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. ๐
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. ๐
Anonymous says
Thanks for having this one there. I could not remember the line about the nibbling and now I have it.
Kim in Canada
Chelsea Baylor says
I think the reason that this poem gets so many hits is that we all remember the first four lines and blank on the nibbling
Annette1 says
oh quite probably. ๐
Annette says
you are most welcome. This poem gets the highest hits of anything I have posted here. I find that fascinating. ๐
Christopher says
The poem is originally by A.A. Milne (author of Winnie the Pooh). You might want to change your citations to reflect this.
Annette1 says
hmm… how do you know this? That’s not what my research brought up.
Myrna says
A. A. Milne wrote โmissing โ a poem about a mouse. Not this one.
Annette1 says
and your point would be? Fyleman wrote this, not Milne.
Francis Fischer says
But really, mice are rather nice. I’ve had many mouse friends in my 70 years.
Annette1 says
I have a lot of excellent mice, they make for fantastic pets.
Anonymous says
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
Cathrine Muston says
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!
Iggy says
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.
Elizabeth says
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!
eirecore says
mice are nice!
Anonymous says
'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
Joanna (TN) says
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.
Anonymous says
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.
Annette says
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. ๐
Anonymous says
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
Anonymous says
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
Anonymous says
Are you familiar with A.A. Milne's poem about the pet dormouse?
Henry IX
Annette says
no I'm not, do you have a link to it?
jennyturner64 says
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.
Annette says
you are most welcome. ๐
Annette says
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
Anonymous says
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.
Selvam says
Nice Poem……
http://dhanushblog.blogspot.in/2012/06/poem-i-think-mice-are-rather-nice.html
Anonymous says
this was my favourite poem as a child.. still is now!
Annette says
thank you for stopping by. ๐
Anonymous says
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!
Annette says
you are most welcome. ๐
Anonymous says
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?
reddy says
what r some of he figure of spech in his
Kathryn Brown says
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:)
Michelle says
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.
Annette says
it's still a good poem, thank you all for your kind comments. ๐
Growl3th says
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.
Mary Alice Wentzel says
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.
Ann says
I learned this poem 55 yrs ago from a poetry book that had been my mother's as a child!!
Annette1 says
wow… it's been around that long? neat to know.
bb says
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
Annette1 says
it's a great little poem isn't it? ๐
Mother of 3 says
That is such a cute little poem and since it sounded familiar I have to guess I leaned it at one point too.
Donna Smith says
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!
ANetInTime says
Hey… that might be when I learned it and I can still rhyme it off like no one’s business. ๐
John says
โMimi 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.
Annette1 says
oh what fun to learn the Swahili translation, thank you for stopping in!
Clarodine says
Omw Me too. I was taught this poem as a kid and I still rem it. And I am 28 today!
Annette1 says
I know! I’ve known it forever and can still rhyme it off. ๐
Maureen says
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!
Annette1 says
I still find myself reciting it, remembering it from back in the day. ๐
Stacie says
Iโm from South Texas. I remember this poem from 2nd grade.
Annette1 says
a lot of people do, it’s a good poem. ๐
Rewolf says
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.
Annette1 says
thank you for that information! ๐
Gloria says
Thank you for posting. I learnt the poem in primary school in the fifties in South Africa. It came to me in the early hours of the morning as we have just discovered we have mice here in our house in New Zealand. I only remembered bits of it and looked it up so that I could share it withmy grandchildren.
Annette1 says
I am so glad I could help you out.
Arleen says
Hi! I learned this cute poem in the 50’s without the “rather” in the last line. Another poem I learned for Oratory was about animals in a barn in winter. I can’t remember anything except that the horse had icicles on its nose. And I can’t find it anywhere!
Annette1 says
oh, that brings back vague recollections… but I don’t recall enough of the words.
JA says
Here I am a grandmother of 11, and the year is 2021. I spent a lot of time felting mice during the long pandemic lock down days…(which as still not over). Now a felted mouse is made from wool, and it is a 3-d little mouse which looks just like a stuffy toy mouse. I would add a photo if I could
Annette1 says
i bet it looks really cool. ๐
Lynn Murphy says
I am 72 and my mother had a pet mouse when she was young. When I was young she told me this poem and it has been with me all these years… I never knew who wrote it and forgot the last few lines, so it was a genuine joy to find it here. Thank you!
Annette1 says
I know the delight! That was mine when I found the poem again. I still recite it! ๐
Tim J says
Memories from a lifetime ago. A voracious reader as a child, my parents bought me a set of Childcraft – something like 21 volumes. I read every page over and over. This poem was in my encyclopedia. I only remembered the first line of this poem, and tonight found the rest. Thank you and Lord bless you.
Annette1 says
oh, I love that! ๐ I read them through as well.