Musical Mice
"One rainy winter evening, as I was alone in my chamber," relates an
American gentleman, "I took up my flute and commenced playing. In a few
minutes my attention was directed to a mouse that I saw creeping from a
hole, and advancing to the chair in which I was sitting. I ceased playing,
and it ran precipitately back to its hole; I began again shortly
afterwards, and was much surprised to see it reappear, and take its old
position. The appearance of the little animal was truly delightful; it
couched itself on the floor, shut its eyes, and appeared in ecstasy; I
ceased playing, and it instantly disappeared again. This experiment I
repeated frequently with the same success, observing that it was always
differently affected, as the music varied from the slow and plaintive, to
the brisk or lively. It finally went off, and all my art could not entice
it to return."
More
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