Rat Rule 79 by Rivka Galchen

Author:Rivka Galchen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Rivka Galchen;Rat Rule 79;Rat Rule;Elena Megalos;Atmospheric Disturbances;American Innovations;Little Labors;paper lantern;Insult Fish;Fearsome Ferlings;Rat Queen;The Wonderful Wizard of Oz;books for all ages;Elena Megalos;Guggenheim Fellowship;The Berlin Prize;New Yorker 20 Under 40;The Phantom Tollbooth;Alice in Wonderland;The Wizard of Oz;Mother-daughter story;coming-of-age story;coming of age;books with strong women;best heroines;kids books to give as gifts;novels for kids;Tuck Everlasting;Natalie Babbitt;Coraline;Neil Gaiman;From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler;Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH;The Secret of NIMH;The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
Publisher: Restless Books
Published: 2019-07-04T13:00:34+00:00

There was a click, a reading lamp was lit, and a furriness in a rocking chair was illuminated. The furriness was gnawing on an old crushed aluminum can. The furriness was, Fred noticed, surrounded by piles of… garbage. Old orange peels, crumpled-up paper bags, coffee grounds. And yet Fred could also distinctly make out the scent of chocolate croissants. And peanut butter. And pickles. What she wouldn’t give for a peanut butter and pickle sandwich right about now.

“Nice slippers,” the furry creature said. “Does that mean you are a Child? Children are the Best Thing in the World.”

“Um, thanks,” said Fred, looking down at her feet. Again she had forgotten she was in her pajamas. “They’re from when—” Fred stopped speaking as she noticed that the creature was wearing a red-and-white check robe, one that looked like her tablecloth, and like the skirt she had seen her mother in. “I like your robe…. Excuse me, but: Are you the Rat Queen?”

The creature took another bite of aluminum can.

Fred looked at Gogo, who looked at Downer, who looked back at Fred.

The garbage-eating creature set down her snack. “I suppose I owe all of you an apology,” she said.

The travelers didn’t say anything. But Fred, again, started to nervously bite at her nails. Then she noticed she was biting at her nails, and stopped biting them.

The Rat—as Fred suspected, this garbage-gnawing creature was the Rat—then said, “Did you hear me? I said I owe all of you an apology. Now one of you say: If you say so.”

Neither Fred, nor Downer, nor Gogo knew what to say. Even though they had just been told what to say.

The Rat Queen said again, louder: “You say: If you say so. And then I say: Yes, I say so.”

Our friends remained silent.

“Come on,” the Rat said. “Please. I used to do this with Hart all the time. Hart loved our back-and-forth. Oh, Hart. Dear, dear Hart. Hart also was The Best Thing in the World. Hart also was once a child. Maybe Go ahead: say If you say so.”

“Heart?” Fred asked. “Who’s Heart?”

Gogo shrugged; she looked downcast.

Downer, however, did speak up. For once, he didn’t look downcast; he looked mad. “Pardon me, Ratty-Rat of Rhubarb Jam and Rudders. But I’m not going to say, If you say so.”

“There: you said it,” the Rat said. “Thank you. As a reward, I will tell you my story.”

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