Deep in the Knickerknack Forest
There lived a small mouse named Joaquín.
Being a mouse was his day job,
But being a knight was his dream.
*
He dreamt of shiny mouse armor,
A mouse sword, a mouse shield, and a lance,
A mouse princess, mouse horse, and a castle,
A great mouse hall in which to mouse dance.
*
But Joaquín the mouse was so tiny,
He was barely the size of a fig.
How could such a small mouse be a true knight
When the world outside was so big?
*
Nonetheless, he hardened his body,
His mind, and his will to the deed.
Though swords were too broad for his mouse hands,
He read much, and honed his CV.
*
Soon opportunity called to him,
A brave knight was looking to hire.
The mouse put in his résumé
And landed a job as a squire.
*
His lord, to testeth his mettle
Questioned his skillcraft in war:
“What knows thee of jousting and horses?
Can you wield a lance and a broadsword?”
*
“My lord,” said the mouse to his master.
“Sword-in-hand I am far from at ease.
‘Tis true I know not much of jousting,
But I’m truly an expert on cheese.”
*
“Cheese?” spake the knight with vexation.
“A knight has no use for such bores.
Mayhaps thou can cook, and polish my armor,
And do other squire-like chores?”
*
“Nay,” said the mouse, “I don’t think so.
For, all of my food I eat raw.
I can gather thee berries and seedlings,
Or perhaps a few nibblings of straw?”
*
“I can scurry around and do mouse things,
Perhaps rat things, too,” said the mouse.
“But as far as great big human knight things,
I’ll admit it, I’m rather a louse.”
*
“That shan’t do at all,” spake the noble.
“For mouse things I have not much use.
I’m a knight and need you to do knight things.
But in this you are less than profuse.”
*
“I do battles and jousts,” said the brave knight.
“I dine on rich meats and fine wine.
Thy CV, I wish I had inspected,
For thy mouse skills are no use of mine.”
*
Just like that, the mouse, he was fired,
He wandered the streets in despair.
His dreams of knighthood were diminished.
His pockets, of cheese they were bare.
*
He drowned his troubles with strong mouse ale,
His mouse hope, replaced with mouse sorrow.
“There is naught for a poor mouse to live for,” he thought.
“I shall perish of grief on the morrow.”
*
But just as his hopes reached their lowest,
There came a loud cry from the distance.
Without hesitation he ran there;
The brave knight was in need of assistance.
*
Deep in the forest the knight fell
Into a trap in cold blood.
His enemies rained arrows upon him,
While he’d become stuck in the mud.
*
Mired in the muck in a quandary,
Whilst arrows, they fell all around,
The knight on his steed appeared doomed there,
Stuck in the muddy wet ground.
*
But the mouse did not stop for moment,
Quick into action he sprang.
To help those in need was his calling.
He would free the good knight from his pangs!
*
“Worry not!” said the mouse to the brave knight.
“I will help you get out of this mess.
While at knight stuff I may not be skillful,
At forest stuff I am the best!”
*
All through the forest he scavenged,
One by one bringing small bits of hay,
Till the mud it had gone dry and solid,
And horse and knight galloped forth from the fray.
*
But the knight’s troubles they did not stop there,
Many arrows had pierced through his mail.
In his armor he was too stiff to reach them,
He tried boldly, but to no avail.
*
But again leapt the mouse to the rescue,
The arrows, no chance did they stand.
With his tiny mouse teeth did he gnaw them,
And pull them out with his tiny mouse hands.
*
“I am sorry to ever so doubt you,”
Said the knight to the mouse with esteem.
“Though small and a mouse you may be, friend,
You’re the bravest knight I’ve ever seen.”
*
The mouse was knighted with distinction,
A true chevalier of great fame.
He helped many a brave knight with mouse things,
And the kingdom all honored his name.
*
The brave knight forged him tiny mouse armor,
A mouse sword, a shield crested with cheese.
Built him a great mouse hall to dance in,
A mouse castle for hosting mouse feasts.
*
He married a lovely mouse princess,
He rode on a regal mouse horse,
And, lo! nigh within a few fortnights,
Came many young mouselings, of course!
*
The mouse was beloved ‘round the kingdom.
Though small, a great knight he became.
He taught that no matter thy mouseness,
Any mouse could achieve great acclaim.
*
Thus went the tale of the mouse knight,
Whose lesson’s sung wide by the bards:
“‘Tis not the size of the mouse knight that matters,
But the quality of his mouse heart.”
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