For weeks on end, our little friend
Was heard but rarely seen
He scratched away, both night and day
And every time between

He scampered 'round the whole compound
And much to our dismay
Inside the stove, his treasure trove
We found his hideaway

We cleaned it twice and made sure mice
Would be unwelcome there
We set new traps with food and scraps,
The perfect little snare

But he was smart and picked apart
Our plans for his demise
He scuttled past each trap so fast
With laughter in his eyes

That little mouse inside our house
Was mocking us with glee
He showed no fear and it was clear
This mouse was beating me

By now the cat was getting fat
And lazy to be blunt
I took away her food one day
To see if she would hunt

It didn't work, she went berserk
And woke us with meows
From five a.m. to half past ten
We listened to her howls

Though it was rude, I gave her food
To shut her up and sleep
And after that, from mouse or cat
We didn't hear a peep

Could he be gone, the mouse withdrawn?
We wondered with great hope
It was a week since the last squeak;
Perhaps he could not cope

But late that night I saw a sight
And knew he was still here
She sat before the closet door,
Inside she tried to peer

I opened it and lickity-split
He shot out in a blur
Just like a ball, right down the hall
A cat toy with real fur

Between cat's paws and then her jaws
The mouse could not escape
She cornered him and it looked grim
That mouse was in bad shape

I grabbed his tail and got his jail,
A mouse house of his own
I dropped him in, declared a win
And left him there alone