l cries and by energetic waggings of
his curly tail, to appease the pain of the charge of small shot which
had so unceremoniously awaked him from his porcine dreams of oatmeal
and boiled potatoes. But where was the rat? He had disappeared unhurt;
the buttocks of the unfortunate pig, the rightful owner of the premises,
had received the charge of shot intended to destroy the daring intruder.

To appease piggy's wrath I gave him a bucketful of food from the
hog-tub; and while he was thus consoling his inward self, wiped off the
blood from the wounded parts, and said nothing about it to anybody. No
doubt, before this time, some frugal housewife has been puzzled and
astonished at the unwonted appearance of a charge of small shot in the
centre of the breakfast ham which she procured from Squire Morland, of
Sheepstead, Berks.

Rats are very fond of warmth, and will remain coiled up for hours in any
snug retreat where they can find this very necessary element of their
existence. The following anecdote well illustrates this point:--

My late father, when fellow of Corpus College, Oxford, many years ago,
on arriving at his rooms late one night, found that a rat was running
about among the books and geological specimens, behind the sofa, under
the fender, and poking his nose into every hiding-place he could find.
Being studiously inclined, and wishing to set to work at his books, he
pursued him, armed with the poker in one hand, and a large dictionary,
big enough to crush any rat, in the other; but in vain; Mr. Rat was not
to be caught, particularly when such "arma scholastica" were used.

No sooner had the studies recommenced than the rat resumed his gambols,
squeaking and rushing about the room like a mad creature. The battle was
renewed, and continued at intervals, to the destruction of all studies,
till quite a late hour at night, when the pursuer, angry and wearied,
retired to his adjoining bedroom; though he listened attentively he
heard no more of the enemy, and soon fell asleep. In the morning he was
astonished to find something warm lying on his chest; carefully lifting
up the bed-clothes, he discovered his tormentor of the preceding night
quietly and snugly ensconced in a fold in the blanket, and taking
advantage of the bodily warmth of his two-legged adversary. These two
lay looking daggers at each other for some minutes, the one unwilling to
leave his warm berth, the other afraid to put his hand out from under
the p