Words in Hand

Meanwhile back at the house the rat family were having a marvellous time: 'We've got rid of the cat, I knew we'd win! I knew we would, we were right!'

That evening after the cat had been returned, the woman came back to the house with a man! Who was the man? He looked nice, but who was he?

And the woman explained to him: 'I've got a problem' and the man said: 'Mmm, never mind I'll deal with it.'

And the woman was pleased. But the man, he was the rat-catcher, he would catch and kill the rats and the old woman really had confidence in him.

So that same night the man and woman sat and chatted and they became rather fond of each other. They had the same taste and the same ways, and they sat and talked. The man had no fear of rats although the woman was frightened of them. He was used to catching them, but the woman was terrified. But they liked talking to each other.

Meanwhile the rats appeared in the window. 'What were they talking about? I can't hear them. What are we going to do? The man's huge! We can't kill him, we can't get rid of him, he's a very fast runner and he'll catch us!' And they spoke about this and the next thing and they thought 'It means we're not going to be happy, we'll have to stay down below, perhaps we won't see each other again goodbye. I might be killed, although you might live, that you might be killed!' And they were so sad. There was no celebrations, they stayed down below. What a shame!

The woman had gone to bed, but the man he was still sitting up sat at the table and he thought and thought. He wasn't setting traps or putting down cheese, he just sat and thought.

The rats were all fast asleep, they weren't working or looking around the house, they were fast asleep. They were worried and sad and upset. Underneath the floorboards there were bunks like hammocks in rows and down below in the rows of beds. And it was the same throughout the house. The man was still sitting up there, not working, sitting and thinking and the rats were sound asleep.

And then the man went out to the shed. He was hunting the rats. They weren't there So you went into the barn and he looked around: 'There's no sign of the rats.' But the chief rat had come out and was walking into the barn.

And in the barn they suddenly bumped right into each other! The big rat and the man. Ah! face to face! What to do? So they stood back. 'Come here.'

'Oh no you'll kill me!' and the man said 'No come here.' 'You're chief rat?'

'Yes I'm the chief.'

'I have a problem.' and the chief rat said: 'So do I!

'The woman's very annoyed with you invading the house all the time.'

'Well, we're annoyed at her, she's always moaning and shouting at us, doesn't give us any freedom to enjoy ourselves.'

'I haven't come here to kill you.'

'No? Will you give us cheese?'

'No, if the two of us talk and come to some agreement.'

'Oh wait first, let's hear your side of the thing before I agree.'

And the old woman was still sound asleep, thinking perhaps the rat-catcher was downstairs working and tomorrow there wouldn't be any rats in the house.

In the morning she got up and she yawned, and she took out her curlers and combed her hair and got dressed for the man downstairs. And she walked smartly down the stairs and the man was sitting there.

'Good morning!'

'Good morning!' He didn't look exhausted or tired, he just sat there, he was quite smart. 'That means he hasn't been working during the night, he's been asleep, he's made a fool of me! Let's see. 'Do you want some tea?'

'Oh yes!' So she went into the kitchen and she made the tea and she made a sandwich and she opened a cupboard and the cheese was still there. Usually it was nibbled, it was intact. Perhaps he has got rid of the rats!? And there were no paw marks but, wait a minute, I'd better have a good check around. And there's no sign of the rats. That's marvellous! The man has destroyed them. But where are the dead rats? There aren't any. She went in and spoke quickly to him: 'Have you got the rats?'

'Well, no...'

Meanwhile underneath the floorboards the rats were very quiet, eating the cheese and everything that the man had given them; sausages and everything they were having a great feast ignoring the woman upstairs. But the big rat and the man had talked. I thought they were only talking about the food but no, the man was attracted to the old woman. They were both very fond of each other and they decided to get married. And the rats were really happy.

They knew that they would always be fed because they were now married and they'd be free, they wouldn't have to hunt for food any longer, they'd be fed and they'd be as happy as kings.

The story's finished, they must have been very happy!