Basil

Some of Basil’s shoes had short laces and some had long laces. Some of the laces, when Basil tied them in a bow, did not knit into a bow all the way through. One ring was knitted, but not enough for the second, leaving a loose end. And although the laces were not long enough for the second bow, that loose end dangled long. This pissed Basil off a little.

Other shoes had laces such that you tie a double bow, and the rings get big, dangling like spaniel ears. And the loose ends are big. Who cut such laces with such a margin?

Basil was also pissed off by the sinks. He didn’t understand who came up with the standard of having the sink hanging down somewhere so that you had to bend over every time. Maybe the Japanese had invented it?

There was a lot of that in Basil’s life. There was when he was dragging the couch home. He didn’t understand who came up with these standard for apartments. That the couch didn’t fit in the stairwell.

Who makes cars that don’t fit a refrigerator in the trunk. Who makes refrigerators that they can’t fit pots and pans inside properly. You put one pan inside and that’s it, you can’t put anything else on the entire shelf. Although it seems that there is still room left, you can’t really use it.

When Basil wants to put his geographic atlas in the closet, it does not fit anywhere, not on any shelf. Where to put it? It is not clear.

When Basil vacuums, the vacuum cleaner is somehow underpowered. Bag fills quickly. You open it to clean, there is so much dirt. How to clean all this dust, it is unclear. You need a separate vacuum cleaner for that.

At such moments Basil feels like a little mouse, a little mouse from the magazine for little kids. From a children’s puzzle — help the little mouse get out of the maze.

And the only hope is for this huge child, leafing through magazine. That he will not flip through the maze with Basil. Will pay attention. Will read. He will wrinkle his forehead and think. And solve Basil’s problems.