The Flying Mouse: Difference between revisions
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''' 3'''
They
It was a very comfortable dwelling: wooden floor and woven carpets, a sitting room, a kitchen, a bathroom, bedrooms with bunks and match beds, closets, and several storerooms (each one devoted to a certain food).
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''' 5'''
Yet Merton (who was the middle child) would often lag behind his assigned tasks. It
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'''7'''
So worried was the mother about her son that she watched him constantly from the knothole windows. When she was too busy with other things, she asked his older sisters to watch him.
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''' 8'''
His sisters also disapproved of his solitary wanderings and attempts at flying. Although they were twins, being about the same size and cinnamon color, they differed in disposition. They also had different solutions for
Bluebell, the dominant one, was bossy and bad-tempered. She tried to reason with her younger brother with threats and strict lectures on "commonsense" and "proper acting." Anemone, on the other hand, was gentle and good humored. Instead of bullying Merton into behaving, she tried encouraging him toward refined interests—reading some classical literature or going to concerts and stylish plays.
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"What?" said Merton.
"
They both walked to the tree and peered up at the white object flapping at the top.
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"What is it?" Nuttal asked nervously. "A barn owl?"
"
"Why?"
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"You know," said Merton. "So I can make it into a pterodactyl glider when we get home."
His little brother was the only one in his family, whom he felt comfortable discussing his dreams with. Nuttal
"That old thing?" Nuttal exclaimed. "But
"Ahh, quit your fussing!" Merton grumbled. "I
Before Nuttal could say anymore. Merton was scrambling up the trunk and over the lower branches. It took him awhile to reach the limb where the kite string was tangled. Just as he was done untying the cord, a sudden gust of wind came. Instantly, the kite shot straight into the air, pulling the mouse along with it.
Since the
'''10'''
They set about repairing the kite, using whatever scrap of cloth or wood they could find. Just looking for enough material made work slow, but two weeks of hard labor resulted in a large glider with a movable harness. Although it
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They never found out what happened to the glider until a few days later. Nuttal found the parts in the wood bin, all broken up and useless. The parents had reduced it to firewood. The moment Merton recognized the remains, he began sobbing bitterly.
Anemone did her best to comfort him, admitting finally that the punishment was a bit harsh. Although she was gracious and kind, she
"Now you listen to me for a bit," said Anemone, firmly. "Remember,
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'''15'''
Eventually the guests arrived, and the rooms became packed with noisy relatives and neighbors. Poor Merton
Finally, he slipped away from his task as butler, and peeked at the
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Looking up, Merton noticed a bat hanging from a rafter.
"
"Hello," Merton answered. "
"I
Merton nodded understandably.
"So," she said. "What are you doing here all by yourself?
"I hate it," he said dismally.
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Then he told her everything. How he and Nuttal found the kite and made a glider from it. How it was all destroyed for firewood before they could test it. Now he was expected to forget his lifelong achievement and stay right here on the ground.
"
"It was," he sighed. "Where am I going to find another kite? I
"Well, you can stop worrying," said Melinda. "I can help you."
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''' 18'''
From that day on, Merton followed the same routine. Each morning he rose very early and hurried up to the attic. There he would find the parts for the glider- some sticks, a bit of horsehair, a few feathers. These he carefully hid behind an old wooden crate. As his collection grew, he began assembling the pieces together. Since he no longer had his flying books to refer to, he had to rely on his sketchbooks and the
'''19'''
As a result, the
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"I suppose I could launch it out the attic window," said Merton, thoughtfully.
"Better make that a hill," said Melinda, promptly, "and not just any hill; a steep one to get enough lift. If you just launch it right out of a window,
"Question is," Merton wondered, "how am I going to sneak the glider outside without anyone seeing it?"
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''' 21'''
Unfortunately, Merton
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Just as he was walking toward the basket, he found himself thinking about his little brother.
Nuttal deserved the chance of seeing this glider fly, Merton thought. Even though I
He went back and found his brother in the sitting room doing homework.
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When Nuttal heard about this latest project, he was very upset.
"Why
"Shh…keep your voice down!" Merton whispered urgently. "You want the others to hear?"
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"Well, how come you get to have all the fun then?" Nuttal whispered back. "And I get stuck inside having to do crummy chores and multiplication tables?"
"It
"Who?" Nuttal asked suspiciously.
"Melinda," Merton answered. "
Nuttal frowned as he considered this bit of news. "I
"I
Nuttal frowned some more, and then answered. "Okay,
"
''' 23'''
As soon as Nuttal saw the finished glider, his eyes lit up. Then he suggested that they should try it out far away from home this time. Merton, with
They clambered along over a narrow rocky path that winded its way through bushes and tall, thick grass. Hearing the rustling of the wind, they shivered and thought of foxes and weasels.
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''' 25'''
Back on the ground, Nuttal was pacing back and forth, wringing his ears in despair. "
He thought long and hard and then he remembered something Merton had told him earlier.
"Of course! Why
Unlike him, she could fly and use echolocation. She might be able to find and save his older brother.
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"Oi! Flying Mouse, you okay back there?"
Trembling and quivering, Merton peered out from beneath the
"A—a-g-g-g-griffin!" Merton stuttered in shock.
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"But you need practice flying that contraption? Is that so?"
Again, Merton nodded. "Y-y-yes,
"And
"Yes, yes."
"Well, in that case," the Snalleygaster said, "you can stop worrying,
"You will? Why?" Merton asked, puzzled. "You look like a carnivore. You probably like to eat little things like me."
The Snalleygaster laughed a ringing laugh. "Eat you?
"Thanks," said Merton gratefully. "I had help though." And while they hovered there in midair, Merton told the Snalleygaster about the help he got from Nuttal and Melinda.
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Merton gave the Snalleygaster directions to his home and she soon had it in view, from a height of two thousand feet. The Snalleygaster announced her arrival by going into a steep dive and pulling out, with a tremendous "whoosh" right over the tool shed. She then began a series of barrel rolls while making a loud "oogah" sound, like a lighthouse foghorn.
The Snalleygaster made one more circle and landed, against the wind, in the alfalfa field behind the old tool shed. She extended her left wing so Merton could slide down to the ground, still holding on to his kite glider.
He walked up to his family and said, "
His mother and father were too astonished to scold him.
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