A RAT STORY.

Thames Star, Volume XVII, Issue 5202, 30 September 1885, Page 2

A RAT STORY.

Mr 8. Jennings, of Denmark Hill, writes to The Times:—" I can explain how rats can remove eggs without break* ing them, as that feat was accomplished under the observation of a friend of mine, who related the same to me. My friend was in the habit of placing new-laid eggs in the tea-caddy along with the tea ; but night after night they were mysteriously removed, and very.naturally the servants got the blame. One night, however, my friend was reading at a.late hour, when he heard the scuffling of rats ascending the sideboard on which was the tea-caddy containing eggs. The thought instantly flashed across his mind that I had been perhaps unjustly severe towards his servants, and silently he watched the proceedings. It was a simple matter to remove the lid ; two or three rats descended into tne teacaddy, some remained' on the top, and in a minute the mystery was solved. One rat clasping the egg was being hauled along by his companions, gently lifted and lowered to the fleor, whence, on bis back, and still clasping the egg, they succeeded in safely carrying it away, and the whole of them were re* moved without breaking one." Another correspondent of the Times says:—" One rat takes an egg in his paws and clasps it to his breast, throwing himself on his back. Another rat seizes the tail of the first one and draws him sledgeltkt along."