26 



THE RAT 



big present, the big present of life, or none at all, 

 and really, with all the extraordinary dangers that 

 lie about to catch us, one has to regard life as a 

 very big present indeed. 



' Hardly worth having,' do you say ? I cannot 

 agree with you. I have enjoyed every bit of it, 

 even the dangers, in a way. It is the only thing 

 really worth having which I possess. And, that 

 being the case, I don't call it very nice of you to 

 be always trying to take it away from me. How- 

 ever, that is too large and difficult a question for us 

 to discuss. You may go on trying as much as you 

 like now, partly because I fancy that I am a bit 

 too clever for you, unless you have an extraordinary 

 genius for setting traps, and partly because I have 

 had nearly enough of it. I cannot do the things 

 that 1 once found so easy, and my teeth are 

 getting out of order, and sometimes T think that I 

 am almost ready for a good steady smack with a 

 stick, or for a terrier's teeth in my back, as long as 

 I can die with my yellow old tusks well fixed into 

 his lip. I will wait a bit longer, at any rate, until I 

 have told you enough about myself to make us 

 better friends, if possible. 



I keep trying to get back to my birthday, and 

 then something always gets in the way. Do vou 



