Jamie ~ 6

 Jamie ~ 6  Hero’s Return

By Len Morgan 

The Young ones looked on in horror and disbelief.  They were tearful, how would they break the news to the others…  To Kibbie…  Turning their backs on the scene, in the flap Kibbie’s ears had turned white, she gazed out into the tall grass.  Her ears turned pink once more because there, just ten feet away, stood Jamie a broad grin on his face.  He gestured for them to be silent as he walked slowly towards them, leaving FW frantically seeking through the long grass wasting his time in a fruitless search.

“Always change direction as soon as you are out of his sight, or hide motionless.  Always give FW the respect he is due, never make the mistake of thinking you can outsmart him, he’s bigger and cleverer than you think.  Forget it and you will become his lunch.”

Kibbie smiled and kissed him brazenly, “run along now,” she said ignoring the fact that she was only a few months older than them.

The following morning, he took it upon himself to brief the scavenging parties before setting out in search of food. “Finally, on no account nibble!  If you do, there will be a trap, poison. Or the cat waiting for you on your next visit, maybe all three.  Take crumbs, lumps, or whole pieces of food, and your presence will go undetected then you will be able to return again and again.  If you are unsuccessful others will return with enough for all.  Never be lazy and pick scraps from the floor, they don’t get there by accident.  If you ignore this rule, it may cost you your life and the lives of those you share with.  The only exception to this rule is the food in FW’s bowl, but be sure somebody is on the lookout for him at all times.  Okay!  Off with you…”

.-…-. 

Kibbie & Jamie quickly produced a litter, and then another.  Several groups moved on at the appropriate times, and all was well at 17 Cedarwood Terrace.  Sadly Barnabus passed peacefully sometime between his fifth and sixth year, and Jamie became the oldest surviving mouse.  Yet Frizzy Whiskers was old even when Barnabus was young as he never stopped telling them.  It was true that FW had been in residence forever, but of late, Jamie had noted a marked slowing down and a tendency to sleep longer, Ever since the fence was removed and the smell of gas cleared from the air, the younger foraging groups began treating FW with disdain, passing unnecessarily close.  Jamie cringed, FW hadn’t slowed that much.

Then, without warning half a dozen mice disappeared in a single night.  Life wasn’t so easy anymore, mice all stayed below ground the following day.  Late in the afternoon, Jamie took a cautious peek.  Seeing nothing untoward he slipped into the kitchen to discover two bowls of cat food…

 

(To be continued)

Copyright Len Morgan