Imagine you have a cozy house with lots of yummy food and cozy spots to hide. Mice are little creatures who love these kinds of places because they are always searching for food and safe places to live. Now, let's think about Granny. Granny is very smart and knows a lot about how mice think!
Before the Newcombs moved in, the house might have been empty or very quiet, which didn’t attract the mice as much. But now that the Newcombs are in the house, there are more people moving around, making noise, and probably a lot more food crumbs being dropped. This is like ringing a dinner bell for mice because they can smell the food and they love following crumbs to the source.
Another reason Granny thinks the mice will come is because new people might bring new habits. Maybe the Newcombs forget to clean up all their crumbs or leave food out on accident. Mice have tiny noses that can sniff out even the smallest bits of food, and once they find something to eat, they tell their mouse friends, 'Hey, come over here! There's a buffet!'!
Granny also knows that sometimes when new people move in, they might bring stuff from other places. Maybe the Newcombs brought old boxes or furniture that had mouse smells on them from wherever they lived before. Mice have excellent noses and if they catch a whiff of an old mouse hideout, they might think, 'Aha! Other mice have been here before; this must be a good place to live!'
So, Granny isn’t just guessing. She's using her smart thinking to predict that the mice, who are always searching for food and safety, will find the new movements, smells, and crumbs left behind by the Newcombs very attractive. It's like having a radar for understanding what the mice will do next!