Response to Diane Wallace Peach’s February Speculative Prompt

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‘The good days are over’, his cousin said loudly.

‘Yes, look at us squeezing in this place like that.’ added his friend from the other side of the house.

Indeed, there were so many fellow mice on one tiny house that Harry felt breathless. He put his head up and out of the mice pile to get some air. But that did not help much. It was too cold outside, so his little nose almost froze instantly. It was not as strong as his body was. His body was still enduring the cold. But his nose. That was weak. So, he had to put his head back into the pile.

To find some comfort, he started cuddling his mom. He looked at his dad while he did that. He looked anxious. So did his mom, actually.

‘Mom, will we die here?’, he asked, curious why his parents were so worried.

‘No dear. Someone is going to rescue us.’, replied his mom.

‘Who, mom? All our friends on the other trees are gone. Their homes are taken. Ours will be too. We will not survive. But I don’t want to die, mom.’

‘Hey, baby. We will not. You will see. If we have survived this far, we will get out of this.’

Just when his mom said this, screams started to rise from his fellow mice. The loudest one was saying:

‘Oh, look, an elephant is coming!’

There was panic among the mice. Harry saw one fall off from the top of the house to the ground. He hoped that the poor mouse did not die.

The oldest mouse told everyone to be silent and the other mice stopped shouting. It was always like that. That old guy had good authority. Harry adored him.

The old mouse said:

‘This elephant is here to rescue us. He did it before; he will do it now. I know he will do that from experience.’

‘What experience?’, asked Harry.

‘Do you think this is the first time I lost my home? How do you think I survived all? Now, you all, pull yourselves together and salute the guy.’

All of the mice looked at the elephant. He was very close now.

Just minutes later, the elephant used his trunk to pick up and hold the house full of mice up on it and started walking back. To a place where his mice friends could be warm and safe. The elephant was happy to have so many friends in a world no one could approach him at all. He had always resented being so big because that is what had made him friendless. He looked frightening to everyone. But today was different. Today, he had friends and he was happy to serve them all.

 

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