A Story of Rats.

Manawatu Herald, 25 February 1899, Page 3

A Story of Rats.

. ■ .. » • A curious case of rat engineering occurred some years ago in Brussels, showing great ingenuity and calculation on the part of the rodents, as well as their system of discipline. A new I meat market, says a writer, had been built on, and though it was surrounded with water the butchers, who did not appreciate rats, laid their plans to exclude the whole tribe and nation, and in case any should reach their stands they resolved to head off their march by making the posts in their stalls unscalable by rats. This they effected by covering the posts with zinc, and the butchers, looking at the shining surface ot the metal chuckled at their victory. But they reckoned without their hosts. The Rats got the meat. . A watchman posted in the market called a butcher who came early on the scene, to witness the method. On a stall hung two quarters of beef and a leg of mutton. The rats spied them and found them unapproachable. A ■ general call for the nation at large was . evidently sounded. As the rats came flocking in an old rat seemed to take command. There were enough projections and inequalities to enable them to reach the table of the stand, and how to scale the zinc-covered joists was the task tor the engineer „ . corps to decide. Their plan was soon formed. The rat army moved up in a solid mass, the fat fellow in front. On these climbed smaller and smaller specimens, till a little rat mountain rose. Then some of the rats, who evidently belonged to some rat circus or athletic society, climbed to the summit and one raised himself on his . -Hind legs, resting his fore legs against the zinc. Then another climbed up on his back, and taking post on his jt_ shoulder assumed the same attitude. *V'Rat after rat ascended the Jacob's ladder, till at last one reached the cross-beam and scampered along it.

A whole regiment followed, and the meat was attacked, the engineers , evidently aiming to throw down what J they could for the benefit of the army. The lookers-on, however, were not disposed to let them go too far, and f with all their engineering skill the rat i army had to leave the field. The i whole operation showed a remarkable • degree of calculation, a system oi discipline, and a ready carrying out oi plans which seem impossible without 1 language as a means of imparting ' directions and wishes of the comf manders.