THE LITTLE FELT MOUSE:

Another birthday arrived & little Mary felt so very alone,

Playing in the snow with just an old stick & small wee stone,

Ignored by other kids with her runny red nose & scabby knee,

Holes in her shoes where the water entered together with scree.

Mary´s mummy & daddy had long gone, taken by the cruel flu,

She lived alone with her dear old granny, known as Nanny Prue,

The old lady loved little Mary & did all she could & all her best,

To feed the little girl & to keep her warmly & snuggly dressed.

But old nanny Prue was old & bent & every day felt a little frailer,

Every day she looked at Mary & saw that she looked a little paler,

She said, “I´ll make you a birthday cake, but wish I could do more”,

Little Mary understood & sadly smiling, she walked out of the door.

Old granny Prue behaved mysteriously for a week or two, or three,

Hiding things under her ample pinny whenever little Mary appeared,

A little smile would appear & dance upon her old kind & wrinkled face,

Pushing her needles, pins & coloured yarns, behind the old fireplace.

When little Mary opened her eyes on the morning of her fifth birthday,

On her bedside table, looking at her with beady eyes & ready to play,

Sat the cutest little rain-cloud-grey, soft & fluffy & sewn felted mouse,

Little Mary gave a whoop & said to him, “let us now go & play house”.

Mary was so very happy & couldn’t thank her granny Prue enough,

Anyone would´ve thought she had been given a whole world of stuff,

Her sweet old granny just smiled with a tear in her rheumy old eye,

Knowing it was now soon time to bid to this earth & Mary, goodbye.

Mary now old with a grandson of her own, a bonny, happy little boy,

And this little fellow wants for nothing, having very many little toys,

But he carries around with him, Mary´s little mouse of rain-cloud felt,

Keeping it under his shirt, tied safely to his tummy with a small little belt.

Mary still gives thanks to her dear nanny Prue everyday in her prayers,

For the special gift that chased the ghosts away from the top of the stairs,

And gave to her, that lonely little girl she was, a very special little friend,

So that in front of the other taunting kids, she didn’t ever have to pretend.