Maude and the Mice by kscorn080 (pete)

The sun was going down and the woods were turning dark as John climbed down off his big green John Deere tractor. He smells the fresh meatloaf that Maude had promised she would fix today.

He walks in through the side door that goes into the utility room. He always changes his sweaty clothes and dusty boots in there. There is a short hallway that leads to the kitchen and John has just started down the hall. He stops suddenly as he hears Maude's voice.

"You guys better get hid, John is coming in here, there will be trouble if he sees you."

John slips quietly down the hall and peeks around the corner into the kitchen. Maude is busy at the counter with her back to him when she says," Oscar you better scram, you know John doesn't like you guys. I'll put your food beside the water tank and I'll see you all tomorrow."

John stepped into the kitchen and asked,"Who the heck is Oscar Maude? I didn't know we had company."

Startled Maude turns quickly looking around, "Oh John I didn't hear you come in. My friends Oscar, Melvin and Dennis stopped by to see me and they just left. I'll have supper ready in just a minute, why don't you go wash up and we can eat.I made your favorite meatloaf like I promised. "

John looks all around the kitchen and not seeing anything anywhere he stops and looks at Maude,"Well Maude you just told me a lot about nothing and now once again, who is Oscar, Melvin and Dennis."

Maude looks towards the pantry and says haltingly, "Well John, um you have to promise me that you won't hurt them."

John rolls his eyes towards the ceiling, "Maude I don't even know them so why would I want to hurt them?" He walked over to the water tank and kneeled down. Reaching under it he finds a saucer and begins sliding it out. It seems to be hung up and he tugs harder and he stops pulling as he is hearing tiny voices.

"Stop it you big bully this is our food dish." And another tiny voice, " help us Maude he is taking our food dish."

With a frown and a grunt John slides the saucer out only to see three little mice tugging and pulling on it. Still another little voice cries out," we don't bother you so leave us alone."

John's eyes open wide and he sits down on the floor with his mouth open. "MAUDE since when do we have talking mice in our house and why are you feeding them?"

Maude walks over and picks all of the three mice up and puts them in her apron pocket where they all peek out at John with little beady eyes. John shakes his head and looks up at Maude.

"Okay," he closes his eyes and opens them blinking several times, "My wife is afraid of mice and you have three of them in your pocket. They are staring at me, so I have to ask, what have you done with my wife? "

John climbs slowly to his feet and walks into the living room and sits down in his favorite rocking chair staring straight ahead.

He hears Maude whispering, "Shhh little friends I'm afraid we might have caused ourselves big trouble." Oscar scrambles out of the apron pocket and runs down Maude's pants leg.

" I'm not afraid Maude let me go try something, I will be careful."

John feels something on his leg and looks down to see a mouse climbing slowly up to sit on the arm of his rocker. John warily watches as it sits up on its back legs and leans back on its tail.

"Hello John my name is Oscar and Melvin and Dennis are my cousins. We have been friends with Maude for a long time. She lets us stay in a shoe box in the pantry and has showed us that we are not to gnaw on things. She puts food down for us and water and we keep her company when you are out in the fields. We would like to be your friend to John. Do you think you could be our friend? "

John blinks and watches the mouse jump off the arm of his chair and run up to sit on his big belly with its ears perked up and his beady little eyes shining.

John suddenly smiles, "Aren't you guys afraid of our cat Sinbad?" Oscar squeaks a little mouse laugh,

"Oh Sinbad sleeps with us in our shoebox John, he keeps us warm when it gets cool in there."

John stands shaking his head, he smiles down at Oscar and holds his hand out, "Hop on Oscar and I'll give you a ride to the kitchen."

So this is how Farmer John and his wife Maude came to have three little mice living with them and their cat Sinbad.

The thought behind this story shows that friends can be big or small but if you show kindness they will always be your friends. Just ask farmer John about the three little heads sticking up out of his shirt pocket.