Oscar Potter and His Late-Night Visitor

Every night before Oscar Potter went to bed, he would sit in a large, overstuffed chair in front of his fireplace, warm his old bones, and sip on some potato soup. He lived in a large, dismal house that remained silent except for the sound of the clocks ticking and the metal tip of Oscar's Irish black Hawthorne cane tap, tap, tapping as he walked along the cold marble floors. Oscar was a grouchy old man—a real sourpuss—who lived as lonesome as an oyster. Once, the house had been filled with joy and the sounds of children laughing as they played throughout the hallways. Now, it seemed that joy had taken an eternal nap, and the only constant throughout the house were the dark shadows. One dark and stormy winter's night, as Oscar sat in silence eating his soup, a small mouse named Newton appeared beside him. As the mouse asked for a speck of food, a faint knocking suddenly came from the front door…