Chant of the Cheese Makers

552 words.

Chant of the Cheese Makers

“Swiss cheese, Gouda cheese, Cheddar cheese HAH!”

Four mice dressed up as American Indians danced around a small camp fire to the slow beat of a bongo drum chanting with all their might. Colorful but very tiny feathers dyed red, purple, and green bobbed up and down with each spin of little mice feet. In the front their leader and chief known only as the Cheese Maker waved his small rattle and led his small family and tribe.

“Are you sure this is working oh great one?” Vivid was a colorful mouse, the sort that always had something to say.

“SHHHHHHH!” the Cheese Maker mouse responded, “You’ll spoil the magic!”

“Swiss chess, Gouda cheese, Cheddar cheese WOW!” they all continued chanting.

One of the smaller mice, Tidbit by name, whined, “BUT I WANTED Havarti!”

“Fine!” the Cheese Maker responded.

“Swiss cheese, Cheddar cheese, Havarti TOO!” the chant changed a little bit.

Around and around they went till little fury feet were so exhausted from the dance they couldn’t budge a muscle. Voices drained they all piled up around the glowing red coals of the fire. Above their furry heads huge white pipes gurgled and hissed with odd sounds.

Pebble usually didn’t say very much, and so they were all shocked when she spoke up, “Why do we have to do that?”

A very tired Cheese Maker responded, “The BIG FOOTS always listen, and when we put out enough noise they respond by raining down cheese from heaven!”

“Well… “ They could all hear the doubt in her voice, “Are you sure its because we chant for cheese?”

“Just wait till tomorrow. For generations we wandered the world hounded by owls and desperate for food until we found this huge mansion….” The great Cheese Maker’s voice drifted away into sleep and soon the snoring sound of four brown mice filled the toasty air around the campfire.

The next day Tidbit got up before the others and went exploring. And then his eyes saw it…. HAVARTI. Black eyes as big as round saucers, a tiny mouse heart beating with excitement, he smelled the wonderful cheese and then raced back to the camp site to tell the others.

“WAKE UP EVERYBODY!” Tidbit screamed in glee, “HAVARTI IS SERVED!”

Groggily the Cheese Maker opened one eye and looked over at Tidbit, “Be careful Tidbit… remember what happened to your mother, may her soul rest in peace.” With that he dropped back asleep.

Annoyed Tidbit raced back up through thick insulation, raced through a freshly dug tunnel and emerged next to the wonderful Havarti.

“I’m coming” he whispered to the wonderful cheese and reached out ever so slowly to grab the cheese.

“THUNK!” the trap was sprung and Tidbit’s enthrallment with the cheese turned into pain and a little mouse scream echoed down to the other sleeping mice.

The other mice came rushing to Tidbit’s aid, only to find it was to late. Three weeping mice bowed before their brother’s sacrifice before each one took some of the cheese and returned to their campsite.

The Cheese Maker was the first to speak, “When the cheese comes it sometimes takes… poor Tidbit only saw the free meal and not the danger. Let us all learn as we eat.”

“Amen!” said Pebbles.