New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-03-09
A RATS SANDWICH,
From The Illustrated News.


If any one had related to us how he Lad seen RAJ
,unchInS upon sandwiches composed o, crumbs and
ladpoe We cannot DOUBT tnat n moe or Ie snc
cc,slly dissembled increduIty let "a at sPeo ais
we ourselves witnesses not NAY Of the house,
hold during last spring TO Keep ssc s"oa ~ .al'
poles In deep earthenware mkpan on mlhuVw
stool for the purpose OF watchls mn esoiualoa t
INTO frogs For some time that quaint process wene
on swimmingly. being apparently u no way lmPeoed
o 5v i11 which however wss judciously mt
lated at the bottom by deposit Of pebbles and mud
But while the shrinking OF tails ana sprontlng OF less
ere sill i'm fun progress It began TO be observed with
pain that the number Of tadpoles was rapidly ana
Steadily decreasing. Day by day we had to notice
very percepble decline in the population OF our aqua
rum there could be no doubt that IN every iour-ana
twenty hours a certain contingent Of ladpoes some
how vanished, melted into thin air leaving not
wrack behind, any more than dld one Oh ,ie svets
bubbles which they were pcrpeiualy sehuins up 70
wink ont of existence on the surface
MANY theories we're started to account for this un
happy state Of affairs. but it was pronounce 70 oe
possible that, as suggested, batches OF tad-
poles. attaining to frogdom suddenly SHOULD nave
heeup9n overeaped TIE rim OF te ar the onIy
OF quitting the windowsool. wonld nave been neyond
frog and the pavement underneath showed none Of
those mangled remains which must have resulted rom
might perhaps take two or three tadpoes TO make ono
frog was dismissed still more untenaDe no pausl-
bic priori explanation Of these mysterious osap,
pearanccs had been devised, when one day. all
hypothcses were rendered unnecessary by ocular
We CHANGED to look out Of the window and behold
sitting upon the rim Of the pan. a brown rat. with
mild and intelligent cast Of cOuntcnance. and unusually
large bright eyes. Upon the surface Of the water
noatcd large number Of the bread crumbs with which
our pr0teges always kept literally supplied.
one Of these fragments the newcomer secured with a
rapid sweep OF his left fOrepaw. while with the other,
narrowing to relate. he deity scoopcd up wrggliny
and reluctant tadpole. and, having thus provided
himself with the materials for his sandwich he
disposed Of it in incredibly short time. and
Immediately set about the capture and manu-
factnre Of a second. How many he ate thus al
that sitting We not IN position 10 state ar.
curately as his movements were bevilderingy rapid
as well as marvconsly dcxterous. considering tho
elippcrness alike Of the narrow ledge upon which hs
balanced him elf and Of the Slitery prey for which
he fish,; But cannot doubt that when he slid
down and gldcd unobtmsve!y away descending the
crcepcr up which he had climbed the adpOles. whom
he left grating in violent perturbation round their
troubled waters. must have lost AT least dozen Of
their comrades through tho unerrin- sweep Of that
wIv paw which they had not the sense 10 evade BY
taking refuge i'm the inaccessible mud al the bottom
Of their dish. In fact. they BETRAYED upon this
cason so marked absence OF intelligence and pres.
cnce Of mind that sympaihles all inclined toward
tie angler and must that FIT cha yrin
when ON the morrow. he fell victim 10 the snares
Of trap in readiness for him by the enraged pro-
pretors Of his fishing grounds For though strictly
speaking he was doubt not justified in devour.
ing tadpole- with privy paw still. like Prosperous
delicate Ariel. grace he had devOuringr and ID
was melancholy, further u reflect that his accom-.
pli-hment shOud. after uncomfortable human
fashion have merely paved the way to his undoing.