Then he did try to take it in two paws, and hop on his hind legs; but he soon had to stop that. Then he did try to roll it to his hole, but the egg went all to one side, as much as to say: "How dare you try to roll me into your hole? I am not your egg. Let me be, you bad old rat!"
Yes, he was a bad old rat, for he took what was not his. Mind you do not do so, my dear pet. Do not take a pin, or a bit of cake, or pie, but ask your mam-ma if you can have it; then you can eat it with joy.
But the old gray rat did not know it was so bad. You know, but the rat had no one to tell him as you have.
"E-e-e-e!" said the ten wee rats in the hole:
"We want our tea,
Eee-ee! ee-ee!"
"O dear!" said the old gray rat, "if I had some one to help me! O dear!" He put his paw on the end of his nose, and then all at once gave a jump for joy in the air. "Good! good! good!" he did cry; "I have it! I can get all the eggs in the hole."
"Come here, Bet!" he said to his wife. "Come out, all of you, and help me."
Up they came with a hop, skip, and jump, all ears and eyes, and each tail gave a slap on the side of the wall, it came out with such a jerk.
"Here we are, my dear," said old Bet, the rat's wife. "Come; go to work as fast as you can. I hear the cat."
"Well, you and I must go out to the mill, to get a wisp of hay to tie my legs with."