Once Is Enough

"If you do a thing right the first time, once is enough."  I don't know what I did wrong.  In my opinion, the mice are carrying things a little too far and last night I carried mice a little too far.  Cindy did a repeat performance of not wanting to go into the barn so I once again reached up into the grain bucket for a lure.  More prepared for the mouse explosion, I tried to move a bit quicker, but not fast enough.  Mice were landing everywhere and, of course, one dropped down the front of my bibbies again.  People at wedding receptions do The Chicken Dance.  People on farms do The Mousie Two-Step.  We don't even need music.  I did my impromptu hop-shake-and-shuffle, got Cindy into the room and tucked in for the night, and went up the slope for the last chore of the evening.  Standing in the fading sunset, topping off the water trough, I was contemplating the year past and the year to come.  That was when I became aware of movement on my shoulder under my jacket.  No.  It could not possibly be.  Yes.  It was.  Despite my frantic gyrations down at the barn, Mousie had found a nook or cranny (does not bear further ideation), clung for dear life, and hitched a ride.  I took off said jacket to shake it out.  Mousie ran around to my other shoulder.  I learned some fancy new steps and arm movements with my little dance partner.  Gene Kelly danced with Jerry the Mouse in the old musical "Anchors Aweigh."  I could teach Gene a thing or two.  Our fandango finished, Mousie leaped off and raced like greased lightning into a nearby hole.  Guilt set in.  That poor little mouse was far from home and family, it was getting dark, and he would be all alone in the night.  Cindy and I are going to have a long talk.  Once was enough; twice was too many.