Especially during seasons of life when the days feel impossibly full, there is something quite captivating with the notion of some overnight magic that makes the next day just a bit easier. As such, our week improved greatly when Randall Wilkins suggested a new product offering after tipping us to an article about the ‘Welsh Tidy Mouse’. We’re already researching training methods (and we now have a plan for the Anthe building’s third floor!).
Like the shoemaker’s elves in the classic Brothers Grimm tale or sweet Remy in Ratatouille, Welsh Tidy Mouse has been tidying up Rodney Holbrook’s workbench In Builth Wells, Powys, Wales, for months. After wondering why nuts, bolts and pegs, once scattered about, ended up neatly placed in a tray night after night, Holbrook set up a night vision camera. Turns out it was a mouse, purposefully putting things in place. Now Holbook says he doesn’t bother putting things in a kind of order, thanks to the help of Welsh Tidy Mouse.
Although we have some logistics to work out, we’ve learned training doesn’t take all that long and we already have a till tray made for treats. (Also, don’t worry about the shop cats. They all live at Willard.)
Ideas for a name are welcome.
— Kara Gebhart Uhl
When will this product be offered by Crucible ?
Name him Mr. Jangles.
This is a sweet post and has warmed my morning
Tidy Mighty Mouse? Apodemus?
I feel that Worthys Cheze, the truly helpful shop mouse, should be able to at least cut sticks on the bandsaw and saddle a chair seat.
I had just seen the article and watched the BBC video of Mr. Tidy. I think all stick chair makers should have a tidy mouse for the workshop.
Anybody else make the connection that Chris lives on a street called “Willard” and is now looking into training rodents?
You win the day.
Ha, truly a missed opportunity in this post!
Gah, I hate subscription tools. This is just a ploy for recurring revenue. Naturally, it should be named Bill.
Tristan the tidy Tit Mouse
This gave me a huge smile. Thanks.
The mouse in the article seems a very unusual one. My own experience with rodents in the shop hasn’t been pleasant. Mouse pee, pellets and tool steel are not a good mix and wood (pack) rats like to trade tools for odd bits, hence my preference for deterrence: smelly moth balls, and havaharts when it looks like they’re trying to take up residence. (The car gets weekly doses of peppermint oil to keep them from moving in there: we had a car totaled due to mouse damage.)
It sounds like an excellent subject for a children’s’ book with illustrations – a tidying nocturnal mouse in a woodworker’s shop. No doubt some one or several author’s and illustrators are onto it now. As an illustrator and writer, I might try my hand at it!
Another part of the perfect retirement day: Reading, watching woodworking videos, woodworking, and then watching video of a mouse clean my shop.!
Lemuel Pepys.