The Christmas Mouse by Read Miss

Author:Read, Miss [Read, Miss]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
ISBN: 9781409148661
Publisher: Orion
Published: 2013-11-07T16:00:00+00:00

The boy, snuffling into his handkerchief, looked bewildered but made no comment.

‘Well, what about bread and milk?’

A vision of her two little granddaughters spooning up their supper – days ago, it seemed, although it was only a few hours – rose before her eyes. Simple and nourishing, and warming for this poor, silly, frightened child!

‘Thank you,’ said the boy. ‘I like bread and milk.’

She left him, still sniffing, but with the second paper handkerchief deposited on the back of the fire as instructed.

‘Not a sound now,’ warned Mrs Berry, as she departed. ‘There’s two little girls asleep up there. And their ma. All tired out and need their sleep. Same as I do, for that matter.’

She cut a thick slice of bread in the cold kitchen. The wind had not abated, although the rain seemed less violent, Mrs Berry thought, as she waited for the milk to heat. She tidied the cake tin away, wondering whether she would fancy the cake at tea time after all its vicissitudes. Had those grubby paws touched it, she wondered?

She poured the steaming milk over the bread cubes, sprinkled it well with brown sugar and carried the bowl to the child.

He was lying back in the chair with his eyes shut, and for a moment Mrs Berry thought he was asleep. He looked so defenceless, so young, and so meekly mouse-like, lying there with his pink-tipped pointed nose in the air, that Mrs Berry’s first instinct was to tuck him up in her dressing gown and be thankful that he was at rest.

But the child struggled upright, and held out his skinny hands for the bowl and spoon. For the first time he smiled, and although it was a poor, wan thing as smiles go, it lit up the boy’s face and made him seem fleetingly attractive.

Mrs Berry sat down and watched him attack the meal. It was obvious he was ravenously hungry.

‘I never had no tea,’ said the child, conscious of Mrs Berry’s eyes upon him.

‘Why not?’

The boy shrugged his shoulders.

‘Dunno.’

‘Been naughty?’

‘No.’

‘Had too much dinner then?’

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