Mouse In The House

Originally Aired: June 16, 1942 In Fibber McGee & Molly #330, "Mouse In The House," domestic tranquility at 79 Wistful Vista is shattered when Molly spots a mouse and finds herself perched atop a table in terror. Fibber, determined to prove his superior intellect against the tiny rodent, dismisses simple solutions like mousetraps in favor of his own elaborate schemes. Despite Molly's pleas for a straightforward approach and her firm refusal to allow any violent methods like shotguns or rifles in the house, Fibber insists on outthinking the creature with increasingly complicated plans. Little Teeny stops by to share news about being a veil-holder at Channely Soopster's upcoming wedding, but even her innocent suggestion about using a mousetrap falls on deaf ears. Fibber's campaign against the mouse reaches absurd heights as he constructs an elaborate Rube Goldberg-style contraption involving a dinner bell, folded newspapers, an electric fan, a stuffed owl, and playing cards. His convoluted logic suggests the mouse will think it's Sunday when it hears the bell, follow the newspaper path, trigger the fan, mistake itself for a field mouse, and die of fright when confronted by the owl. As Molly questions this increasingly ridiculous plan, the chaos continues to unfold.