The Mouse

The Mouse by Saki (1910)

The narrative follows Theodoric Voler, a man raised in a sheltered environment by his mother, who shielded him from life's harsher realities. After her death, he finds himself ill-equipped to handle the world, which he perceives as coarse and unpleasant. During a railway journey, he experiences a series of minor yet distressing events, including a chaotic departure from a country vicarage and the unexpected presence of a mouse in his clothing. As he settles into a second-class compartment, he becomes increasingly aware of the mouse's movements, which provoke a mix of embarrassment and anxiety. Theodoric's attempts to dislodge the mouse without undressing in front of a fellow passenger—a woman who appears to be asleep—lead him to create a makeshift curtain with his rug. In a frantic effort to rid himself of the mouse, he inadvertently exposes himself, leading to a moment of humiliation when the woman awakens. The woman, blind, is unaware of the full extent of Theodoric's predicament but engages him in conversation, which only heightens his embarrassment. He fabricates a story about having a chill and malaria to deflect attention from the real issue. Theodoric's internal struggle intensifies as he grapples with his shame and the fear of being judged by the woman, who seems to find amusement in his discomfort. As the train approaches the terminus, Theodoric's anxiety escalates. He is desperate to regain his composure before they arrive at the bustling station, where he fears being exposed to the scrutiny of others. The woman, however, remains oblivious to his turmoil and requests his assistance in getting a porter, revealing her blindness and further complicating Theodoric's feelings of inadequacy. The story explores themes of social anxiety, embarrassment, and the contrast between one's inner turmoil and outward appearances. Theodoric's character embodies the struggle between societal expectations and personal vulnerabilities, culminating in a moment of self-awareness as he confronts the absurdity of his situation. The narrative concludes with Theodoric's realization that his fears may be unfounded, yet the experience leaves a lasting impact on his perception of himself and his interactions with others.

By Saki · First published 1910 · Genre: Comedy, Fiction, Satire · 1,703 words

First lines

Theodoric Voler had been brought up, from infancy to the confines of middle age, by a fond mother whose chief solicitude had been to keep him screened from what she called the coarser realities of life. When she died she left Theodoric alone in a world that was as real as ever, and a good deal coarser than he considered it had any need to be. To a man of his temperament and upbringing even a simple railway journey was crammed with petty annoyances and minor discords, and as he settled himself down in a second-class compartment one September morning he was conscious of ruffled feelings and general mental discomposure. He had been staying at a country vicarage, the inmates of which had been certainly neither brutal nor bacchanalian, but their supervision of the domestic establishment had been of that lax order which invites disaster. The pony carriage that was to take him to the station had never been properly ordered, and when the moment for his departure drew near the handyman who should have produced the required article was nowhere to be found. In this emergency Theodoric, to his mute but very intense disgust, found himself obliged to collaborate with the vicar's daughter in the task of harnessing the pony, which necessitated groping about in an ill-lighted outhouse called a stable, and smelling very like one -- except in patches where it smelt of mice. Without being actually afraid of mice, Theodoric classed them among the coarser incidents of life, and considered that Providence, with a little exercise of moral courage, might long ago have recognised that they were not indispensable, and have withdrawn them from circulation. As the train glided out of the station Theodoric's nervous imagination accused himself of exhaling a weak odour of stable-yard, and possibly of displaying a mouldy straw or two on his usually well-brushed garments. Fortunately the only other occupant of the compartment, a lady of about the same age as himself, seemed inclined for slumber rather than scrutiny; the train was not due to stop till the terminus was reached, in about an hour's time, and the carriage was of the old-fashioned sort, that held no communication with a corridor, therefore no further travelling companions were likely to intrude on Theodoric's semi-privacy. And yet the train had scarcely attained its normal speed before he became reluctantly but vividly aware that he was not alone with the slumbering lady; he was not even alone in his own clothes. A warm, creeping movement over his flesh betrayed the unwelcome and highly resented presence, unseen but poignant, of a strayed mouse, that had evidently dashed into its present retreat during the episode of the pony harnessing. Furtive stamps and shakes and wildly directed pinches failed to dislodge the intruder, whose motto, indeed, seemed to be Excelsior; and the lawful occupant of the clothes lay back against the cushions and endeavoured rapidly to evolve some means for putting an end to the dual ownership. It was unthinkable that he should continue for the space of a whole hour in the horrible position of a Rowton House for vagrant mice (already his imagination had at least doubled the numbers of the alien invasion). On the other hand, nothing less drastic than partial disrobing would ease him of his tormentor, and to undress in the presence of a lady, even for so laudable a purpose, was an idea that made his eartips tingle in a blush of abject shame. He had never been able to bring himself even to the mild exposure of openwork socks in the presence of the fair sex. And yet -- the lady in this case was to all appearances soundly and securely asleep; the mouse, on the other hand, seemed to be trying to crowd a Wanderjahr into a few strenuous minutes. If there is any truth in the theory of transmigration, this particular mouse must certainly have been in a former state a member of the Alpine Club. Sometimes in its eagerness it lost its footing and slipped for half an inch or so; and then, in fright, or more probably temper, it bit. Theodoric was goaded into the most audacious undertaking of his life. Crimsoning to the hue of a beetroot and keeping an agonised watch on his slumbering fellow-traveller, he swiftly and noiselessly secured the ends of his railway-rug to the racks on either side of the carriage, so that a substantial curtain hung athwart the compartment. In the narrow dressing-room that he had thus improvised he proceeded with violent haste to extricate himself partially and the mouse entirely from the surrounding casings of tweed and half-wool. As the unravelled mouse gave a wild leap to the floor, the rug, slipping its fastening at either end, also came down with a heart-curdling flop, and almost simultaneously the awakened sleeper opened her eyes. With a movement almost quicker than the mouse's, Theodoric pounced on the rug, and hauled its ample folds chin-high over his dismantled person as he collapsed into the further corner of the carriage. The blood raced and beat in the veins of his neck and forehead, while he waited dumbly for the communication-cord to be pulled. The lady, however, contented herself with a silent stare at her strangely muffled companion. How much had she seen, Theodoric queried to himself, and in any case what on earth must she think of his present posture?

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The Mouse is listed on Textopian as a short story by Saki, dated 1910 CE.

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satire · humor · short story · social commentary · irony · class distinction · victorian era · character study · dialogue · suspense · wit · dark humor

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