Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents Read Online Free PDF

work, have you? Probably sacked from your last job, I expect. Probably because you fell asleep, and things got spoiled. That was probably what it was. Or you ran away because your master beat you with a big stick, although,' she added, as another idea struck her, 'you probably deserved it because of being lazy. And then you probably stole the cat, knowing how much people would pay for a cat here. And you must have gone mad with hunger because you were talking to the cat and everyone knows that cats can't talk.'
    'Can't say a single word,' said Maurice.
    'And probably you're a mysterious boy who-' The girl stopped and gave Maurice a puzzled look. He arched his back and said 'prppt', which is cat language for 'biscuits!' 'Did that cat just say something?' she demanded.
    'I thought that everyone knew that cats can't talk,' said the kid.
    'Ah, but maybe you were apprenticed to a wizard,' said the girl. 'Yes, that sounds about right. That'll do for now. You were an apprentice to a wizard, but you fell asleep and let the cauldron of bubbling green stuff boil over and he threatened to turn you into a, a, a-'
    'Gerbil,' said Maurice, helpfully.
    '-a gerbil, and you stole his magical cat because you hated it so much and-what's a gerbil? Did that cat just say "gerbil"?'
    'Don't look at me!' said the kid. 'I'm just standing here!'
    'All right, and then you brought the cat here because you know there's a terrible famine and that's why you were going to sell it and that man would have given you ten dollars, you know, if you'd held out for it.'
    'Ten dollars is too much money even for a good ratter,' said the kid.
    'Ratter? He wasn't interested in catching rats!' said the red-haired girl. 'Everyone's hungry here! There's at least two meals on that cat!'
    'What? You eat cats here?' said Maurice, his tail fluffing like a brush.
    The girl leaned down to Maurice with a dreadful grin, just like the one that Peaches always wore when she'd won an argument with him, and prodded him on the nose with a finger. 'Got you!' she said. 'You fell for a very simple trick! I think you two had better come with me, don't you? Or I'll scream. And people listen to me when I'm screaming!'

CHAPTER 3
    "Never go into the Dark Wood, my friend," said Ratty Rupert. "There are bad things in there"
    - From Mr Bunnsy Has An Adventure

    Far below Maurice's paws, the rats were creeping through the undertown of Bad Blintz. Old towns are like that. People build down as well as up. Cellars butt against other cellars, and some of the cellars get forgotten-except by creatures that want to stay out of sight.
    In the thick, warm, damp darkness a voice said, 'All right, who's got the matches?'
    'Me, Dangerous Beans. Feedsfour.'
    'Well done, young rat. And who has the candle?'
    'Me, sir. [2] <> I'm Bitesize.'
    'Good. Put it down and Peaches will light it.'
    There was a lot of scuffling in the darkness. Not all the rats had got used to the idea of making fire, and some were getting out of the way.
    There was a scratching noise, and then the match flared. Holding the match with both front paws, Peaches lit the candle stub. The flame swelled for a moment and settled down to a steady glow.
    'Can you really see it?' said Hamnpork.
    'Yes, sir,' said Dangerous Beans. 'I am not completely blind. I can tell the difference between light and dark.'
    'Y'know,' said Hamnpork, watching the flame suspiciously, 'I don't like it at all, even so. Darkness was good enough for our parents. It'll end in trouble. Besides, setting fire to a candle is a waste of perfectly good food.'
    'We have to be able to control the fire, sir,' said Dangerous Beans calmly. 'With the flame we make a statement to the darkness. We say: we are separate. We say: we are not just rats. We say: we are The Clan.'
    'Hrumph,' said Hamnpork, which was his usual response when he didn't understand what had just been said. Just lately he'd been hrumphing a lot.
    'I've heard the younger rats are saying that the shadows frighten them,'