108 



THE RAT 



so long as I can get possession of them. That 

 is how the law stands among us. We have so very 

 little of our very own that we are obliged to help 

 ourselves. How can I get apples for dessert unless 

 I help myself? 1 cannot buy them— at least, / 

 never heard of a rat taking a sixpence between his 

 teeth, and going into a shop, and standing in front 

 of a counter, and bargaining about the price of 

 apples — nor have I ever had delivered at my front- 

 door a nice present of a barrel of apples addressed 

 to Mr. Samuel, H. T., *this side up, with care; 

 perishable.' Also, if I risk my life every time 

 that I help myself, that, I suppose, is sufficient 

 atonement for the crime. 



The case of Billy and Betty seemed to me to 

 require much more argument than mine, and I 

 was lucky enough one day to hear them discussing 

 the matter between themselves. It came about in 

 this way. They had come into the storehouse 

 rather suddenly, and they caught me in the very 

 act of abstracting an apple. I had just dropped it 

 over the edge, and was on the point of jumping 

 after it myself. Naturally, I was rather in a hurry 

 when the door opened, and was making off to my 

 hole, but when I saw that it was only the two kids 

 I became quite bra\ e, and went back and got my 



