Mouse gets the cheese

Rex patiently sipped his coffee as he observed the freshly baited trap across the room.  He'd brewed up an extra-strong batch of his favorite blend, determined to stay awake and see for himself just how the mouse managed to spring the thing without getting caught.  He had gone through half a dozen scented ones, each "Guaranteed!" to vanquish the varmint, but had nothing to show for it except cash register receipts and copies of increasingly scathing letters to the various manufacturers.

Settling on a basic mousetrap, he had made up a list of possible baits and was now using trial and error to work his way down the list.  The first one, a bit of processed cheese product, had been cleverly removed from the trap and then left on the floor beside it.  Rex had been disappointed it hadn't worked, but had grudgingly acknowledged the mouse's discerning palate.  He'd moved on through Colby, cheddar (in all its variations), mozzarella, and Swiss, decided he wasn't buying Brie or Muenster for a mouse, and moved on to peanut butter.

Sometime after one o'clock, caffeine lost the battle to fatigue and Rex slumped in his chair.  Eventually, there was stealthy movement along the baseboard.  The grey little thief cautiously approached the trap, the enticing smell filling its nostrils.  A paw flicked against the wood and, with a loud snap!, the trap sprung.  Instantly, the mouse took a quick bite, whirled, and retreated.

The sharp sound penetrated Rex's slumber and he looked at the trap, just in time to see the tip of a small tail disappear under the sofa along the wall.  Quickly, he overturned the sofa, but there was nothing there; he never noticed the small hole at the corner.

Behind the wall, a mouse snickered.

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