Bless this Mouse by Lois Lowry Page A

off through the foliage, doing fake skateboard moves), "I have an idea. I think I know exactly what to do."
    ***
    Hildegarde gave instructions to Ignatious and Roderick in a firm, decisive voice. "Spread the word," she said. "Immediately! I want fifty-two volunteers. I need the bravest and strongest among us. Line them up right here. As soon as possible. There is no time to lose!"
    "Must they all be male?" Roderick asked. "There's that very strong pair of females: Trina and Jean. They're always doing pushups."

    "They'd be perfect. Male, female, doesn't matter. Trina and Jean will be fine. Strong! And brave! That's what we want.
    "Get going! We don't have much time!" She shooed Ignatious and Roderick off on their mission.
    Within ten minutes, fifty-two strong, brave mice—including Trina, Jean, and several other females—had lined up to await instructions from Hildegarde. She moved among them, explaining, gesturing, describing, encouraging.
    "Could we help, Hildegarde?" Roderick asked. "Ignatious and I ... I know we're not young. Maybe not strong! But we're brave! Aren't we, Ignatious?" He looked over at the elderly, scholarly mouse.
    Ignatious cleared his throat self-consciously. "Well, I try to be, of course. I do enjoy
reading
about great bravery. Goodness, once in the university library, I nibbled at the edges of a list of Congressional Medal of Honor winners, and I remember thinking,
What if I found myself...
" His voice trailed off. Then he said in a soft voice, "No. I'm not brave. Sorry."
    "You're wise, Ignatious. That's important, too," Hildegarde said, to comfort him, for he looked quite embarrassed and sad. "And you, Roderick? I need you here with me and Ignatious. We must count the numbers who return."
    "
Who return?
" Roderick asked. "You mean—?"
    "That's right. We may lose some brave souls tonight." She turned to the crowd of waiting mice. "Volunteers?"
    Fifty-two enthusiastic squeaks responded to her. "It's time," she told them. "You all have your instructions. Do your best! Do your duty! Our prayers are with you! Now go!"
    Moving in silence now, with no squeaks, no farewells, the fifty-two brave mice turned and marched in line toward Saint Bartholemew's.

Chapter 10
One Mouse Is Missing!

    An hour passed. Then two. The cemetery was silent except for small squeaks of conversation here and there. Most of the church mice were unaware of the mission. They were simply waiting for the meeting that Hildegarde was to call, waiting to hear final instructions before their return to the church where they had lived all their lives. They chatted among themselves, recounting what they had done during their two-day vacation in the Outdoors. There had been some close calls. One mouse had barely escaped the talons of a swooping hawk; another had encountered a snake and scampered quickly away. A third had been munching on a bouquet of asters when a woman appeared quite unexpectedly with a watering can and doused him while he cowered, hidden only by a leaf. One by one they described their adventures and praised each other's outdoor courage.
    But in the mossy crevice at the base of the statue, Hildegarde, Roderick, and Ignatious waited silently, with increasing apprehension. They had no way to know the time, but they watched clouds cross the moon, and the shadows lengthened around them. Not far off, an owl called. But they ignored it; an owl was nothing to them now. They had far larger concerns.
    "What if
none
of them returns safely?" Roderick whispered at last.
    "Some will, surely. We knew some might perish. That was the risk. But certainly some will get back here." Hildegarde tried to reassure him, though she was herself very frightened. She had been Mouse Mistress for a long time. But never before had she had to send some of her best, most valued mice into a life-threatening situation.
    "Want me to go look?" Ignatious asked. "I could just go to the cemetery edge and see if there's any sign of them."
    Hildegarde