The Curious Tale of Herman and his Tail
Part One
Herman looked around the room and was a little sad.His apartment seemed so empty without furniture. The Japanese girl who shared the room with him had finished school and returned home and now he was alone. She was a very nice college student and only cried the first two times she saw him. After that, they were best of friends. Of course not many people consider a mouse as a friend.
He was a little sad to think that he would not have someone to amuse nor leave out little bits of cheese or peanut butter. Herman liked peanut butter very much except for the kind with little nuts in it.
He decided to go outside and look for other mice or squirrels. Perhaps a game of run and chase or jumping in and out of the fall leaves would make him a little happier. The leaves had fallen from the trees and Herman knew it would not be long until they were washed away by rain or covered with a blanket of snow.
So he went under the door and into the hallway. His favorite way to go in and out was through the hose that the clothes dryer used to get rid of the hot air. If someone had finished laundry, it would be a warm tunnel. Today, no laundry was in the dryer so it was a little cold to go outside but Herman thought that this was as it should be. His little heart was cold from sadness and so the hose should also be cold.
His next few days were spent helping the squirrels store acorns and other nuts for the long winter. They did not like living outside so they had to save lots of food for the winter. This cheered him a little to help.
One morning there was an awful screeching sound and a big truck stopped in front of the house. Little lights came on in the rear and an annoying beeping noise warned all the animals to move so that the truck could back into the driveway.
Herman was thrilled to know that someone new might soon share his apartment. Then he wondered if it was one person or several. Were there any children? Sometimes children thought he was cute and would toss him food as they waited for the schoolbus. Sometimes they were mean and would throw rocks.
He also worried about cats. Herman thought cats were very pretty but they often looked at him like food or a toy. He did not stay around when cats came out to play.
Herman sat at the end of the driveway, hidden among the leaves, to watch the truck open and an old man start taking things out and putting them here and there. Every once in a while, the man would take off his odd shaped hat and scratch his head. He had very long white hair and it blew around in the breeze. Except the top of his head had no hair. Soon, the truck was empty and the man started carrying things into Herman’s apartment.
There was a small bed and a bureau for clothes, a few lamps and small tables and a big table for meals. There were matching chairs to go with the big table. It did not seem too long before the driveway was again empty and the man got into the truck and drove away.
Herman knew he would be back because he put things in there. Why else if not to live there. He only hoped the man in the funny hat did not mind sharing.
After the truck was gone, the squirels, mice and birds continued working or playing. Herman was a little happier hoping he would have a new friend and not a new enemy.
He was always accepted among other mice and rodents. His name carried a story that to him was a little silly but also sad to remember. When he was just a small mouse, a new couple moved into his apartment. It was their apartment and they did not like to share.
One day he jumped up to say good morning and the person at the counter tried to cut him with a very large knife. But Herman was fast and nearly escaped except for his tail. He was happy to join the squirrels in a nearby attic until this couple moved out. But from that time on, he had a different walk and run than most mice. His balance was not quite right. He became known as Herman, the tailless.
Squirrels do not get along with people as well as they do mice so many squirrel mothers would frighten their children at night. “Don’t go near the people or they’ll take your tail, like Herman!” The little squirrels would curl into little balls with nothing to see but tails and eyes. Of course most people also thought squirrels were cute but not so friendly. Neither offered to be friends.
Soon, the sun went behind the big buildings and the warm went with her. It was almost time for snow and wind and ice. Herman hoped to spend his winter inside but had already stored enough food for the winter in case he could not.
After he went into his apartment to look at the new things the man in the funny hat put there, he found a little bed in the corner. It looked as though it was made for him so he lay down and promptly fell asleep.
Herman was told stories as a young mouse and some were scary. One talked of a Black Bear. It was somehow a cousin to the mouse but very, VERY large. Mice are too small to be a meal or even a snack to the bear so they were sometimes friendly relatives. Sometimes the bears were merely annoyed with mouse.
When he woke, he thought a black bear had moved into his apartment. It was a horrible sound until Herman saw the man on the sofa. Was he a man that talked bear when he slept? Herman was confused. Then he remembered a young couple that lived with him a few years ago. The woman was always yelling at her husband about snoring. Herman guessed that this was not really Bear talk but simply snores.
He remembered seeing the bed and bureau and decided to look in the kitchen to see how the table and chairs looked. Herman also wanted to see if they gave him a way into the cupboards.
In the corner of the room was a very strange object. It seemed very tall and looked like a tree without branches or bark. At the top was a scary face of Black Bear cut into the wood. And under it, also scary, was Wolf. Herman was glad neither Black Bear nor Wolf visited their cousins in the city very often. Then he saw a beautiful Deer under Wolf. He always loved to see deer because they ran so beautifully. But deer rarely visited. Her heard noises in the other room and quickly checked to see if the man had woken. He had not but his funny hat had fallen to the floor.
When Herman looked back, it was almost as though the faces had changed on the statue. As he looked down, the next face he saw made him want to hide. It was the face of Owl. Owl only came out at night and was very happy to tell anyone, Mice are tasty!. Herman shivered a little like a cold wind came through the room.
Underneath the owl, a fish that Herman knew as salmon, did not seem afraid of owl. Herman thought that owl also liked fish for meals so this must be a brave salmon.
And then Herman smiled as wide as mice can smile. There was an animal under salmon that looked very much like him. Perhaps it was a cousin in the woods he called vole. He was proud to know that his cousin could be on the same statue with bear, wolf, deer and owl.
A final face under that was very confusing. It looked like a person but different. Like mice, people start very small and then grow. But this looked like a big person who was still small. Perhaps the person that made the wood was not as good cutting people as animals?
Herman decided that some questions do not have answers and went into his hiding place behind the wall by the statue. He would have a little snack and more nap. Then Herman would try to think of when he should introduce himself to the man with the funny hat.
Part Two
Herman looked around the room after his nap and was surprised at how dark it was. There were no snores or noises from the other room so he ran over to the closet near the refrigerator. It was one of his favorite hiding places because no one could see him except perhaps Owl. But he could see the kitchen and living room. Both were empty and silent.After a bit, he went to see if his new bed was still there. Even though he was a small mouse, he sometimes left an impression when he slept but it looked as though someone had made the bed neat again. And then Herman smiled. Next to the little bed was a small amount of cheese and a few nuts. Herman was not fond of nuts but thought he could give them to Skippy, his best squirrel friend. But his smile was because the man in the odd hat knew someone had slept there and was a nice enough roommate to make his or her bed.
He ate the cheese and noticed it was a little different than most cheese he had eaten before. But it was still very tasty. Then he decided to visit the rest of the apartment.
In the bathroom were all the things that people used to change themselves: a razor and cream to remove fur, and cloth to wipe away the water from the little rain room behind the curtain and a few other things Herman did not recognize. He thought it odd that people would remove their fur, especially when the winter winds would soon blow. But they always covered themselves in cloth to make up for it.
The bedroom was very sparse. The bed and bureau were neat and a small table was next to the bed with an alarm clock and lamp. Herman knew this was to help people rise in the morning since most did not wake with the sun. Some clocks made annoying noises and others played annoying music. All the clocks seemed able to remind people about time. It was not too important to Herman but he knew that people needed reminders. The rest of the room was empty except for pictures on the walls. One was a scary photo of a beautiful woman sitting on a rock in the sky. On a nearby rock was the largest cat Herman had ever seen. He thought it might be Tiger or Lion but they did not live in his area so he was not sure. The cat seemed to growl at some unseen person or animal.
The other picture was of the man in the odd hat and a pretty woman who looked like the Japanese woman who once shared his apartment. They had smiles as they stared at each other and the place they were seemed very distant. It was almost as though neither saw anything but each other.
He went back to the living room and realized that a few items, mostly small, had been moved. But people often did that. Perhaps they easily tired of their rooms or decided that ‘this’ looked better ‘there’. And then Herman entered the kitchen.
The table and chairs had also been moved and Herman thought it left more room. But then he noticed the carving in the corner. It seemed a little taller somehow or a little bigger. Thankfully, Bear and Wolf did not seem as scary and almost looked as though they were happy to see him. Owl looked in a different direction and Herman was glad he no longer stared at him or Vole. And oddest of all, the little person [1] seemed to smile.
Herman returned to the living room and tried to hide the nuts in his cheeks as Skippy had shown him. It was a little difficult as his mouth was not very large but he managed to carry them out through the dryer hose and into the yard. Skippy was jumping from tree to tree and made a familiar noise when he saw Herman. Herman then dropped the few nuts near the tree and squirrel ran down to see what treat was there.
He was grateful for the snack but ran back up the tree to hide a few for when the snow fell. Then he came back and he and Herman ran among the leaves and trees until the sun started to hide behind buildings. It was the end of the day and time for both to go to bed. As Herman started toward the house, he noticed a car arrive and out came the man in the funny hat and a beautiful woman he thought looked like the one in the photo on the bedroom wall. He quickly scampered up the dryer hose and into his favorite spot in the kitchen closet.
A few moments later, the two people entered the apartment with many bags and started putting food into the refrigerator and cupboards. Herman wondered what kinds of treats the man would eat and if any were tasty enough for him. When they finished, the man in the funny hat showed her the apartment.
The woman said she liked the small apartment and it seemed just right for the man in the funny hat. She especially enjoyed the window in the living room where she could see all the trees that were outside. But when they returned to the kitchen, she seemed a little cross. I see you brought THAT with you! she said as she pointed to the statue in the corner. "I still don’t understand why you are so attached to that ugly piece of wood. The animals do not even look real."
The man hung his head a little and said, "I have explained this before. It is my totem. It is a carving of all the spirits that will guide me and protect me. It is a part of my faith. I know you think it is silly but you know that Bear and Deer have shown me a way out of the woods at times. They are my friends and this is my way to honor them. My place to pray and thank them for their guidance."
The woman did not seem interested.
As the man started preparing some food, the woman returned to the living room and turned on the television. It reminded Herman of the alarm clock but with pictures.
When the man went to the living room to tell the woman that the food was ready, Herman dashed to his hole and thought he needed a nap. It had been a long day and carrying the nuts followed by lots of running made him tired. He curled up into a little ball and fell asleep. He was not sure if he liked the woman. She made the man in the funny hat sad and Herman was also sad. Perhaps later he would introduce himself to the man, but only if the woman was not there.
But it was difficult for Herman to sleep. He dreamed of fire and noise and chaos. It was a very frightful dream. And Herman woke suddenly, a little out of breath and very scared. When Herman first moved into the apartment, he woke one night to many trucks and cars with horns and sirens. When he went out the hose to see about all the noise, he saw that the house across the street was burning and many people were standing in the street crying about all the things that were lost. It was a very sad time for many. Thankfully, no one was injured but Fire often stole clothes and memories from people who were not careful.
He went into the kitchen and noticed an aroma from the food that had been cooked. There were a few pots in the sink so the meal was over. He noticed the living room was dark and thought perhaps the man and woman had gone out somewhere. He checked his new bed and there were a few pieces of cheese and some other things that Herman did not recognize but ate them anyway. Then he heard strange noises from the bedroom. It was not talk but almost. He peeked around the corner and thought perhaps the man and woman were still angry because they seemed to be struggling in the bed. Then the woman kissed the man very hard and held him as though he was a piece of wood and she was in the ocean. Then Herman understood. The argument was over and now it was time to be friends again. He felt it rude to intrude so he quickly returned to his hole but stopped to view the wood that the man had called totem. It seemed each time he looked at it, it grew a little here or there. Even Owl seemed friendly. He hoped he would not have any more dreams of fire and curled up in his spot and had a dreamless sleep.
[1] Wikemwesuk {translated as little people} are mysterious forest creatures the Mi’kmaq believe are magical. They often help show the way when someone is lost. Often this mean the direction to home but can also mean the direction to Wasoq or the spirit world.
Return To Story
Part Three
When Herman woke, it seemed as though Sun had been around for hours but only until he went outside. The sun was hidden behind huge white clouds that dropped large snowflakes onto everything.Herman stopped to let a few drops fall on him. They tickled a little but soon melted. Sometimes the snow was so strong that he would be walking under snow and it was difficult to get from here to there.
Today it was a gentle snow that made everything sparkle. He squeaked to Skippy but got no answer. It seemed too early for Skippy and the other squirrels to lock themselves in for the winter so perhaps Skippy had found some nuts or was away with his cousin, adventurer. His cousin always went on adventures.
So he ran around the tree a few times and up and down the driveway trying to escape the snowflakes. Of course he didn’t. When no one arrived to play, he decided that perhaps he would look at the attic. He had not been in the attic for some time. No one ever lived in the attic, they simply put things there. Sometimes they stayed there and sometimes they were moved. It was always interesting to see the boxes and crates and furniture moved from here to there.
But last time Herman went to see what was there, he met a cat. He met a HUNGRY cat.
Herman often thought that had his tail still been there, he would have been a tasty snack for the cat that day. Thankfully, he was able to hide behind the wall and go downstairs before that cat could follow. So when he got to the hole, he was very cautious when he looked out.
He could not see any cat. He could not hear any cat. But best of all, he could not smell any cat. He dashed under a tall wooden chest and looked around. There were no paw prints in the dust so no one had visited for some time. Herman became brave and ran to a small sofa in the center. It was covered with a large cloth and he could hide under it. After a while he got bored running from place to place. There was no one to chase or be chased and there were no new items to discover.
He returned to the driveway to find that the clouds had disappeared and the sun had melted what little snow was on the ground. The earth drank much of the water and had he not been outside earlier, would never have known that it had snowed.
Herman was cheered by the familiar sound of Skippy calling out. He came around the corner of the building with his adventurous cousin beside him. Before they could talk, each removed a half dozen small nuts. Then they told of finding a place with lots of nuts and cheese. It was a long walk but worth the time for all the treats that were there. As Skippy and his cousin hid most of their nuts, Herman wondered how much cheese he could fit in his stomach and cheeks.
When they returned and wanted to go immediately, Herman reminded the squirrels that the sun was already over the apartment so it was closer to sunset than sunrise. Neither seemed concerned and thought it was much closer since they now knew the way. Herman reluctantly followed. He was not as fast as the squirrels so they often ran ahead, chasing each other around poles and fences. And Herman followed, being sure there were no birds or cats behind them.
It took longer than they thought and by the time they reached the building with all the flashing lights, it was almost dark. The sun had already gone behind the river and buildings and slowly moon came up to take sun’s place.
After a while of confusion, they decided to find a dark spot for a while and when it seemed like sun was coming, they would grab as much food as possible and head for home. They found a nice spot on a shelf that overlooked the entire building. There were lots of other things that squirrels and mice do not eat but many other animals did. Herman saw many things the man in the funny hat ate.
The squirrels curled up with each other to stay toasty warm and Herman found a nice place in the corner. All three were soon fast asleep.
When Herman woke, it was not his usual waking with greetings to the sun. It was a feeling of horror and sickness. At first, he thought of another dream of Fire and of the man in the funny hat and the beautiful woman with the long black hair. But then he knew it was something even worse than fire.
It was the smell of CATS. Not a single cat that might be lazy or old but the smell of several cats. Herman made a very low squeak and both squirrels were suddenly awake, looking in every direction.
Herman watched below the shelf. Even though it was very dark with even moon gone below the horizon, Herman could see three … no four cats trying to find where the smells were. He was sure that cats were not particular eaters and mouse or squirrel was fine with them. Herman, Skippy and adventurer froze and made no sound. But after a time, the cats found the smell.
The cats sat around under the shelf as if to say, “We know you are up there and we can wait”. All the animals were silent for a long time. Then one moved away from the other three, into the shadows. At the same time, the three cats below started a most frightful howling and crying. Herman remembered an old mouse once talked to him about sirens and said, It’s enough to wake the dead. Herman now understood.
The dead would certainly not rise but the howls below were horrible.
Herman and his friends became worried. If they began to lose hope and begin to feel fear, the cats would use that as a signal to attack. Skippy and adventurer spit out a few of the nuts they had already gathered but not been able to eat. Just as Skippy tried to spit out the last nut, the fourth cat jumped at the shelf from on top of a nearby box.
Skippy started to gasp and almost swallowed the nut. He coughed as hard as he could and the nut flew into the air and hit the cat in the eye. The cat did not expect to be attacked and fell to the floor, screaming and landing on another cat. Those began a fight and there was lots of hissing and spitting. For a while, the cats looked at each other, ready to fight and eventually wandered away, forgetting about Skippy, Herman and adventurer.
It took a while but eventually the smell of cat went away and it seemed that they were safe. They decided that tonight was truly an adventure and they wondered if all their other friends would believe them. Herman hoped so because from now on, he would call his friend, Skippy the cat defeater.
As they made their way home, there were no little games. Each of the rodents took a role to watch for other cats or birds and also places to hide. But after what seemed a short time, Herman started to recognize buildings and trees that were home to his friends.
Herman was grateful he would soon be home. He missed his naps and did not even get any cheese. But at least he was safe and close to home. He thought perhaps sun would soon visit because his house seemed to glow with morning colors.
But he was wrong.
Part Four
Herman knew as soon as he turned the corner into the driveway, it was Fire. The pretty red sky he thought was Sun were little flames jumping around on the roof. Usually it meant more hidden under it.He did not know what to do. All he knew and all he could remember was his apartment. Mice do not collect like cats or people. But all his happiness and even some of his sadness was there.
Suddenly, he stopped feeling sad for himself and wondered about the man in the funny hat and his friend. It was dangerous to enter the house but Herman felt he would be a bad mouse if he did not check.
He thought of several ways into the apartment and decided to use the dryer hose. It was not the shortest route but it was the fastest. The further into the hose he went, the smokier the air became. When he finally jumped onto the top of the dryer, it was almost too thick to continue. It seemed to come from the apartment across the hall from his. Just as he debated how to get to the door, he heard an awful scream and a cat jumped from the floor to the dryer.
Herman dropped to the floor and as she tried to grab him, cat fell into the dryer and the top slammed shut. Herman was a little happy to hear cat screaming all the way out of the dryer hose but now wondered how he would escape?
Under the door, Herman noticed the air was a little better so the fire was still not here. The man in the funny hat was snoring in bed and the beautiful woman was breathing very lightly. He did not know what else to do so he started screaming as loud as he could. Any noise or every noise to try and wake them before Fire arrived.
But it did not work. He jumped to the bottom of the bed so he could quickly escape if he had to but even then, his squeals and squeaks did not wake up the man or the woman. Then he coughed a little and ran all the way to the top of the bed. He was in between pillows. But it still did not work.
He had no other choice so he jumped on the man and bit his nose.
It was not a very polite thing to do. Not very polite at all! But Herman did not know what else he could do. This time the man sat up and Herman flew to the end of the bed. For a moment, the man in the funny hat looked very angry and rubbed his nose and yelled things Herman did not understand. Then the man smelled smoke and noticed the thin layer in his room.
He started shaking the woman and yelling, Fire. They ran into the bathroom and took some wet towels to put over their mouths to keep out smoke and ran for the door. The man stopped the woman at the door and said, "There is something I must get". Herman was very happy to think that the man in the funny hat would risk himself to save a little mouse. He ran to the kitchen and stood at the foot of the totem. He was now proud to be in the company of such noble animals. But the smoke was much thicker here. It made Herman cough and wheeze quietly. He seemed very tired after his time with the cats and now Fire and smoke as well.
The man ran into the kitchen and grabbed the totem. By now, you could hear fire slowly eating at the walls and fire trucks and police arrive with all the noise they could make. It was enough to frighten poor Herman after the day he had. He just needed to nap a little. “The world always seems happier after a nap”, he thought. But the man was now in the living room and yelling "Mouse!", but Fire peeked through the living room wall and the man disappeared out the door.
There was an awful rumble in the hall and it shocked Herman awake. He hoped that the man had escaped before the trouble and Herman quickly ran for the hole in the wall where the totem once sat. The more he ran, the more tired he became and his breathing got more difficult. But the smoke seemed better as he went along and he thought he could see light up ahead.
Suddenly, the bright pretty lights of a fire truck were flashing through the smoke and with a big cough, he jumped from the house to a bush. Things were blurry and yet he felt peaceful. It was as though his scary adventures were over and he could now make up for those naps he missed. He didn’t even worry about cat but coughed again and all the lights went out.
The man with the funny hat and long hair stroked his beard as he finished loading a few things into his car. The woman with the long hair was cross as usual and complaining to a man in a uniform about “stupid smokers” and nasty landlords. She asked who would pay for all the things the man in the funny hat lost to Fire. But no one answered her questions.
Finally, she turned to the man as said, so now what will you do?
He said, “Fire has told me to give up those things that keep me here. I must find a new way and a new home. Clothes and furniture are easily replaced but heritage and friends are not. I am sorry to say we may not see each other for some time. What seems important to me is in my car and that is all I need. Wherever I am, I will have what Fire cannot steal. I will always have my heritage, my faith and my friends.
The policeman did not understand how someone who lost almost everything in a fire due to a careless cigarette could accept his fate so calmly. He was even more confused as he looked into the small car. Not much to show for a long life, he thought. There was a picture or two that now needed cleaning and an odd hat that would need more mending than cleaning. There was an odd shaped wooden pole with images of animals and a small cage with an odd mouse that had no tail and seemed to be dreaming of cheese and peanut butter. He thought it odd how closely it resembled the mouse on the statue but there was no time to wonder as there were reports to be filed.