od and mumbled with his snout and
sniffed at the dead black cousin, while keeping an eye upon the
wood-mouse, who retreated a little farther still into her hole.

[Illustration]

"Good-afternoon, cousin," said the wood-mouse. "Welcome to the country.
I hope your outing will agree with you better than our black cousin's
did with her. For she fell down and died where she lay."

"Cousin me no cousins!" said the brown rat. "It's awful the way you
people out here in the country brag about relationship. What's become of
the house-mouse?"

"She's run home," said the wood-mouse. "I believe she was afraid of you,
which surprises me, for you look so good and kind."

"Thank you," said the brown rat. "I always appreciate a friendly word.
I'm as hungry as the dickens. Have you something or other you can treat
me to? I don't care what: I eat anything."

"Very sorry," said the wood-mouse. "Unfortunately, I have eaten up
everything and have to starve myself for the remainder of the winter.
The house-mouse got a couple of nuts out of me and the black rat the
rest of my store. If you had come earlier, there would have been a
morsel for you as well, perhaps."

"I think I will pay you a visit in your rooms," said the brown rat. "Or
you can come up here for a bit and chat to me. I have never seen you,
though we are cousins."

"Oh, we have become cousins now?" said the wood-mouse, laughing. "A
little while ago, we were not. But thank you all the same. My hole,
unfortunately, is too narrow for you to get through. And I don't feel
equal to going out again to-day. I should catch my death of cold. As for
my appearance, you have only to think of a pretty little, nice, fat
mouse. Then you have me."

"Yes, if only I had you!" said the brown rat. "Then I should eat you
straight away. But you are too clever for me."

Then he began to nibble at the dead black rat.

"What's this?" said the wood-mouse. "Are you eating your dead cousin?"

"Yes, I can't help her not being alive!" said the rat.

A little after, the black rat was gone, bones and all. The brown rat sat
and licked his lips. Then he ran home to the forester's house.

The wood-mouse sat in her hole and thought it all over:

"Well, bless my soul, after all, what's the objection? The house-mouse
will fall to the cat and I to the owl or the fox and the field-mouse to
the young forester. Whereas the black rat has remained in the family."

[Illustration: THE END]

BRISTOL: BURLE