A Night’s Tail

Rebecca MorganFriends of ELO

Only in backwoods living would such a story be told.  Most would not admit it happened in their home.  However, in the interest of full disclosure and finding the humor in something disgusting, this story follows.

So I admit, we sometimes have a mouse problem since our move to the woods of Atlanta.  We had set two traps in the kitchen. Recently, upon awakening at about 4:50 a.m. for nature’s call, as I entered the kitchen for a drink of water, I noticed that one of the traps had migrated to the left by 3 feet and was partially under the stove.  I also noted a white, powder-like substance on the floor another foot to the left, adjacent to the refrigerator.  I decided to wait until morning to deal with this, not even sure if there was still a mouse attached. I didn’t sleep so well after that.  At one point I heard a noise coming from the kitchen that I thought might be a score on a second mouse.

Anyhow, when I woke up for the day, I was puzzled when the trap was no longer near the oven. As I scanned the area, I saw that it had moved 4 feet diagonally across the room to the second mouse trap.  Upon closer inspection, I realized that this was a suicidal mouse.  The first trap, “Jaws,” had trapped one of the mouse’s legs, so for a time he was mobile.  I believe that when he discovered that he was not going to be able to extricate himself, in his exhaustion and distress, he stuck his head in the second trap and ended it all.

The powder residue scattered throughout the kitchen was fragments of “Jaws,” which is no longer functional.  The crime scene investigation complete, the trap was reengaged with hopes of another successful kill, should there be another culprit trespassing on the premises.  You can be repulsed or you can laugh about it.  Life in the backwoods has certainly taught me to lighten up a bit and lean more toward finding the humor…. a survival skill that I’m sure will come in handy here.

Rebecca Morgan
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