Louise Lenore

I'm a little mouse named Bubba
And I've got a story to tell
It all began one Christmas Eve
Back in nineteen hundred twelve.

I was just a youngster then
With brothers and sisters galore
We had a very serious problem
With a cat named Louise Lenore.
 
 
She was mean as a grizzly bear
We were but tender morsels for her
But when farmer Brown came around
She would rub against his leg and purr.

He would feed her milk and cheese
And she would curl up by the fire
But she always kept one eye open
Our circumstances were quite dire.
 
 
Because of Louise, we were starving
Our pantry was completely bare
We were afraid to leave our doorway
And venture into the world out there.
 

 
I remember that Christmas Eve with clarity
Farmer Brown was sitting in his chair
He was reading "The Christmas Story"
To his children, with Louise sitting there.
 
 
I heard the words "love" and "sharing"
As well as "God's Gift" and "angels glistening"
And I saw a funny look in Louise's eye
It was just as if she were really listening.

We went to bed early that night
Dreaming mouse dreams of Christmas morn
Hoping for presents under our tree of
A chunk of cheese or a piece of corn.
 
 
The next morning we woke up early
To a piece of cheese stuffed in our door
There was a note attached that read
"Merry Christmas," Louise Lenore!

We never really knew for sure
If the Christmas spirit came over her
But ever since that Christmas Eve
When she see us she begins to purr!

Janey Hauck
© 2001



May the Christmas Spirit fill your
heart this holiday season
and always.

Happy Holidays!