|
This occurred in December
That time of the year
When
folks get excited
Cause Christmas is near.
Christmas Eve, now it was,
If my memory's right
A
right blustery day
And a cold snowy night
And in this small town
Where somewhere I found me,
I
was pleased to find Christmas
Was there, all around me.
All the lampposts were circled
With garlands of
holly
And snowmen hung from them
And Santas, quite jolly.
The streets were all covered
In a layer of white
And
each snowflake reflected
A rainbow of light.
As I stood there alone
On that cold snowy street
The
wind, as a prank
Tossed a wreath at my feet.
And as I bent to retrieve it
With some bit of
fumbling
I thought that I heard
Someone quite tiny grumbling!
I shook all the snow
From my beard and my hair
And
then bent down again,
For the sound was still there.
I listened intently
My eyes and ears seeking
And I
finally found him
Quite comfortably perching
On a red handled steam valve
Sticking out of the
ground
That had melted the snow
For ten inches around.
I gave a low chuckle
Much too loud for his
pleasure
For this creature who sat there
Was too tiny to measure.
He was a little grey mouse
About three inches
high
With oversize ears
And a tear in his eye.
He was worrying, worrying
About the bad weather
About
his next meal
And was wondering whether
He might find a warm home
With someone he could talk
to,
Some place close at hand
Some place near he could walk to
And I think, bless my soul,
That in spite of our
size
Our meeting like this
Took us both by surprise!
"Pardon me, Mouse," I said
As he sat in his
clearing,
"But you're grumbling so loud
I couldn't help overhearing.
Are things really so bad
In this town where I've found
you
That the sum of it all
Is to simply confound you?
With these bright Christmas lights
There is really no
reason
Why even a mouse
Can't enjoy the Yule Season!
Just look all around you
And gather an earful
Of the
sounds of the carols
And the shoppers so cheerful –
I should think that by now
All your stores would be
gathered
And you'd have you a nest
That's all comfortably feathered."
"Hold on there!" he cried
As he jumped to the
ground
And then looked to be certain
No cats were around.
"Old man," then he said,
"Tho I'm small you unhand
me.
You're the first human I've met
Who halfway understands me.
How is it, I ask you,
That we two can converse?
And
not only that,
But we do it in verse?
Is it magic, or witchcraft,
Or simply the timing,
That
finds a small mouse and a man
Here, now, rhyming?"
He shrugged his wee shoulders
And stated while
pacing
That his grumblings were justified,
Not at all self-effacing.
"It really gets cold
In this cemented city,
And a
mouse can get hungry
Tho these lights may be pretty!"
He stopped then, and faced me
With bright little
eyes
And then turned and directed
His gaze towards the skies.
"What is the reason
At this time of the year
For these
decorations,
For all of this cheer?
Why the bright colored lights?
Why the gifts in bright
wrappings?
Why all the excitement?
Why all of the trappings?"
I replied, "Mr. Mouse,
Since I feel that I know
you,
If you'll hop on my sleeve
I'll be happy to show you."
So he climbed on my glove,
Settled down on my
arm,
Found a fold in my coat sleeve
And curled up to get warm
And we walked through the streets
And I showed him all
the sights –
The tinsel, the trimmings,
All those bright Christmas
lights –
I explained how at Christmas
People filled up with
loving,
And tried to make up
For their pushing and shoving –
For the worry and heartache
That go into living,
Folks
try to atone
In December, by giving!
The lights are reflections
Of a night long ago
When a
great gift was given
To those who would know
And that fat little man
People call Santa Claus
Is a
modern contraction
Of that saint, Nicholaus!
He's the same kind old fellow
Who long years ago
Left
presents for children
Wherever he'd go.
Oh, they've changed him,
Improved him, maybe brightened
his image,
But there's never a question
Involved in his lineage!
And those are the reasons
This season comes 'round
And
that's why, in December,
Good feelings abound!
He didn't reply,
So I carefully peeked,
And I saw that
my tiny
Grey mouse was asleep ...
We were far from that steam valve
At the north end of
town,
And I liked him so much
That I could not put him down
So I opened my coat
All fur lined and red,
And in my
vest pocket
I made him a bed
And he woke Christmas Morning
At the North Pole, you
see,
For I'd taken him back
To Toyland with me!
