The Mouse and Little Boy Who Roared
It’s another Guess Who with Kevin! Inspired by Paul Harvey’s The Rest of the Story, Kevin has crafted a series of “guess who” articles, which he’s generously sharing with our readers!
Steve Morris wasn’t like most kids. But when you’re nine years old, all you want is to be like everyone else.
Born in Saginaw, Michigan, Steve moved with his family to Detroit, where they settled in a small apartment on Hastings Street. He was a bright student, always eager to learn, but he often kept to himself.
One person who recognized something special in Steve was his teacher, Mrs. Beneduci. She believed that true talent was about more than just knowing the right answers—it was about understanding what made you unique. And she was determined to show Steve just how extraordinary he really was.
One afternoon, as the students sat in their desks, working through their lessons, Mrs. Beneduci suddenly paused. She tilted her head slightly, as if listening.
“Do you hear that?” she asked, her voice full of curiosity.
The room fell silent. The students exchanged confused glances.
“It sounds like… scratching,” she continued. “Very faint. Almost like a scratching.”
A ripple of nervous energy spread through the class. Some of the girls gasped, and a few students instinctively pulled their feet up off the floor.
“Calm down, everyone,” Mrs. Beneduci said with a smile. Then she turned to Steve. “Would you help me find it?”
Steve sat up straighter. “Okay,” he said. He tilted his head slightly, concentrating. The classroom was quiet, but beneath the usual sounds of shuffling papers and breathing, he picked up something else—a tiny, rhythmic scratching, just barely there.
After a moment, he pointed toward the wastebasket near the front of the room. “He’s over there.”
Mrs. Beneduci walked over and carefully lifted a few crumpled papers. Sure enough, out scurried a small gray mouse.
A wave of laughter and chatter filled the room. The girls who had been squealing moments ago now giggled with relief.
But Mrs. Beneduci wasn’t watching the mouse. She was watching Steve, who sat with a proud smile on his face.
“Steve,” she said warmly, “you have an incredible gift.”
From that day on, something changed in him. He had always been able to hear things others couldn’t, but now he understood what that meant. His ears weren’t just sharp—they were extraordinary. And in that tiny classroom in Detroit, a seed of confidence was planted.
Years later, the world would know him not as Steve Morris, but as Stevie Wonder—a musician whose remarkable ears gave the world some of the most unforgettable music ever created.
And it all started with a teacher, a little gray mouse, and the moment Steve first realized just how powerful his gift truly was.
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