Can't we all just get along?

THE MOUSE AND THE SNAIL- A TRAIL OF MORALITY.

I’LL TELL YOU A TALE ABOUT A MOUSE AND A SNAIL
THEY MET AT MOUSE’S DOOR WHEN SNAIL TRAILED DOWN THE HALL.
OF THE VERY LARGE HOUSE AND BUMPED INTO THE MOUSE!
“WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU?” ASKED MOUSE AS THEY COLLIDED,
“YOU HAVE NO LEGS- HAVE YOU CRAWLED HERE? HAVE YOU GLIDED?”
SNAIL SAID, “WELL, IN FACT, IT’S ON A MUCUS TRAIL I SLIDE!”
“WELL I NEVER!” EXCLAIMED MOUSE, “I SHAN’T LET YOU INSIDE-
OF MY VERY NICE HOME- A CREATURE SO INFERIOR
IN BREEDING, IN MANNERS AND SUCH AN UGLY EXTERIOR!”
SNAIL SAID WITH DISMAY- “WHO ARE YOU ANYWAY?”
“MY NAME, GOOD SIR, IS CHARLOTTE MOUSE AND I’M THE MISTRESS OF THIS HOUSE,
AND SPEAKING OF WHICH, I HAVE TO SAY, WHERE DO YOU LIVE, BY THE WAY?”
SNAIL SAID, “WHY, CAN’T YOU TELL? INSIDE THIS SHELL IS WHERE I DWELL-
I’M TIED TO NO LAND, I CAN LIVE WHERE I STAND
I HAVE LITTLE TO LOSE AND I NEVER HAVE TO ‘MOVE’
IT IS TO BE FREE, TO BE A SNAIL, LIKE ME!”
“A VAGRANT!” CRIED MOUSE, “ GET AWAY FROM THIS HOUSE!
I WON’T HAVE THE LIKES OF YOU HANGING ABOUT!
HOW CAN ONE EXPECT YOU TO BE AT ALL CIVILISED,
WHEN YOU’RE A WRETCHED LITTLE CREATURE WHO WILL ONLY LIVE OUTSIDE?”
“WELL, ACTUALLY,” SAID SNAIL, “THIS ‘WRETCHED CREATURE’ HAS A NAME,
AND I FIND YOUR SNOTTY ATTITUDE VERY HARD TO TAKE
DID YOU EVER STOP TO THINK THAT WHILE YOUR HOME IS RIGHT FOR YOU?
A SNAIL WON’T FIT SO EASILY- I COULD NEVER FILL YOUR SHOES
I CAN’T EXIST WITHOUT THE WIND AND RAIN UPON MY SHELL
AND THAT’S NOT GOING TO CHANGE- AS ANYONE CAN TELL
NOW YOU MAY BE ALL ‘CIVILISED’- ALL ‘DRESSED UP TO THE NINES’,
BUT YOUR CLOTHES AND HOME ARE JUST A SHELL FOR YOU TO HIDE BEHIND
YOU MAY REVOLT AT MY SLIMY SNOT- OR THAT THE HOME ON MY BACK IS ALL I’VE GOT,
BUT BENEATH OUR SHELLED EXTERIORS- WE ARE, NEITHER ONE, SUPERIOR!”
FAT CAT SAW THE MOUSE AND SNAIL, TWITCHED HIS WHISKERS AND HIS TAIL
WATCH OUT CHARLOTTE MOUSE! THE FAT CAT’S CALLING!
YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR YOUR STAY AND HE’LL EAT YOU WITHOUT MOURNING!
CHARLOTTE MOVED TO RUN INDOORS, BUT FAT CAT LASHED OUT WITH HIS CLAWS!
SNAIL COULD ONLY STAND QUITE STILL AS CHARLOTTE CLIMBED TO THE WINDOW SILL
SNAIL RETREATED DEEP INSIDE- HIS SHELL, BUT KEPT ONE EYE OUTSIDE
FAT CAT LEFT SNAIL IN HIS HOME AND TURNED TO CHARLOTTE- AFRAID, ALONE
HER TAIL TWITCHED FIRST AND THEN HER NOSE- CHARLOTTE CRAWLED OUT OF HER CLOTHES,
AS FAT CAT SNAGGED HER IN A LUNGE- CHARLOTTE DROPPED DOWN WITH A PLUNGE
SHE HIT THE GROUND, ROLLED TO HER DOOR.
BUT CHARLOTTE WAS HURT AND COULDN’T MOVE MORE.
FAT CAT STALKED THE MOUSE SO STILL, MOVED IN FOR AN EASY KILL.
CHARLOTTE WEPT- HER END WAS NEAR, BUT SID THE SNAIL HELD NO SUCH FEAR,
HE SLID IN RESCUE AND HELD HER TAIL, PULLED CHARLOTTE MOUSE ALONG HIS TRAIL
NOW THOUGH WITH FUR, THE MUCUS STICKS- IT SOON SOAKS IN AND MOVES QUITE QUICK,
SOON AT THE THRESHOLD WITH SNAIL INSIDE- ONE MORE PULL WOULD SAVE HER HIDE
BUT FAT CAT SNEERED AND LOOKED QUITE SMUG, AS CHARLOTTE STUCK TO THE ‘WELCOME’ RUG.
STUCK LIKE VELCRO AND GLUED WITH SNOT- FAT CATS PAW SCOOPED UP THE LOT
THEN FOR SNAIL WITH THE OTHER PAW- FAT CAT ALWAYS WANTING MORE-
BUT SID WAS SLICK AND SLAMMED THE DOOR, BUT SHUT HIS FREEDOM OUT IN THE HALL
SID SNAIL WAS SAFE, BUT FAR TOO SMALL- TO REACH THE HANDLE OF CHARLOTTE’S DOOR!
TRAPPED FOREVER IN HER HOUSE- FORCED TO LIVE LIFE LIKE A MOUSE
NOW SID SNAIL SITS ALONE AND CRIES- REMEMBERING HOW CHARLOTTE DIED
THEIR ARGUMENTS WERE ALL IN VAIN- HE WISHES FOR HIS TIME AGAIN
HE’D TELL ALL CREATURES NEAR AND FAR, “JUST BE PROUD OF WHAT YOU ARE,
YOUR DIFFERENCES MEAN NOTHING AT ALL- TO THE ONES WHO RULE THE HALL”