Wednesday 19 December 2012

A Mischief of Mice

Mice 

by Rose Fyleman

I think mice are rather nice,
Their tails are long,
Their ears are small,
They haven't any chins at all.
Their ears are pink,
Their teeth are white,
They run around the house at night.
And nibble things they shouldn't touch,
And no one seems to like them much.
But I think mice are rather nice.


I learned this poem when I was a child at school. I don't think children are made to learn and recite poems very much these days, but I think it is a really good exercise. Once you have learned a poem you hopefully will have it for life. I would love to know if you can still recite  a poem that you learned at school? The only other one that I can remember is Gather Ye Rosebuds. I had to learn and recite it to the prefects, as a punishment. I had hidden in the loos instead of going to assembly with my friend Hilary, as she was unset because her hamster had died. But that is another story ...

I don't talk about my job much. No day is the same, it is never boring, and often very rewarding. This will sound a bit batty, but I think children are like seedlings, and it is important for them to have the best start possible. Obviously home is the most important, but so is school. You don't know what life will throw at you, but a good start may see you through.

Anyway today I had such a fantastic day, with a trip with the school choir to an old people's day centre, back to school for Christmas lunch, and then the most hilarious pantomine performed by the staff for the children. (I think I can say that, as I was not in the cast, but sitting with the children.) Sometimes I can't believe that they pay me as well.


My class is not full, and I decided a while ago to make a mouse for all of the seventeen children, as a Christmas gift. The pattern is from Yellow, Pink and Sparkly. I started with some Fair Isle ones, but after a while I decided to branch out ...

Stripey Mice 

Flowery Mice

and a few plain mice (which are my favourite).

Did you know one of the group names for mice is a mischief?


So now for a bit of mouse wrapping ....

25 comments:

  1. The mice are adorable. I love them.

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  2. Yeah, a great teacher...the kids will love the mice...tie them to their backpacks or something..I did not know that "mischief" is associated with mice!

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  3. What fun little gifts those mice will make. The children will love them. So nice of you!

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  4. They are ALL wonderful - what a lovely gift for the children.

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  5. OMG! These are adorable! Very cute idea. I hope the kids love them.

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  6. Your mice are really cute!
    Thanks for sharing on Creative Friday:)

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  7. How fun to come across your post about mice. I have been looking on Rav for mice to knit. Unfortunately, the Alan Dart pattern for Chalk is no longer in print and he cannot sell the pattern because of copyright laws. Bummer.

    But your mice will find nice homes, and be loved, I'm sure! Very cute little guys.

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  8. That's about the only mice I would want to be around! So cute.

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  9. Wow, lucky children, those are absolutely gorgeous.

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  10. This is so fun. My Mom's family name translates as "mouse". The idea of each child getting a unique mouse is so great. And I love all the one you've got there. Now I'm going to think about a "mischief of mice" all day ;)

    Merry Christmas!

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  11. I love them, I think I'm going to make some mice too :)

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  12. I know that poem and memorized it long ago. Can,t wait to knit these

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  13. The mice are adorable! I have 46 students, so I bought them books...but one year I made my 50+ children scarves...the last one got theirs in the spring..they are now in 9th grade and many of them still have the scarves...

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  14. Your mice as so cute!! How lovely to make one each for the children.
    My childhood poem is "Someone" by Walter de la Mare. I didn't learn it at school, but I had a very small poetry book as a child and I liked to say it outloud in my own version of an English accent!!!!

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  15. What a lot of lovely mice. Is that a huddle of mice, can't be a flock they are too small!

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  16. Very cute. I'm sending this to my sister who is a wiz with yarn.

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  17. They are so cute! I made my class individual mini stockings one year, and last Christmas I bumped into a mum with a very embarassed teenage son, who she said still had my mini stocking! It is very much the thought that counts, have alovely Christmas and see you in the Handmade Monday New Year, Jo x

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  18. Those mice are stinkin' cute and what a perfect inspiration for the kids to learn the poem. I agree, my children don't come home reciting poems or songs like we did. Music seems to be more about learning Spanish than learning music. I can still sing the songs I learned in elementary school and still remember some of the poetry we wrote together as a class.

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  19. Oh, so adorable!! I love them!! Thank you for sharing at Sharing Saturday!!

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  20. I never thought I'd ever say this, but....those mice are SO CUTE!! I think it's amazing that you made something that normally makes a girl scream into something so cute. Thanks for sharing at Hookin On Hump Day!

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  21. Wow, you have made a lot of them:) I love your mice!

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