Two Rats: A Short Story Of Injustice

Due to having no fully thought-out thoughts, (right now anyway) here is yet another story. This was written several years ago. Yes, I'm having to dig down into the archives quite a ways now. It's supposed to be written like the script for an on-stage performance, with a narrator reading the parts that aren't acted. Enjoy :-)

Two Rats: A Short Story Of Injustice

The setting is a snug little study, lit only by a warm, gently glowing lamp. A desk with papers sits in one corner, with papers scattered on top.

“Ey Krinktail, suppose we write a story, what are we going to write about?”

Krinktail looked up at Bentclaw. “Well… I think we should write about rats.”

“I think that’s a great idea! The rats can be the good guys and lets have, oh, how about a pig for a bad guy?”

Krinktail thought for a second. “I like that idea. You know, why are rats always the bad guys? I mean, it’s not right, rats should be the heroes sometime.”

“You’ve got a point there, well our story will have the rats as the heroes. Then we’ll publish it and everyone will buy it and know that’s rats are great to. And we’ll be rich.”

Krinktail thought for another few seconds, he was the deep thinker of the two. “The pig would be a good bad guy because they always seem to be the good guys. You know, like Babe.”

“Hmm, ah never thought about that, well I’ll go get the type writer and we’ll write our story.

A short while later Bentclaw came back with the typewriter and set it on their desk. Krinktail sat down to write while Bentclaw looked over his shoulder. Bentclaw, for obvious reasons, never had been one for writing of any sort.

And so their story began.

Once upon a time there lived two rats named Krinkletail and Bentyclaw, who lived in a barn.

Bentclaw spoke up. “I like the names, but why do they live in a barn?”

Krinktail had an answer ready, “because that’s where pigs live.”

“Ah, makes sense.”

Krinktail began typing again.

They lived up in the loft, and below them lived the pig.

But this was no ordinary pig; this was a bad pig. He ate everything and snuffled and grunted a lot.

Bentclaw shivered, got some cheese and a blanket, and sat down next to Krinktail again.

So one day the rats made a plan to catch the pig. They made a harness hooked up to a rope, put the rope over a roof beam and, attached the rope to some weight right next to the edge of the loft, that could easily be pushed off. Then they laid a trail of corn that led into their harness and waited for the pig.

“Clever.” Said Bentclaw.

And sure enough, along came the pig snuffling and grunting and eating the corn trail. And when it stepped into the trap, the rats leapt up and pushed the weight off the loft and the pig was caught in the harness and hauled right into the air.

Then the rats were heroes because all the other animals in the barn didn’t have to worry anymore about the pig shoving them and eating their food. And they lived happily… that is until the farmer came and let the pig down.

“Oh! Of all the horrid things to happen!” said Bentclaw.

So the rats knew they would have to think of a better way to catch the pig. And they did, but you’ll have to read the next chapter to find out that.

Krinktail stopped typing.

“Whadja stop typin’ for? I want to know what happens next!”

“Well you’ll have to wait a day or two, because I don’t know what their next plan is either.”

“Oh dear,” said Bentclaw. “I’m not sure I can wait that long…(curtain)…  what if they catch the farmer so he can’t let the pig down?”

“Brilliant!” said Krinktail. (sounds of typing)

Then the rats had a new idea, they would catch the farmer so he couldn’t release the pig! So they did, and then they caught the pig again and lived happily.

Bentclaw was a bit skeptical. “I think you might have to expand that a little.”

“I’m working on it.” Said Krinktail, slightly offended.