Even Minnie Mouse is in a tizzy because a little rodent is in her pristine kitchen. Has Minnie looked in the mirror lately? Last I heard she’s a mouse too! Vintage Mickey Mouse cartoon
While Ron DeSantis is duking it out with Mickey, I’ve got a mouse problem of my own.
Though I may not be standing on a chair screeching “Eek a Mouse,” while stomping my feet, and clutching the hem of my dress until the scurrying rodent is captured, I’m not too happy either.
It seems in the dark of night as I slept, a stealth mouse has been feasting on a bowl of fresh fruit I keep on my kitchen counter.
For the past three mornings, I’ve stumbled into my kitchen startled at the sight of several Fuiji apples with huge chunks of flesh chewed off.
I needed to eliminate suspects.
I confirmed the bite marks weren’t from my fickle husband, my first suspect, who I thought might have bitten into the healthy apple, changed his mind and opted for an Entenmanns donut instead.
Assessing the height of the counter also eliminated any suspicions about my senior mobility-challenged dog Stanley. Doubting that a plumber who was in my kitchen the same day would grab an apple and leave it there half-eaten, left me with only one deduction.
I had a mouse in the house.
When I awoke to a chewed-up partially peeled banana the following morning I knew for certain I had a fruit burglar in my midst. Why he chose to ignore the ripe red tomatoes that also sat on the counter was curious. Perhaps my nocturnal visitor suffered from nightshade allergies.
The thought of mice in my home gave me the willies.
The Mouse That Roared
An intruder of any sort is unsettling, but how a tiny creature weighing in at 0.68 ounces can terrorize someone many times his size is also unsettling.
This abject fear of mice was a staple of vintage sexist cartoons and illustrations.
The mere sight of one would turn a happy homemaker into a damsel in distress, driving her up onto a wobbly chair or kitchen table screaming until the rodent was destroyed by her brave hubby. Rat poison and wire snap mousetraps would be liberally placed around the home, till every last pest was killed.
Pity the poor mouse who accidentally wandered into a farm kitchen. No mouse was safe, not even disabled ones. Just think of the fate of those three blind mice who, after being chased by the farmer’s wife had their tails cut off.
And for good reason.
These pests have a strong connection to contamination and dirty places. Mice are perceived as filthy, dangerous creatures, carriers of the Black Plague, and who-knows-what other deadly diseases.
I would not sleep easily until I rid my house of every last trace of these unwanted varmints.
I Love These Meeces to Pieces
The mice that live in my house
Yet, mice are some of our most beloved American characters.
Once upon a time, I loved these “meeces” to pieces.
As a child in the 1950s and 60s, my home was overrun with mice.
From bed, bath, and beyond, my home was filled with mice. (L) Gund Stuffed Mickey Mouse (R) Vintage Mickey Mouse Squeaky Toy
I shared my bed and bath with them. Along with stuffed tigers, lions, and bears, I snuggled in each night cuddling a plush mouse named Mickey.
A squeaky rubber version of the same mouse kept me company in the soapy bathtub for years. Though Mickey wore only his yellow underpants for bathtime ( with matching gloves and shoes, natch ) a cute squeaky Minnie that would join in later, bathed in a modest turn-of-the-century polka-dotted bathing suit.
The very first Disney Mickey Mouse Watch was sold at Chicago World Fair in 1933. (L) Vintage Ingersoll ad
It was a mouse that taught me how to tell time just like a grown-up.
With his cartoon hands pointing to the large numbers on the crystal watch face, Mickey Mouse would look up at me smiling. The wind-up 1935 Ingersoll watch had been my mother’s as a child, and so was cherished. While my brother chose to learn time with Donald Duck, I chose a mouse.
Vintage Mouseketeer Ears made of felt and rubber Mickey Mouse Club
A mouse was also responsible for teaching me to spell. Along with many of my generation, the very first words I could spell was M-i-c-k-e-y M-o-u-s-e, thanks to the Mouseketeers.
A TV mash-up – Mickey and Mighty Mouse Gund puppets got to play with one another
But Mickey and Minnie were not the only mice to live in my house.
There was Mighty Mouse that operatic flying hero who would save the day. He not only lived on my TV screen on Saturday mornings but appeared in puppet form to play with at home.
In fact, TV was so filled with friendly, cute mice that I wanted to play with them all.
Marx Plastic TV Tinykins Hanna Barbera- Bow Tied Pixie and Red vested Dixie constantly try to outsmart Mr. Jinks the cat.
Vintage Speedy Gonzales doll of the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes Cartoon character
Looney Tunes Speedy Gonzalez the fastest mouse in Mexico, ran all the way up to Long Island just so I could engage with a plastic doll version of him. Let’s not forget Pixie and Dixie who were always outfoxing Mr. Jinks the cat, Hanna Barberra’s Blabber Mouse Detective and cute little Jerry always besting Tom the cat.
Whether as dolls or Disneykins, puppets or comic books, these cute mice all appeared in my childhood bedroom giving me hours of great pleasure.
And sometimes the mice even had their very own house like the 1966 Remco Mr. and Mrs. Mouse in their Plastic House, providing hours of play.
Remco’s Mr. and Mrs. Mouse House, house, furniture and dolls included 1966
Perhaps if I still had my Remco Mouse House, the mice in my house today would have a place to go. Vintage interior Mr. and Mrs. Mouse House
Remco’s Mr. and Mrs. Mouse and their traveling House.
Topo Gigio
Vintage Topo Gigio doll
But perhaps my favorite mouse, besting even Mickey was Topo Gigio the adorable puppet on Ed Sullivan who found a place in my heart and a genuine Maria Perego doll version in my home.
When Topo Gigio the little mouse descended on The Ed Sullivan Show in December 1962 no one could have predicted that the little Italian puppet would become such a memorable act. I would watch in fascination how he could walk and talk roll his eyes wiggle his ears and toes without visible strings.
Topo was originally brought into the show to make Ed more appealing to his audience, especially the children.
The producers thought that a more interactive host would allow the show to better compete with The Wonderful World of Disney. Seeing a normally stone-faced Ed transformed by the little mouse was heartwarming.
Nearly every appearance ended with these sweet four words “Eddie Kiss Me Goodnight!”
Who wouldn’t want a mouse in their house?
Sadly I no longer do.
Ideals Mouse Trap Game was one of the first mass-produced 3-dimensional board games.
The last time I had to deal with catching mice was the Rube Goldberg-like board game from 1963.
I sure hope they have built a better mouse trap today.
And I hope I’m more successful than De Santis ever will be in getting rid of a mouse.
© Sally Edelstein and Envisioning The American Dream, 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Sally Edelstein and Envisioning The American Dream with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.