Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-12-15
CHAPTER ~
Rats! Rats! Rats!


"WE ARE off for Egypt oaFked
Sleepy woodchuck as the steam :
ship swung away from its dock and
headed down the broad river. Jack and
Janet thrilled with excitement. 1t was
| fun to start for Egypt-but did they
really want to go? How would they get
back?
"IIiss -s-s-s-s. Let's go up high
where we can see all the sights. bissed
Black Snake. lie led the way toward
the captains bridge. jack ami Janet
though they were MS small as chip and
Clipper Chipmuck, found it easy to
follow him. That was because they
were now Slumbcr Sprites and as light
and airy az smoke.
As they climbed the bridge they we're
afraid the sailors might see them and
hp angry because they had come aboard
the ship. But the sailors paid no at
tcntion to them, and neither did the
Kindly Captain. That was because
humans when awake could not see
Slumher Sprtcs. They we're soon t"
find, however, that animals could sec
them.
I'p IN the captains bridge they had
fine view. The river flowed between
high hills and fur away were misty
mountains. Here and there we're cities
on either shore. Between these cities
on tracks along the bank ran swift
trains. The ship sailed grandly on.
Now AMI then 1t passed another steam
er. and whlstlcd n greeting.
al, lnI
Woodchuck This is what I do in
|intcr time. and yet folks think l am
STUPID enough to spend half my life
asleep.
Hiss ss-s-s-s-s. 1t is much better than
fighting Old Man Winters storms, as
do the rabbits, deer and other creatures
that stay awake in the cold months,
hissed Black Snake.
"Cro-ak. Cro-sk. Travelling makes
ono learned. l know lots more about
the world than il stayed all the time
in my own pool" croaked Colonel
Cronkcr.
Chip! Chip! Chip! Tho world
is big, big, big" sang Chip and Chip
per Chipmuck.
After while Jack and Jnnet Won
dcrcd where the ragged Doy orphan and
the ragged girl orphan were.
IL know" barked Sleepy Wood
chuck. They are eating in the cabin
below" And 40 they were. The
Kindly Captain had told the cook how
hungry they were and to give them n
hig dinner.
But now something exciting happened.
A great rat scurried across the deck car
rying in his mouth n slice of bread. An.
other rat followed bearing q piece Of
meat. Chasing them both was the
cook. carving knife in hand.
..Thosc rats Those prsky rats |!
They are eating everything :" shrieked
the cook. And now from cabins and
hatchcs came other rats, each with
stolen food in his mouth. Behind them
came angry sailors with clubs and be-
laying pins. The rats sTampcrcd here
and there and everywhere. up the rig
ying, along the rails, over the deck
houses.
! Occasionally a flying club would
knock one overheard. but there we're
half dozen other rats to take his
place. The ship seemed alive with the
greedy pests
The cook and the sailors fought deH-
prratcly, but the rats were too many
for then. The rodents swarmcd every
where. they grabbed what food they
pleased. they cleared the table before
the ragged little orphans could get an
other bite.
The Kindly Captain was In keen. dis
tress. lie wrung his hands and recited
q rhyme:
"What shall we do? What shall we do ?
Rats rob, me and rats rob my crew.
Rats fill III. hold and cab in. too;
They make me fret and make be blue. "
Jack and Janet We're sorry for the
Kindly Captain, sorry for the crew,
and particularly sorry for the hungry
two orphans. They wondered if they
could help get rid of the rats.
(Jack and Janet find way to save
the ship from the rats. What II Is will
be told tomorrow