---

I was back at the house;
I was tiptoeing in the backyard.
There, I met a little mouse.
With me back, looking back
on things 'bout mystery's hard.

The back door gave me a "good evening."
I entered, and I met a mirror of my size.

I sighed,
looked at my reflection.
Lost.
Confused.
Exhausted.

A voice said:
"I have small limbs."

The little girl I am curious about
had spoken as if she's me.

"We were studying, and we had a race.
Forgive me, I just wanted to share.
They said we should do more than pace.
I didn't learn; it was a nightmare."

Oh, there you go again,
Little Fussbudget.

"Listen, it was about books and papers.
We were friends and partners.
I came there being honest.
I came there least modest."

I listened to her story.

"We ran around the playground.
I was determined to win the game.
I knew I can be the fastest runner.
Didn't know honest for them's lame.

"The instructor was good;
however, did he know the things he left?
Score to them looks like food--
they won't live unless they won't do theft.

"We're left in the playground,
we're happy warming up, and we're going.
We then looked at the ground.
It's just us little runners who'll be running.

"Instructors said, 'be honest and true.'
He'll be back, please say your score.
He'll be gone, please run at your best.
You should run fast. Just do it or...

"... you'll fail."

I shook my head.
Completely unbelievable.
I didn't know why
I found it a little despicable.

"So we did self-scoring.
It's almost my turn.
And I just started running.
I let my sweat burn.

"Instructor came with a scoreboard
after everyone has already raced.
The one with the highest score
gets a reward so wanted.
'Integrity isn't a trend anymore,'
they slowly chanted.

"One ranked twelfth;
he said 'third place.'
One said she got fourth;
lying's her special ace.

"I'll now say my place.
They'll call me weak and slow
rather than honest.
'So just lie and put on a bad show.'

"I've had enough of them,
teasing the thing on my birth certificate.
I had endless mocking
for the name that my mother gave me.

"I'd like to make my family really proud.
Everybody did it--
inhaled, thought of what to say out loud:
'I'm on second place.'"

Poor child.

"I think because these humans
always cheat about what is
supposed to be true,
instructors think the tasks they give
are things we can easily do.

"They might think
we can always
do more.
Little did they know,
integrity isn't people's trend
anymore."

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