The Mouse

I had heard from plenty of others how it works. Bring a treat and receive the solution to your problem. Simple enough. I remember when my little sister was sick, and we couldn’t afford a visit from the doctor, my parents went to the mouse. They gave it a slice of fresh raisin bread and in return the mouse gave them a sachet of tea. At first, they thought they were to give it to my sister, but they quickly learned it was the doctors favorite from his time in Japan. He gladly treated my sister in exchange for the sachet. That was twenty years ago and she’s expecting her first child by the end of the season. She would not be here were it not for the mouse. 

Now, here I am, trudging through thicket to get to the mouse’s home. The old cottage has stood here for as long as anyone can remember and for as long it has been the home of the mouse. The stone, covered in creeping ivies and a tree growing the hole in the caved in roof, nearly blends in with the rest of the forest. Careful not to lose my footing in the overgrowth, I approach. There it takes me a moment to find the hole, created from a missing stone in the base of the cottage. Without hesitation I take the cloth wrapped pastry from my front pocket and unwrap it, hands shaking and nearly dropping the still warm cinnamon roll to my feet. Carefully I set it at the hole and wait. Mere minutes feel like an eternity as I watch, praying the mouse accepts my offering. I exhale a breath I didn’t know I was holding when the mouse pokes its tiny nose out and approaches the treat. Almost expectantly, it looks up at me. 

“Oh, I, uh, my marriage- I...my husband,” stammering and fumbling around with my words like a fool, I almost barely notice when the mouse retreats into the hole. 

I begin to cry. 

The mouse refused my offer. 

As I turn to walk away, though, I notice something in the sill of the window that was not there before. I take it into my hands. It’s a small paper packet. Looking inside, I immediately understand and thank the mouse repeatedly before retreating home. With this my marriage will be saved! I can’t wait to see his face! He’ll never suspect the finely crushed peanuts in his dinner tonight.