During a beautiful fall weekend in 2001 the Chicken family hosted an open house.
Twenty minutes before the start of the open house, someone saw Algernon streak across the kitchen floor. Algernon was one of S's three pet mice. The mice were okay, as pets go, except for Algernon, who should have been named Houdini because he was always escaping from his tank.
Twenty minutes before the start of the open house, someone saw Algernon streak across the kitchen floor. Algernon was one of S's three pet mice. The mice were okay, as pets go, except for Algernon, who should have been named Houdini because he was always escaping from his tank.
Chaos ensued as we all chased Algernon, who promptly hid, jeering at us in mouse speak from behind various pieces of furniture. He was enjoying the action, having been confined for several days since his last break out. It was now quarter 'til mouse infestation accusation time. I gathered the three kids together for an impromptu brainstorming session. We decided that we needed a trap. S found a shoe box and some string, J offered up Ccoa Puffs, and R found a stick. I grabbed a section of newspaper.
We put the newspaper on the floor in the general area of the last Algernon sighting. Then we put a few Cocoa Puffs on the paper. The shoe box was positioned at an angle over the cocoa puffs and propped up with the stick, to which we had tied the string. Then we cleared out and waited for Algernon to go Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs.
It took about five minutes, but eventually Algernon stealthily approached the Cocoa Bait. He sat on his haunches under the shady cabana and picked up a puff with his paws. He took a tentative nibble, cocked his head to the side, and announced, "Not bad. Not bad at all!". That's when I yanked the string and the box fell down, trapping the cocky little bastard underneath.
A raucous cheer went up inside the hen house and high fives were exchanged all around. I wrapped the sides of the newspaper around the box and flipped it over. S slammed the shoe box top over the newspaper.
The door bell rang. It was Go Time. I answered the door, with a welcoming smile on my face and a shoe box tucked snugly under one arm.
Chicken out
We put the newspaper on the floor in the general area of the last Algernon sighting. Then we put a few Cocoa Puffs on the paper. The shoe box was positioned at an angle over the cocoa puffs and propped up with the stick, to which we had tied the string. Then we cleared out and waited for Algernon to go Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs.
It took about five minutes, but eventually Algernon stealthily approached the Cocoa Bait. He sat on his haunches under the shady cabana and picked up a puff with his paws. He took a tentative nibble, cocked his head to the side, and announced, "Not bad. Not bad at all!". That's when I yanked the string and the box fell down, trapping the cocky little bastard underneath.
A raucous cheer went up inside the hen house and high fives were exchanged all around. I wrapped the sides of the newspaper around the box and flipped it over. S slammed the shoe box top over the newspaper.
The door bell rang. It was Go Time. I answered the door, with a welcoming smile on my face and a shoe box tucked snugly under one arm.
Chicken out
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| This mouse looks like Algernon but, apparently, favors cheese doodles. |
A fun post. We once had a houdini cat who could escape from any contraption that my FIL made to try to contain her on one of our visits.
ReplyDeleteThanks Anvilcloud. Put my mouse and your cat in the same container and I'm betting on my mouse with your cat a very close second. Or your cat, very leisurely, with a smile on his face, smoking a cigarette. My mouse won't be following in that case.
DeleteFlashback to middle school when we had a hamster that would escape no matter what we did to her cage-- she once pushed a stack of books off the top? Not sure how that's possible but it happened.
ReplyDeleteWhat is it with these rodents? It's like Narnia or something.
DeleteDesperate times call for innovative measures. Poor little Algernon would have been toast if he was at my house. My cat is not a mouse's best friend. I've had a talk with Carmen about her bad habits but she chooses not to listen. Glad Algernon met no harm and was captured.
ReplyDeleteHi Cheryl, yes, we just had a big, friendly dog, so Algernon felt pretty safe strutting his stuff.
DeleteYou are a hoot! laughing out loud.
ReplyDeleteGood Job to the whole family. We had a chipmunk that was pretty sneaky like that.
ReplyDeleteYou should read my rat post some day.