The Mouse in the Roman Baths

The sun went down behind the tall walls. The orange light crept along the stones and disappeared. The great baths were closed for the evening. The gates were shut. The lamps burned low. All the bathers had gone home. The laughter and chatter were gone. Only the silence remained. All except one.

It was a small grey mouse named Pippa. She lived in a crack behind a mosaic wall. The crack was just the right size for a small mouse. Evening was her time. The bath was hers. Tassetass, tassetass. Her tiny paws were quiet on the cold stone floor. Sniff, sniff. She breathed in the smell of old stones and warm water.

Tassetass, tassetass. Pippa ran along the great hall of pillars. The pillars were as thick as three bears side by side. Her paws echoed softly on the stone floor. She lifted her chin. Her nose twitched. Sniff, sniff. What was that smell? Something good. Something warm. Something coming from further inside the bath.

Bread crumbs! There, on the floor near a bench, lay three round bread crumbs. Pippa sat down. She sniffed the first one. Sniff, sniff. Mmm. She ate it. Yum. She sniffed the second one. Mmm, mmm. She ate that one too. Yum, yum. The third she sniffed for a long time. Then she saved it for later. One never knows.

Pippa found a big folded toga on a hook. It was white and soft as a cloud. Pippa scratched the fabric with one paw. Soft, soft, soft. She climbed up. Up, up, up. She crawled around in the soft folds. She sat at the top and looked out over the whole room. Everything was quiet. Everything was still. Just her and the big white toga.

Tassetass, tassetass. Now Pippa walked on toward the warm rooms. The air grew warmer. Warmer and warmer. It smelled of warm stone and old wood. And steam rose up, just a little, like soft white wool. Pippa breathed out. Huu. Her breath showed in the steam. Huu, huu. So strange. So lovely.

The great pool room. Pippa stopped at the edge. The warm water lay perfectly still. It was blue and deep and calm like a sleep. Pip, pip. Pippa touched the water with one paw. Warm! Warm, warm, warm. She pulled her paw back. She looked at it. She touched the water again. Still warm. Warm and soft and wonderful.