You are married to someone for more than a quarter of a century and just when you think you know everything about them you make a stunning discovery. The conversation goes like this.
"What is a mongoose anyway?"
"You've never read Riki Tiki Tavi?"
"No"
"You have! Rudyard Kipling. It kills snakes "
"No"
"We could Google some pictures"
"No that would spoil it"
Perhaps I'd better rewind a little.
There is something or some things that visit our attic. We can hear it/them at night tippety tapping about. During the day the only evidence is bits of beetle carapace and little droppings but not mouse droppings.
TS says it's a mongoose. I had been working under the assumption that he knew what a mongoose was.
When Mimo starts venturing up the attic steps he tells her to watch out for the mongoose. When we can't find things the mongoose has taken it.
The mongoose is up there now as I type.
I don't quite know what mythical beast the word mongoose conjours up for TS I only know he doesn't want to know what's in the attic. He's happy for it to be a mongoose
I'm happy that we've got a door on the bedroom. I'll be even happier when Mimo is of a size to go mongoose hunting.
9 comments:
Mimo will never be of a size to go mongoose hunting. You'd need to get a pet wolverine or something!
You could put a web cam up there to see what it is. How's it getting in?
One of the swamp cooler guys spotted a mouse in my mudroom. Not surprising, since the back door has been open a lot and there was a bag of dog food (almost empty) right there. Sure enough, I found a wee hole gnawed in the bottom of the bag.
I went and got a rodent-proof dog food bin and put out a live trap with peanut butter, but no takers, so I'm hoping it was an isolated incident.
But, see, there's joy in knowing that however long you've known someone, they'll still surprise you every now and then.
I had no idea mongoosi (that's my favorite of your suggestions) were found in Europe.
As a kid, I would always mix up Riki Tiki Tavi with Riki Tiki Tembo.
After some research we have found that it is probably a Loir aka glis glis aka edible or fat dormouse or more likely SOME loirs. Mongoosi only run free in Europe inside TS's head. At least we won't have to get the wolverine now
Forgot to say they are classed as nuisibles here in France which is the term used for pests such as rats, mice, insects etc It's one of my favourite french words along with pamplemouse although they probably only work in a yorkshire accent
Have you considered said Loir as a crop? I understand they're very easy to catch... oh, and there are mongussets in Turkey spreading a little further north every year. TS may get his pet after all...
I live round the corner from Kipling's house, Batemans. Sadly, I still do not know what a mongoose is.
Ah, all the best people have a creature in the attic. Don't they?
HW but they look so sweet but who knows come the winter - Mongussets I like that
Jen and of course we are the "best" people
a loir...like in Alice in wonderland! you really have a great attic, would love to live in it...little mangoose, going out for a walk with the loir...may be a wedding one day...
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