168 



THE RAT 



go to sleep at once, when suddenly a squeaky little 

 voice above my head began to call me the most 

 hideous names that you can possibly imagine. I 

 was more than shocked : I was angiy. ' You 

 sinful little heathen !' I began (I always measure 

 my words very carefully when I am in a rage), but 

 I had no chance of saying much more, because his 

 wife joined in, and no man can hope to argue 

 against a woman ; but my temper went on simmer- 

 ing till it began to boil. 



Then I made out that they had got a nest 

 perched up among the reeds, and instead of 

 realizing that they had some right to be fidgety 

 and abusive, and instead of admiring the beautiful 

 way in which they had taken four reed-stems and 

 woven the nest round them, so as to make a 

 beautiful swinging cradle for their family (rather 

 like the nest of the field-mouse among the corn), I 

 began to think of how I might answer their savage 

 words by a savage deed. And so I set to work 

 to gnaw through the four stems which supported 

 the nest, Avhile the abuse of the unhappy birds 

 changed to sorrow and lamentation, as they 

 realized that a great trouble was coming upon them. 



One stem went without making any difference ; 

 two stems went, and the nest began to heel over ; 



