ABSTRACT
Barney crept out of his hole and ventured once more into the wide world. In the seven weeks since his mother’s sudden and unexplained disappearance, the young white mouse had gradually learned to fend for himself. He now knew where to fi nd food; the dead-ends to avoid and the misleading scents to ignore. His fi rst efforts had been halting and inadequate and he hadn’t eaten at all for the fi rst two days. Now he not only dined whenever he wanted, but he had also worked out how to quench his thirst. The water, which he could so enticingly smell, could be accessed if he climbed on top of the yellow pebble and stood on his hind legs against the wall. It had all been very scary at fi rst, doing everything for himself, but now he had got to like it. It was an adventure and a challenge all in one; a test that he was passing more successfully every day. It might not be as comfortable and easy as when his mother had provided for him, but Barney had come to the conclusion that he preferred being his own mouse. Independence and self-empowerment, he thought to himself, you can’t do better.
