Once Upon A Time, in the city of Rodentia, lived the mice. Now, these were not ordinary mice. These mice had colored whiskers.
The rodent hierarchy was evidenced by color, and the color of one's whiskers denoted any particular mouse's job or standing in the community.
The red whiskered mice were firemen. Policemen wore silver whiskers. All professional mice were viewed with gold whiskers. Blue collar workers naturally had blue whiskers, while white collar workers were prominent with white. The agricultural mice who worked the fields wore green whiskers. The judicial system was the highest level found in Rodentia. These mice, though also wearing gold, were differentiated by extra long whiskers which naturally accompanied age. But colored whiskers were not always the case for the Mice of Rodentia...
Rodentia was known near and far as a thriving metropolis. There was peace, harmony and plenty for all. Every mouse had a job. The internal workings of Rodentia ran smoothly. The state of the economy was evidenced by happiness and contentment. Mice from all around exchanged goods with the Rodentian mice. That is, until the time for Rodentia's Yearly Rodent Gathering on the eleventh of Long Tail, which ushered in Gray Feast.
It was at this conclave that one youthful mouse delegate, a Grooper, proposed that all mice be given colored whiskers! After a hearty and heated debate a vote favored unity and oneness. The Colored Whiskers Resolution was passed and an atmosphere of delectation pervaded the assembly. This vote would later prove to have been a very grave mistake.
A painting committee was set up, and all of the residents of Rodentia were required by edict to present themselves to receive their colored whiskers.
Rodentia soon became very colorful. A riot of color blossomed throughout the city in time for Gray Feast. In fact, there was so much happiness and jubilation that a Mardi Gras-like atmosphere was the order of the night - and the day. No one reported for work the following day. Jubilation turned into riotious behavior which had to be quelled by the police.
The entire population was consumed with colored whisker mentality and the melee continued in spite of rodent control. Soon, larders became empty. Fields wilted. There was no milk for the children. Factory production came to a stand-still, and so did trade. Without trade, the economy began to falter, and soon totally failed. Jobs were lost. Businesses suffered terrible harm, and were forced to close their doors. Arguing was rampant. Every mouse blamed every other mouse for their situation.
But the mice continued in their party mode. They saw no problem with their city. After all, they were satiated by means of plunder. "Why should we work, when we get more than we need by pillage?" was the question of the day.
Things soon went from bad to worse. The mice with white whiskers thought themselves better than the mice with blue whiskers. The mice with long gold whiskers thought they were better than any of the populace. That is when mouse started killing mouse. A simple paint job had escalated into a civil war!
Every mouse, even babies, were sided. Red, blue, green, orange and black against white, purple, silver, gold, and yellow. The city was baracaded. The mice, well armed, were ready for another color - BLOOD! High noon was approaching. The clock began to strike - one, two, three...
It started to rain!
four, five, six...
and the drops became bigger and bigger...
seven, eight, nine...
and bigger...
ten, eleven...
and by the stroke of twelve, each mouse saw that he was standing in a puddle of colored water! The rain was alembic. Someone giggled. Then a mouse laughed - then another and another, till all of the mice were laughing and hugging and kissing.
It rained and rained and the water washed all of the colors down the drains.
And the Mice of Rodentia returned to their homes. They returned to their jobs. And once again peace and love and harmony and prosperity reigned in Rodentia, and the colored whiskers that once encumbered their lives were no longer remembered!
This is a work or fiction by Virginia Marin. It may not be copied, altered in any way, or used elsewhere without my written consent. Please respect my individuality and hard work.
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