The Rat Prince Read Online Free PDF

set up a watch to keep Cook and Wilhemina under surveillance at every hour of the day or night, we have not lost a single one of our number to poison. We are also working upon ways to rid ourselves of Wilhemina forever. Our people will flourish. We will keep the Food safe and pure!”
    I made a wide arc with my tail, and the gathering responded: “ Food . Find the Food!”
    â€œGood folk of the Northern Realm, I must tell of another potential threat. It comes once again from the humans, but this time, from those outside Lancastyr Manor.”
    There was a rumble of unease.
    I resumed my speech. “Though human rule encompasses all of Angland and includes the land upon which both the Northern and Southern Rat Realms rest, the humans allow their throne, this great responsibility, to pass from parent to oldest child without any tests of worthiness. Such a foolish practice has led to many an incompetent human king or queen causing trouble for rat-kind. Unlike the current human ruler, Good King Tumtry of Angland, the bad sort of ruler ignores his or her duty to the Food. Who could forget what our histories tell of Ablered the Awful, or Queen Millicent the Mad?”
    I paused to inhale deeply. I could tell by their scents that my people were indeed recalling with horror the tales of past bad human rulers.
    â€œMy friends, surely you have heard gossip in the sewers and the streets and the servants’ quarters: Good King Tumtry is aged and ill. When he dies, his son, Geoffrey, will rise to the throne.”
    Chattering broke out. A small golden rat put up a nervous tail and asked, “Your Highness, is Geoffrey the sort of human you’ve just warned us about? The kind who doesn’t look after the Food?”
    â€œA wise question, madam!” I nodded. “I do not know the answer, and that is the problem. We must learn more about the heir to the throne, to find out how his kingship will affect us. Will we need to lay aside stores of grain and dried meats in enough quantities to stave off a famine? Is he a rat-enemy who will try to decimate our population? We cannot plan for the future until we know what the future holds.”
    â€œHear, hear!” the majordomo called. “His Royal Highness, Prince Char, has spoken!”
    Others took up the cry: “Hear, hear!”
    I waited for silence, then announced: “On the day after tomorrow, when the big ball will take place, Prince Geoffrey will surely be present at Castle Wendyn, awaiting the evening’s event. Therefore, I shall lead a party of my most stalwart subjects across the city and into the castle that morning, to observe him and those around him. We shall discover the answers to all our questions. Who among you wishes to join our mission?”
    â€œMe! Choose me, Your Highness!” My people pushed forward, their faces avid with excitement.
    â€œCalm, my friends. Consider carefully before you volunteer for this venture. We must leave the Northern Rat Realm and cross over into the Southern Rat Realm. It will be dangerous.”
    This did not seem to daunt the clamoring crowd. I was glad our ancestors had thought to pack the walls of the throne room with straw, to deaden the passage of sound. For if Wilhemina could hear us, danger would surely follow.
    I twirled my whiskers for a moment, then pointed to five of our very bravest citizens: “Truffle, Corncob, and over there in the back, the three Beef brothers,” I declared. “You are the chosen ones.”
    They grinned and glowed as their companions cheered and twined tails with them in congratulations.
    I commanded with a benevolent smile, “Go now, my subjects, and return to your daily tasks. My royal councillor and I must have quiet in which to contemplate our next moves.”
    As they dispersed, Swiss said in an undertone, “Well done, Your Highness. I’m sorry I doubted you earlier. But I still can’t imagine how you propose to put a human