A Net in Time

Curriculum and book reviews, faith, homeschooling and more!

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

Poem – I Think Mice are Rather Nice

By 44 Comments

I may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post. :) Click here to go to my disclosure policy.

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.
A Place to Find Good Home-school sites

Related Posts:

Spread the love

Reader Interactions

Comments

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

    Reply

  3. 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. 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. 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. 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

  8. '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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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

  16. 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

  18. 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. 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

  23. 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

  25. 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

  26. 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

  30. 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

  32. 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

  34. 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

  35. 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

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *