118 



THE RAT 



always careful to take plenty of exercise and to 

 keep in good training, because a rat never knows 

 exactly when he may have to bustle for his life. 

 We do not get a month's notice of the date of the 

 race, so as to enable us to get into proper training : 

 * Sir, this day month you will run a race with 

 Mr. Bro^sTi's dog, Jock. The distance will be ten 

 yards, and you are allowed a start of a yard and a 

 half.' A notice of that kind would be a great 

 convenience. Also, think how awful it would be if 

 you ate so much that you stuck fast in your own 

 doorway, and had to be dug out by your friends 

 and relations. How they would laugh ! 



AnyA^^ay, it was easy enough to get plenty of 

 exercise, because all the buildings were old, with 

 hollow walls ; and when you have spent the greater 

 part of the night with your friends racing across 

 the yard, and playing ' hide and seek ' up the walls 

 of the cowshed, down the walls of the stable, across 

 the roof of the barn, down a pole which leans 

 against it on the outside, away to the mill, with 

 perhaps a swim in the river to finish up the night's 

 revelry, and then a roll in the straw to dry your 

 coat, a certain amount of good food not only does 

 your muscles no harm, but is absolutely necessary. 



That was the kind of happy and careless life 



