--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Two old Bachelors were living in one…" description: "\"Two old Bachelors were living in one house; One caught a Muffin, the other caught a Mouse.\" — Edward Lear" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d4/edward-lear-14704_bachelors_two-old-bachelors-were-living-in-one-hou_2718167.png" --- # Two old Bachelors were living in one house; One caught a… ![“Two old Bachelors were living in one house; One caught a Muffin, the other caught a Mouse.” quote by Edward Lear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d4/edward-lear-14704_bachelors_two-old-bachelors-were-living-in-one-hou_2718167.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d4/edward-lear-14704_bachelors_two-old-bachelors-were-living-in-one-hou_2718167.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d4/edward-lear-14704_bachelors_two-old-bachelors-were-living-in-one-hou_2718167.png) > “Two old Bachelors were living in one house; One caught a Muffin, the other caught a Mouse.” [Edward Lear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-lear/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A whimsical tale contrasts two bachelors' fortunes, highlighting chance and absurdity in everyday life. **In simple terms:** A funny story about luck and odd events. Key Takeaway Embrace humor and the unpredictability of life. Themes humor absurdity luck contrast Mood playful lighthearted Type humorous literary When to use this quote - daily anecdotes - literary gatherings - teaching creativity - icebreakers Key Concepts satire nonsense poetry social commentary Questions to Reflect On - What does the mouse symbolize? - How does absurdity reveal truth? A Different Perspective Humor may mask deeper social commentary. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bachelors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bachelors/) [Caught](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caught/) [Caught Mouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caught-mouse-2861289/) [Caught Muffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caught-muffin-2861288/) [House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/house/) [House Caught](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/house-caught-1261756/) [Living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/living/) [Mouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mouse/) [Muffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/muffin/) [Muffin Caught](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/muffin-caught-2861290/) [Old](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old/) [Old Bachelors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-bachelors-2861291/) [Other](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/other/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [Were](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/were/) ## Related quotes > [Ever heard the story about a cat that accidentally caught a mouse in his sleep? Me neither](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-murdock/ever-heard-the-story-about-a-cat-that-accidentally-caught-a-mouse-in/) [Mike Murdock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-murdock/) > [At the White House, they caught another fence jumper earlier today. It was Obama trying to get out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/at-the-white-house-they-caught-another-fence-jumper-earlier-today-it/) [David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/) > [“I am going to shoot a muffin of Marlean's head.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-am-going-to-shoot-a-muffin-of-marlean-s-head/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [Muffin's hubby <3 love ya babe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan/muffin-s-hubby-3-love-ya-babe/) [Nathan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan/) > [I can't do anything! I can't even have an English muffin!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dane-cook/i-can-t-do-anything-i-can-t-even-have-an-english-muffin/) [Dane Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dane-cook/) > [“I have this recurring nightmare in which I have to move back in with my old college roommates. I'll admit, that's what I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-vowell/i-have-this-recurring-nightmare-in-which-i-have-to-move-back-in-with/) [Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/) > [You're my muffin, in a world full of cupcakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe/you-re-my-muffin-in-a-world-full-of-cupcakes/) [Chloe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe/) > [My breakfast consists of two cappuccinos and maybe a toasted English muffin, and that's pretty much it for me unless I decide to go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-maclachlan/my-breakfast-consists-of-two-cappuccinos-and-maybe-a-toasted-english/) [Kyle MacLachlan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-maclachlan/) > [“Percy inhaled the muffin. The coffee was great. Now, Percy thought, if he could just get a shower, a change of clothes, and some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/percy-inhaled-the-muffin-the-coffee-was-great-now-percy-thought-if-he/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [“LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO BE UNHAPPY...SO LAUGH INSANELY, KISS SOFTLY, AND MAKE LOVE PASSIONATELY…”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muffin/life-is-too-short-to-be-unhappy-so-laugh-insanely-kiss-softly-and/) [Muffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muffin/) > [There are forces working in the world as never before in the history of mankind for standardization, for the regimentation of us all, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/there-are-forces-working-in-the-world-as-never-before-in-the-history/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [“When you said you were giving her a ring, I wanted to make sure she didn't eat it by accident. Who puts a ring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-m-ward/when-you-said-you-were-giving-her-a-ring-i-wanted-to-make-sure-she/) [H.M. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-m-ward/) > [Any cupcake consumed before 9AM is, technically, a muffin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-p-cleary/any-cupcake-consumed-before-9am-is-technically-a-muffin/) [Brian P. Cleary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-p-cleary/) > [My saddlebags are why Spanx exist! Now that I have a baby I also have a muffin top.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-blakely/my-saddlebags-are-why-spanx-exist-now-that-i-have-a-baby-i-also-have/) [Sara Blakely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-blakely/) > [“WHEN THE ALMIGHTY HAS PREDESTINED YOU, THERE IS NOONE IN THIS PHYSICAL LIFE THAT CAN BLOCK YOUR BLESSINGS…”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muffin/when-the-almighty-has-predestined-you-there-is-noone-in-this-physical/) [Muffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muffin/) ## More by Edward Lear > [There was an Old Man of Messina, Whose daughter was named Opsibeena; She wore a small wig, and rode out on a pig, To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-lear/there-was-an-old-man-of-messina-whose-daughter-was-named-opsibeena/) [Edward Lear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-lear/) > [“Which distressed that Old Man of Jamaica. nonsense”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-lear/which-distressed-that-old-man-of-jamaica-nonsense/) [Edward Lear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-lear/) > [“Young Lady of Hull, Who was chased by a”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-lear/young-lady-of-hull-who-was-chased-by-a/) [Edward Lear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-lear/) > [And what can we expect if we haven't any dinner, But to lose our teeth and eyelashes and keep on growing thinner?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-lear/and-what-can-we-expect-if-we-haven-t-any-dinner-but-to-lose-our-teeth/) [Edward Lear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-lear/) > [“O lovely Pussy, O Pussy, my love, What a beautiful Pussy you are, You are, You are! What a beautiful Pussy you are!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-lear/o-lovely-pussy-o-pussy-my-love-what-a-beautiful-pussy-you-are-you-are/) [Edward Lear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-lear/) > [“There was a Young Person of Smyrna, whose grandmother threatened to burn her; But she seized on the cat, and said, "Granny, burn that!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-lear/there-was-a-young-person-of-smyrna-whose-grandmother-threatened-to/) [Edward Lear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-lear/) > [“They went to sea in a Sieve, they did, In a Sieve they went to sea: In spite of all their friends could say,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-lear/they-went-to-sea-in-a-sieve-they-did-in-a-sieve-they-went-to-sea-in/) [Edward Lear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-lear/) > [“The Owl looked up to the stars above, And sang to a small guitar, "O lovely Pussy, O Pussy, my love, What a beautiful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-lear/the-owl-looked-up-to-the-stars-above-and-sang-to-a-small-guitar-o/) [Edward Lear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-lear/) > [“And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand, They danced by the light of the moon.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-lear/and-hand-in-hand-on-the-edge-of-the-sand-they-danced-by-the-light-of/) [Edward Lear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-lear/) > [There was a Young Lady of Poole, Whose soup was excessively cool; So she put it to boil, by the aid of some oil,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-lear/there-was-a-young-lady-of-poole-whose-soup-was-excessively-cool-so/) [Edward Lear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-lear/) > [“There was an Old Man of the East, Who gave”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-lear/there-was-an-old-man-of-the-east-who-gave/) [Edward Lear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-lear/) > [And if you voz to see my roziz As is a boon to all men's noziz, - You'd fall upon your back and scream…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-lear/and-if-you-voz-to-see-my-roziz-as-is-a-boon-to-all-men-s-noziz-you-d/) [Edward Lear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-lear/) > [There was an Old Man of the East, Who gave all his children a feast; But they all ate so much, and their conduct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-lear/there-was-an-old-man-of-the-east-who-gave-all-his-children-a-feast/) [Edward Lear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-lear/) > [The Owl and the Pussycat went to sea In a beautiful pea-green boat: They took some honey, and plenty of money Wrapped up in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-lear/the-owl-and-the-pussycat-went-to-sea-in-a-beautiful-pea-green-boat/) [Edward Lear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-lear/) > [“Fish fiddle de-dee!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-lear/fish-fiddle-de-dee/) [Edward Lear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-lear/) [Explore all 45 Edward Lear quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-lear/) ## More Bachelors quotes > [Bachelors should be heavily taxed. It is not fair that some men should be happier than others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/bachelors-should-be-heavily-taxed-it-is-not-fair-that-some-men-should/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Why is it that at a bachelor's establishment the servants invariably drink the champagne.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/why-is-it-that-at-a-bachelor-s-establishment-the-servants-invariably/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [A married man is a man with a past, while a bachelor is a man with a future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/a-married-man-is-a-man-with-a-past-while-a-bachelor-is-a-man-with-a/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [There is no character in the comedy of human life more difficult to play well than that of an old bachelor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washington-irving/there-is-no-character-in-the-comedy-of-human-life-more-difficult-to/) [Washington Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washington-irving/) > [Though bachelors be the strongest stakes, married men are the best binders, in the hedge of the commonwealth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-fuller/though-bachelors-be-the-strongest-stakes-married-men-are-the-best/) [Thomas Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-fuller/) > [It is impossible to believe that the same God who permitted His own son to die a bachelor regards celibacy as an actual sin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/it-is-impossible-to-believe-that-the-same-god-who-permitted-his-own/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [Give women the vote, and in five years there will be a crushing tax on bachelors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/give-women-the-vote-and-in-five-years-there-will-be-a-crushing-tax-on/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [The Shades never recorded anything, Little Daddy and the Bachelors recorded a couple of records, ya.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-chong/the-shades-never-recorded-anything-little-daddy-and-the-bachelors/) [Tommy Chong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-chong/) > [“They say bachelors have all the fun. Not so. You just get old and full of sand, nasty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/they-say-bachelors-have-all-the-fun-not-so-you-just-get-old-and-full/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Russia's Vladimir Putin appeared in public for the first time after a mysterious 10-day absence. Putin said it took him that long to recover…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conan-o-brien/russia-s-vladimir-putin-appeared-in-public-for-the-first-time-after-a/) [Conan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conan-o-brien/) > [I love to think of the whole universe together as one eternal fact. I love to think that everything is alive; that crystallization is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/i-love-to-think-of-the-whole-universe-together-as-one-eternal-fact-i/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [There’s a lot I don’t tell my father when he calls asking after Amy. He wouldn’t understand that she has no interest in getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/there-s-a-lot-i-don-t-tell-my-father-when-he-calls-asking-after-amy/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [Obviously there was no point in being a bachelor if his houseman was going to filch his booze. If he was going to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/obviously-there-was-no-point-in-being-a-bachelor-if-his-houseman-was/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [Rich bachelors should be heavily taxed. It is not fair that some men should be happier than others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/rich-bachelors-should-be-heavily-taxed-it-is-not-fair-that-some-men/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [I had an opportunity to move to L.A. back in 1999 and start up a horse racing network of all things. At the time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-harrison/i-had-an-opportunity-to-move-to-l-a-back-in-1999-and-start-up-a-horse/) [Chris Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-harrison/) [Browse all 208 Bachelors quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bachelors/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Two old Bachelors were living in one house; One caught a Muffin, the other caught a Mouse.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Edward Lear" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-lear/two-old-bachelors-were-living-in-one-house-one-caught-a-muffin-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bachelors" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-lear/two-old-bachelors-were-living-in-one-house-one-caught-a-muffin-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d4/edward-lear-14704_bachelors_two-old-bachelors-were-living-in-one-hou_2718167.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d4/edward-lear-14704_bachelors_two-old-bachelors-were-living-in-one-hou_2718167.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d4/edward-lear-14704_bachelors_two-old-bachelors-were-living-in-one-hou_2718167.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Two old Bachelors were living in one house; One caught a Muffin, the other caught a Mouse.” — Edward Lear", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Edward Lear", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-lear/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Two old Bachelors were living in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-lear/two-old-bachelors-were-living-in-one-house-one-caught-a-muffin-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-lear/two-old-bachelors-were-living-in-one-house-one-caught-a-muffin-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```