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You are here: Home / Homeschooling / Poem – I Think Mice are Rather Nice

Poem – I Think Mice are Rather Nice

May 12, 2007 By Annette1 50 Comments

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MICE

I think mice are rather nice;
Their tails are long, their faces small;
They haven’t any chins at all.
Their ears are pink, their teeth are white,
They run about the house at night;
They nibble things they shouldn’t touch,
and, no one seems to like them much,
but, I think mice are rather nice.

Rose Fyleman

I learned this poem as a child and it has stuck with me ever since.
Want to have it here in case I ever forgot it. ๐Ÿ™‚

Have had a reader comment that the proper wording of this poem should be as follows. Note the absence of the word rather in the last line:

MICE
I think mice are rather nice;
Their tails are long, their faces small;
They haven’t any chins at all.
Their ears are pink, their teeth are white,
They run about the house at night;
They nibble things they shouldn’t touch,
and no one seems to like them much,
but I think mice are nice!
-Rose Fyleman

I learned the poem as I wrote it above, but I’m fine either way. ๐Ÿ™‚

Logic, Oh so helpful.
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Filed Under: Homeschooling, Poetry, Uncategorized Tagged With: English, memorization, Poem

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anonymous says

    November 6, 2008 at 6:59 pm

    Thanks for having this one there. I could not remember the line about the nibbling and now I have it.
    Kim in Canada

    Reply
  2. Annette says

    November 7, 2008 at 2:58 am

    you are most welcome. This poem gets the highest hits of anything I have posted here. I find that fascinating. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Christopher says

      April 30, 2019 at 12:37 pm

      The poem is originally by A.A. Milne (author of Winnie the Pooh). You might want to change your citations to reflect this.

      Reply
      • Annette1 says

        May 3, 2019 at 4:25 pm

        hmm… how do you know this? That’s not what my research brought up.

        Reply
  3. Anonymous says

    November 17, 2008 at 1:11 am

    Thank you for having this peom that I also learnt at school 39 years ago so I could show a copy and teach my current Year 2 class at Doubleview Primary School in Perth, Australia.
    Jane Bridgwood

    Reply
  4. Cathrine Muston says

    June 14, 2009 at 9:48 am

    When my 19 year old daughter brought home a pet mouse, this poem sprang to mind. I had learnt it in grade 2 at Doncaster Hieghts Primary in Melbouren in 1970! Amazing!

    Reply
  5. Iggy says

    September 14, 2009 at 9:42 pm

    I learned this in 1964 or 1965 from a library book in my elementary school. Like you, it's been in my head ever since, but for some reason, I always attributed it to A.A. Milne. It's nice to know who the real author is.

    Reply
  6. Elizabeth says

    November 6, 2009 at 10:47 pm

    We have a mouse in our house right now and the first few lines of this poem keep running thru my head. Couldn't remember the rest. Thanks for posting it. Mice may be nice, but I am ready to trap this guy!

    Reply
  7. eirecore says

    March 6, 2010 at 7:54 am

    mice are nice!

    Reply
  8. Anonymous says

    April 23, 2010 at 12:49 am

    'Love this poem!!! I'm using it at school for poetry day. "Mice" was one of the poems I used in a poetry file while studying El. Ed. 35 years ago at WIU. Every so often I pull it out to use. Students think it's funny that I like it so much.~Barb

    Reply
  9. Joanna (TN) says

    September 13, 2010 at 2:54 pm

    I learned this poem in 1st grade in Ohio (1979). I now have a 1st grader I'm going to teach it to. Can't believe such a sweet little poem has been around the world. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  10. Anonymous says

    September 21, 2010 at 11:58 am

    This is a sweet poem;which I memorized in grade 3. I have always remembered it. To the person with mice in the house. Read up on Hantavirus. Mice droppings, urine, and saliva can be fatal. The poem is still cute.

    Reply
  11. Annette says

    September 21, 2010 at 1:20 pm

    Hantavirus can be a problem if a person fails to maintain cleanliness standards. Adequate ventilation when clearing out droppings is always a good idea, that and washing ones hands immediately thereafter.

    Maintaining a pet mouse need not be a problem for any owner. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  12. Anonymous says

    October 29, 2010 at 8:28 pm

    Wow

    I learned this poem in Grade 6 (I won't say how long ago, but it's been long enough lol) and had to recite it in front of my class. It's cool to see I'm not the only one to remember and like such a silly little poem. It is cute though and I too get funny looks from people when I say I like it. lol

    Lori-Kim

    Reply
  13. Anonymous says

    November 26, 2010 at 11:43 pm

    My Father is 75, Was talking to him tonight and he remember all but the "Their ears are pink, their teeth are white" line. Was able to find it for him. Thanks for Sharing.

    Darcy, Canada

    Reply
  14. Anonymous says

    December 31, 2010 at 11:01 pm

    Are you familiar with A.A. Milne's poem about the pet dormouse?

    Henry IX

    Reply
  15. Annette says

    January 1, 2011 at 4:12 am

    no I'm not, do you have a link to it?

    Reply
  16. jennyturner64 says

    January 16, 2011 at 7:39 am

    I'm crying as I write this. I love this poem I learnt it in 1970 when I was just 5 years old and had forgotten some of it over the years but only two months ago I'd managed to rack my brain and lo' and behold I remembered every word. God bless the lady who created this poem; unknown to me it has brought joy to many chidren (now adults) Thank you whoever posted this. I learnt this in Brisbane Australia, 1970.

    Reply
  17. Annette says

    January 16, 2011 at 12:18 pm

    you are most welcome. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  18. Annette says

    April 16, 2011 at 8:15 pm

    had a reader write to me with this comment:

    One comment:
    The last line should not include the word "rather"…I suppose due to the addition of the word "but".
    The following is the correct form of the poem.
    Keep up the good work!

    Nancy

    MICE
    I think mice are rather nice;
    Their tails are long, their faces small;
    They haven't any chins at all.
    Their ears are pink, their teeth are white,
    They run about the house at night;
    They nibble things they shouldn't touch,
    and no one seems to like them much,
    but I think mice are nice!
    -Rose Fyleman

    Reply
  19. Anonymous says

    July 15, 2011 at 11:44 am

    I recited this poem at a school event when I was 5 or 6. It has stuck with me since, though what I can remember most are the first two lines only. I am now 22 and I love poetry. I write poems when I can and when I write, somehow this poem always comes to mind.

    Reply
  20. Selvam says

    June 24, 2012 at 11:10 am

    Nice Poem……

    http://dhanushblog.blogspot.in/2012/06/poem-i-think-mice-are-rather-nice.html

    Reply
  21. Anonymous says

    September 7, 2012 at 9:33 am

    this was my favourite poem as a child.. still is now!

    Reply
  22. Annette says

    September 7, 2012 at 11:04 am

    thank you for stopping by. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  23. Anonymous says

    February 19, 2013 at 10:12 am

    Thanks for this poem! I could't remember the lines! I won an english speaking competition reciting this and 50 years later i will recite it again tonight at a students-teachers' reunion, just for fun!! Thanks again!

    Reply
  24. Annette says

    February 19, 2013 at 1:05 pm

    you are most welcome. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  25. Anonymous says

    June 5, 2014 at 6:17 pm

    Thank you for sharing this poem. My 3rd grade pupils in Buenos Aires, Argentina, love it. I seem to remember seeing it written in the shape of a mouse's tail. Or is that another poem?

    Reply
    • reddy says

      July 26, 2017 at 6:22 am

      what r some of he figure of spech in his

      Reply
  26. Kathryn Brown says

    June 8, 2014 at 2:50 pm

    I remember writing this poem out very carefully and entering it in the town fair, in the 1960's. It won first prize (for penmanship ) and I have always loved it. ๏ฟฝ๏ฟฝ:)

    Reply
  27. Michelle says

    August 11, 2014 at 6:53 pm

    Thanks for the poem! As a mouse loving child I used to recite this one from about age 3. I couldn't remember it all any more.

    Reply
  28. Annette says

    September 23, 2014 at 10:42 am

    it's still a good poem, thank you all for your kind comments. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  29. Growl3th says

    October 8, 2014 at 8:51 pm

    This was my piece at elocution lessons many, many moons ago. Recited it many times in competitions and I'm sure I said "rather" as well.

    Reply
  30. Mary Alice Wentzel says

    October 21, 2014 at 8:19 pm

    I always had my first grade students memorize this poem starting in the 70's. I have never forgotten it. I would pull out books on their level about mice for them to read.

    Reply
  31. Ann says

    July 15, 2016 at 12:21 am

    I learned this poem 55 yrs ago from a poetry book that had been my mother's as a child!!

    Reply
    • Annette1 says

      July 15, 2016 at 7:51 pm

      wow… it's been around that long? neat to know.

      Reply
  32. bb says

    October 24, 2016 at 9:37 am

    For many years I had this poem stuck in my head.It was nice to finally find the time to search for the poem and find the words which I had forgotten. I learned that poem in the mid sixties here in Toronto Canada. Down with glue traps.!! Thank you

    Reply
    • Annette1 says

      November 23, 2016 at 3:40 pm

      it's a great little poem isn't it? ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  33. Mother of 3 says

    November 24, 2016 at 4:09 pm

    That is such a cute little poem and since it sounded familiar I have to guess I leaned it at one point too.

    Reply
  34. Donna Smith says

    December 22, 2017 at 9:57 am

    This came up in a search I was doing for this poem. The second one, without “nice”, is the correct version, as far as I know. As a first grade teacher, I taught it to all my students for many, many years. They probably can still recite it as adults now. I do hope many will remember it!
    Have a wonderful Christmas!

    Reply
    • ANetInTime says

      December 23, 2017 at 12:22 am

      Hey… that might be when I learned it and I can still rhyme it off like no one’s business. ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  35. John says

    December 11, 2018 at 7:11 pm

    โ€˜Mimi na fakiri panya,
    Ni wasouri sana..โ€™
    Which is, I believe, the Swahili translation of the first lines of this delightful poem.

    It has always stuck in my head since I met a girl who taught it in Kenya. She later became my wife and a mother to our two sons.

    Now passed away, but forever in our hearts.

    Thank you for posting this – it brought back some wonderful memories.

    Reply
    • Annette1 says

      December 12, 2018 at 1:23 am

      oh what fun to learn the Swahili translation, thank you for stopping in!

      Reply
  36. Clarodine says

    May 18, 2019 at 6:14 am

    Omw Me too. I was taught this poem as a kid and I still rem it. And I am 28 today!

    Reply
    • Annette1 says

      May 19, 2019 at 10:31 pm

      I know! I’ve known it forever and can still rhyme it off. ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  37. Maureen says

    October 12, 2019 at 9:45 am

    This brings back memories, of our younger daughter lined up on the stage with the other children in her kindergarten class, all dressed up, reciting this poem while each child held a small stuffed toy mouse, at the start of the Christmas concert. Thanks for the memories!

    Reply
    • Annette1 says

      October 13, 2019 at 12:20 am

      I still find myself reciting it, remembering it from back in the day. ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  38. Stacie says

    November 12, 2019 at 12:15 am

    Iโ€™m from South Texas. I remember this poem from 2nd grade.

    Reply
    • Annette1 says

      November 13, 2019 at 2:44 pm

      a lot of people do, it’s a good poem. ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  39. Rewolf says

    November 23, 2019 at 9:18 am

    I remember this one from a ways back.
    So, the book is put together by Nancy Larrick and Ed Young but it contains poems from many authors, even from A.A.Milne of Pooh bear fame. So I understand the confusion.
    The book is, Mice Are Nice. ISBN# 039921495X 9780399214950.

    Reply
    • Annette1 says

      November 24, 2019 at 8:50 pm

      thank you for that information! ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply

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