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Dancing Mice, Gerhard Heilmann in Dekorative Vorbilder - v.12 - 1900-1901
Fancy Mouse & Rat Day
Nov 12
Other Scottish Country Dances for this Day
Today's Musings, History & Folklore
"The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men
Gang aft agley ..."
~ "To a Mouse, on Turning Her Up in Her Nest with the Plough", Robert Burns, 1785:
Indeed, Mr. Burns! Fancy Rat & Mouse Day was dreamed up by the American Fancy Rat and Mouse Association to put the spotlight on these charming little pets, lovingly referred to as "fancy" rats and mice. Unlike their scrappy wild cousins, these critters have been carefully bred for top-notch friendliness, smarts, and a dazzling array of colors and coats! Now, what would a celebration be without a whisker-wiggling, tail-twitching reel? Enter Sara Gratiot’s cheeky creation: a dance inspired by is previously composed namesake tune, born from an uninvited mouse who decided to snack loudly while composer Keith Smith was recording Scottish music. This inspired the reeling and rollicking steps of this dance, which made its debut at the Sunday morning combined class at the San Francisco Branch’s Annual Asilomar Weekend Workshop. Bars 9–16 are dedicated to those raucous rodents spinning on their exercise wheels, and bars 17–24 capture that classic scurry in and out of mouseholes — both for the cherished and the... ahem, unexpected guests. So, squeak, skitter, and raise a glass to our wiggly, whiskered friends! 🤪 🥂 🐭 🐁 🐁 🐁
Toast to the Mousies
Fancy Rat & Mouse Day is a day for celebrating the domestic versions of the humble rat and mouse. Not to be confused with wild (black) rats, the Fancy Rat is the domesticated brown rat; while the Fancy Mouse is the domesticated form of the house mouse.
A fancy mouse (“fancy” means “hobby” in this context) is a domesticated breed of the house mouse (Mus musculus) usually kept as a type of pocket pet. Fancy mice have also been specially bred for exhibiting, with shows being held internationally. Artificial selection in fancy mice has created a variety of colors and patterns. These include colors like black, chocolate, blue, white, cream, lilac, red, fawn, champagne, cinnamon, golden agouti, silver agouti, silver and dove.
Robert Burns' famous poem, "To a Mouse" celebrates the wilder form and the sentiment expressed "The best laid schemes o' mice an' men / Gang aft agley" have resonated since the poem's publication and influenced other artists and authors. One such was Pulitzer Prize winning California author, John Steinbeck, of Ulster-Scots ancestry, a great admirer of both Robert Burns and Scotland.
Steinbeck’s February 1964 letter to Jacqueline Kennedy reflects the author’s sense of attachment to the homeland of his Hamilton ancestors and his familiarity with its history: “You talked of Scotland as a lost cause and that is not true. Scotland is an unwon cause.”
Most of Steinbeck's work is set in southern and central California, particularly in the Salinas Valley and the California Coast Ranges region. His works frequently explored the themes of fate and injustice, especially as applied to downtrodden or everyman protagonists.
His 1937 novel Of Mice and Men tells the story of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant ranch workers, who move from place to place in search of new job opportunities during the Great Depression in California, United States.
Click the pictures (including the 1937 First Edition Book Cover) below for more on this novel.
Click the dance cribs or description below to link to a printable version of the dance!
