fe in the house.

It was a very small stuffy fusty room, with boards, and rafters, and
cobwebs, and lath and plaster.

Opposite to him--as far away as he could sit--was an enormous rat.

"What do you mean by tumbling into my bed all covered with smuts?" said
the rat, chattering his teeth.

[Illustration]

"Please sir, the chimney wants sweeping," said poor Tom Kitten.

[Illustration]

"Anna Maria! Anna Maria!" squeaked the rat. There was a pattering noise
and an old woman rat poked her head round a rafter.

All in a minute she rushed upon Tom Kitten, and before he knew what was
happening--

His coat was pulled off, and he was rolled up in a bundle, and tied with
string in very hard knots.

Anna Maria did the tying. The old rat watched her and took snuff. When
she had finished, they both sat staring at him with their mouths open.

"Anna Maria," said the old man rat (whose name was Samuel
Whiskers),--"Anna Maria, make me a kitten dumpling roly-poly pudding for
my dinner."

"It requires dough and a pat of butter, and a rolling-pin," said Anna
Maria, considering Tom Kitten with her head on one side.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

"No," said Samuel Whiskers, "make it properly, Anna Maria, with
breadcrumbs."

[Illustration]

"Nonsense! Butter and dough," replied Anna Maria.

[Illustration]

The two rats consulted together for a few minutes and then went away.

Samuel Whiskers got through a hole in the wainscot, and went boldly down
the front staircase to the dairy to get the butter. He did not meet
anybody.

He made a second journey for the rolling-pin. He pushed it in front of
him with his paws, like a brewer's man trundling a barrel.

He could hear Ribby and Tabitha talking, but they were busy lighting the
candle to look into the chest.

They did not see him.

[Illustration]

Anna Maria went down by way of the skirting-board and a window shutter
to the kitchen to steal the dough.

[Illustration]

She borrowed a small saucer, and scooped up the dough with her paws.

She did not observe Moppet.

While Tom Kitten was left alone under the floor of the attic, he
wriggled about and tried to mew for help.

But his mouth was full of soot and cobwebs, and he was tied up in such
very tight knots, he could not make anybody hear him.

Except a spider, which came out of a crack in the ceiling and examined
the knots critically, from a safe distance.

It was a judge of knots because it had a