289. Coping (4)

 I went back into the shop secretly hoping Mr Turn-The-Light-On would not be there. I wanted to buy a trap which might proven his theory wrong. 

Again two men were in the shop. I did not recognise them and so I could proceed with the plan.

'Bonjour!' I chimed in.

'I would like to buy a trap because I have some animals in my attic.'

'Dormice.' He said. 'Definitely dormice. No doubt about it.'

I sigh deeply but inwardly. I wonder what kind of method this man is going to advise. 

'They are very playful. They will play all night and make a terrible racket. They're very clever. Very difficult to trap.'

'You dont think they're weasels? Or martens?'

'No. They're dormice. They're in your attic? This is your holiday house? Typical. They settle in there when you're gone and then you can't chase them away.'

I was thinking this is not the time nor the place to ask for bottled wolf's urine.

'Come and see this.'

He took me to the other end of the shop past the rows of Wellington boots and the stacks of axes and saws.

'There. Try that. But good luck.'

On the bottom shelf was what I can only describe as a cage made of stiff chicken wire. It is rectangular in shape and has a racing green 'door' at one end and inside a kind of slide.

'You put your apple here, past the slide, and set the door in thus and then when the thing goes for the apple the door shuts behind him.'

I do not hesitate.

'So I trap him ... alive?'

'Oh yes. These are friendly traps. All these pests are protected species so this is the only way to deal with them.'

He must have noticed my very puzzled look.

'You can drive it some other place. Set him free.' He made a pause. 'Free to go back into your attic. Or better - someone else's attic.'

I laughed. He didn't.

I got home. I worked out how to set the trap and carefully took it all the way up to the attic. I placed it in a strategic spot and sprinkled a bit of attic dust all over the cage. I turned the light off (sorry Mr Turn-The-Light-On) and made my way downstairs giggling to myself.