Little Mouse

Little Mouse had had a very hard day. They were hungry and wet and cold, and they were sitting next to the very still body of their very good friend Littler Mouse. Littler Mouse had been very still for a very long time now. They had skittered much slower after they had been hurt by Angry Mouse. Their fur had got redder and redder as they skittered and skittered, and then when there was too much red there was no more skittering at all. Little Mouse very much enjoyed going on mouse-sized adventures with Littler Mouse but now they worried that there would be no more adventures, because Littler Mouse was not skittering anymore. Skittering was a very important part of adventures, because there were many things to skitter to and away from. Maybe if they had skittered away from Angry Mouse faster, Littler Mouse would not be so red, and they would still be skittering together now.

Little Mouse could not understand why the red meant no more skittering. Maybe if Littler Mouse was less red they could still skitter together.

“Do not worry my very good friend. I will wash the red from your fur, and then we can get back to skittering. Would you like that Littler Mouse?” said Little Mouse to their very still friend.

Little Mouse pulled Littler Mouse’s very still body through the forest.

“I will do enough skittering now for the both of us.”

Little Mouse was not as fast as they usually were when they had to carry their very good friend. It was very hard work for one mouse to do the skittering enough for two. By the time they reached Very Big Pond, Little Mouse was much more tired than before. Little Mouse was still having a very hard day, but they were proud of their skittering. They knew that if Littler Mouse was not being very still they would tell him that they were also very proud of his skittering.

Little Mouse went down to the bank of Very Big Pond and picked up a very little amount of water in their very little hands. They skittered back and splashed the very little amount of water onto their very good friend’s fur and tried to wash away the red. A very little bit of the red washed away but then the very small amount of water was all used up. So Little Mouse skittered back down to the bank of Very Big Pond and picked up another very little amount of water and washed away a very little bit of the red. Little Mouse skittered back and forth many times and eventually the very little bits of red became a very big bit of red that had been washed away.

Littler Mouse still did not start skittering again. Little Mouse sat next to the very still body of their very good friend and was confused. Did Littler Mouse not want to skitter any more? They always seemed to have a very good time on their mouse-sized adventures. They never told Little Mouse that they did not want to skitter any more, or go on their mouse-sized adventures. They just stopped skittering.

Little Mouse buried their very little face in their very little hands. They were confused and hungry and wet and cold. When they took their very little hands away from their very little face, they saw that their very little hands had some of Littler Mouse’s red on them. Little Mouse skittered down to the bank of Very Big Pond and washed their very little hands. In the ripply reflection they saw that some of Littler Mouse’s red had got on their very little face. Little Mouse tried to count how long it took to skitter back to their very still friend, but they weren’t sure if they were skittering any slower now that they had red on their fur too.

“Littler Mouse you are my very good friend but you do not skitter any more. I washed away your red and you did not even say thank you. Why do you not skitter any more Littler Mouse? You did not tell me why, you just stopped skittering. Now I have your red on me and if I get more red on me maybe I will not skitter anymore either. I want to skitter and go on mouse-sized aventures, and I want you to skitter too but you won’t. You are still my very good friend whether you skitter or not but you are being very rude. Won’t you say something Littler Mouse?”

Littler Mouse was still very still. Little Mouse used their very little hands to give Littler Mouse a very little push so they would stop being so very still. Little Mouse pushed again and again and eventually their very little pushes became one very big push. Littler Mouse’s not very still body rolled towards the bank of Very Big Pond. It slowed down as it reached the water and again Littler Mouse was very still. Little Mouse skittered down to the bank of Very Big Pond and stopped next to their very still friend. Little Mouse thought that this new way of skittering was very odd.

“Littler Mouse, this new way that you skitter is very odd, but now you do not even want to do that. You are still again and will not tell me why. You have upset me Littler Mouse and you are supposed to be my very good friend. Won’t you apologise Littler Mouse?”

Littler Mouse did not apologise. They were still very still and did not skitter any more in their new odd way. Little Mouse laid down next to their very still friend and tried to skitter in their new odd way.

“No Littler Mouse I do not like this new odd way of skittering. It is not the same as the way we used to skitter. Won’t you skitter like we used to Littler Mouse?”

Littler Mouse was still very still.

“What can I do Littler Mouse? If you will not skitter with me, then I do not know where to skitter. I am very upset and confused and hungry and wet and cold. What if we were to eat? What if I were to do enough skittering for the both of us and bring some food back to you? Yes Littler Mouse, I will find us some food near Very Big Pond, and then we will eat, and then we will skitter again in our old way. Would you like that Littler Mouse?”

Littler Mouse did not say anything to their very good friend. Little Mouse wished very much that they would, but still skittered off to find some food, never going too far from their very good friend who was still very still.

Little Mouse skittered around the banks of Very Big Pond. They collected some very little seeds and skittered back to their very still friend. Little Mouse did this many times, and eventually the very little seeds became a very big pile of seeds. Little Mouse took a very little seed in their very little hands and took a very little bite.

“See Littler Mouse? Now we have food, and we can eat and we won’t be hungry anymore. Aren’t you hungry Littler Mouse?”

Littler Mouse must not have been very hungry, because instead of eating they were still very still.

Little Mouse was upset and confused and wet and cold, but they weren’t hungry any more. It had been a very hard day, but the very little bites eventually became a very big full belly. Littler Mouse still had not said anything or moved or skittered while Little Mouse ate. Little Mouse laid down next to Littler Mouse, who was still their very good friend, and very little tears began to fall from their very little eyes. When Little Mouse had cried before Littler Mouse had become so red, Littler Mouse would put their very little arms around them and tell them that everything would be okay. Little Mouse very much wished that they would do that now, but Littler Mouse was still very still. Little Mouse put Littler Mouse’s very still arms around themselves, but it was not the same without Littler Mouse’s little mouse-sized words to tell them everything would be okay.

Little Mouse heard very big wings flapping over Very Big Pond and was scared. A Very Big Owl landed very close to the two little mice.

“Wait Very Big Owl, my very good friend can not skitter anymore but I do not want them to be eaten.”

“Well Little Mouse, why does your very good friend not skitter anymore?”

“Because they are very still, and they will not tell me why.”

“Your very good friend has red on their fur, is that why they are very still?”

“I thought it was, but I washed a very big bit of the red away and they still do not want to skitter.”

“I am very sorry Little Mouse, but I do not think that your very good friend will skitter anymore.”

“Very Big Owl, I do not want that to be true. I have been on very many little mouse-sized adventures with my very good friend, and I want to go on many more.”

“I am very sorry Little Mouse, but Littler Mouse can not have any more mouse-sized adventures. All of those little mouse-sized adventures have become one very big adventure. We each only get one of these very big adventures, and you should be happy that you and Littler Mouse got to spend that very big adventure together. You have your own very big adventure that you still need to make with more little mouse-sized adventures.”

“But Very Big Owl, I do not want to go on mouse-sized adventures without my very good friend Littler Mouse.”

“I am very sorry Little Mouse, but is your friend really gone? Just because they have stopped skittering does not mean that they have gone away. Did you not still talk to them, and remember your mouse-sized adventures after they stopped skittering?”

“I did, but Littler Mouse did not talk back.”

“But did you not know what they would say if they were not so still?”

“I did, but when I was very upset they did not tell me that everything would be okay”

“But did you not know they would if they were not so still?”

“I did.”

“Well Little Mouse, it sounds as if your very good friend has not gone away from you, and if you keep knowing what they would say and when they would wrap their arms around you and tell you everything will be okay, then they will not leave you.”

“I will miss skittering with them very much, but if I remember their mouse-sized words, maybe everything will be okay.”

“That is very brave Little Mouse. Now would you let me eat your very still friend’s body? I am very hungry, and they do not need it any more.”

“I will miss their body very much.”

“I know you will Little Mouse, but they do not need it any more and neither do you. I am very hungry, won’t you let me eat Little Mouse?”

More very little tears came to Little Mouse’s very little eyes, but they nodded.

“Okay Very Big Owl. I will still have Littler Mouse’s words, and they will not leave me even though their body will be gone.”

“You are very brave, Little Mouse.”

Very Big Owl picked up Littler Mouse and soared over Very Big Pond. Little Mouse used their very little hands to wipe away the very little tears that were still coming out of their very little eyes.

“Goodbye Littler Mouse, I will do enough skittering for the both of us now.”

And Littler Mouse said,

“Thank you Little Mouse, everything will be okay.”