A short story

Robby The Rat

 

One dark night in winter Robby the young rat went for a walk in the woods as rats do at night.

He was always told not to go far or he would get lost, but this night he just kept finding more and more interesting smells and before he knew it he was LOST

 

 

He ran and ran but could not find his way home.

Help! Help! Help! He shouted and began to cry.

Oh dear I am lost!

What will mummy rat say?

What will daddy rat say?

What will my whole family say?

I AM LOST

 

 

He walked and walked all night.

He hid when he heard the hoot of an owl

He hid when he heard the cry of a fox

He hid when he heard the snore of a dog.

He hid when he heard the voices of people.

 

All night he walked and scuttled and ran.

At dawn he was near a house with a pond.

He was so tired. Then at the edge of the pond he found an old rat hole. He went inside and curled up and was soon fast asleep.

 

 

The pond was in Mr and Mrs Mumpuses’ garden. When he woke up he peered out of his rat hole. The sun was shining and he heard the sound of birds, the gurgle and splash of frogs, the swish of newts and the muffled voices of Mr and Mrs Mumpus inside the house.

 

 

 There were also children’s voices and over a few days he  learned their names  There was Moo, Boo  and Sue and their mummy and Daddy and there was Blit and Blot and their mummy and daddy and there was Aunty Moggle and Margaret on a Saturday morning. He knew all this since rats are known to be clever and watchful.

 

 

He was sad about getting lost, but then he remembered that his daddy rat told him that one day he would have to stand on his own four feet and make his own way in the world.

Above his rat hole was an apple tree and birds would feel sorry for Robby and drop peanuts down to him from the bird feeder, so at least he had something to eat.

 

 

 

After a week of rain and rain and more rain he overheard people talking about him.

What shall we do about that rat they said?

Shall we just leave it alone?

No, rats can spread diseases!

Shall we get the rat catcher man from the Council.

 No that’s too much money.

Shall we shoot it?

No the rats too clever for that.

Shall we poison it?

No, the rats too clever for that

Shall we trap and kill it.

 No, that’s not nice

Shall we buy a cage trap and then let it go alive some other place?

That might be fine, they all said

‘Phew’ thought Robby, I was starting to get really worried and he ran down his hole and would not come out for days!

 

 

When he did come out next to look for peanuts, he noticed a metal cage with an open lid and some smelly cheese inside.

Oh I am not falling for that one he thought. He was quite a well educated rat, home tutored by mummy rat who explained to him the meaning of ‘when to smell a rat’

No way was he going to get into this trap.

 

 

 

He was getting lonely, and missed the rat pack at home.

The cage was still open week after week until one night he smelled his favourite food: Peanut Butter.

Sniff, sniff, where was that smell coming from? Grandad Neil had put Peanut Butter on some bread in the trap!

In the middle of the night Grandad Mumpus decided to go to the toilet as Grandads do. I will check the rat trap he thought. As he shone his torch he saw that the trap was shut and Robbie was caught.

 

 

What shall we do with him?

Shall we let him go again?

No

Shall we take him over the churchyard in the field at the back?

No

Shall we take him down the bottom of the hill near the Sewage works

No

 

 

Grandma and Grandad Mumpus were starting to like Robby. He had cute pink feet and he had a winning smile when he was having a wash.

 ‘I know’ said Grandad Mumpus

I will take him for a road trip and let him go in the wild moorlands.

 

 

 

Robby, still in the trap, did not like being bundled in a Co-op bag and put in the boot of a car and he squealed and snarled his displeasure.

The rat-run took all of 20 minutes, but then the car stopped and Grandad Mumpus opened the boot of the car near the pub at Clearbrook.

Before he realized it, Robby found himself bounding and racing through the bushes and within a few second after Grandad Mumpus opened the trap, Robby was gone

 

 

Grandad Mumpus was a little sad.

Still, he thought, Robby should be a happy rat here, so he drove back home and wrote this story.

And thats that.

 

By old grandad Mumpus.

 

True story. Names changed to protect privacy ( not the rats)!

Neil Mawdsley