The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents Read Online Free PDF

Maurice.
    â€œVery unusual rat catchers they have hereabouts,” said the cat.
    â€œI haven’t seen rat catchers like them before,” said the kid. “They looked nasty. Like they enjoyed it.”
    â€œI haven’t seen rat catchers who’ve been so busy but still have nice clean boots,” said Maurice.
    â€œYes, they did , didn’t they…” said the kid.
    â€œBut even that’s not as odd as the rats round here,” said Maurice in the same quiet voice, as though he was adding up money.
    â€œWhat’s odd about the rats?” said the kid.
    â€œSome of them have very strange tails,” said Maurice.
    The kid looked around the square. The line for bread was still quite long, and it made him nervous. But so did the steam. Little bursts of it puffed up from gratings and manhole covers all over the place, as if the whole town had been built on a kettle. Also, he had the distinct feeling that someone was watching him.
    â€œI think we ought to find the rats and move on,” he said.
    â€œNo, this smells like a town with opportunities ,” said Maurice. “Something’s going on, and when something’s going on, that means someone’s getting rich, and when someone’s getting rich, I don’t see why that shouldn’t be m—us.”
    â€œYes, but we don’t want those people killing Dangerous Beans and the rest of them!”
    â€œThey won’t get caught,” said Maurice. “Those men wouldn’t win any prizes for thinking. Even Hamnpork could run rings round ’em, I’d say. And Dangerous Beans has got brains coming out of his ears.”
    â€œI hope not!”
    â€œNah, nah,” said Maurice, who generally told people what they wanted to hear, “I mean our rats can outthink most humans, okay? Remember back in Scrote when Sardines got in that kettle and blew a raspberry at the old woman when she lifted the lid? Hah, even ordinary rats can outthink humans. Humans think that just because they’re bigger, they’re better—Hold on, I’ll shut up—someone’s watching us….”
    A man carrying a basket had stopped on his way out of the Rathaus and was staring at Maurice with a good deal of interest. Then he looked at the kid and said, “Good ratter, is he? I’ll bet he is, a big cat like that. Is he yours, boy?”
    â€œSay yes,” Maurice whispered.
    â€œSort of, yes,” said the kid. He picked Maurice up.
    â€œI’ll give you five dollars for him,” said the man.
    â€œAsk for ten,” Maurice hissed.
    â€œHe’s not for sale,” said the kid.
    â€œIdiot!” Maurice purred.
    â€œSeven dollars, then,” said the man. “Look, I’ll tell you what I’ll do: four whole loaves of bread, how about that?”
    â€œThat’s silly. A loaf of bread shouldn’t cost more’n twenty cents,” said the kid.
    The man gave him a strange look.
    â€œNew here, are you? Got plenty of money, have you?”
    â€œEnough,” said the kid.
    â€œYou think so? It won’t do you much good, anyway. Look, four loaves of bread and a bun—I can’t say fairer than that. I can get a terrier for ten loaves, and they’re mad for rats…. No? Well, when you’re hungry, you’ll give it away for half a slice of bread and scrape * and think you’ve done well, believe me.”
    He strode off. Maurice wriggled out of the kid’s arms and landed lightly on the cobbles.
    â€œHonestly, if only I was good at ventriloskwism, we could make a fortune,” he grumbled.
    â€œVentriloskwism?” said the kid, watching the man’s retreating back.
    â€œIt’s where you open and shut your mouth and I do the talking,” said Maurice. “Why didn’tyou sell me? I could’ve been back in ten minutes! I heard of a man who made a fortune selling homing pigeons, and he only had the