FOR CAT LOVERS & BEYOND

About Michael W. Smith

“The Invisible Mouse” was composed on a farm near Ellsworth, Wisconsin in 1969. Aileen and I had ten cats at the time, and one night we were watching one of them, Snort, race around the house in one of his nutty moods. His ears would twitch, and his cheeks would puff up. Then he would crouch behind a shoe, his eyes wide, peering over it at a blank wall. Then, once again he would fly off, climbing half-way up a curtain, jumping on a table, knocking over a lamp and a coffee mug, bouncing off a door jamb, and then he would scurry off into a bedroom to rummage under the bed. Then careening around a corner, he would be back in the living room, only to lay on his side and work his way across the floor by scratching down the edge of the carpet.

As any cat owner knows, it’s dangerous to be around cats when this mood is on them. You could loose an arm! I asked Aileen, “What comes over them? What sets them off? What is going on inside their heads?”

She said, “An invisible mouse must be here in the house.” And her words became the first lines of the poem, which solves the mystery.

In 1973 the original poem was illustrated by Toby Schnobrich, a talented junior high student. Then, in the shuffle of life, the manuscript sat in the attic for 50 years. After the death of my wife, Aileen, it was found again when going through her gewgaws, knick-knacks, jimcracks and bibiloes. Serendipitously I was able to connect with Toby who by this time was a successful caricature artist. The result is this warm & joyful book for you to enjoy.

A Note from Toby Schnobrich

Seldom does a second opportunity come along. So, when Micahel contacted me, I was delighted to give it another go. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed illustrating it.