Braveheart

He was just a tiny little mouse, the smallest of the bunch

The others, strong and robust, didn’t really like him much.

He always tried to do his best and keep up with their play

But they mostly just pushed him aside, said he was ‘in the way’

The other rodents grew but he just stayed a little mouse

Then winter came and their need then was find themselves a house.

They found a house with lots of nooks as snug as they could be

So they moved right in and made themselves at home like you and me.

But the little mouse had great big dreams, and dreamed them all day long.

He knew they never would come true, ‘cause he wasn’t big and strong.

But in his mind he wasn’t small and his heart was brave and true

So all day long he dreamed about the wondrous things he’d do.

As time went by, the humans learned that mice were in the place

So they bought some traps and then a cat with a pretty, jet black face.

But puss was slow and the mice escaped, so the traps came into play

And one by one the stronger mice went out to save the day.

As each went out to see the traps and check the dangers there

The others waited in the dark, their tension filled the air.

The cheese they smelled within the traps had whiskers twitching fast,

But just how could they get that cheese? A plan was made at last.

The senior mice called each one in and sent them out to try;

And one by one they faced the traps and one by one they died.

Some went with stealth, some went with speed, but failure got them all.

They wouldn’t send the little mouse – they said he was too small.

As time went by their numbers fell and food got very short,

But every time they tried their luck, the ones who tried got caught.

The strong young mice were quiet now, their bragging at an end

The little mouse came forward – the last that they would send.

From a secret spot one day, he’d watched a TV sporting show,

And the plan was hatched in his little brain; that was how he’d go.

His mother sewed a little suit that hugged his body tight.

He made his plans and said that he would make his try that night.

He donned his suit and kissed his mum and said that he’d be back

With cheese in paw, and then he’d go for other food they lacked.

He came down from the wall above on fishing line he’d found.

His dad was on the other end with spare line tightly wound.

He abseiled down on the fishing line till just above the cheese.

The senior mice watched, salivating - quite weak in the knees.

Carefully he stole that cheese, then more in days ahead.

He brought back cheese, then biscuits, and even a crust of bread

Each country needs a hero, even a tribe of mice!

The fame he earned for his exploits was really rather nice.

No more was he the little mouse, too small to help his friends.

They found that he, the little mouse was Braveheart in the end.