A Miracle!

        Once, there was a mouse who didn't like cheese. Because there isn't much for mice to eat except cheese, he was never very happy. He always thought that it would be nicer if he were a human being, as human beings can eat lots of different things and never even sniff at cheese.
        The mouse lived in a big, old house, which he shared with a grey-haired old lady who hated cats. Not having cats around is normally very good for mice, but even that didn't make this mouse happy.
        "I wish I was a human being," he sighed.
        One day, a man came round to the big, old house selling miracles. The grey-haired old lady didn't want any today thank you, so the man put them back in his bag and left. Secretly, the mouse followed him.
        The miracle-seller visited several other houses, but no-one wanted any miracles that day. Eventually, he decided it was time for lunch and went into a restaurant for chips and ice cream.
        The smell of the food made the mouse's mouth water! If he could only get into the miracle-seller's bag, he might be able to steal a miracle and become a human being. Then, he could eat chips too!
        He crept up to the bag and nibbled at it. The bag tasted even worse than cheese, but the mouse kept on nibbling. Soon, he had made a hole big enough to climb through. He crawled inside very quietly and grabbed hold of a miracle in his teeth.
        Off he ran! The miracle-seller saw him go and threw his spoon at him, but the mouse was too quick! He escaped into a nearby cottage.
        Trembling with excitement, the mouse put the miracle down on the floor. "I want to be a human being, please," he said.
        And the miracle worked! The mouse changed into a man! He was overjoyed with happiness!
        But as a mouse, he hadn't been wearing any clothes. And after turning into a man, he still wasn't wearing any clothes.
        Suddenly, six truck-drivers walked through the front door and found him sitting naked on their carpet.
        Well, what were they to think?

So

That, nurse, is why this patient is with us in intensive care. Now, if we move on to the next bed...

Illustration by Roy Bartle
Image size: approx. 32K.