The Rambles of a Rat

ty's kind ugly face ag

f information, eager to impart it, and sure of a ready and attentive listener? I talked over my adventures to my brother, till any patience but his would have been exhausted; but he was the m

o the end of my narration. Furry had now taken up his qu

he, "that poor Furry had the misfortune some t

hoop of a barrel. But I do not see that the mis

misfortune,"

does he complain of,-losing

ary to us rats, to keep down the quick growth of our teeth. If they are not constantly rubbing one against another, they soon get a great deal too long for our mouths. As poor old Furry

noticed the strange length of that tooth, bu

d I really don't know. The poor fellow is blind, he had no pleasure but in nibb

o to see h

ity. "There is little pleasure

iebald rat, that it was he who had knocked out the unlucky front tooth, instead of having kindly attended to Furry's wants for so long, and borne with his temper, which was harder. But Oddity was, without a doubt, the most patient and steady of rats. While Bright-eyes, full of fun, made many a joke at the expense of the blind, crabbed old rat, who had been so

shed from the atmosphere of a peevish t

were alone, "how go on our little ragged

d shed," said he; "but now they go out each d

re as poor as e

rtable meal, beside a roaring fire, they just happen to remember that seventy or eighty half-famished children are gathered together in a street near, and send them a welcome supply. But both

more red handkerchiefs wit

it. He and little Billy sit poring over it by the hour. They don't eat it, they don't smell it, they don't wear it: I can't make out th

red about the shed?" said I; "I d

nd neat fingers he has about it: it seems quite a pleasure to the c

more distressing every minute, till our two poor boys e

how it shakes y

l be over soon," g

them before; their hair was cut closer, and brushed to one side, instead of hanging right over their eyes. Neither of the brothers was in rags; the old

it," whispered Oddity, "except at n

t prevented his reply, and brought a bright colour to his cheek, which I never had seen there before. "I'll creep very close to you, Bobb

etter here." The boy shivered

f fear, "you're not a-going to be ill like mo

, as he replied, "I can't say if I'm a-going to die, Billy; but don't you mind what Miss Mary told

leave me! Oh! what should I do without