Miss Lity and Me
A few years ago, I wrote and illustrated a book called “Miss Lity and the Mouse from the Woods.” It is about an old woman, Rosa Lity (plucked out of the word – SOLITARY), who lives alone on a farm. She does not seem to need the company of others and prefers spending time with the wild animals that live in the woods nearby. If you read my last blog, you will notice some similarities between yours truly and Miss Lity. Yes, we are both old (I am NOT as old), we both feel more comfortable with animals than humans, and we both are a bit quirky and enjoy feeding squirrels. So am I Miss Lity, do you ask? No. For one thing I’m Asian. Another thing I live with my family and am not as self-sufficient and independent as Miss Lity. The book, however, was inspired by something that happened in my back yard one summer. I emphasize “inspired” because the book is, needless to say, a total fantasy.
One summer as my daughter and I gave out peanuts to the squirrels in our backyard, we noticed a small mouse among them. Most mice keep a low profile. Their presence is mostly noticed by the holes they dig in the ground as they nest. I wasn’t too thrilled to see the mouse. I was worried about the fleas that they carry and other possible diseases. Of course the squirrels can carry germs, fleas and ticks among other things. But here I admit to my prejudice towards the mouse and wished it would go away. At least, I wished it would fear us humans and not show its presence so openly. To my horror, my family members thought it only fair that the mouse get some peanuts for its valor. (What were they thinking???!!!) The mouse was smart and figured that if it showed up with the squirrels, it would get a peanut. So the gullible family members continued to treat the mouse as if it were a squirrel. I did not like it one bit, and the thought of the mouse kept me up at nights (a little exaggeration here).
The mouse soon disappeared much to my relief only to reappear in a very sorry state. We spot many birds of prey around our house. Eagles, hawks, falcons and owls to name a few. The mouse obviously was hurt and seemed to be dragging its way to its nest or wherever it took refuge. That was the last time I saw that particular mouse. Despite my relief to see the mouse go away, I felt remorse for my dislike of such a small creature. The dislike and prejudice were obviously born out of fear and ignorance on my part.
The other day, I thought I saw a mouse scurrying in the bushes. It may have been a small bird, who knows. My point is that even after writing “Miss Lity,” my first thought after the possible sighting of a mouse was no kinder nor more accepting than any other time before I wrote the book. The message of the book was that “all creatures are precious and we all must share the land.” I think the majority of humans understand this in theory. Treating other species with kindness may actually be easier than fundamentally changing one’s state of the heart. Prejudice and fear cannot be overcome overnight nor can it be achieved by persuasion. Ebenezer Scrooge was a blessed soul; perhaps I can transform if I were visited by three spirits.
Alas, the other day I did see a mouse scurrying around the foot of the bird bath looking for left over peanuts. After the sighting, I tried to keep the bird food in one spot and clean up before night fall. I told myself I should just accept the mouse if I wanted to feed the birds and the squirrels. That was the case until I witnessed the mouse chasing away the little birds! A timid mouse that avoided being detected was one thing, an aggressive bully mouse was another. It was no longer acceptable to have it around. So what did I do? Not much. I stopped leaving peanuts on the tree stump where the squirrels and the birds come to seek food. I give out peanuts to the squirrels or birds if/when I see one. I placed a rock in the middle of the bird bath and started to leave a few peanuts for the little birds. I have seen the squirrels jump up on the bird bath to drink water so perhaps the mouse can also find a way up there. I just don’t want to know…
As with all creation, the story of Miss Lity and the mouse evolved while putting the book together. I changed the story to be told in verse style as I thought it more fitting for the fantasy setting. The original story had a more somber tone and had a bittersweet ending. Perhaps I will one day publish another book based on my original story line which may be truer to what I wanted to express. To be honest, I actually like the original darker version. To say that “all creatures are precious and nice and we all must share the land” is one thing. To really, really accept this statement deep in one’s heart is another. Like I said, the book is a fantasy.