let no one share in our rights."

"Any one who attempts to pass," cried the other, very fiercely, "has to
pay us toll with his ears!"

"Well, my good friends," replied Whiskerandos, "notwithstanding the
darkness I have no doubt but that your bright eyes have observed that I
have paid that toll already, and that is a kind of toll which no one is
expected to pay twice." The brown rats looked at the warrior with keen,
wondering gaze, while Whiskerandos calmly continued, "I lost my ears in
single combat with a ferret; he who exacted the toll lost his life in
exchange, and I feel somehow persuaded that you will rather politely
guide me into your house and share with me whatever I get there, than
try the experiment whether a rat can fight as well without ears as he
once did with them."

This little speech had a most wonderful effect in subduing all
unfriendly and inhospitable feelings on the part of the brown rats
towards the valiant Whiskerandos. They, however, looked very
suspiciously at me, and I fancied that I heard one whisper to the other,
"There's a black rat-- an intruder-- an enemy-- we must tear him in
pieces!"

I felt uncommonly uncomfortable, and much inclined to turn round and
scamper for my life; but Whiskerandos soon ended the difficulty. "Let me
introduce to you my friend Ratto," said he, "my very particular friend,
who goes where I go, shares what I find, and whose safety I value as my
own."

Nothing more was said about tearing me in pieces, so we all proceeded
amicably on our way, till the brown rats led us through a small hole,
and we found ourselves in a large, airy kitchen.

The place was perfectly quiet; the loud ticking of the clock was the
only sound heard, the swing of its pendulum the only motion seen, except
that a few black beetles were creeping on the sanded floor. The fire,
which must have been a very large one, had almost burnt out; but a few
red embers still were glowing, and served to light us on our way,
though, as I have mentioned before, light seems unnecessary to rats.

We peeped about, under the dresser, on the shelves, and snuffed at the
locked door of the larder, but nothing could we discover fit for food.
A jar on a shelf looked tempting enough, but being made, cover and
all, of crockery ware, it defied even our sharp little teeth.

"I've made a discovery!" exclaimed I at last, and at my shout the three
other rats came eagerly running towards the place where I stood
rejoicing