the mouse...

Kids know how to have fun in the dojo.

During a recent class, a friend told me, all the kids--who were following instruction quite well--broke ranks and began laughing and running around on the mats. The sensei was surprised, until that is, he realized what the problem was.

A mouse.

This was a major event for the children--aged four to 10--who began chasing the rodent all over the place. The sensei stood back and let the children do their thing.

It took several minutes but eventually the mouse ran into a metal tube (part of an exercise bike), and one of the older kids blocked the entrance, while the sensei, being a sport, blocked the other end and they transported the wee creature outside.

The class, I was told, resumed with more enthusiasm than prior to the incident, which was later referred to as a "thrill" by one of the parents.

I thought to myself, good for the sensei, letting the event take its course and allowing the kids to have fun with it.

And the mouse, no doubt, was happy to be unharmed by a trap or poison.