N) Mouse with nous

House mice live regally
in peaceful partnership with man
as long as they respect the house

Keep out of sight, says mother mouse
a scraping in the wainscot is OK
but leave no poopy in the kitchen
dash out at night - bring booty back
then leave your droppings out of sight

Why should we? squeals a male one night
I'll scoff grub where I want
No housewife gets the best of me

The top where food's prepared is full of luscious scraps
he trenches in and leaves his sign
in time the others follow suit
and trails of droppings mark the runs
where mice have dined on last night's cheese and buns

The housewife has a blitz
some mice are poisoned with blue crumbly stuff
others have spines cracked as they dine

One rather thoughtful tiny chap
is captured in a humane trap
and exiled to a distant wood
has grim adventures and finds his way
back to the house when he's bent and gray
becomes a poet and writes this lay
(you'll note my rhymes oft gang aglay
- but I'm only a mouse)

The moral is that mice and people too
should not take easy times as read
nor grab too much and scatter poo
but thank the Lord for sweet sufficiency of bread