Revolutionary Rats: To Stay or to Split?

During the days that followed, the Gnawingtons overheard many things upstairs. The humans were discussing whether splitting from Britain was really a good idea, and when they heard shooting aboveground, their reactions were quite different. Papa and Mama jumped to watchfulness, Rebecca and Eleanor jumped into each others arms, the twins jumped into a squeaking fit, and Freddie jumped up to Mama and said “I want to join the militia!” “Absolutely not,” said Mama. “Even if you weren’t grounded for chasing after humans on horses at midnight I would still say no.” That, Freddie thought, was just typical mother behavior, but he intended to do it anyway. Rebecca, meanwhile, was looking at an old bit of bath tissue in a slot in he stone. Her own and Brianna’s cellars were right next to each other, and they often slipped messages in their own secret code through the crack. To the eye that was unaccustomed to their secret writing, it read: “Dear Giggles, Our goggles are swimming back to Paris. Papa laughs that we swim, too! Love, Snuggles.” Rebecca stared. Then she ran over and translated it for the family. Papa said “Well, I’d never have thought it! The Tailswingers are going back to Britain’s side!”