Build a Better Mousetrap, or Catch Me if You Can

[sobota]

I teach French and on the final day of classes before spring holidays, I showed my students a Belgian film called Ernest et Célestine, which in simple terms is about a bear (Ernest) and a mouse (Célestine) who become friends. It's a well-drawn animated film. My students had never heard of it but they mostly enjoyed it. Some of them had trouble suspending disbelief.

My favourite scene is when Célestine moves into Ernest's house. Ernest is none too pleased with the idea but Célestine has run out of options. She asks 'Well, how will you get rid of me? Can't kill me with a broom, I'm too fast. You could try with a regular old mouse trap, but that's difficult because it's been around for decades and we already know how to work around that..."

I like mice. I don't like killing them. I like mice winning against all odds. At my farm in England we had four mousing cats that would bring me mice every morning, and sometimes shrews. They were mostly disembowelled and unrecognisable.

And then I realised, that the best mouse trap, even after all these centuries...is a cat.

Sorry mice. Looks like you won't win all of them.

Comments

[x-disturbed-x.livejournal.com]

My new cat is quite the mouse catcher. XD Sometimes I wish he wouldn't bring them to me.

[az-starshine.livejournal.com]

This is cute. And yes, the best mousetrap is a cat. I remember after getting married the first time, my now ex-husband and I were honeymooning at our family's lake cabin when a mouse came out of nowhere. Most people probably would have started shrieking and carrying on about there being a mouse, but "Cinderella" is one of my favorite Disney movies. You can take it from there. I didn't want him to create havoc and invite his friends, so we did have to do away with him. :( I, like you though, like the idea of mice winning at all odds.

[kagomeshuko.livejournal.com]

Oddly, I think I have heard of that movie. I'm not sure why, though. I wasn't in school at the time . . .

[adoptedwriter.livejournal.com]

Unless it's Tom and Jerry! LOL. Cute!
AW

[dreamsofspike.livejournal.com]

The best mouse trap is a cat. Very nice line. (I'm a little jealous 'cause it would have been perfect for my entry ;) hehe )

Very amusing, clever little piece :)

[veronica-rich.livejournal.com]

The Egyptians knew this. We've not done any better. :-P

[i-will-not-say.livejournal.com]

the best mouse trap, even after all these centuries...is a cat.

I liked this line. :)

You wrote a cute entry!

[penpusher.livejournal.com]

Unless it's Itchy & Scratchy! (blatantly thieved from a previous comment).

Honestly, we all play these cat and mouse games.

[kathrynrose.livejournal.com]

I had a cat who used to bring me dead lizards. Unfortunately they were most often left in my bed.

One of my current cats brought me a live snake a couple years ago. There was much shrieking. Oh, yes.

[elledanger.livejournal.com]

Oh gosh, this is so true. The house where I'm living at the moment has a terrible mouse infestation. We tried humane traps, then real traps, there is poison down, holes have been filled, and yet the mice remain. The only suggestion the environmental health guys could offer was 'get a cat'.

[onda-bianca.livejournal.com]

True. We just moved and I may just get a cat to ensure there are no mice around:)

[kajel.livejournal.com]

lol So very true! Nicely done.

[mamas-minion.livejournal.com]

My cat Rio used to bring me gifts out of the back yard. They definitely are the best mouse trap

[solstice-singer.livejournal.com]

I'll take a cat over a regular old mouse trap any day.

[jem0000000.livejournal.com]

Cats are excellent mouse traps. :)

[dreamsreflected.livejournal.com]

Anytime someone tells me they have mice my first reaction is "get a cat". Even my championship-laziness level cat kept the mice away even if he rarely active caught them.