MICROMOUSE IV

That winter and spring,everything went well for a while. Micromouse enjoyed the tasty morsels that Penny and Tommy provided him, as well as all the attention he got from the other family members. Cynthia too grew to like Micromouse enough to start feeding him and allow him to crawl onto her shoulder. Sometimes, Penny brought his cage onto the patio so he could have a change of scenery while she watched him from her rocking chair. Only Foster kept his distance and wanted nothing to do with the mouse.

However, one blustery cold day late in October, a new problem arose. Foster, who had never liked the mouse to begin with, continued to resent the fact that his two younger siblings were allowed to keep him. So, on Halloween night, while they were out trick-or-treating, he hatched a plan that, he was certain, would get rid of the mouse for once and for all. Since he knew that Penny kept the cage under her bed, he snuck into her room while no one was looking. He brought the cage into the open and opened the door. But when he tried to grab Micromouse, the little critter escaped his grasp and fled into the dining room before Foster could stop him.

Later that night, when Penny returned from her trick-or-treat adventure to munch on the candy she had collected, she was startled to find the cage door wide open with no Micromouse in sight. She immediately broke down into tears. Then she told Tommy what had happened.

"Did you leave the cage door open? he asked.

"No, I'm sure I shut the cage door before I left the house." she replied.

"I believe you, Penny," he answered.

"I always shut the door every time I leave my room. I just don't know how he could have gotten out!"

"Unless someone let him out," Tom replied.

After she had gotten over her initial shock, Penny ran to her mom to tell her what happened.

"Are you quite sure you shut the cage door before you went out trick-or-treating?"

"Yes, mom, I'm sure. I never leave the cage door open when I leave my room. And besides, I found the cage in the middle of my bedroom. I'm sure I put it under my bed before I left the house."

"I believe you, Penny," Cynthia replied. "I know how well you and Tommy take care of your mouse."

"His name is Micromouse, mom! But what's gonna happen now? Am I gonna be punished?"

"No, Penny, I see no reason to punish you. And I believe you're telling the truth. But we are gonna have to tell your dad. He's not gonna be too happy when he sees a mouse in the dining room, even if it is Micromouse."

"Is he gonna kill him?" Penny broke down sobbing again.

"I don't know, Penny. Maybe we could buy you another pet. How about a hamster or gerbil?"

"But I don't want a hamster or gerbil! I want Micromouse!"

After that, there was no further discussion. Cynthia reluctantly let her husband know what happened. He set on buying a mousetrap. Penny and Tommy resigned themselves to never seeing their little friend again. But as things turned out, the mystery of Micromouse's disappearance was soon solved in the most unexpected way. One evening, while the family was having dinner, Penny and Foster spotted a tiny white mouse scurrying under the dining room table with a piece of cheese in his mouth. Before he could stop himself, Foster cried out.

"Look, you guys! There's that damed mouse! I bet it's Micromouse!"

"What makes you so sure it's Micromouse, Foster?" Jim replied. "It could be any mouse."

"I know it's Micromouse," Penny exclaimed. "I know because he's got that little nick behind his left ear."

"Do you know anything about this, Foster?" Jim added. "The way I see it is that somebody must have let that mouse out of its cage? Was it you, Foster? Now, don't lie to me!"

"Well, well, well, errr.. I never did like that mouse to begin with. And dad, you yourself always said you didn't want any wild critters in the house."

"But that was a nasty thing to do to your sister, Foster. I'm gonna have to punish you. You'll be grounded for two weeks. That means no car until I tell you. And besides, you owe Penny and Tommy a big apology."

While Jim was talking, Penny dashed away from the table with a piece of cheese in her hand. She headed straight for the little hole where she'd first seen Micromouse. She held out the cheese in her outstretched hand. After waiting for what seemed like an hour, a little white whiskered nose appeared. It was Micromouse! He quickly grabbed the cheese from her hand. Then Penny picked him up gently and carried him back to the dining room table where everybody stared at her in amazement. Then they all started clapping and cheering, everyone except Foster who slunk away.

"I just knew it was Micromouse! Penny exclaimed. "I knew he'd come back to me!" Penny returned to her bedroom to grab the cage and put Micromuse back in it.

During the rest of that winter and spring, there were no further incidents. Everyone was glad to see Micromouse again, everyone except Foster. Micromouse lived contentedly for another year or so. After he died, Tommy made him a little cigar box casket which they buried in the back yard. Penny bought a little picture frame on which she painted Micromouse's name and placed it on the ground like a miniature gravestone.