They all gathered round so he couldn’t run away.
“Yes,” said Tommy Squeak, shaking the water off his whiskers, still very frightened.
“And she didn’t hurt you or give you to the cat. Do you remember?”
“Yes,” said Tommy Squeak.
“She let you go and told you never to come back again. Did she not?”
“Yes,” said Tommy Squeak.
“You know that she is the kindest woman to animals in all the world, don’t you?”
“Yes,” said Tommy Squeak.
“Allright,” said Polly. “Now listen. A red-faced booby from London Town has been sent down here to turn Mrs. Tubbs out of her house. She is terribly old, as you know; we have taken her up into the woods. But she won’t eat her food, she is so sad, and we can’t do a thing with her. The Winter is coming on and we must get her back into the farm somehow. Now you are the king of the water-rats and this is what you must do: Call all the rats of the river together—every one of them—thousands of them, and take them to the farm. Then worry the booby every way you can think of. Rattle the pans in the kitchen at night so he can’t sleep. Pull the stuffing out of the chairs. Eat holes in his best hat. Do everything you can to drive him out. Then, if he goes back to London Town, we can put Mrs. Tubbs back on the farm.”
“Allright,” said Tommy Squeak. “I’ll do my best for the old woman. She certainly ought to be put back on the farm.”