my good friend Brush, and the more I
see of the world, the more I am astonished at the stupidity and amazing
ignorance of the people I meet with! To be sure, everybody has not had
such good opportunities as myself of obtaining information, or has not
made such good use of them. But let that pass. Now for these water-rats.
In the first place, then, they _are_ a very quiet, inoffensive people,
and would no more think of killing a mouse, or a young bird, or any
other small animal, than you would. The only mischief they ever do is
by boring their holes through the embankments of canals and ponds, and
in this manner the meadows have sometimes been flooded. In the second
place, all the other wicked deeds that they have been accused of should
be laid to the charge of the _common brown rat_, a ferocious,
savage-tempered creature, which often lives in the banks of ditches,
and is then supposed by silly people to be the same animal as the
water-rat.

BRUSH.

Capital! so I was right after all about the character of these
good-tempered neighbours of ours. Ho, ho! Mrs. Brush, I shall have
something to tell you presently! Then it must have been one of these
common brown rascal that killed little Gotobed's relation.

LEATHERWING.

To be sure it was, for as I tell you, they are fierce, savage
creatures, and are so voracious that they will eat anything. They
destroy young birds and other animals; and if no other food could be
found, I dare say they would be wicked and unnatural enough to make a
meal of their own young ones. And yet, let me tell you, they are very
clever, sensible creatures, if they would but make a better use of
their abilities. The worst of it all is that they are _foreigners_, and
have no business in this country at all, though from what part of the
world they came I cannot tell you.[5] And if I cannot answer this
question, you may be sure, friend Brush, that there are not many people
living who can. However, here the rascals are; and what do you think
they have been endeavouring to do ever since they came? Why, they have
been trying to destroy all the rats that had possession of the country
before their arrival; and as these old English black rats, as they are
called from their colour, are smaller and weaker than themselves, I
dare say that they will at last succeed in their wicked designs. So as
this vile foreign brown rat is fond of living in the banks of ditches
and of ponds, near mills and stables, he is of