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Authors: Robert McCloskey
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sheriff.
“That doesn’t hurt the
mice!
” added the barber. As Homer and Uncle Ulysses went off arm in arm to see the mayor.
It scarcely took Uncle Ulysses and Homer half an hour to convince the mayor that Mr. Murphy’s musical mouse trap should be hired to rid Centerburg of mice. While Uncle Ulysses chatted on with the mayor, Homer dashed over to the hotel to fetch Mr. Murphy.
Homer came back with the bearded inventor and introduced him to the mayor, and to Uncle Ulysses. The mayor opened a drawer of his desk and brought out a bag of jelly beans. “Have one,” he said to Mr. Murphy, to sort of break the ice and to make his shy visitor feel at home. Mr. Murphy relaxed and answered the mayor’s questions without blushing too much.
“How do we know this
thing of a jig
of yours will do what you say it will?” asked the mayor.
Mr. Murphy just whistled a few bars
“Tum tidy ay dee”
and a couple of mice jumped right out of the mayor’s desk!
“Of course,” Homer explained, “the mice come
quicker,
and get
removed
when the mouse trap plays that tune through the streets. Mr. Murphy guarantees to remove every single mouse from Centerburg for only thirty dollars.”
“It’s a bargain!” said the mayor, “I wondered where my jelly beans were disappearing to!” and he shook hands with Mr. Murphy. Then he proclaimed Saturday as the day for de-mousing Centerburg. By this time everyone knew that the shy stranger’s name was Michael Murphy, but people still spoke of him as Rip Van Winkle (Rip for short), because of the sheriff’s deduction. Everybody talked about the musical mouse trap (that didn’t hurt the mice) and the mayor’s de-mousing proclamation.
The children, especially, were looking forward to the great event. They watched with interest while Mr. Murphy went over his car and his musical trap to be sure everything was in perfect working order. Homer and Freddy and most of the other children were planning to follow the trap all around town Saturday, and see the mice come out and get caught in Michael Murphy’s musical trap.
“Gosh, Homer,” said Freddy, “let’s follow him until he lets them loose out in the country! That
will
be a sight, seeing all those mice let loose at once!”
“Well, Freddy, I’ve been thinking it might not be a good idea to follow the mouse trap past the city limits,” said Homer to Freddy’s surprise.
“You know, Freddy, I’ve been over at the library reading up on mice and music—music can do funny things sometimes. It can soothe savage beasts and charm snakes and
lots
of things. If we’re going to follow this musical trap till the mice are let loose, we better make some plans.”
Homer and Freddy spent all Friday recess period making plans. They decided that all the children should meet in the school yard before the de-mousing started on Saturday. They arranged a signal, thumbs up, if everything was going along all right; and thumbs down if any one was in trouble.
“It’s just to be on the safe side,” Homer explained.
* * *
Saturday dawned a beautiful crisp fall day, fine weather for the grand de-mousing of Centerburg. Mr. Michael Murphy came forth from the Strand Hotel, and after carefully slinging his long gray beard over his shoulder, he cranked his car and warmed up the engine. He carefully removed the canvas covering from the musical mouse trap and ever so painstakingly arranged the spiral ramps and runways so that no mouse, no matter how careless, could stub a toe or bump a nose. He then climbed behind the steering wheel and the musical mouse trap was under way!
A loud cheer arose from the crowd of children as Mr. Murphy yanked a lever and the reed organ started to play. Even before the cheering stopped the mice began to appear!
Through the streets of Centerburg rolled Mr. Michael Murphy and his musical mouse trap. The mice came running from every direction! Fat, doughnut fed mice from Uncle Ulysses lunch room, thin mice from
“That doesn’t hurt the
mice!
” added the barber. As Homer and Uncle Ulysses went off arm in arm to see the mayor.
It scarcely took Uncle Ulysses and Homer half an hour to convince the mayor that Mr. Murphy’s musical mouse trap should be hired to rid Centerburg of mice. While Uncle Ulysses chatted on with the mayor, Homer dashed over to the hotel to fetch Mr. Murphy.
Homer came back with the bearded inventor and introduced him to the mayor, and to Uncle Ulysses. The mayor opened a drawer of his desk and brought out a bag of jelly beans. “Have one,” he said to Mr. Murphy, to sort of break the ice and to make his shy visitor feel at home. Mr. Murphy relaxed and answered the mayor’s questions without blushing too much.
“How do we know this
thing of a jig
of yours will do what you say it will?” asked the mayor.
Mr. Murphy just whistled a few bars
“Tum tidy ay dee”
and a couple of mice jumped right out of the mayor’s desk!
“Of course,” Homer explained, “the mice come
quicker,
and get
removed
when the mouse trap plays that tune through the streets. Mr. Murphy guarantees to remove every single mouse from Centerburg for only thirty dollars.”
“It’s a bargain!” said the mayor, “I wondered where my jelly beans were disappearing to!” and he shook hands with Mr. Murphy. Then he proclaimed Saturday as the day for de-mousing Centerburg. By this time everyone knew that the shy stranger’s name was Michael Murphy, but people still spoke of him as Rip Van Winkle (Rip for short), because of the sheriff’s deduction. Everybody talked about the musical mouse trap (that didn’t hurt the mice) and the mayor’s de-mousing proclamation.
The children, especially, were looking forward to the great event. They watched with interest while Mr. Murphy went over his car and his musical trap to be sure everything was in perfect working order. Homer and Freddy and most of the other children were planning to follow the trap all around town Saturday, and see the mice come out and get caught in Michael Murphy’s musical trap.
“Gosh, Homer,” said Freddy, “let’s follow him until he lets them loose out in the country! That
will
be a sight, seeing all those mice let loose at once!”
“Well, Freddy, I’ve been thinking it might not be a good idea to follow the mouse trap past the city limits,” said Homer to Freddy’s surprise.
“You know, Freddy, I’ve been over at the library reading up on mice and music—music can do funny things sometimes. It can soothe savage beasts and charm snakes and
lots
of things. If we’re going to follow this musical trap till the mice are let loose, we better make some plans.”
Homer and Freddy spent all Friday recess period making plans. They decided that all the children should meet in the school yard before the de-mousing started on Saturday. They arranged a signal, thumbs up, if everything was going along all right; and thumbs down if any one was in trouble.
“It’s just to be on the safe side,” Homer explained.
* * *
Saturday dawned a beautiful crisp fall day, fine weather for the grand de-mousing of Centerburg. Mr. Michael Murphy came forth from the Strand Hotel, and after carefully slinging his long gray beard over his shoulder, he cranked his car and warmed up the engine. He carefully removed the canvas covering from the musical mouse trap and ever so painstakingly arranged the spiral ramps and runways so that no mouse, no matter how careless, could stub a toe or bump a nose. He then climbed behind the steering wheel and the musical mouse trap was under way!
A loud cheer arose from the crowd of children as Mr. Murphy yanked a lever and the reed organ started to play. Even before the cheering stopped the mice began to appear!
Through the streets of Centerburg rolled Mr. Michael Murphy and his musical mouse trap. The mice came running from every direction! Fat, doughnut fed mice from Uncle Ulysses lunch room, thin mice from
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