THE JUMPING MOUSE

In having to be alert for his numerous enemies, the jumping mouse is like most small animals; except for his propensity for leaping, he is like many other mice: here then, from autumn hunger through winter hibernation and spring mating, is a watchful creature evading capture -- and less by jumping away than by playing possum. Also commonplace is his recurrent search for a home. If there is little distinguishing drama, neither is there much attention to his distinctive trait: we hear that he has a ""long, long"" tail and uses it for balance but we don't learn its length (relative to others' either) or hear anything of his strong hind limbs. Moreover, not until he's run about day and night is there any indication that the jumping mouse is chiefly nocturnal -- which is anyhow contraindicated at the close. Largely uninformative and hugely uninteresting.