Waiting for the Midnight Mouse - By Vera Mont
"Sammy, you ready to come in?"
She doesn't respond; sits hunched on the mat by the greenhouse door, staring into the dark.
"Okay, a little while longer, but it's getting close to midnight."
The third time I go out to check, she's nowhere to be seen, but I call again and she finally comes. When Sammy moves, she really moves - a red-brown streak through the door, past my ankle, down the hall, to the sanctuary of my office. At last, I can lock up and go to bed.
And again. "Sammy, come on, it's late. I'll leave you out in the cold..."
She knows I won't. Why do I put up with the brat? Can't pry her off the greenhouse doorstep. "You're never going to catch that mouse," I tell her. "Give it up and come in."
Eventually, she does, but the next night, she's back at her post. Stubborn cat! Thinks she can win through sheer perseverance.
It isn't until I work up my resolve to clean the porch, I discover, neatly lined up under the bench, five tiny mouse heads.
She doesn't respond; sits hunched on the mat by the greenhouse door, staring into the dark.
"Okay, a little while longer, but it's getting close to midnight."
The third time I go out to check, she's nowhere to be seen, but I call again and she finally comes. When Sammy moves, she really moves - a red-brown streak through the door, past my ankle, down the hall, to the sanctuary of my office. At last, I can lock up and go to bed.
And again. "Sammy, come on, it's late. I'll leave you out in the cold..."
She knows I won't. Why do I put up with the brat? Can't pry her off the greenhouse doorstep. "You're never going to catch that mouse," I tell her. "Give it up and come in."
Eventually, she does, but the next night, she's back at her post. Stubborn cat! Thinks she can win through sheer perseverance.
It isn't until I work up my resolve to clean the porch, I discover, neatly lined up under the bench, five tiny mouse heads.
Comments (26)
I woke up this morning with this earworm of a story on my mind.
That's a good thing; it made an impression!
Funny thing is, it was already kinda in my mind. Why? From where?
1. Hanover in the Shoutbox:
I note the melodious passage of 11 am, where my many many clocks chime and cuckoo in my house.
That led to Elevenses and scones but that's another story.
A simple song sprang to mind:
[i]'Hickory, Dickory, Dock
The mouse went up the clock
The clock struck one. The mouse went down
Hickory dickory dock.'[/i]
2. My thread on 'Questions of Hope, Love and Peace':
What is the source of hope? A need or desire? Where does it lead...and so forth...
So, the title of this micro hooked me immediately; my mind already primed.
Waiting for the Midnight Mouse.
Brilliantly sums up the story about to unfold. The MM is yummy.
What happens at the Midnight Hour? Mysterious, mythical machinations.
Who is it that is waiting? Both Sammy the Cat and her owner.
It's getting close to midnight, so she'd better come in soon.
But the cat is in the dark, apparently waiting in the hope of catching the midnight mouse.
She has her own agenda. What is she thinking? Is she even aware of the love and anxiety of her indulgent carer who speaks to her, as if human?
A continual checking as the clock ticks on; at some o'clock, Sammy goes AWOL.
Hmm. Midnight Mouse Time?
Quoting Caldwell
I love this. Movement at last. To a sanctuary: refuge or safety from pursuit, persecution, or other danger.
The owner's place of comfort - we can sense loneliness where the only companion is the cat.
Quoting Caldwell
So, the same thing, every night. A routine.
The owner knows the cat knows their shared dependence; the cat being in a position of power but still needs her regular meals and strokes. Sammy is domesticated but still on the wild side.
The owner despairs; perhaps projecting experience of anticipated and dashed hopes.
''Give it up".
Quoting Caldwell
The owner might learn some lessons.
Patience is a virtue. Success comes to those who dare and act.
If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.
Quoting Caldwell
Sounds like a case of depression - a weary lack of will, needing a jumpstart.
Or maybe housework ain't a priority. What happens in the office? Creative Writing?
Sammy is neater and has lined up her catch - as a gift? - the 5 heads of midnight bites.
Those wild midnight hours...of yesterday...the hopes, loves and now a kind of peace?
A giving up in despair or a calm acceptance...
***
A lovely, simple yet smart piece of work :up:
A striking little story. It is a little bit disturbing with the dead mouse heads, especially as I found a mouse dying on my floor a few days ago. I like the title, pace of story and images to remember.
The twist at the end of the tale.
I wonder if the owner was disturbed or pleasantly surprised at Sammy's achievements; the 5 products of a working week. Natural for cats who are hardwired for hunting, even if domesticated.
Perhaps we humans are not so very different...
The more I think about this story, the more I like it.
Think innocence/tranquility and then macabre.
Perfect little story.
My cats leave all kinds of mouse and chipmunk bits: viscera, heads, tails, sometimes the whole carcasse. I've been mostly lucky in that they're efficient killers.
Nah. Just some mindless mice skittering around like headless chickens.
Oh dear, google tells me that is a naughty thing... :scream:
Who knows? Stay tuned for the next micro-story.
I think probably its due to subject, and the light-hearted and short dialogue and the style of writing.
In any case, like many a children's story, I think it can be taken literally at face value and still be very meaningful in its own way.
But of course there is often a deeper metaphorical level which, on a philosophy forum, I suspect is quite likely.
Quoting Caldwell
She has the eye on the prize. Though her human cannot see it in the dark.
I think this is a very common state of affairs for visionaries. They see goals, innovations or potential rewards that the layperson just doesn't understand or think is achievable.
Quoting Caldwell
You're never going to reach your dreams/realise your ambition. Give it and come in to the triviality, the familiarity,, of domestic comfort. Out of the cold and dark (the unknown/ the frontier of innovation, discovery and novel pursuits).
In the end the owner realises that she underestimated the capabilities of her cat, because she could not see what prize that was out there.
This is literally true, except for one small lie at the end: she does always leave the head, but I find them one at a time, over a period of months.
The quality of my post went up thanks to that picture.
Again, I have to respectfully disagree. It was more than OK. It was a delight throughout and with that twist at the end :monkey:
Not sure I would appreciate the gifts spread out like that.
5-in-a-row being aesthetically pleasing.
I love your writing and hope to read more, purrfect or otherwise!
Well done, you :clap:
Aw! So cute. Yours?
Poor little mices :cry:
Like Amity, I disagree with this. A slice of life with a small fictional twist is great for this format. I think the challenge is not so much to address big subjects so much as to construct a perfect story.
Name two cats that are not deranged. They all have their peculiar styles, and it's not for me to judge which is best for them. I prefer the fat, spoiled one who doesn't hunt at all, and disapprove of the outdoor ones that kill chickadees and chipmunks and used to very annoyed by the one who left half-killed mice on the bathroom rug. On the whole, Sammy is more useful, efficient and tidy than most cats.