Life and Perambulations of a Mouse | Page 6

order to be by his
favourite; but, upon his advancing near her, she suddenly jumped up,
without considering what she was about, overturned the water-urn, the
hot iron of which rolling out, set fire to her clothes, which instantly
blazed up, being only muslin, and burnt her arms, face, and neck, most
dreadfully: she was so much hurt as to be obliged to be put
immediately to bed; nor did she recover enough to go abroad for many
months. Now, though every one was sorry for her sufferings, who
could possibly help blaming her for her ridiculous behaviour, as it was
entirely owing to her own folly that she was so hurt? When she was
talked to upon the subject, she pleaded for her excuse, that she was so
frightened she did not know what she did, nor whither she was going;
but as she thought that the dog was coming to her she could not help
jumping up, to get out of his way. Now what ridiculous arguing was
this! Why could not she help it? And if the dog had really been going to
her, what harm would it have done? Could she suppose that the lady
whose house she was at, would have suffered a beast to walk about the
house loose, and go into company, if he was apt to bite and hurt people?
Or why should she think he would more injure her, than those he had
before passed by? But the real case was, she did not think at all; if she
had given herself time for that, she could not have acted so ridiculously.
Another time, when she was walking, from the same want of reflection,
she very nearly drowned herself. She was passing over a bridge, the
outside rails of which were in some places broken down: while she was
there, some cows, which a man was driving, met her: immediately,
without minding whither she went, she shrieked out, and at the same
time jumped on one side just where the rail happened to be broken, and
down she fell into the river; nor was it without the greatest difficulty

that she was taken out time enough to save her life. However, she
caught a violent cold and fever, and was again, by her own foolish fears,
confined to her bed for some weeks. Another accident she once met
with, which though not quite so bad as the two former, yet might have
been attended with fatal consequences. She was sitting in a window,
when a wasp happened to fly toward her; she hastily drew back her
head, and broke the pane of glass behind her, some of which stuck in
her neck. It bled prodigiously; but a surgeon happily being present,
made some application to it, which prevented its being followed by any
other ill effects than only a few days weakness, occasioned by the loss
of blood. Many other misfortunes of the like kind she frequently
experienced; but these which I have now related may serve to convince
you how extremely absurd it is for people to give way to and indulge
themselves in such groundless apprehensions, and, by being afraid
when there is no danger, subject themselves to real misfortunes and
most fatal accidents. And if being afraid of cows, dogs, and wasps (all
of which, if they please, can certainly hurt us) is so ridiculous, what
must be the folly of those people who are terrified at a little silly mouse,
which never was known to hurt anybody?'
Here the conversation was interrupted by the entrance of some
gentlemen and ladies; and we having enjoyed a very fine repast under
one of the chairs during the time that the mother and daughter had held
the above discourse, on the chairs being removed for some of the
visitors to sit upon, we thought it best to retire: highly pleased with our
meal, and not less with the kind goodwill which the lady had, we
thought, expressed towards us. We related to our brother Brighteyes all
that had passed, and assured him he had no reason to apprehend any
danger from venturing himself with us. Accordingly he promised, if
such was the case, that the next time we went and found it safe, if we
would return back and call him, he would certainly accompany us. 'In
the mean time, do pray, Nimble,' said he, addressing himself to me,
'come with me to some other place, for I long to taste some more
delicate food than our mother has provided for us: besides, as perhaps it
may be a long while before we shall be strong enough to bring anything
away with us, we had better leave that, in case we should ever be
prevented from going abroad to seek for