WILD CREATURES OF GARDEN AND HEDGEROW 



opinion of his efforts, and persisted in washing 

 him all over herself. She evidently did not 

 think he was to be trusted to do it properly. 

 She would hold him down with her paws, 

 paying no attention to his unhappy squeaks, 

 and lick him all over. He seemed to hate her 

 washings, but, like the boy in the hands of the 

 old woman in the Pears' Soap advertisement, he 

 had to have it. When she let him go he always 

 went over the work again. He was really a 

 very clean creature, though he did neglect 

 one part of his body, and that was the tail. 

 Except once when quite small I never saw 

 him lick his tail, though I watched him wash 

 himself many scores of times. It is a curious 

 but noticeable point that the tails of wild rats 

 are often very dirty, even being coated with 

 mud and filth, so I think it cannot be their 

 custom to clean this useful member. 



Mentioning his tail reminds me of the one 

 and only time that Samuel forgot his most 

 excellent manners. He had been sitting at an 

 open window, when my brother stepped forward 

 to shut it. As it was drawn down the rat 

 turned round, whisking his tail under the falling 

 frame. The heavy window slammed down 

 on it, nearly cutting it off, and Whiskers 

 174 



