Chapter Three

For a moment no one moved, then Petal scampered over to where Aubergene lay and knelt down at his head. Very gently she lifted it onto her lap, for once lost for words. Instead she closed her eyes tightly and began to cry. Dripper, who really didn’t understand what all the commotion was about, but decided that he would join in too, promptly started to bellow as well. Ambrose got down on his knees and crawled toward his motionless brother. He sniffed the air; all he could smell was soot. He tapped Aubergene cautiously on the shoulder, once then once again, a little harder. There was no movement. Petal bawled, “ Oh Aubergene, you goose, whatever shall we tell Mother?” Her wails became louder as did Dripper’s and Ambrose scampered outside to get away from their noise.

He felt quite helpless and was suffering a little from shock. How could they tell mother that Aubergene died when he fell out of the kitchen chimney? He skipped here and there amongst the milkweed and wild daisies, wondering what to do now. After all he was only a little mouse and had not experienced a death by misadventure before. Suddenly a memory of mother mouse standing beside a little mound, flashed through his mind. She had placed a small bunch of wildflowers on the mound before saying a prayer and turning stoically away.

Just as if a light had gone on in his mind, Ambrose knew what he must do. With purpose now he scuttled here and there gathering pieces of milkweed and wild white daisies. Then he made his way back inside, back to the hearth of the kitchen fireplace. There knelt Petal, Aubergene’s head still cradled on her lap, whimpering softly to herself and subconsciously patting Dripper’s shoulder. As for Dripper himself, he had finished bawling and was gazing vaguely around the kitchen and rubbing his nose with the corner of his mousey-rug. Ambrose scuttled to his brother’s side and put the small bunch of flowers on Aubergene’s thin chest.

‘ Oh Ambrose, whatever are we going to say to Mother? You know she is sure to realize that there is one of us missing tonight.’ Petal produced a spotty handkerchief from her pinafore and began to twist it around and around tortuously.

Ambrose looked thoughtful. ‘I don’t know. You know her eyesight has not been best of late and if we’re lucky she’ll not notice.’ He sniffed hopefully, looking a little brighter.

‘ That’s all very well, Ambrose. She might not notice at the tea table, what with you and I arguing over who has ice cream or jelly and Dripper spilling the milk bowl all over the cloth. But wait until she comes to say goodnight, she’ll surely notice then.’

It was while the brother and sister were in such deep discussion that they were interrupted by a humungous sneeze. Followed quickly by another.

‘ Use your handkerchief, Dripper,’ Petal admonished the baby mouse automatically. This was answered by another sneeze even more tumultuous than the first. Ambrose and Petal, even little Dripper covered their ears to prevent them from tingling. All three mice turned to look a their ‘demised’ brother, who was at the moment sitting bolt upright with a skinny finger held under his nose. Petals, pollen and leaves were everywhere.

‘ I think I’m allergic to flowers,’ the somewhat dazed Aubergene announced.