I was on my way out to the barn to measure our mobile chicken coop; I needed to estimate how many hens it would fit. I had to work hard to loosen the boards that act as the side wall. When I finally loosed it enough to pull it off, I was startled to see several mice scurry about in panic. They all bolted for the nest they had built in the corner.
I thought they were all safely tucked away in their comfortable nest made of duck feathers, wood shavings, and dried leaves, until I glanced over to the opposite corner and spotted two mouse tails.
It took a moment for my brain to understand what my eyes were seeing. But the moment I comprehended the story of terror that must have unfolded behind the stuck boards — I busted out laughing and then called everybody over to share in the laughter with me.
Once we wiped the tears of hilarity from our eyes and calmed down, we set our minds to figuring out how to set them free. We decided to lift the edges of the boards and gently, push their little heads towards the interior. It worked!
One of the two fled to the nest, the other stopped to thank us.
What is the moral of this tale?
Do not try to occupy the same space at the same time.