When the world was just a little younger and just a little sweeter than it is today a mother lived with her baby daughter in a room that was smaller than small A real mousehole you would have said and in fact there was a mouse who lived there too The mother didn’t mind and the baby didn’t mind The mouse went about her mouse business quietly and professionally The only time she ever made a noise was when she was asleep and cried out fearfully at nightmare cats
They were poor that mother and her baby but the mother was determined that gifts would be given when gifts needed giving She was proud She was hopeful She would find a way Where they lived was near the sea On the day before her daughter’s very first birthday they went down to the beach The mother looked and looked and looked some more until she found the prettiest and the pinkest of all the many wave-washed stones She put it in her pocket
