10 



THE RAT 



' Look at those sparrows !' one of them was 

 saying : ' If I had not had my catapult taken away 

 this morning, just because I smashed a silly 

 window with it, I'd soon show you how to bring one 

 down.' 



' M-raats !' said the other ; and his pal looked so 

 cross that I feel sure that the word meant, ' You 

 couldn't hit an elephant if you tried ! Can't think 

 how you smashed that window. Must have been 

 aiming a jolly long way in the other direction.' Is 

 that the sort of meaning which you would give to 

 the word ? And, if I am right, do tell me how it 

 is that the name of my special branch of the family 

 has come to be so used. I do not call it a very 

 nice meaning for one's name to bear ; it seems to 

 me much the same as ' What a liar you are !' and I 

 have never heard a rat tell a lie in my life. 



Before you can answer questions which deal with 

 my character and reputation perhaps I ought to 

 tell you a little of my family history. My family 

 is a very ancient one, but the records are not very 

 clear. Everyone allows that we came over in the 

 Ark in some form or other. I have very little 

 doubt that most of you have, or had, in your arks 

 a wooden animal which you called ' a rat,' but very 

 often it might just as well be something else, and that 



