A Little Sleepy Fella – A Riddle

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I’m fast and tiny, undisputed

seems in Europe am I rooted.

But now I exist ‘cross half the Earth

where I sleep I feed and I give birth.

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Twice a year I have a litter

of four to six the same ol’ critter.

I live in nature, cute and free

Don’t hold me as pet, no good for me.

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I live in families most of the time

I hunt on the ground, but I can climb!

We’re many sorts and some extinct

small ones big ones in all tinct.

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I’m a rodent, cute as hell

a delicacy to old Romains, I can tell.

I’m omnivorous, I run and cheep

but six month of a year I spend in sleep.

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I am fast, I need no spur

my tail is covered all in fur.

Living out in nature, I don’t like no house

I’m hard to guess – I’m a dormouse.

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(Copyright Aurora Jean Alexander, October 2017)

 

Picture courtesy of: http://www.google.com
A dormouse is a rodent, but not a mouse. They mainly live in Europe and Africa, but lately had been discovered in Asia too. Dormice are omnivorous and a favorite prey for owls.