Death on the Lizard (39 page)

“Yes, something most certainly must be done,”
Tabitha muttered.
“But Felicia is quite within her rights to invoke the Rule.”

The Rule (properly known as the
No Poaching Rule
) was the foundation of each cat's amicable relationship with every other cat in the village. Any cat might kill a rat, mouse, vole, or other vermin in another cat's front or back garden, but NOT in the house or in any outbuilding unless expressly invited to do so by the human owner. No one knew who had made this Rule or how long it had been in existence, but it had been passed down from one generation of cats to another as long as anyone could remember and was held to be absolutely inviolate. To break it would be to risk the disintegration of the social order.

Crumpet knew this rule, of course, and never hesitated to invoke it when one of the younger cats strayed into her territory. She did not like to think, however, that an equitable solution to the problem of the rats at Hill Top Farm might be constrained by the Rule. Surely, there was a way to deal with the matter.

“The problem is that Miss Potter is a city lady,”
Crumpet muttered.
“She's owned Hill Top for nearly two years now, and she likes to think of herself as a farmer. But she still has a great many lessons to learn when it comes to animal management. She seems to find it difficult to take a firm position on the matter of rats.”

“Yes,”
said Tabitha.
“In fact, I've heard her say that she once kept a rat as a pet. His name was Sammy, and she was very fond of him.”
She closed her eyes and shuddered.
“A pet rat—when she might have had a nice, companionable cat!”

“Even the best of humans are often illogical,”
Crumpet said sadly.
“And if Miss Potter allows the rats at Hill Top to carry on as they are, the entire village will soon be overtaken. You know rats, Tabitha. They have no restraints and not an ounce of pity, and they multiply faster than rabbits.”
She laid back her ears. Thinking about the menace, she felt cold and frightened.
“First Hill Top, then the Tower Bank Arms and Anvil Cottage, and after that, the entire village. No cottage will be safe from the ravaging horde. We will be completely overrun!”

“We will indeed,”
agreed Tabitha in a somber tone.
“But I have an idea, Crumpet. What do you think of this?”

When Crumpet had heard Tabitha's plan, she cheered up immediately—and I think you will, too, when you have heard what it is.

 
Frederick Warne & Co. is the owner of all rights, copyrights and trademarks of the Beatrix Potter character names and illustrations.