▁and ▁colored ▁outer ▁layer . ▁They ▁are ▁currently ▁only ▁produced ▁by ▁the ▁Dutch ▁food ▁processing ▁company ▁De ▁Ru ij ter , ▁a ▁brand ▁acquired ▁by ▁Hein z ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 1 . ▁ ▁Et ym ology ▁It ' s ▁uncertain ▁why ▁the ▁name ▁" l ittle ▁m ice " ▁was ▁chosen . ▁It ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁that ▁the ▁stem ▁of ▁the ▁seed ▁rem ind ed ▁people ▁of ▁a ▁mouse ' s ▁tail , ▁or ▁it ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁that ▁the ▁mouse ' s ▁fast ▁re product ive ▁cycle ▁was ▁further ▁used ▁as ▁symbol ism ▁for ▁health y ▁child b irth . ▁In ▁Belg ium ▁it ▁refers ▁to ▁dro ppings ▁of ▁the ▁m ice . ▁ ▁Besch uit ▁met ▁mu is jes ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁Netherlands , ▁it ▁custom ary ▁at ▁the ▁birth ▁of ▁a ▁baby ▁to ▁eat ▁mu is jes ▁on ▁top ▁of ▁rus k — b esch uit ▁met ▁mu is jes ▁( met ▁meaning ▁" with "); ▁the ▁an ise ▁in ▁the ▁mu is jes ▁symbol ized ▁fert ility ▁and ▁was ▁thought ▁to ▁stim ulate ▁la ct ation ▁and ▁to ▁restore ▁the ▁u ter us ▁to ▁its ▁former ▁size . ▁Besch uit ▁with ▁mu is jes ▁is ▁typically ▁brought ▁by ▁older ▁sib lings ▁to ▁share ▁with ▁class m ates ▁at ▁school ▁or ▁by ▁parents ▁to ▁share ▁with ▁colle agues ▁at ▁work . ▁ ▁The ▁exact ▁origin ▁of ▁giving ▁away ▁mu is jes ▁is ▁unknown , ▁but ▁likely ▁st ems ▁from ▁trad itions ▁d ating ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁Middle ▁A