Revolutionary Rats: Boston Squeak Party

One evening, Papa overheard a conversation on his supper-finding rounds. There were 3 boats at the dock, and Papa saw that they were the Dartmouth, the Eleanor, and the Beaver. One of the men said something-and a huge group of about 100 Mohawk Indians burst out of nowhere and swarmed onto the ships. On looking closer, Papa saw that they were really white Americans, and they were dumping boxes of tea into the river! Guessing their motive, Papa rushed home and brought Mama carrying the twins and Rebecca and Eleanor to the scene. The Gnawingtons, too, swarmed the ships, Papa and Mama entrusting Robbie and Susie to the girls and rushing to help unload the Dartmouth, and Eleanor rushing the children to start on the Eleanor. The boxes were very heavy and it took all of them to do it, but when they passed the boxes up the side of the ship, the children unloaded about 15 boxes in half an hour. Finally Eleanor was almost crushed by a falling tea box, and Rebecca’s tail was squashed trying to save Susie from a human foot, so they decided to head back to their cellar and not take any more chances. All the children felt very proud of themselves and their parents smiled at the determination of their little revolutionary rats.

Revolutionary Rats

Many years ago, a family of rats lived in the cellar of a family of Americans. This rat family was called the Gnawingtons. Mama and Papa Gnawington came first, then Rebecca, Eleanor, Freddie, and finally little Robby and Susie, who were twins. The Gnawingtons always started the day the same way: Papa Gnawington scampered out to collect some scraps for breakfast, and Mama Gnawington shook the children awake so they could put on their clothes before Papa returned. The family’s great, great, great, great, great, great,-well you get the idea- grandparents had sailed the Mayflower with the Pilgrims in 1620, and the year was now 1773. Rebecca’s best friend, Brianna, came over often to help out, and Rebecca sometimes returned the favor. All the family shared the same trademark Gnawington black eyes that gleamed when they felt mischievous or inspired, light gray fur, and enormous appetites. Sometimes Rebecca, Eleanor, and Freddie anonymously helped the American children pick corn. Sometimes Papa anonymously helped the American fathers cut down trees. Sometimes Mama anonymously helped American mothers cook and clean. Sometimes Robbie and Susie anonymously helped American toddlers and babies make a mess. Life was always the same, until…

Bluebonnet and Katherine

Down by the sea, there was a little town called Allensville. In Allensville there was a house belonging to the Marsheners and in their backyard they had a neat little garden. In this garden, unknown to the Marsheners, lived a colony of pixies. They lived among the flowers and hid whenever Mrs. Marshener came out to do the gardening. One of these pixies was named Bluebonnet, and she had little strawberry blonde braids under her bluebell cap. Bluebonnet’s best friend was named Poppy, with rose red cheeks and carrot-colored hair that went to her shoulders. Her other friend was Rose, with beautiful red curls, and who was very quiet. They liked to explore the flowers together, Bluebonnet trying everything first. One day, they had a race to see who could climb a tulip fastest. Bluebonnet had just reached the top when a shrill whistle rang out. That was the signal from the pixie chief that a human was coming outdoors. It was a pixie’s worst nightmare to be seen by a human, who could mistake their colony for a group of mice and put out a cat. So when they heard the whistle, Poppy, Rose, and Bluebonnet began to descend as fast as they could. Poppy fell of the stem, gave a yelp of pain and ran away, but Bluebonnet and Rose were too late. To their horror they watched a foot come out of the house-but when the body appeared, it was not Mrs. Marshener who stood there, but little Katherine, the youngest and only girl in the Marshener family. Still, she was a human, and was walking towards the flower bed. Poppy, still running on her short little legs, had no idea that her best friends were not right behind her, or, indeed, way ahead of her, but Bluebonnet and Rose were far from safe. Katherine had spotted them, and was dashing back inside. Rose fluttered away quickly, but Bluebonnet stood, rooted to the spot. Bluebonnet knew she had just endangered the colony, the least she could do was to warn them, but she couldn’t will her wings to move. Katherine reappeared in the doorway, holding a glass jar. Bluebonnet was frantic. She couldn’t run now, she’d lead Katherine straight to the colony, but if she didn’t, she was going to end up in that awful glass jar. Too late, Bluebonnet made a dash for it. The jar slammed down over her, and the lid was screwed on. She threw herself against the sides of the jar in vain, and she was finally so exhausted that she collapsed on the cold glass floor and fell asleep. When she awoke, someone had placed grass all around her, and, she struggled to read what Katherine had written on the outside of the jar, the girl had named her “Princess Poppyseed”. Annoyance came with another burst of panic to Bluebonnet, and she wondered if Poppy knew where she was now. She took in her surroundings more closely and saw she was on a desk in Katherine’s room. All around on the walls were pictures and posters--Katherine dressing as Tinker Bell for Halloween, Katherine’s drawings and paintings of fairies and pixies, fairies and pixies everywhere she looked! She backed in to something-and fell onto an open Easter egg full of bread crumbs. Well, at least she had food. Katherine entered the room, saw that Bluebonnet was awake, and walked over to the jar. She opened the lid and-- “Hey!” she cried, as Bluebonnet whizzed to the door-- only then realizing that it was closed. “Great,” she muttered, as Katherine slammed her back into the jar. Katherine whispered “Are you a fairy?” Bluebonnet answered “I’m Bluebonnet Mayflower, resident of pixie colony number…” she paused. She didn’t want to betray the other pixies. “What?” Katherine asked, drawing closer. Bluebonnet, feeling relieved and a bit more trusting, arranged the breadcrumbs into letters that spelled out BLUEBONNET, PIXIE. Katherine began “I’m…” but Bluebonnet arranged more breadcrumbs. KATHERINE MARSHENER. I KNOW. They talked for a while, and then both of them went back to sleep. Over the next few days, Bluebonnet was allowed out of her jar and Katherine promised never to tell anyone about her or her colony. They took to calling each other “Bon-Bon” and “Kat”. “One day, Katherine said “Do you want to go back to the garden?” Bluebonnet, surprised, answered “Of course!”, so the next day she was fluttering home again. She had promised to visit again soon. She found the garden, but everyone looked like they were going somewhere. Tiny suitcases filled with the pixies’ most treasured possessions were dangling from every hand, and they looked surprised to see her. She found Poppy and asked “Where is everyone going?” Poppy answered “Isn’t it obvious? We can’t stay here! Not now the humans have seen you!” Bluebonnet’s face fell. “But Pop, she promised she wouldn’t tell! We’re safe! Katherine’s our friend!” The chief spoke. “Pixies do not make human friends. We are going away today.” And with that, the whole lot of them rose into the air and flew away. All except Rose. “Come on, let’s get Katherine.” she whispered. They flew to the door, which was ajar. Up to Katherine’s room, where she was sitting, gazing out the window. Bluebonnet poked her, and she jumped. “Bluebonnet! And you brought a friend!” Bluebonnet flew to the jar and upset the breadcrumbs on the desk. She began to write: KATHERINE, THIS IS ROSE. SHE’S MY FRIEND. THE COLONY THINKS YOU WANT TO HURT US, AND THEY’VE LEFT, BUT I THINK I’VE GOT AN IDEA. IF THEY COULD MEET YOU THEY WOULD KNOW YOU WON’T HURT US. HERE’S HOW MY IDEA GOES… A few minutes later, the tree of them were flying over the seaside, looking for signs of the pixie colony. The two pixies had each donated pixie dust, and Katherine was a natural. Finally, Rose spotted a bunch of flying lights by the shore, and they went in for a landing. Upon seeing them, the pixies flew much faster; but were overtaken. Then they spotted Bluebonnet and Rose. Poppy, in the back of the group, looked shocked. “Why are you two accompanied by the human whom we are all trying to flee from in the first place?” asked the chief pixie. To Bluebonnet’s surprise, Rose stepped forward. Rose was surprised at herself too, because Rose was the shyest pixie of any she knew and speaking to the chief should have been bad enough, let alone in front of all these others. Still, she began to speak and told them all about Kat and her promise not to tell, and after making the delighted looking Kat repeat her promise in front of the pixie court that happened to be present, the chief finally had to admit that the girl posed no danger to the colony, they began the journey home. Kat allowed herself to be used as a bus, and soon the entire pixie colony was using her hair as a canopy or snuggling into her pants pockets. When they were finally back, Katherine shook all pixies out of her clothing and yawned inside, just on time for dinner. After this, Kat was always a welcome visitor in the garden and was given the talent to hear the pixies’ shrill little voices, but sometimes she and Bluebonnet still like to have little conversations with the breadcrumbs. The End

The Search for the Princess

September 5, 1245 I have not written for a while because so much goes on! Mickey will become Sir Michael in two days, Harriet’s kidnapper has been caught, and her parents have finally consented to our engagement! The wedding shall be in December outdoors. She has showed me her plans for her gown, and she shall look lovely in it. I go now to bed, having filled your pages well. Sir Melchisedek R. Gnawington, Husband to be of Princess Harriet Cocopaws

The Search for the Princess

August 25, 1245 Now I shall tell of the daring deeds of my squire Michael. Yesterday he seemed to have disappeared, until the floor began to move , and he popped out of a trap door. Harriet and I followed, but at the end of a tunnel we met Harriet’s captor. We would have been overpowered if it had not been for Mickey. The lad, ignoring our cries of “Stop!” grabbed a stone of the ground and hurled it straight at our pursuer! We all made a dash for it, and we have now left him far behind at the Mermaids’ River. Sir Melchisedek R. Gnawington

The Search for the Princess

August 23, 1245 At last! Harriet and I embraced as we climbed into the tower. But I should have known it was to good to last. In our sleep this happy, happy, night, Harriet’s captor locked us all in a dark cellar, and as I muttered about what a more experienced knight would do, Princess Harriet yelled something that changed everything for me. “How can you think of chivalry at a time like this?” And, reflecting upon those words now, I realize that the entire time I have owned you I have written of nothing but chivalry, honor, and courage, ignoring the truly important things in life. For example, Mickey’s birthday passed two weeks ago, and I paid no heed. Sir Melchisedek R. Gnawington

The Search for the Princess

August 22, 1245 Young Mickey has had a splendid idea! If Harriet’s message could get through the barrier to us, it must not go as high as her tower. We are at the top of the tallest tree, now, and Mickey is throwing a grappling hook to the window. We begin to climb, the Princess urging us on from her window. Harriet, I-no, we-shall not let you down! Sir Melchisedek R. Gnawington