One night, Nibbles the little brown Mouse sitting in his house at the foot of a tree said, “Mother, won’t you let me go out into the Moonlit Fields? I do so long to see the Liliesc growing and the pretty White Marigolds.”
“You silly little thing,” said his Mother. “A mouse your size trotting about by himself at night! It is not safe.”
“Why, Mother,” said Nibbles, “what can harm me? I am not afraid of Cats or Dogs. I shall be careful and look on each side before I cross the path. I want to see the Moonbeams lying on the green grass and the twinkling Stars looking down at me.”
“I am afraid it is too far for you to go, Nibbles,” said his Mother.
“If you will go with me as far as the door, Mother, I can go the rest of the way myself.”
At last she said, “Well, well, set out and come back safely.”
So Nibbles hid his little bits of food away and said good-bye to all his Brothers and Sisters and to his Mamma, and off he started and ran to the door. He was almost blinded with the brightness of the Moonlight compared to the darkness at home. He conquered his momentary fear, however, and trotted into the centre of the Moonlit Fields. Everything looked so bright that he thought that even a Cat could not find him there.
He went on and on and sat down to rest by the side of a pretty little white Flower which came out at night and opened its “eyes” to the Moon like the Snowdrop.
“I have no idea where I am,” said he, sitting down on a tiny stone which was just the exact size of his little white feet. “I wish Mother and I had walked here together, I am not afraid any more. Hark! Is that a Sound? I feel as if something was coming.”
Just then a little Brown Mouse popped out of a hole near by.
“I am glad to see you,” said Nibbles. “I feel so lonely sitting here all by myself under the Stars. Did you see a little Brown Mouse pass over the Bridge?”
“No,” he replied, “but I was going to try and find my Wife and Children; I must open the door of my house first. Will you come with me to supper? I think they would like a visitor.”
“I should be so pleased,” said Nibbles.
He found a lovely little dinner awaiting for them and spent a long while there. Nibbles was just thinking that he was afraid it was time to go home when he heard such a noise as he had never heard before in his life. It grew louder and louder every moment and then his host said, “Dear me, what can that be? I fear we shall have an earthq-uake.”
“I think it is our poor old friend, the Earthworm,” said Nibbles, “he was always going grumbling up and down the Earth, and I am sure the vibration we feel is caused by him getting nearer to us.”
The host fortunately was able to satisfy his guest on this point, who stayed with him many hours longer. Nibbles then thought it wiser to seek his own home.
What a laugh his Brothers and Sisters had! When the little Moonbeams came in at their door to rest as usual they often used to fall asleep listening to Nibbles and his story of what he called the “Brown Field Mouse Congress.”