Leslie T. Richardson- Memories & Other Stories
Grandma lived upstairs in her own apartment and like all well regulated households, in the old days, had her share of mice invasions. How they got upstairs was a mystery, but upstairs they got; and into everything which was not covered.
Grandma, like most women dreaded the hairy creatures and was more afraid of them than of a big bruiser of a man. One day one got into her bustle and that is a story in itself. Being a very Victorian lady she would not show her legs let alone her bustle so she did a Dance Macabre on top of a table until a little one-inch mouse dropped out and headed for cover. She was so terrified that she would not get down until the mouse took its demise.
Another time Grandma spotted a mouse heading behind her trunk and she alerted everyone within hearing distance. My Dad arrived armed with a cat and a dog. The cat simply sniffed the trunk and took off in disgust, but the dog got really excited and started to scratch the bark. When the trunk was moved, he dashed in and grabbed the mouse but did not know what to do with it afterwards. It was too small to shake and too terrified to run. A broom dispatched that one.
But Grandma's mouse trap was something ingenious. In her kitchen she had the traditional side-board with a shelf on it about nine inches deep and on this shelf she kept various knick-knacks, some glassware, which if we had them today would be very valuable. Down on the side-board section she kept some of her staples in cans or covered dishes, such as the ever-available cookie tin, which we children inspected regularly.
Just under the shelf Grandma had some old-fashioned tall glasses. Steins, I would imagine them to be. They were about seven inches tall and narrowed at the bottom like parfait glasses only bigger and each had a handle. They fit nicely under the shelf with a clearance of about one inch.
By accident a few grains of rolled oats spilled into the bottom of the glass projecting under the shelf. Mr Mouse being frustrated at the smells of other foods, all covered up, tried desperately to reach down into the glass for the oats. In his excitement he fell in. He at his fill and when he decided to get out he found the walls smooth and the height just too great for his jumping ability.
Meanwhile Grandma spotting the trapped creature, would move fast enough to place a saucer over the top of the glass and would hobble full-steam, out to the hall where she would bang on the bannister with her cane until the whole household was awakened and the thieving 'varmin' was removed.
Grandma got wise through experience and found that a little rolled oats was just as tempting as a great deal and so she only sprinkled a bare minimum in her trap.
When the mice were 'running' her trap was very efficient. Eventually she cleared the mouse colony.
No one ever told her to patent her invention and so it is now open for 'takes'. It is humane and efficient and conforms to all the latest animal trapping. If you should decide to patent it, remember, Grandma had it first!
