ittle jagged doorways in the wainscot, and things disappeared
at night--especially cheese and bacon.

Mrs. Tabitha became more and more distracted, and mewed dreadfully.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

While their mother was searching the house, Moppet and Mittens had got
into mischief.

The cupboard door was not locked, so they pushed it open and came out.

[Illustration]

They went straight to the dough which was set to rise in a pan before
the fire.

They patted it with their little soft paws--"Shall we make dear little
muffins?" said Mittens to Moppet.

[Illustration]

But just at that moment somebody knocked at the front door, and Moppet
jumped into the flour barrel in a fright.

[Illustration]

Mittens ran away to the dairy, and hid in an empty jar on the stone
shelf where the milk pans stand.

The visitor was a neighbour, Mrs. Ribby; she had called to borrow some
yeast.

Mrs. Tabitha came downstairs mewing dreadfully--"Come in, Cousin Ribby,
come in, and sit ye down! I'm in sad trouble, Cousin Ribby," said
Tabitha, shedding tears. "I've lost my dear son Thomas; I'm afraid the
rats have got him." She wiped her eyes with her apron.

"He's a bad kitten, Cousin Tabitha; he made a cat's cradle of my best
bonnet last time I came to tea. Where have you looked for him?"

"All over the house! The rats are too many for me. What a thing it is to
have an unruly family!" said Mrs. Tabitha Twitchit.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

"I'm not afraid of rats; I will help you to find him; and whip him too!
What is all that soot in the fender?"

[Illustration]

"The chimney wants sweeping--Oh, dear me, Cousin Ribby--now Moppet and
Mittens are gone!"

"They have both got out of the cupboard!"

[Illustration]

Ribby and Tabitha set to work to search the house thoroughly again.
They poked under the beds with Ribby's umbrella, and they rummaged in
cupboards. They even fetched a candle, and looked inside a clothes chest
in one of the attics. They could not find anything, but once they heard
a door bang and somebody scuttered downstairs.

"Yes, it is infested with rats," said Tabitha tearfully. "I caught seven
young ones out of one hole in the back kitchen, and we had them for
dinner last Saturday. And once I saw the old father rat--an enormous old
rat, Cousin Ribby. I was just going to jump upon him, when he showed his
yellow teeth at me and whisked down the hole."

"The rats get upon my nerves, Cou