The Mouse Family-Childrens-Story-Land

“THE MOUSE FAMILY”

I’m a grey mouse with blue and pink ears. I’ve been away from my people for about five years, I decided to look in on them. Our home is in a large tree trunk we’ve lived there since I was born. I can’t believe how large our group has grown.

Clandorf, the Big Daddy mouse with his red cap on still sits high on his throne with all his ladies close beside him.

“Clandorf, “it’s been a long time. How are you?”

“Pedro, my man it’s good to see you, come over here.” Pedro walked two steps closer; he never liked Clandorf that much because he would take a girl from each of their families and make them his slaves.

“I see everyone is looking after you.”

“These two ladies, for sure on my left is Sunny she’s a very intelligent

lady, and on my right is Koala. She’s very cuddly and she has almost black

skin, did you notice?”

“I did, Clandorf, they’re both very pretty.”

“I know Sparkle would like you.”

“I’m not looking for a lady, thanks all the same.”

I heard a high-pitched voice from behind me. “Hi, who are you?”

“Pedro,” I said, turning around. “Who are you?”

“I’m Sparkle. I heard my name mentioned by Big Daddy. Was he telling you about me?”

Her huge blue eyes glistened like a lake with the sun on it. The blue ruffle around her neck made her eyes look like deep blue water. She’s really cute. I’d better get out of here. “It’s nice to meet you Sparkle, but I have to be going now.”

“I thought you liked me.”

I saw a tear in her big blue eyes. “Well, I-I’ve come back to see my parents. That’s where I’m going now.” I turned to hurry out the door. Wow,

that was close, she is beautiful.

I found my tubby Mom and Dad sitting in comfortable red chairs with their feet perched on matching footstools. They were surrounded by all their children and grandchildren, looking blissfully happy.

“Hi, Mom and Dad.”

“Pedro, my son,” Dad said. “How are you?” He moved his footstool aside and stood to hugged me.

“I’m good, thanks, Dad. And you?”

“Your mom and I have been doing very well, but why have you been away for so long?”

As I sat on the tan leather couch, college has been a lot of work. Then I found a lady and I fell in love with her.

Nettie, my Mom, rose from her chair to give me a big hug. “Pedro,” she said, “tell us more.”

“Do you think we can go somewhere for a private talk.”

“Come with us.”

In my parents’ bedroom, I poured my heart out to them about my

girlfriend not wanting to stay with me.

“Pedro,” Mom said, “I don’t know how you made it here with all that

hurt inside you.”

“Nettie, where are you?” Lizzie asked from outside the front door.

“Not now, Lizzie,” Nettie said. “We have a crisis on our hands.”

“Let me know if I can help.”

“Mom, who was that?” I asked.

“She’s the biggest gossip around here. Sometimes she really annoys me.” She turned to Dad. “Archie, close the door.”

“I hope this not about me, Mom, because I can leave.”

“Pedro, it probably is,” Dad said after he closed the door. “You’re not going until we’re satisfied that you’re all right.”

“Pedro,” Mom said, “we haven’t seen you cry before. So we know you’re hurting a lot.”

“I haven’t felt like this with any other girls but Tallie, she made my

heart sing.”

“Pedro, my brother,” Eddie said as he came into the room. “How are

you, man? No one told me you were here.”

“I’m good thanks, how’s life going for you?”

“Great, thanks. I have a new girlfriend, her name’s Sparkle.”

Sparkle! I better not tell Eddie she was just making eyes at me. “You’re a lucky man, Eddie.” I turned back to my parents. “Mom, I don’t know if I can stay here.”

“Pedro,” Mom said, “we’ll keep everyone away from you, if that’s

what you want.”

“Son,” Dad said, “My advice to you is to start going out. Your hurt will be a little less each day you go on with your life.”

Chapter Two

“Okay, Dad. I’ll try.”

“Archie,” Nettie said, “I’ve been thinking about a family gathering for Pedro. He’s been here for two months and he’s finally started to enjoy himself.”

“I hope you mean just the immediate family,” Archie said, as he sat on the couch.

“I was going to expanded it a little.”

“No Nettie, only the immediate family.” Nettie sat down on the couch with a sigh, giving into Archie. “Okay, Archie, you’re still my strong man.” She kissed his cheek.

“Nettie, anyone could walk in.” As she stood up, she playfully swatted his head.

“Girls,” Nettie called when she walked into the living room, “I need your help.”

Kiwi was the first to be at her mom’s side. “What can I do for you, Mom?”

“Will you make cheese sandwiches, please?”

“I’ll get Cassie to help me.”

Nettie watched her two eldest daughters working away. She didn’t like choosing, but she knew Kiwi’s fur with its mix of orange and white with a tiny patch of black on the back of her ears, made her stand out from her sisters.

The whole family arrived at the same time. They ploughed through the front door greeting family members with kisses and hugs.

Archie watched Pedro having a good time with his large family. “Okay,” he said, “all you kids get ready for a family photo.”

In the front row were the youngest; Jilly, Petey, and Tiki, In the next row Pedro, Eddie, Cassie, and Kiwi. The only one missing was Bonnie; her

brood of ten kept her too busy.

“This is going to look very good when I print it out,” Archie said.

“Nettie,” Lizzie called. “Can I see you for a minute?”

“Lizzie, you can see I have my family here. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

Lizzie was ticked off with Nettie’s reply. She went to her neighbor to stir up some trouble.

“Dottie,” Lizzie said, “did they ask you to Nettie’s party?”

“It’s a family party and I didn’t expect to be asked, and neither should you.”

Lizzie stormed off with her red hair bouncing up and down on her head as she stomped up the road toward her house. She bumped into Tina the hairdresser, who was standing on the round-about waiting to cross the road. I know she’ll be interested. “Tina, were you invited to Nettie’s party?”

“No,” Tina said, “but then I’ve been on vacation.”

“Really, where did you go?”

“I went to Hawaii with my boyfriend.”

“Tell me more.”

“No, Lizzie. The rest stays with me.”

“At least tell me who he is.”

“I said no more information. Good-bye.”

What’s wrong with people today? No gossip at all.

Nettie stepped into her garden for a moment of quiet.

“Nettie,” Dottie called over their shared garden wall. “Do you believe that Lizzie, came over here and trying to make trouble for you?”

“She’s tried twice to get my attention and it hasn’t worked. Thanks for telling me, Dottie.”

“How’s Pedro doing?”

“He’s looks so much happier.”

“See you later, Nettie.” Dottie waved as she turned toward her house.

Nettie returned to her party in her living that was in full swing.

Chapter Three

“I haven’t had this much fun in a long time,” I said to Eddie.

Eddie looked over his shoulder to his see his brother dancing. “Pedro, old man, you have to get out more. There’s a club in town. Let’s go.”

“What about our parents’ party?”

“They’ll never know we’re missing.”

“Eddie, I think tomorrow night would be better.” Pedro said as he turned to see his parents watching him.

“You’re turning into an old fuddy-duddy.”

“Maybe, but I call it respect for Mom and Dad.”

I glanced down to see a baby mouse at my feet. “Look what I found.” I picked up the baby. “Mom, who does this one belong to?”

“Is Bonnie here?” Nettie asked.

“I haven’t seen her.”

“Let me take a look at the baby. Hers all have extra long brown tails. No, this isn’t hers. He’s very small. Listen, everyone,” Mom said, raising her voice. “Pedro found a baby mouse. Does he belong to anyone here?”

The room went quiet for a moment, and then a buzz started about whose baby it could be.

Cassie came to her mom’s side and whispered, “He’s mine, Mom,

I found him in the garden next door.”

“Whew. For a moment there I thought you’d had a little one without telling me.” Nettie looked around the room to see if anyone had heard their conversation.

“I thought we could look after him,” Cassie said.

“Did I hear a ‘we’ in there?”

“I’ll need your help, Mom.”

“Okay, Sweetie. We’ll look after him.”

“So, who does he belong to?” I asked.

“Pedro, your sister found him, so we’re going to bring him into our family.”

“I guess one more won’t make any difference.”

“Jilly, Petey, and Kiwi are old enough to look after him.”

“We need a name for him,” Cassie said.
“I have it,” I said. Name him ‘Hunter’ because he might have been hunting for food.”

“It’s as good as any, so ‘Hunter’ it is,” Nettie said.

“What’s this I hear about a new name?” Archie asked.

“Cassie found a baby. He needed a name, so we’re calling him ‘Hunter’.”

Archie nodded his head and went back to talking with his sons.

“Don’t worry about your dad, he’ll come round.”

Archie went in search of the new baby when everyone left. He found him with Kiwi.

“Let me take a look, Kiwi.”

“Sure, Dad. He’s very cute.”

“He doesn’t have any markings on him to tell us who his parents might be.”

“Do we have those marks, Dad?” Kiwi asked.

“Yes, you do. You have three toes on your left foot and the others have four. That’s a distinguishing mark from your Uncle Dave.”

“Do you mean uncle Dave is my Dad?”

“Three toes are a distinguishing feature of our family that you and

Uncle Dave have.

“Get you, Kiwi,” Petey said. “What about me, Dad?”

“You have you mother’s colors of dark and light brown patches.”

“Daddy,” Jilly said, “do I have any?”

“Come and sit on my lap, Sweetheart.”

Jilly was Archie’s favorite, he was at her birth and she was so tiny

“You have a little black spot between your ears.”

“See, I have something too. Yippee!”

Archie put Jilly on the floor and watched her run over to her brother and sister, shouting, “Yippee, yippee!”

Chapter Four

The next night, Eddie and I went to a club in town. Eddie knew lots of girls, he wanted to introduce me to a very pretty girl sitting at the end of the counter. Her fur was the color of champagne and she had dark brown feet and ears.

“Pedro,” Eddie said. “In the corner. What do you think of her?”

“She’s gorgeous, but I don’t think she’d be interested in me.”

“I’ll introduce you.”

“Not yet, let’s see if she’s interested in me first.”

“That’ll work too.”

I watched Eddie dance with another beautiful girl. The music sounded good and soon I started to tap my foot to the beat.

“Hello,” someone said from beside me. “You’re new around here?”

“This is the first time I’ve been here. Would you like to take a seat?” Her soft voice sounded sweet. “My name is Pedro”

“I’m Blossom.”

That’s a perfect name for her. “Would you like something to drink?”

“Lemonade would be very nice.”

I left for a minute to get our drinks and bumped into Eddie.

“I see she came over to you.”

“Yes. She’s very nice.”

“What’s her name?”

“Blossom.”

“That suits her.”

“Yeah.” I glanced toward our table. “I better get our drinks before she thinks I’ve deserted her.”

Eddie started to rethink his plans for dating since his brother had a date on his first night out.

I led Blossom onto the dance floor for a slow dance. The music stopped all too soon.

“Thank you for a great evening Pedro, but I have to be going now.”

“Let me walk with you.”

“Thank you my father will appreciate you walking me home.”

On our walk to Blossom’s house I realized I hadn’t thought about my my ex-girlfriend all evening.