The Story of The Lonely Mouse

The story of a lonely mouse...

Once upon a time in a dark and mysterious forest far away from any humans lived a mouse. He lived at the bottom of a huge oak tree. He had a red door and he lived there alone.

Above him further up the oak lived the squirrel family. They were a large and happy clan and they chattered there much of the day and sometimes into the night.

Many animals lived in the forest and they all lived out their own lives, crossing paths every so often unless of course they were neighbours in which case they very much liked to meet up and drink together the Leaf Nector - A special drink collected at dawn by the hedgehogs who would swap it for nuts an berries.

In the dark forest there came a fairy princess who would practise her dancing in the mellow and musty quiet gloom of the night.
The animals of the forest would gather near to watch the mystically beautiful fairy princess dance.

Such was her smooth and gracefull movements that they drew all the living creatures like a mythical siren. They became transfixed with awe and often made little (involuntary) squeaks of delight.

The fairy princess would see the animals and smile, which would make her all the more compelling. All were spell bound by the nightly performance. All but the lonely mouse who was known as simply; Mr mouse.

For he kept himself away standing in the doorway of his house at bottom of the huge oak on the edge of the clearing. The squirrel family knew why he was this way. Years before he was the happiest of them all for he used to live with Mrs Mouse whom was his very air and his sunlight.

This was a long time ago and the squirrel family - especially mother Madina would visit him. She would take him some nuts to eat for he was old now and his brown fur was dirty from not looking after himself.

After Mrs mouse disappeared his eyes had become dead and empty, reflecting the loss in his heart. He had searched the whole forest for her years after the day she went off to see the old owl and had never returned.

His eyes would meet mother Madina squirrel's when she, as always invited him up to thier house further up the oak. A slow shake of the head was all that was needed for her not press him further. She to missed his loved one as they had been good friends for many years but not in the same way she knew that Mr mouse did.

His tiny heart had turned abit to stone from the lonelyness. This was why Mr Mouse was not affected so by the heavenly steps of the fairy princess. Because he kept himself away from the circle she did not see his tiny face peering out - for he did always watch.

The animals knew that the fairies had no particular concern for the human realm but some would care for the animals:

A human man had once upon a time become lost while trying to cut through the forest. A terror spell had been placed over the forest to keep humans away but the man was drunk on ale and fear was not affecting him that night.

He had come across the clearing having seen a shining light and, from behind a tree he stared aghast at the dance of the fairy princess. This was a spell that would work and he fell madly in love. Unable to control himself he staggered over to touch her and at once the light vanished as all the animals scurried away.

The man would later go insane with what he thought he saw and the love he could not touch and was cast out by his fellow villagers. His ranting scared them and they could take know more. He was found drowned in a nearby river soon after.

This was a rare occurance for the forest and luckiy for them and any foolish human who might come near - they were safe.

The fairy princess on one particular night was smiling wistfully at the gathering of bewitched and furry friends. She noticed for the first time the figure of Mr mouse hidden away in the dark. She asked Mother madina squirrel why he did not watch with the rest of them. Mother madina explained to the fairy how his heart was turned to stone from his lost love and could never enjoy even the hypnotic dance of the princess.

"Let me look onto him" the fairey princess glimmered. Mother Madina took her over to where Mr mouse was retreating back into his door.

"Please Mr mouse she want only to see you quickly" pleaded Mother madina. Words from a kind and trusted mouth were enough to keep Mr mouse from shutting himself away.

The fairy princess smiled at him with magic and love. Mr mouse managed a weak one back but she could see the mist over his dull eyes.

She brought out her Silver Birch wand and waved it in rapid circles through the air while making a soft humming. She asked one of the young foxes to go a fetch her some nightshade from where it grew. Poisonous to humans and even some animals the fox had no trouble in carrying a clump back in his mouth for their spit and their stomachs are strong.

He returned with it and the fairy mixed it into a small wooden bowel with some cruched oak leaves. She then poured the mixture into her palm and with a weighted whisper called: "Beat again broken heart and live again once more" and blew a fine dust over Mr Mouse.

From the tip of he wand came a blue glow and at once Mr Mouse felt a melting feeling inside. His heart felt mended beating and alive! His eyes lit up and he exclaimed:

"Thanks you beautiful princess! I feel alive once more!" And then he reflected, "But I miss still my Mrs Mouse. I can now hurt again where as before i felt nothing. The fairy smiled myteriously and moved away.

"Why are the fairy kind so odd?" whispered the father fox to Mother madina squirrel.

"I mean she didn't give poor Mr mouse an answer" his normally balanced and rational mind disturbed for a moment.

"Who knows" she answered "They're unpredicatable"

That night Mr mouse joined the squirrel family in their home. He could now smile and enjoy the warmth of their company. Mother madina took the opportunity to fuss over him and gave him hot nut roast as he talked - more than he had done in years.

"Im glad to feel something again although I do miss her so like it was only yesterday again" he said.

"I guess my heart becoming stone was the a way of surviving." he mused.

"Who knows what fairys do or why but she had designs for you to feel again" said Mother madina squirrel. " Now drink this leaf nector"

"I dont know how many more moons I shall last you know" he pondered,

"My old heart is still old and I am very old for a mouse, I mean, who knows if....where ever did she go....." he trailed off into muttering deep thought.

Mother Madina rather firmly offered Mr mouse a place to sleep under one of the young squirrels tails which he greatfully accepted.

When he has fallen asleep she made her way out into the dark.

"How do you know it's her? Are you sure?"

"Im sure. While I was gathering teeth in a human childs bedroom i saw a lady mouse in a cage in his room. I'd not seen her before but that look in her eye, well i had seen that. A longing. A dull depair. I didnt speak to her - I was in a hurry. I cant meddle with affairs of others. That is...we're not meant to."

"But you have now"

"I know."

"Please fetch her and meet me at dawn!"

The fairy princess flitted into the night and made to the human childs bedroom. The lady mouse was asleep so the fairy cast a bubble spell and formed it around her. She gently floated the sleeping mouse out of the open cage and out of the window and into the warm night. She whispered "sorry!" to the child who was sitting upright and opened mouthed in his bed.

The boys father of course blamed him for allowing the "horrible animal" to escape and was told to "Stop making up such ridiculous lies!"

He was never allowed a pet again.

Anyway; this is not a story about humans. This about the forest and the fairy and the animals and of course Mr and Mrs mouse.

"Quickly!" Mother madina hissed. It was dawn.

The fairy princess gently let down the protective bubble and quietly woke the newly freed lady mouse.

"Eeeeek!!" She started. "Where am I? What's happening? Mrs Mouse was startled confused. This an was unexpected shock but the smell in the air was familier.

"You're in the forest you used to live in" Mother madina trying to calm her.

"Mother Madina! Is that you? Is this a dream? Its been so many moons - I am old now."

After a while she slowley calmed down as her rescue was explained.

Mother madina pressed her: "But how was it that you came to be in a human house?"

"A child caught me when I was on my way to...I cant remember where....He kept me in his cage and poked me with stick to make me run round this horrible moving thing."

The fairy intervened." The terror spell we put over the forest before time began does not seem to effect the children of humans."

"Or the human intoxicated by a potion" she added.

"And Mr mouse? Is he with another? Is he...g-gone?" She stammered.

Mother Madina explained the lonely wait he endured for her and how his heart had gone cold but had been healed.

She needed to - had to see him.

"Come" Said Mother madina. The events had all happened so fast she would later reflect on how they might have made this magic occur differently.

"Mr Mouse are you here?" Mother Madina squirrel called as they approached the old oak.

"Im here" he replyed. "I could not sleep for longing. I wonder if she - " his voice cut short - a sudden exhale of his tiny breath as he stared at the doorway, frozen in time, not daring to move or beleive or understand what he was seeing.

His old love staring back, older like him but beautiful still. His tiny heart swelled as she moved towards him.

"STOP!" Cried the Fairy as she came flying like an arrow out of the darkness towards the house.

"Warn him please Mother Madina his tiny heart won't - "

Just as fairy prineces reached the door it was too late.

His old heart could not fathom the shock. Whom he thought was dead and gone from him was touching his paw with hers. The years of grief had taken its toll.

Reunited with his love he knew he had come towards the end. The edge of life and the brink of what came after only the faire kind knew or those who stepover.

"Oh Mr mouse dont leave me!" cried Mrs mouse.

"You are always my Mrs mouse" and he smiled and looked deep and longingly into her eyes and after a while they shut as he wrapped his tail around her embracing her.

"My mister mouse" she whispered over and over again. And she shut her eyes too, her tail mirroring his embrace as she let go.

But not of Mr mouse for she died too. For they were old mice and now they're were in each others fading mortal warmth. There was nothing left to live for.

"Whats's going on?"

Father squirrel was climbing up to the house after a night forraging.

"What!....? who? Can't be?....Is that....Mrs mouse?"

Mother madina sobbed into his furry chest.

All the creatures of the forest gathered once again.

Mr and Mrs mouse were buried on a bed of furns and elder flower petals.

No one could believe the story of what happened to Mrs Mouse and there was much whispering amongst them. The fairy pincess once again performed her dance but this was in honour of the old lovers - a dance that was sad yet happy, somber but serene. And the animals of the forest looked on in silence.

Although she was sad, Mother Madina smiled as she watched the spell binding farewell dance of the princess. She thought of the magic the forest held and of the tiny figers that she thought she could see watching for the empty house at the bottom of their oak tree.