Daddy didn’t come home last night.
Oh where, oh where did he go?
I think that I will go looking,
so I myself shall know.
I told him to go out exploring
to see what he could find:
a crumb, or tidbit of chicken,
or some cheese, is what I had in mind.
I was busy feeding my children
or I would have gone out myself.
He promised that he would be careful.
Is he caught in a trap, on a shelf?
Daddy didn’t come home last night.
I wonder where he could be.
Now I’m finished feeding my babies.
I think that I’ll go out and see.
What’s that? It looks like my mouse-mate.
But I’ve never seen him like that.
He is flat on his tummy. Is he breathing?
Or has he been caught in a trap?
When he saw me he came to his senses.
He jumped up and ran to me fast.
"I was almost caught in that mousetrap,"
he was barely able to gasp.
"We must hurry on home to our children
to warn them of dangers abreast.
I think we should vacate the premise.
Oh yes! I think that is best."
But I stayed behind for some tidbits.
Some cheese, or something like that.
My mother taught me to be careful.
I’m too smart to be caught in a trap.
I quietly crept through the kitchen.
It was then that I saw the house cat.
She pounced, but I dashed underneath her.
I told you I was too smart for that!
I then rushed back to my family.
They were sleeping, all curled in a ball.
We quickly told them of our ventures.
"We must leave," we said, "once and for all."
So we jumped in our boat on the river
and rowed quickly to the opposite side.
I think we will live in the forest.
We can find food, and lots of places to hide.
Helen