Michelangelo’s Mousecot

Mousemorency Mountebank III twisted his long mousetache mousetache as he looked at his grandchildren gathered around him. “Children, you come from an illustrious family. Today I’ll tell you about one of your ancestors. He was a fine painter and a friend of the great 16th century artist, Michelangelo. He helped him paint his masterpiece, the Sistine Chapel.

“Umberto Sevini was a dark, Italian mouse, the mouscot of Michelangelo. He visited Michelangelo’s studio frequently where they painted together. One day Michelangelo invited Umberto to share his studio.

“Umberto painted miniature portraits of beautiful women. These miniature portraits were highly prized mousterpieces and became quite famous. Even so, he remained anonymouse. He let people think a human being painted them.

“Michelangelo lay on his back on the scaffolding (a special wooden framework) painting the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling for the Pope. His muscles stiffened and paint bespattered his beard. It was lonely high on the scaffold and Umberto kept his friend company. ‘Umberto,’ Michelangelo moaned, ‘This eye of Adam is not right! Tomorrow the Pope’s attendant is coming to inspect. I can’t show him this!’ Michelangelo pulled his beard angrily and threw a brush to the floor.

“Michelangelo worked all night. Everything pleased him but the right eye. At four in the morning, Michelangelo went sound asleep after blotting the eye out the sixth time.

“At 5 o’clock Umberto climbed up to see Michelangelo snoring open mouthed with a paint brush in his hand. The eye was blank and he knew the Pope’s attendant was coming about 6 o’clock.

“His devotion to his friend made him make the greatest sacrifice a mouse can give -- his whiskers. Umberto pulled them from his face, with much pain at each pull, and used one to tie them on the tip of his tail.

“The eye of Adam was larger than he was and the brush was fine and small. But with great skill he painted an eye that matched the rest of the face.

Mousemorency Mountebank III paused a moment and examined his gold pocket watch.

“Did Umberto tell Michelangelo that he painted the eye?” asked Rebecca. Everyone listened eagerly.

“No! He didn’t want his dear friend to think he had failed. When Michelangelo saw the eye he said, ‘I guess I got it right before I went to sleep.’ He was proud of it and told the story many times while Umberto smiled happily behind a paint pot.

“Umberto shared Michelangelo’s success in crumbs of cheese, bread and olives beneath the Pope’s table and the mouse community awarded him the highest Order of the Mousterella.”

The children oohed and aahed. Rebecca felt proud of being Umberto’s granddaughter. Maybe she could do something wonderful too.

“Maybe next time, children,” said Mousemorency, “I’ll tell you about another outstanding member of your family.”

Recommended reading:

“Michelangelo (Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists)” by Mike Venezia and “Michelangelo” by Diane Stanley

We hope you enjoyed this fanciful story by Kay Haugaard, a frequent contributor to the Kids’ Reading Room.

Special thanks to Laura-Susan Thomas for this week’s illustration. To see more of her work, visit https://laurasusanthomas.blogspot.com