All at once a new thought struck him and he said, “I have a little surprise in store for you, my dear Mrs. Ratt; instead of having the party in my humble place, I thought we might go up-stairs where there is more light and air.”
“How delightful!” exclaimed Mrs. Ratt, while Nibble added, “Of course we will be just as quiet as possible to show the folks that we do not hold our gatherings after the manner of those ill-bred cats.”
“Certainly,” assented all the rats, and they followed their host out of the cellar and up the stairs so quietly that you would never have heard them.
They had supper in the pantry, and a most tempting repast it was! Crackers, cheese, apples, lump sugar and a delicious morsel of mince pie.
“How thoughtful your tenants must be!” said Mrs. Ratt, “this pie is really good.”
“Just like mother used to make,” said Nibble with a wink.
“But what have we here?” cried Mrs. Ratt, smelling a stone jug.
She got the stopper off and after taking a deep whiff exclaimed: “Elderberry wine as I live!” Then she raised her eyes and said: “Ah, Nibble, you are indeed blessed with the good things of this life!” Nibble waved one of his front feet as much as to say, “This is really nothing at all, you know,” when all at once those young rats knocked over the jug of wine. It made a terrible noise and very soon footsteps were heard approaching the pantry. In a second Nibble had started with all his friends behind him and never stopped running until he reached his house in the cellar quite breathless with excitement.
No sooner did he get in bed than he heard a terrible squeal in the street and he knew that something dreadful had happened to Mrs. Ratt and her family.
As he never saw them again he had strong suspicions that Thomas and Maria had added another crime to their long list of misdeeds.