A Mouse Story

Chapter Two

A Brilliant idea

Ramasel and Willy knew how crazy it was for the wild mouse colony and the people of Mousville to hate each other. After all they were all mice and there were bigger things that would hurt the mice if they didn't stand together and stop it. With their brilliant idea of how to get Mouseville and the colony to become friendly, they walked back over to Ramasel's sisters to tell them, feeling slightly nervous. They slowly approached the sisters.

"So, 'Sely, what did Mr. Willy want to talk to you about?" Ophelia said.

"Well, he came to ---" 'Sely started say, then she remembered something, " Oh, I'm an idiot! I forgot to introduce everyone. Willy, this is my oldest sister Ophelia, and 'Lia, this is Willy," she said as each waved a brief hello as they were being introduced.

"This is my second oldest sister Hilolas, and 'Olas, this is Willy. This is my third oldest sister, Quinete, 'Netey, this is Willy. This is my younger sister Amarila, 'Rila, this is Willy," Ramasel said, as each mouse was introduced they waved a brief hello, except for Amarila who turned a cartwheel.

"Well then," Ophelia said, "What did he come to talk to you about?" Ophelia was still glancing suspiciously at Willy.

"Willy came to warn us," 'Sely said.

"Of what?" 'Netey asked obviously not trusting Willy, just like 'Lia.

"I came to warn you that my colony is planning an attack on Mouseville because they think that being kept in captivity is morally wrong," Willy said to the sister excepting outrage, however, the sister's actual reaction was very different.

"What are you talking about, loony boy," Ophelia said.

"Yeah, we're not in captivity! Or are we?" Hilolas said while giving Willy and 'Sely a blank look.

"What's cap-tiv-i-ty," 'Rila asked while being upside down. Willy stared at them with a blank look on face.

"You mean that you guys have no idea that you're in a cage and that someone thinks of you as pets?" Willy said unbelievingly. At the sister's silence, he continued talking, "That someone thinks that you're a responsibility and that because they give you food that they should be able to do whatever they want with you, even if it's humiliating, just because they gave you food when you are perfectly capable of getting it yourself," Willy said, clearly getting exasperated. All the sisters, especially 'Sely, were giving Willy dark looks.

"Oh course we know that somebody takes care of us," Ophelia said, clearly annoyed, "What do you think that we are idiots like you?"

"We know that in here we're protected from the outside world, and that the barrier keeps us in here. Although I certainly wouldn't call it a cage. We like it in here, it's nice and we could go out if we wanted to. I for one certainly wouldn't call this captivity," Hilolas said, appalled at Willy's ignorant use of the word captivity. " We get fed every day, without having to go out and search for it like the 'colony' does. Plus we have a great society where women are not second class, because I find that morally wrong!" Hiloas finished glaring at Willy who had dropped his jaw way down and was starring at Hilolas in disbelief. Lia and 'Netey were also staring at Hilolas with looks of amazement on their faces, 'Sely had raised her eyebrows and Amarila was turning cartwheels and not paying any attention. Willy's jaw snapped back into place.

"Exactly, uh... uh... uh..." Willy stammered trying to remember.

"Hilolas," Hilolas supplied at his inability to remember.

"Sorry," Willy said ruefully, "Anyway, I totally agree. It's just the rest of my colony doesn't. That's why we, (gesturing to himself and 'Sely), think someone should tell them."

"Why don't you?" Hilolas said still glaring at Willy.

"Well, see. The mice in the colony only listen to what you say if you're an respected adult, and I haven't exactly reached this status yet," Willy said, nervously lying.

"You seem very nervous," Amarila said, (surprisingly, right side up), grinning mischievously.

Willy gulped. Obviously 'Rila knew he was lying, but he couldn't tell them that the reason the wild mice wouldn't listen to him was because he was the leader's son but his mother wasn't the leader's wife. Especially because the Mouse leader is only supposed to mate with his wife, and Willy's mother was a commoner. That made him an "illegal" mouse ,so of course the rest wouldn't listen, even if he were right. It would probably make them not want to what he said even more becuase Willy had said it. So that even if some one else pointed it out to them they wouldn't believe it becuase Willy had said it first,

"You could at least try," 'Netey said, annoyed with Willy's reluctance.

"I'd probably just make it worse," Willy said avoiding all of the sisters' gazes.

"Well, what are you planning on doing you incompetent fool," 'Lia said, glaring angrily at Willy face.

"If you would all be so kind as to stop interrupting, we would tell you what we have planned!" 'Rila said, obviously exasperated and very mad at her sisters.

"Well you certainly haven't done a very good job of telling us so far," Amarila said smiling in the middle of a cartwheel. Ramasel glared at her so hard that she stopped smiling, flipped back up, and sat on the ground. "Ready to listen 'Sely," Amarila reported with a mock salute.

'Sely gave her a quick glare before turning to her other sisters. 'Sely opened her mouth to speak...

"'Netey, will you play patty cake with me," Amarila said sweetly.

"No! Now be quite for a while," Netey said angrily. 'Sely glared at Amarila again before continuing.

"We know that the wild mice colony thinks that being kept as pets is morally wrong, and that being in a wild colony is better for the mice. When in fact being 'pets' is a lot better for mice and what they do in the wild mouse colony, treating females like 'things', is morally wrong. That is why someone or some people have to set them straight. This person or persons would have to carry authority and respect. They would have to be persuasive. They would have to be able to go into the colony and do whatever it takes to get them to see the truth. They would have to be firm, so they wouldn't get won over by the wild mice colony's ideas. They would have to be fair so that wild mice will listen to them. I think that these people should be Queen Livinia and our mother Kalrina," 'Sely said defiantly.

Dead silence.