THE MOUSE BABIES

Once upon a time, a very-very long time ago, so long ago it was, many mice still new how to talk. Most mice could not talk, but many were learning how and teaching all their children about the joys of language. Some were even speculating about the possibility of building sturdy little houses. The houses hadn't been needed previously, for the mice lived in a very pleasant climate, but recently the smartest mice were running into a problem. Vanity. Yes, they were so proud of their intelligence, and the intelligence of their children, that they had taken to bearing their babies on large, round, flat stones, where other mice could come by and see these wondrous child-mice. Some would sit for hours watching the babies in their studies.

It happened, however, that there were certain two-footed apes which were becoming aggressive. These apes weren't too bright, certainly not smart enough to speak as well as the mice. The apes would wander around and look for mischief. Sometimes they would wander near the baby mouse flat rocks. They couldn't hear the mommy and daddy mice yelling, "Watch where you're going you big dummies!!" And horror of horrors, these big dumb beasts, would occasionally step on the stones where the most intelligent mice were curled up. And what is worse! They really liked to hear the sound --- squish pop!, squish pop! Each squish pop, indicating that another of the best and brightest was biting the dust. Some of the mice thought the apes were deaf, since they couldn't seem to hear the mice yelling, or hear the squish pop noises they were making. Others thought maybe they just liked the squishy feeling between their toes.

Well, the mice never did get around to building their protective little houses. All the vain, smart, speaking mice died out. Evolution favored the humble, stupid mice. I don't know what ever happened to the big dumb apes.