The Snake and the Mouse

Slitherens the snake was desperate for some sort of race. He slithered across the amusement park’s no trespassing area looking for someone, anyone. Finally, after what seemed like an hour, he came across a tiny, gray, big-eared mouse. The mouse stood staring blankly at Slitherens. “Hi.” The mouse said in a high pitched squeak. Slitherens took a good look at the mouse. He certainly wasn’t the running type. Then Slitherens had an idea. “Would you like to have a food eating racccce?” Slitherens asked with his tongue still sticking out. The mouse stood in silence.

“Ok...” He finally said with the same high pitched squeak. The mouse looked at their surroundings. There wasn’t much he would be willing to eat, until a man came out of a back door with two boxes and set them on top of the dumpster before returning through the back door. The mouse scurried to the boxes and peeked in. “Cheese!” He said. He looked closer and made a disgusted look. “Rotten cheese.” The mouse’s nose twitched. 

“Whoever finishesssss the most cheessssse in two minutesssss winsssss.” Slitherens said suddenly. The mouse pondered. “Wins what?” He questioned. 

“I’ll tell you at the end.” Slitherens said. It may have been from his imagination, but the mouse could have sworn he saw Slitherens’ eye twinkle just a little. The mouse pushed one box after the other to the ground missing Slitherens’s tail by inches. Slitherens tipped the boxes slowly with his tail causing the cheese to fall out and roll to a stop before the mouse. “One slice for you and one slice for me?” The mouse asked watching Slitherens. 

“Yessss.” The mouse hesitated for a moment. 

“Ok.”

“Ready?”

“Ummm…I guess so.”

“Ready?”

“Yes.”

“GO!” Slitherens ate the cheese so fast he didn’t even take a breath. The mouse went as fast as he could go, which was pretty good for his size. Unfortunately, it wasn’t fast enough. Suddenly Slitherens stopped with an obnoxious look on his face. The mouse stopped too. “Are you ok?” The mouse asked. It seemed to him that Slitherens had passed out. The mouse didn’t know what to do. Should I finish the race? Should I call for help? Or should I try to help him myself? How strange, a mouse helping a snake? The mouse couldn’t decide. The mouse jumped up and landed on Slitherens’ tail. Slitherens made a hissing sound. “Sorry.” The mouse replied. The mouse looked up to see an enormous lump in Slitherens’ throat. The mouse had an idea. If I jump on the lump in Slitherens’s throat, it will come out. The mouse took action. He climbed up on one of the boxes, and jumped and landed as hard as he could with all his weight directly on the lump. Slitherens made a gagging noise, and out came the cheese. Slitherens stood up facing the mouse. And to think I was going to eat him, I should be ashamed of myself. “Thanksssssss.” He hissed. 

“I thought…you wouldn’t…make it.” The mouse said, out of breath. Slitherens smiled at the mouse. Ever since that day Slitherens and the mouse have been best friends.