemed to be perfect for Doggie the little yellow cat.  Birds nearby started singing their enjoyment.  “Whistle-whistle-whee!” they sang.

Doggie awoke.  This whistle sound from the birds reminded him of a human’s whistle for a canine.  “Whistle-whistle-whee!” he heard again.  “Perhaps that is not a bird at all,” thought Doggie.

“Whistle-whistle-whee!” yet another call came from another tree. “It must be a human walking around looking for his canine.  I must go see.”  So Doggie sat up, yawned, and stretched his arms out while lifting his hind end.  He shook his head to settle his ears and whiskers, then set off on a walk.

Doggie jumped on the fence rail and into the neighbor’s yard.  He looked about to the left, to the right, but did not see anyone in sight.

“Whistle-whistle-whee!” shrilled from the trees.  Doggie looked up and saw the birds.  “I guess I have been fooled as it was not a human whistling for his dog at all,” he said aloud.  The birds then began a cackling laugh, “Haw-haw-haaaw!” they yelled.  They laughed at Doggie the little yellow cat and told him, “You act like a canine looking for his master whistling.  You are a foolish cat.  No wonder your name is Doggie! Haw- haw- Haaaw!”

Doggie felt embarrassed and angry.  “What a dirty trick.  No wonder you are called mockingbirds, you haven’t got any special gifts of your own, so you waste your time mocking others.”  Doggie felt justified in his accusation, then didn’t want to hold a grudge.  “Off you go then, it doesn’t matter.  I am proud to be a little yellow cat named Doggie.  I happen to like hearing whistling.  I am happy to be me.”  The birds ruffled their feathers, feeling flustered, and flew off. 

Doggie, the little yellow cat, looked around the yard.  He saw a canine in the neighbor’s screen door grinning at him, pawing at the door, as if to say hi.

“Hello canine!” said Doggie.  The neighbor, not noticing the cat, opened the door to let Bravo the canine outside.  Bravo rushed over to Doggie.  Startled, Doggie jumped up on the fence between the neighbor’s house and his own house.

“Bark! Bark!  You did great Doggie!” woofed Bravo.

“What?” asked Doggie, still in defense mode, with his back fur stiffened and his tail fur wide.

“I saw you handle those birds.  You really told them!  They try every day to call me by their whistle to go down the alley.  I learned the hard way, had to be kept on a leash for awhile till I regained my human’s trust. But you, you were onto them already.  Good job!  I’m Bravo, by the way.”

Doggie considered what Bravo just said.  “Well thank you Bravo.  It’s really nothing.  I think the birdies just get a bit lazy and sit around thinking up stupid stuff to pick on others.”

Bravo replied, “Well listening to whistling is fun - it makes me happy.  I like chasing balls too, and playing fetch.  I don’t care what the birds think.”

“You like chasing balls and playing fetch too?  So do I, “ Doggie declared delightfully.

“I’m not surprised,” said Bravo.  “Why?” asked Doggie. “Well,” replied Bravo, “Don’t you see, you like whistling, you like chasing balls and playing fetch.  Your humans know that.  It’s probably why they named you Doggie, even though you are a little yellow cat!  He-he!”

“Doggie? Oh, I see.  Canines are also called dogs.  I like the same things as dogs do.  Why yes, that’s probably true.  Kind of silly though.  But those humans - well, maybe they’ve just got too much time on their hands and sit around thinking up stupid silly stuff.  Ha-ha-ha!”

Bravo laughed along, “Yes they do, but it’s okay, as long as they take care of us.” 

“Yes,” said Doggie, “as long as they take care of us indeed.”

Then Bravo the canine and Doggie the little yellow cat went about chasing balls and playing fetch, while listening for whistles.  They became the best of friends.

Moral of the story:  Be yourself despite what others think, say, or do.  There will always be someone who understands and cares.

Theresa M