Larry Mouse

Larry Mouse was a very happy mouse who lived in a house. A big old dilapidated Victorian house. At one time it was a magnificent mansion. This was way back when Larry was a very young mouse.

Big people were living there then, the McHenrys; Bert, and Martha. Nice big people. Larry missed them though he wasn’t quite sure why. From an early age, Larry had never understood the need for things to change. Larry liked things to stay the same.

They were such lovely big people. Bert always puttering around in the garden and doing “stuff” out in his little workshop. Martha, always baking something tasty and kind of sloppy so there was always enough for him. Larry was very fond of baked items.

They never noticed him and Larry made sure they never did. They all got along famously. He had heard his dad say that once, so it must have been important.

Over time the big people left. Larry wasn’t sure exactly where they went. They just weren’t there. Black drapes had been strung up all over the house, Larry was not found of this, but the drapes eventually faded into distant memory. Time passed much slower after Bert and Martha were gone.

Larry missed the parties, the constant throngs of big people coming and going. Some stayed for several days and some stayed only a night.

Larry had taken to stretching out on top of a giant painting that hung over the fireplace in the main parlor. The painting was hideous, some old person, Larry didn't know who. It made a great place to take, forgive the phrase, a cat nap. Also, the perfect vantage point to observe the big people, they never seemed to look up. Larry figured it must be something with their necks.

Larry slowly got used to the house being empty. He roamed all over not having to hide from big people, but it was kind of lonely. Time moved on.

The exterior wood was way past needing paint, the shutters were falling off, and the roof was, let's be honest, far from new. Bert would have had a field day ‘fixen her up’ as he would say. Larry to be quite honest never really understood exactly what Bert was talking about but it made Bert smile so it had to be good.

Being empty was lonely but it did have a couple of things that Larry liked. No big people to cause him trouble was both good and bad. It gave him time to finish putting in his rooms. The walls were really thick. He had nice rooms arranged inside the walls. A living room, library, though the only book he had was an old piece of newspaper folded to look like a book, a dining room, and a very nice bedroom.

Larry had fashioned his furnishings after some interesting pictures he had seen in an old magazine. The furniture was ‘rustic chic’ as Larry liked to call it. Larry busied himself decorating his ‘digs’ and making escape routes. Escapes routes were very important to a mouse.

Larry installed throughout the house an intricate system of ladders and escape chutes. The installation had been started by prior generations of Larry Mouse's family. Larry continued the practice and made sure to include lots of lookouts. Lookouts were little holes from which to 'look out'. You never knew exactly when you would need to look at something.

Larry especially liked the attic in this old house, there was one large round window that he could sit in and look out at his world. Which consisted of the part he could see from the window. Larry saw no reason to look beyond that. Larry was very content, not quite happy but no longer sad.

He lived in this old house for a very long time, all by himself. He was fine with that state of affairs. He was happy spending time in his walls and sitting in his big round window watching his world. He watched as the seasons came and went, the house slowly getting older.

Then one-day things changed. Big people moved in. Larry stayed in the walls to hide at first. Larry did not like this change at all, well not at first.

The big people had other people come and look at the house, saying things like “wouldn’t mauve look absolutely adorable on this wall?” And the really strange, “we could tear all the walls out and have an open concept, what do you think?” Well, Larry had all kinds of thoughts most of them he couldn’t say, he had been brought up better than that.

There was a rush of commotion over the next few months as wallpaper was replaced, some of Larry Mouse’s favorite doors were covered up or worse removed. Paint cans and ladders were left just everywhere. In the end, the work was finished and the house was beautiful once again. Larry was very happy when all the noise and confusion settled down. Larry thought that Bert would approve, Martha would have made a cake, Larry missed that cake.

He still didn’t know exactly what color mauve was supposed to be, but the house looked nice again and that made Larry happier than he had been in a long while.

Luckily calmer heads had prevailed and most of the walls were still intact. There was bright wallpaper, new plaster ceilings, the skirting boards had been painted a nice shade of brown, and new carpets and rugs. Larry approved of all the finishes. He would have to make a new front door for his part of the house, but that was OK.

It made Larry very happy to see his house alive again.

Larry’s new companions were called “Honey” the woman and “Yes Dear” the man. They kept repeating their names every time they talked.

“Honey, could you get the box off the steps?” She would sing out from the kitchen.

“Yes Dear, no problem at all” he would say back. Larry wondered if their memories weren’t too good so they had to constantly repeat their names, or they were just forgetful.

Life was grand at the big old Victorian house again. Larry kept to the well-worn passages in the walls, spent his mornings in the attic looking out the big round window. Food was plentiful and as long as he didn’t get greedy and take too much, they were none the wiser. Yes for Larry this was just perfect and he saw no reason to assume they would ever change.

Larry was in for a surprise, but he didn't know it yet.

Larry was very happy living in the remodeled house with “Honey” and “Yes Dear” they each had their little routines. Larry didn’t know what the big people routines were as long as they stayed out of his way.

It had been a couple of years and life was good Ever so often the people would leave, this typically was for two weeks. When they did return they kept going on about what a great vacation they had had. Larry didn’t know what a vacation was but he was happy they enjoyed it.

This particular day started like any other, Larry had used one of the interior wall passages to take his shopping cart to the kitchen while filling up his cart, made from a thimble and some bottle caps for tires, things changed. Larry was not aware things were changing permanently at this point, but the change was in the air. “Yes Dear” was running around in a frantic state, looking for his keys. “Honey” was calm as usual but was standing by the front door tapping her foot.

“Honey, I think we need to go, now!” Her calm was starting to crack.

“Yes Dear” he cried out and found his keys, they were in his pocket.

The two rushed out in a great hurry.

Larry had the thought that perhaps they were going on another one of their adventures which happened about once a year. This time was most definitely different.

Larry used the time, as always, to stock up from the larder in the kitchen, the big people always bought the good stuff, and since he never took much they never noticed. As he was pushing his little cart with one cookie and two potato chips back to his digs when he heard the big people’s car pull into the drive.

Larry had to hurry and scurry to get his goods stashed just in time as the front door flew open and in walked Yes Dear and Honey.

They were carrying something, it was a tiny little big people all wrapped up with pink ribbons and pink blankets. Most peculiar. Larry had of course heard of these little big people but he personally had never experienced one.

Larry was most perplexed, and not exactly sure what to do about it. He ran up the stairway inside the living room wall to a better vantage point a small hole in the portrait of a particularly ugly person hanging above the fireplace. Larry got his first look at “it”.

The bundle sure didn’t look like much, Larry was most definitely unimpressed but the big people were sure impressed over it. Apparently, it was called Gwendolyn, something or other, but they also kept calling it “Pumpkin”. Larry being a pragmatic sort of mouse determined it would always be known as Pumpkin, the most logical course of action really.

Larry was watching from his special viewing position when Pumpkin made a noise. Very soft at first almost cute sort of sound then not so soft or cute and then it just grew louder and louder. Air raid sirens were softer. Larry knew this was not good. He decided, quickly, to use his emergency ladder to the attic. To hide.

Larry assumed, incorrectly as it turned out, that everything would go back to normal. Alas, this was not to be. Pumpkin made the most hideous noises and kept making it until either Yes Dear or Honey ran to it to see what it needed, and tend to it’s whatever’s, only then mercifully the noise would finally stop. For awhile.

Larry did his best to stay hidden. The ladders and stairways in the walls, built over several generations of Mouses, were very helpful in this regard. The attic became Larry’s main refuge. Larry would go all over the house in the secret passages in the floor, the stairways in the walls, and all the hidden doors and vantage points he had to use. One unlucky day Larry popped out of a well-hidden knothole in the skirting board by the fireplace in the big room and there was Pumpkin staring at him grinning and drooling as little big people do. Larry couldn’t have this, he was not meant to be seen.

“What’s your name?” She burbled and then she reached for him.

Larry was taken by surprise, as one can imagine, and stuttered a bit at first.

“Well, well, well, my dear Pumpkin I am Larry Mouse and I live in the walls of this house and you must never try to pick me up unless I say so, and I do not say so now,” Larry shook his little hand at her to emphasize the point.

Pumpkin pulled her hand back and they sat there having a nice little conversation mouse to baby. It is a little unknown fact that little big people can understand certain other languages, mouse being one of them. Larry had surmised there must be a height problem because all big people were little big people at some point but they can’t talk mouse.

The two became great friends even as Pumpkin kept getting bigger. She always remembered to ask first before picking up Larry Mouse. They had their little games of hide-and-seek and Pumpkin always left some cheese where Larry could get it.

Life settled down into a nice routine and Larry Mouse was again very happy in his house.

Things just can’t stay the same.

The house was perfect. Larry enjoyed having little Pumpkin around to talk to and get him cheese now and again. Pumpkin learned the secret mouse rules, that Larry made up as needed, and never told the big people, Honey and Yes Dear, that he was in the house.

Early one morning, leaves were just starting to turn, there was a major ruckus. Honey and Yes Dear were running around like crazy and flew out the door dragging little Pumpkin behind them, they even left the front door open. Big people could be strange. Larry didn’t exactly know what was going on but this all seemed very familiar somehow.

Larry shut the front door by wedging a rake against a chair and pushing a big rock off the railing onto it so the rake would hit the door, the door closed but broke the big fancy window. He really hoped the big people wouldn’t notice. Larry had this theory that big people could only see what they wanted to see when they wanted to see it.

A couple of days later sure enough the big people came home and Honey was holding another little big people, what were they doing buying them on sale or something? This bundle of joy was wrapped in blue as opposed to Pumpkin’s pink. Larry wondered if that was significant. Seems this one was called “Ralph”. After the initial happiness of being home Yes Dear did finally ask. “Who broke the window?”

Little mysteries make life more fun, so Larry decided not to tell him.

Larry was checking in with Pumpkin about this new arrival and she said she was calling it “slug” cause all it did was wriggle around and make noise. Larry reminded Pumpkin that that is exactly what she did for a very long time but eventually grew out of it. They decided to call it 'Bud' for no particular reason other than Larry liked the sound of it, seemed reasonable.

Things went along pretty much as before slug, uh Bud, arrived. Eventually, like all big people apparently do, he got bigger. The three of them became great friends. There was a time span though when Bud made lots of noises and commotion. Larry allowed Pumpkin to come up to the attic to the special retreat with the round window.

They had the best times up in the attic while Bud was going through that awkward noisy phase, he did seem to be taking a very long time with it, according to Pumpkin anyway. They drank pretend tea, told pretend stories, and had great pretend adventures.

Finally, Bud was able to scoot around enough to be let in the club as the newest member of the “Pumpkin and Larry Mouse Secret Club”. Pumpkin had made that name up, Larry was never too sure about it.

The three of them got along very well and even Bud learned the rule about asking before picking up Larry, it was a momentous day.

Change is inevitable, Larry just knew things couldn't stay the same.

One day, Yes Dear came home with a letter that said they had to move as a new highway was coming right through their house, he waved this piece of paper around and they all laughed and cried and thought it would be great to live in a new house in something called a subdivision.

This was extremely upsetting to Larry, he had lived in this house for more years than he cared to count, he wasn’t going to let some old highway, whatever that was, move him no sir, he was going to fight this.

Pumpkin and Bud were both very happy and said it would be great they would all move to a new house. Larry had one very strict rule that at no time could the big people know he was there.

Pumpkin broke that rule. She told Yes Dear, it was funny but Pumpkin always called him Dad, maybe big people have more than one name, thought Larry.

Well of course Yes Dear said no mice could come to the new place that just would not do, and he would trap the mouse that had been living in his house.

Pumpkin cried, Bud cried, then Honey started to cry, apparently, she was also called Mom, but Yes Dear said absolutely no to moving a mouse to their new house.

Larry retreated to the attic to wait for everything to calm down, but they didn’t. He wasn't moving to anybody's house, this was his nouse.

The big people started putting things in boxes, rolling up the pretty carpets and they took down the portrait over the fireplace now Larry’s best viewing hole was exposed. Things were getting serious, the big people had really big people come in to move the boxes and furniture and worst of all they came into the attic.

Larry scurried behind his chaise lounge, a converted matchbox but it was quite comfy, as the really big people in funny clothes carried everything out of the attic. Larry thought finally it’s over, but no, another bunch came into the attic with brooms and started to sweep up. Larry managed to get back inside his walls and hide, surely this madness would end soon.

Pumpkin and Bud kept calling his name but Larry was too scared to come out, there were spring contraptions laying everywhere and a box that had some foul-smelling substance in it, Larry would be just fine if he stayed in the walls.

Pumpkin and Bud were crying, Honey and Yes Dear or as Larry knew them now, Mom and Dad, didn’t seem to care. They picked them up and walked out the door. They were gone and the house was empty again.

Larry had enjoyed telling stories of the great pirate mouse, Cheese Beard, and other high seas adventures with Pumpkin and Bud but he had lived alone before he could do it again. Larry went up to the attic all his best furniture was gone but the big round window was still there. He sat in the window and watched the world. The world did not look the same anymore. Larry Mouse was very sad. Why did things have to change?

And what exactly is a highway? Larry mused.

The weeks went by and nothing happened. No fun games of hide-n-seek with Pumpkin and Bud. No tall tales of daring-do on the high seas, adventures of the great pirate Gray Beard Mouse, or Cheese Beard. The house was now dark and lonely and very quiet. Sitting in the big round window Larry tried to convince himself that he was still happy. It wasn’t working Larry gave up and went back into his walls, very sad.

One day, a lovely day bright and sunny with a slight breeze, giant yellow monsters appeared in the front yard. Belching black smoke and making the most horrendous noise, worse than Pumpkin or Bud had ever made.

Larry Mouse stared out the large round window in the attic in total disbelieve at the yellow monsters. The monsters had the word ‘CAT’ on their sides, which couldn’t be good, and they had big people inside them. He wondered what they did. While he watched the monsters started to move. Slow and clumsy at first they moved. Loud crashing noise as they destroyed the lovely old stone wall around the garden and to Larry's shock they were coming straight at the house!

Larry thought to himself maybe this is what a “highway” is. If so Larry didn’t think they were such a great idea.

The first giant yellow monster hit the house so hard Larry was knocked out of the round window. The house shook and rattled. Larry knew this was bad and he needed to escape before he was trapped in the rubble.

Back when his people had first helped build the house they had fashioned an emergency escape hatch up in the attic, just in case, now he had to use it. Larry grabbed a few precious belongings and scurried to the hatch that led out to the gutter.

The great old Victorian house was crumbling away right out from under him. Larry could hear the roof members starting to go. An awful groaning creaky sound, the sound of a house dying. Larry ran down the gutter along the back wall of the house and dove into the downspout. He popped out onto the ground as the building was falling to the ground behind him.

Larry Mouse was so scared he ran as never before to escape the cascading building as the pile of rubble was even now being attacked by yet more giant yellow monsters. The assault continued, reducing the magnificent old Victorian mansion to a pile of firewood. The monsters continued to push the pile of rubble to the side as other monster machines come up the drive. Larry watched in disbelieve as the once magnificent house was destroyed. Yes, Dear was happy about this? How could this destruction be good?

Larry hurried away with only a small bundle of his precious belongings tied in a piece of the yellow scarf Pumpkin used to wear. Larry found a sturdy stick and put the bundle on the end so he could carry it on his shoulder. Larry had seen big people do this once upon a time walking down this very country lane. Larry was very upset at losing his house. He really missed Pumpkin and Bud, he hoped they were alright.

Larry made it down the country lane, he did not look back, it was too sad a picture. Larry wondered where this country lane went. He saw it every day from his big round window. Larry was going to find out. Larry shrugged and said to himself. “Larry Mouse old son, you sir are now a hobo, a gentleman of the road, and need someplace to sleep tonight”.

Larry went off whistling an old tune, his father used to whistle it, down the old country lane, wandering what great adventures lay ahead.

Change, always scary but you just had to look forward and keep moving. For a moment he wished Pumpkin and Bud were there to enjoy the adventure with him.

Larry was full of hope that he would be able to find a new home and maybe, just maybe, though you couldn't tell with big people, he just might find Pumpkin and Bud again.

Larry Mouse was once again happy. He had a new adventure to start. He was also sad at losing his old home and all its memories. Larry smiled a little smile and skipped, just a bit, as he turned away from the rubble and headed off on a new beginning.