第3章 Snippy and Snappy(2)

"Oh,that's nothing,"said Snappy who was looking up at a standing lamp."I've found a plant with its roots outside of the ground too —beautiful cur-r-r-ly roots.And MY plant has leaves and a flower besides —the BIGGEST flower I EVER saw!"

But Snippy did not hear.She had wandered into a long hall which had a mirror at the end of it.

"Oh,Snappy!"called Snippy.

"What is it,Snippy?"called Snappy.

"Come quick!"cried Snippy."There's another mouse here —a little girl-mouse —and everything I do,she does too."

Snappy rushed out into the long hall and now,of course,there were two little mice in the mirror.

"Let's fight 'em!"cried Snappy,and he made a dash toward the mirror.But the boy-mouse in the mirror seemed to rush at them so FIERCELY that Snippy and Snappy turned around and scurried away as fast as they could.

"I don't like those copy-cat mice at ALL,"said Snappy."Let's hurry back home."So —

They darted here and darted there,From fuzzy rug to fringy chair;

And ran with all their mousie-might From floppy mop to flowery light.

But alas!poor Snippy,and alas!poor Snappy.They couldn't find their way out.The big door was closed now,and it was getting dark too.The two fieldmice felt lost and little and lonely,and soon they were crying as though their hearts would break.

"Snuffle,Snuffle,"went Snippy.

"Sniffle,Sniffle,"went Snappy.

But suddenly Snappy perked up his nose.He stopped his,"Sniffle,Sniffle,"and gave a"Sniff!Sniff!Sniff!"instead.

"What's up?"said Snippy."Are you going to sneeze?"

"Oh no!"said Snappy."I smell some CHEESE!"

Now,when a mouse smells cheese,he can find his way to it,even though the doors are closed.So before they knew it,Snippy and Snappy found themselves going through a crack in the wall and —

"There it is!"cried Snappy,looking hungrily at a big chunk of cheese in —A MOUSE TRAP!

He was just about to start nibbling at it,when Snippy gave a loud squeak.

"Oh,oh!"she cried."Something's after us."

It was true.Something jumped down from somewhere and ran after the two little field-mice.

"Snippy!Snappy!Don't you know me?"said a voice behind them.The two little mice looked around and whom should they see but Father Mouse!

Snippy and Snappy pointed to the mouse-trap and said proudly,"See,Father Mouse?A kitchen cupboard full of cheese.We found it all by ourselves."

But Father Mouse put his arms around Snippy and Snappy and said,"My dear little mice —that is NOT a kitchen cupboard —it's a MOUSE TRAP."

"And what's a mouse-trap?"asked Snippy and Snappy.

"Well,"said Father Mouse,"as soon as a mouse starts nibbling at the cheese in a mouse-trap —there's a snip and a snap and a trip and a trap —and that's the end of a little mousie."

"Oh dear,oh dear,"said Snippy and Snappy.

Now Father Mouse went to a corner and came back with two big chunks of cheese.

He put one under each arm,and off he went —

Zip!Zip!thru a crack in the wall.And Zip!Zip!

Zip!Zip!went Snippy and Snappy after him.

Outdoors the moon was shining brightly,and when they reached their cozy little nook Mother Mouse was waiting for them.

"Where have you all been so long?"asked Mother Mouse,"I've been so lonely —and quite lost without my knitting ball,for I can't find it anywhere."

Snippy looked at Snappy.

Snappy looked at Snippy and they both burst into tears.

"Never mind if it's lost,"said Mother Mouse."I won't scold you —but do tell me all about it."

"Well,"said Snippy,"We rolled it and rolled it."

"Yes,"said Snappy,"We rolled it up,we rolled it down,We rolled it up and up and down.We rolled it up and DOWN and down,We rolled it UP AND DOWN."

"And then a pink plump thing came and snatched it from us,and we followed it,"said Snippy.

"Yes,"said Snappy,"We followed it over this and that,and over things both round and flat,and over thins both small and tall,And then!—over the garden wall."

"Where there was a house,"said Snippy,"All full of flat flowers and the funniest trees,with copy-cat mice and a trap full of cheese!"

"A trap full of cheese!"cried Mother Mouse.

"Yes,"laughed Father Mouse,"But you know where there's cheese,why there am I,so —"

"So,of course he saved us,"said Snippy.

"Yes,of course he did,"said Snappy.

"And,"said Snippy and Snappy,"We'll never Go near a house or a mouse trap again."

And Snippy and Snappy never did,so of course they didn't get caught and lived happily ever,ever,ever after.