62 



THE RAT 



flavour in cold hedge-sparrow after all. I had 

 hopes that the irate parents would now discover 

 their loss and eject the cuckoo by a united effort, 

 and I smacked my lips loudly, partly to try to call 

 their attention to the brutal way in which their 

 own children had been murdered, and partly in 

 anticipation : he would have been a plum-pudding 

 indeed. But they were quite infatuated with their 

 infant prodigy, and continued to feed him until he 

 was able to fly. 



I can never understand why cuckoos should get 

 off all the worries of family life. They do not even 

 undergo the trials of building a nest, and of then 

 seeing it pulled to pieces by some wicked boy. 

 They just lay an egg and put it away into some- 

 body else's cosy nest, and then go off and enjoy 

 themselves, and the other people have all the 

 trouble. Of course, papa rat has a pretty good 

 time himself in that way ; he gives his poor wife 

 very little help in bringing up the family, except 

 in the way of eating one up now and then, as I 

 have told you. But, then, you must remember 

 that he is a learned and dignified person, who has 

 some sort of right to be excused from the cares 

 of a family. But cuckoos — why, their name has 

 become a byword for silliness and incapacity ! I 



