In a biggish sized tree stump in a smallish village named Bobbens-Shire, lived a mouse whose name was Tilde. She was a mouse who had taken on a threadbare, but comfortable life. She wore miniscule clothes and had only one pair of shoes, but aside from that she had all she needed. Her house was cramped but not so much as to be terribly unsuitable. She had sparse furnishings and among those included a stuffed armchair, a small cookstove that her neighbor had given her when he got a new one . She also had a quilt covered bed and a few throw pillows for when company came (this was not often as all her neighbors were hedgehogs and hedgehogs are not as fond of mice as you might think.) Aside from that were all the usual things like cups and glasses and spoons.   And while she had everything she could ever dream of in her house, her only hope was to see the world that her mother had told her stories of . stories of the great and rolling plains of the west and the icy winds of the far south and north. And even though her mother was gone now,the stories stayed stubbornly stuck in Tildes mind like gum to the bottom of a shoe.  One day as she sat on her overstuffed armchair reading a book on philosophy, she happened upon a line that said “if one misses an opportunity and then continues to ponder that opportunity, is one's life really fulfilled?” Over the next few weeks that line had really stuck with her so Tilde took it as a sign that she should not miss her opportunity to see the world . “What if I get too old and can’t walk?” it was certainly better to do it now anyway. So while it took Tilde some days to set out on her journey she eventually packed a bag of the bare necessities like clothing and food and a few gifts for any weary travelers she met on the way, also some cake because every good adventurer needs some cake in their stomach to do their adventuring. So after another few days she set out on her quest, heart lighter than ever before. 

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As she ambled along the dusty country road, Tilde, wearing her kitchen smock, armed with a small dagger and a medium-ish sized messenger bag stopped to rest on a grayish rock when not long after she had stopped to sit she heard a voice. “What are ye doin up there lassie?” the wheezy voice said, “You look a mite young to be travelin’by yerself.” Tilde looked round’ in shock. “Who said that?” “Cast yer eyes down lass, you'll see.” To Tilde's surprise she was sitting on a very old looking turtle! “Ye seem to have placed yer rumpus upon my back .” “Oh, I'm sorry!” Tilde said, jumping up off the old turtles back. “ It's quite alright.” the old turtle responded. “sides’,I'm used to it now anyways.” “  My name is Bartleby by the way.” He introduced, “Tilde thank you.” Bartleby stretched his neck, turned around to face her “ it may be of no use to ye but there be a town just up the road, about half a day's walk from here.” So Tilde kept walking. Pretty soon just as Bartleby had said she saw a small town in the distance. 

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It was getting dark by the time Tilde arrived so she looked around to find a place for the night.she was walking among the cobblestone streets when she suddenly saw it! A bed & breakfast simply named, The Cocoa Inn.  But no sooner had she gotten to the door than it swung open to reveal a disgruntled and clearly frustrated looking hedgehog. He looked even angrier once he saw she was a mouse.  “You may not stay at this inn, mouse.”he said with a sneer “we don't like your kind.” “Could you please let me in?” Tilde pleaded “I have nowhere else to stay for the night and it's getting dark.” “Not unless you have something of greater value than your empty pleas.”,the innkeeper said. “Well I do have some cake, and I have a few coins.” “I don't want your dirty money, mouse.” He said with obvious disgust, “But I am hungry.” he admitted,”and the cake does sound good…” Tilde brought the pastry in question out from under the cloth covering her basket and waved it under the old hedgehog's nose, “looks yummy doesn't it?” “I suppose so..” “Mmmmm alright fine!” he decided, “you may stay tonight but you had better be gone in the morning!” “Oh thank you,thank you!” Tilde exclaimed. “ Well, are you coming in?” he said in a gruff voice,”Or are you just going to stand there in the dark?” He led her inside of his inn.

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The inn was dimly lit with a few armchairs and tables as well as some couches. There was also a set of stairs that Tilde assumed must go to the guest rooms. “Your room is up there, just pick whichever one is open.” The innkeeper said, “Now give me the cake and be quick about it!” he snapped his claws as if exasperated by her very being there. Tilde hurriedly handed him the baked goods, and then scurried upstairs to an open room,threw her stuff in the corner, flopped on the bed  and promptly went to sleep.

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The  early morning sunlight shone through the window and  illuminated her closed eyelids. Bleary eyed and still not quite awake she shuffled around her room to retrieve her things. A loud knocking suddenly jolted her to the present. “Get out of bed, mouse!” “it's time to go!” She walked over to the door and opened it. It was the old hedgehog from the night before,”Come on mouse, leave please!” 

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As Tilde left the inn she waved goodbye to the innkeeper who merely responded with a “Hmph!” but as she strolled out the door  she thought she saw a twinkle in his eye.

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 Soon after the town had left her sight,the road became enveloped in a tunnel of trees that quickly became a dense jungle-like forest. She could hear the bird calls and smell sweet flowers. all seemed strange and foreign to her. As she ambled along she quickly became aware that the air was getting more and more muggy along the way. “This could become dangerous.” She thought, “ I need to find a place where I can cool down.” She suddenly became conscious of a strange feeling like something was watching her, and being the  mouse she was, she called out “Who’s there! Show yourself!” Almost instantaneously a flash of color erupted out of the trees and flew overhead,unfurling to reveal a bright, pastel colored bird, “WHO AM I!, how could you not know who I am!” “There's no need to yell…” Tilde whispered timidly,"I was only asking.” The bird ruffled her  feathers looking miffed, “ I am the great and all knowing Coco!” she  exclaimed,”you seem to have gotten yourself lost in the Never Ending Jungle and it is getting dreadfully humid out here, and you look like you have no idea where you are.” Tilde looked sheepish as she inquired ,"Do you know of a way to cool down and a way out of this jungle?” Coco looked thoughtful for a minute then answered,"I do but…” “but what?” Tilde inquired, “we'll have to go past Indigo.” she whispered the name like it was a forbidden curse, “she's the leader of this place and doesn't  tolerate outsiders too much. Why she’d eat a little thing like you for her breakfast!” Tilde shook like a leaf. afraid of the thought that she could be eaten. “We'll have to sneak past her den.” Coco decided, “Come on, let's go.” “alright...” was the answer. Tilde was unsure if she should follow Coco seeing as they had just met but she decided to go anyway thinking,”I have no one else to ask if I need help.” 

Just as they had gotten past the clearing where they had stopped  they suddenly heard a long, slow,foreboding, hiss.”What's this? A voice purred, “A mouse and a bird creeping through my forest?” The duo slowly turned around, mouths open in shock at the sight before them, a large leopard was staring at them with piercingly orange eyes, “Close your mouths!” she snapped before regaining her cool temper,“Don't you know it's rude to stare?” They nodded vigorously, scared for their lives. “Why it's almost as if you were trying to avoid me…of all the creatures to avoid in this jungle…Me! Indigo!” Coco stuttered a reply in a small sounding voice that had none of its bravado from before, “Not at all ma’am.” she peeped,”I was just showing my friend here where the lagoon is because it is just so dreadfully hot,don't you think so I think so, are you hot because I certai-” she stopped suddenly due to the fact that the leopard had a reprimanding look on her face as she said,'' Coco dear,you're prattling.” Coco looked down at her feet, whilst Indigo turned to Tilde,”and who might you be?” she asked, a dangerous sort of  kindness in her voice, “Tilde miss” the mouse squeaked ,” you’re new aren't you?” “New? No! Not at all I just…..am so small you must not have seen me?” The leopard eyed her and then said, “ I hardly think so. I make it my business to get to know each and every one of my residents,so either you're lying or I am going insane. The latter of the two is very improbable.” Tilde quaked, the leopard licked  her teeth and checked her claws. Then she growled a response, “You have ten seconds to run before I kill you.” she said in a silky smooth voice that hid her true intentions. “ I don't like outsiders.” “I'm going to start counting, and you might want to run.” she advised a vicious grin on her face. “1,2,3,4…..” Tilde bolted, her tiny heart pumping blood through her body, she was scared for her life, and then: “Jump Tilde! I'll fly you!”Coco screamed. Suddenly there was a great crashing  noise and Indigo flew through the trees and landed behind Tilde ready to pounce, “Jump!” Coco urged but Tilde was frozen in place, paralyzed by fear,”here mousy, mousy” Indigo purred ,”I'm getting impatient.” Her voice was now sharp and demanding, but just then a whooshing of air filled small Tilde’s ears and she was lifted into the air! “NOOOOOO!” Indigo wailed, all traces of her calm facade left behind, “I'll find you one day!”

A little while later as they were flying over a mountain range Tilde had an interesting thought, “I started this quest looking for a place  to be grounded, but now I think that I'm happier on the road, going wherever I so choose.”  She was startled out of her own mind when Coco asked, “so, Tilde, where would you like to go?” “Wherever we choose,Coco.” Tilde answered as they flew into the sunset. “Wherever our hearts take us.”

                                         ~The End~