Wednesday 12 May 2010

The Magical Sultana and the Mouse

My evocative title - well, I think it's evocative - The Magical Sultana and the Mouse may disappoint you when I reveal that the tale is not one of the fairy tale sort. A sultana is the female equivalent of a middle-eastern ruler of vanished times, to wit, a sultan.  In these parts, it is reflected in the place name Sultana Point, only a handleful of kilometres from my home. And THAT Sultana was a ship. The spit of land is named for a sailing ship which foundered in these dangerous and often stormy waters.

So that leaves the mundane sultana, of the raisin family. Y'know, a dried grape.

They make good bait in mousetraps, and I am here to report that THE SAME SULTANA has caught three mice, one each on successive nights. Still going strong. We shall see. No sooner do the little unsuspecting beggars clamp their needle teeth upon the well-trained sultana than the trap springs and closes in the classic back-of-the-neck job. And the sultana is left to lure another day. I am glad of the quick despatch, but let me tell you that I have overcome any thoughts of too-kind tolerance for our mouse visitors. Enough is enough.

You will be informed if this particular sultana adds to its tally. Previously the cheese was winning but now I believe that the sultanas are in front.

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