Mouse 4

"Nothing personal," I told the mouse I lifted a paw but hesitated, impressed by the little guy's bravery. He stood straight and gentlemanly on his back legs, a stiff upper chin and turned his head slightly away. laying a hand a cross his heart, the mouse looked at me askance and breathed deeply.

"Just if you would be so kind to allow me a lamentably short adieu to the world," he said.

I lowered my paw and nodded respectfully. "Least I could do."

"Oh, oh, cruel world," he began, quite theatrically, "in which I am alternately starved and fed, hopeful and disillusioned, blessed and abused, we have been uneasy lovers, intimate and yet estranged by the burden of ego. Would I have lived you any differently?" He pondered soulfully up and back, waving his arms, looking intently at me when he wished to make a point. For my part I was intrigued as much as my patience strained. The mouse continued.

"I might well have lived a thousand other fates, all of them unique and yet flawed in their own right. Would that any of them were better than this one, would that any of those many lives hve truly been me and of mine. Oh, cruel world that made me prey to this most handsome and merciful of predator, would there be a better, truer existance? I think not. And though I find myself hopeless within the crucible of fate i could not fathom anything as beautiful as this flawed and imperfect life. Oh, cruel cru..."

"All right!" I interrupted, having had quite enough, " for a little guy, you sure can do some talking."

The mouse bowed deeply. "Quite true, my feline friend. I once chewed through a volume of Shakespeare."

"well, if you've said your piece, can we get on with this?"

"terribly sorry, old fellow. I meant no distraction, except that..." he looked skyward and pointed quite suddenly and exclaimed, "Dear Mother Earth, what's that?"

I snapped my head skyward, expecting some terrible calamity, perhaps a hawk or blackbird eyeing me as a meal. When I turned back to the mouse he was gone!