Douglas daily dispatch., 1927-12-25
OUR RAT
BY JAMES J. MONTAGUE

After long and deep reflection I
think have discovered the reason for
the almost universal fondnesS of ami
mails. 1t is not that they are beautiful
like birds, or surprisingly athletic like
dogs and horses, or cunning like squir-
rels, or good swimmers like trout and
beavers, or imposing like lions and
elephants. These qualities might COM
pei admiration, but they would never
awaken reflection The reason we like
animals, particularly those with which
we are thrown into close contact is be-
cause they are grateful. The average
human being early discovered that
mans ingratitude is not only sharper
than a serpent's tooth, but is far more
common, serpent'S teeth being limited
ny the number of serpentS, which is
small After reaching the age of 81,
a man discovers that to do somebody
a favor is usually either to attach a
dependent enemy to himself, or to
create a permanent enemy. If you
want to test this statement lend some
body SIS some time.
Animals are different. Feed cat
and you make it a perpetual friend.
True it will not do anything in return,
except come up and rub it's nose
against your knees, but neither will it
spit at you when you enter the room
or claw you if you cRress it. Keep a
dog, and no matter how despitefully
YOU use it, it will always remain your
adoring vassal, and do its utmost to
please you. The flattery that dog
is capable of is bound to breed affec-
ton. You may think that you are
proof against that sort of thing, but
you are wrong Run over in your mind
the people who say nice things to you
and the people who say nasty things,
and see which you like the more. And
if it has happened in your lifetime
that somebody for whom you have
done something handsome has remem-
bered it and proved grateful, you will
find that you like him, too.
That is the explanation of our al
most universal liking for animals. The
exception is rats. If it were not for
the human race rats could not exist
They have neither the wit nor the
industry to gather their own food, or
to find the means to keep themselves
warm in winter Grain must be stored
in granaries and food in household
larders for them to- eat Heat must
be artificially supplied to keep them
warm in the winter months. They
must have snug shelters from the storm
which they are too lazy or too igno-
rant to build themselves. They de-
pend on us to do it for them. And
yet instead of being grateful they Bit
terly hate all human kind. Can you
imagine rat arclling his back and
purring if you tried to stroke him?
Can you picture him running to meet
you as you entered the door and leap
ing up on you fopdly wagging his tail
for Joy the while? doubt if you can.
doubt if there ever lived a gentle or
a kindly disposed rat since creation.
Our rat was no exception to the
general run. But for us he would have
had no herne. The neighbor's chicken
yard where he had spent the summer
was torn down in the autumn. So he
came to- live with us. He was little
cautious at first keeping quiet, and
only betraying his presence by the
holes he had gpaWed in wedges of
cheese left by the grocer the day be-
fore.
But he soon became more used to
the place, and was at no pains to show