I was walking down the street

And was surprised to meet

A small gray-brown mouse

Who had left his well-stocked house.

He had on a  light weight coat

And a hat on which he’d dote.

He carried his body with pride,

Had a stomach he would hide.

He was talking to his friends

And all his thoughtful kin.

“It’s time to get what’s spilled

Inside the farmer’s field.

I know that the old ones say

It’s not safe there today.

But I happen to be smart

And we’ll pull a strong cart.

We’ll stack the grain up high

And no one’s going to die.

We’ll take just what we need

And leave the rest for seed.”

In the darkness of the night

They kept out of the Farmer’s sight.

They pulled the cart to the wheat

And stacked it in spite of the  heat.

They were finishing up the task

When one of them happened to ask,

“What is that baying noise?

Drop the cart and run, boys.”

The hounds came out of the dark

They attacked  and left their mark.

Some of the mice had died

Because of  someone’s pride.

“Pride goeth before a fall.”1

This is a lesson for us all.

Yu/stan/kema

1 King James Version of the Bible