Mouse Oneziss
Uncle Munchabit was a woodland mouse most prone to avoiding urban environments. But today was different…today was near Christmastime day. Having found with age the need to rekindle with family he and Aunt Cheesetwist chose to visit nephew Wantmore at his palatial attic across the field, across the street in the town of Kemmelberry.
Munchabit and Cheesetwist, after gifting some Christmastime treats to their neighbours (the mice liked and adopted this non-mice custom), left their warm treeroot home tail to nose. It was a most wintry Christmastime with just the slightest bit of snow on the ground, but for mousefeet, of an age, Munchabit found the tromping scurry a bit on the frosty iced side of comfort. The distance to the non-mice home was not far for non-mice but for one furry, tailed friend the journey was a frozening one.
Cheesetwist was used to Munchabit and his ways. Always prepared she carried encouragements and promises of what might be found on the other side. It steadied Munchabit who needed much steadiness. Cheestwist cautioned him about non-mice creatures…not all of them are our friends. Best to move unobserved…we can work out friendly associations later…but Munchabit fretted…there are the nightly flight owls and woof woofy dogs and then of course the non-squeak noises to fret and imperil upon. Nevertheless, Munchabit followed Cheesetwist’s lead who knowingly turned her mouse whiskers towards her love to remind him, all is well…only several more scurries to go and we will be there…keep your cap on, your mittens dry and your mouse foot boots out of colden puddles.
At Wantmore’s home the non-mice had recently bashed about the attic in search of light and twinkle to address the tree below. Wantmore wondered indeed…if not known to these furless creatures how is it that they have left the cheesiest cheese-berry ball on a saucer near my home? Excited as he was for this tasty bit of dairy gourmet and berries, Wantmore would soon become aware of aunt and uncle on the sill…it would be the familiar tapping tap rap that could only be his oneziss (as mice families are known).
For Munchabit the wall and drainpipe climb was a difficult one…naturally so for one elder mouse whose procurement of tasty delights beguiled his name. Cheesetwist helped Munchabit to the glass pane, and together they knocked their gentle mouse morse knock and soon a beaming Wantmore appeared. Squeaking with glee the mice ran in tail to nose circles as Ascalon the cat viewed from a short distance. Munchabit looked upwards at precisely the wrong moment. Mew. Having completed 12 circles, Munchabit froze in wide eyed expression at the larger whiskered one. Mew. Cheestwist instantly concerned observed as Wantmore pattered forward in his knowing way of his home and asked kitty, Would you like a bit of Christmas kibble? Ascalon, Mew, purred and stretched…all was saved. Munchabit now defrosted but still rather shattered by his mouse fright attempted to listen as Wantmore reminded them of the need for continued caution in the non-mice home (author’s note: there are no mousetraps in the non-mice Bailey family home).
Together the oneziss family climbed into Wantmore’s trunk of antiquity…a true heritage home. Munchabit loved the aging scarlet tunic for its colour and warmth but desired to chew greatly upon the old leather scabbard until Wantmore reminded him of the hurt it carried within. The medal was of no importance to Munchabit, he could not see himself in the silvery mirror but its ribbon he often thought might provide a lovely scarf for a chilled mouseling. Together they chewed on the best of Christmastime food crumbs, as Wantmore had been gathering from his non-mice family down below. All were well jolly and after chatting of the bear Threadbare and viewing Wantmore’s latest non-mice picture installation they sat together in mouse bound comfort as gentle non-mice voices rose in Christmas song and harmony.
Soon the kitten Ascalon dropped down the still open hatch to be with his dependents as the goodly mice in the attic softly hummed in harmony Christmas tunes of the olden mouse folk…soon it would be Christmastime day with mouse oneziss and non-mice family…a jolly great day indeed…as Ascalon found the need to cuddle with his non-mice family and Clarence Bailey mused I wonder if another cheeseball is needed?
Merry Christmas to one and all…mouse and non-mice!
All images by P. Ferguson, December 2021