Mouse Valentine

by Solveig Paulson Russell

Illustrated by Dick Brown

A melancholy mouse sat outside his house

And nibbled his paw nails, and said,

“Valentine’s Day is not far away

And I haven’t a paper that’s red.

I haven’t a crayon, or a paint brush, or paint,

So how can I possibly say

That I’m fond of Mouse Milly, or greet her at all

With a token for Valentine’s Day?”

He sat and he thought. He nibbled and frowned,

And then a bright light lit his eye;

“I might have a notion—yes, maybe I have—

The least I can do is to try.”

So the mouse took a stick and he drew in the dirt

A heart shape with letters and birds.

Then he brought pebbles all small, white, and smooth,

And outlined the heart and the words.

He found some fresh posies to put here and there,

And then said, as he looked all around,

“I hope no one saw me—it’s a silly old thing—

A valentine made on the ground.”

When Milly came tripping, she stopped in surprise,

And she blinked and then smiled a glad smile,

And she called to the mouse who was peeking at her,

“What a wonderful, wonderful style

Of making a valentine! Oh, my dear friend,

I’m honored you worked in this way;

You have made me happy—I’m pleased as can be

With this drawing for Valentine’s Day!”

Then the two little mice danced around and around

The heart shape, and laughed in glee,

And their footprints made ruffles of tip-toe lace

In valentine filigree.

Illustrated by Dick Brown