Brief Lives: The Three Blind Mice 1609-2006

"Three blind mice, three blind mice
See how they run, see how they run"

... but alas they run no more. It is the sad duty of As A Dodo to report the demise of The Three Blind Mice, who have been running from the farmer's wife ever since they were published as a satirical poem about Queen Mary I in 1609. While other nursery rhyme mice chose to spend their time running up and down clocks, being frightened by pussycats who'd gone up to London to look at the Queen and dressing up in clogs in order to go clip-clippety-clop on the stairs of windmills in old Amsterdam, the three blind mice - white canes in hand - stuck steadfastly to their duties despite frequent tail loss and much mockery from people who'd never seen such a thing in their life.

Despite these years of service, the three were forced to disband on Thursday after being forcibly cured of their condition by researchers at University College London Institutes of Ophthalmology and Child Health and Moorfields Eye Hospital.

A memorial service for The Three Blind Mice was held last night. It was attended by all the Mice's friends and family, except pussy who had been put in a well by Little Johnny Flynn.

The Three Blind Mice are survived by the computer mouse, Mickey Mouse and that mouse with the human ear on its back.