The lively rat shook his ears with all his natural vivacity. "Pardon me," he cried, "but I'm of Oddity's opinion,-- heroes like Sir Whiskerandos are the very worst travelling companions in the world! How Ratto has escaped with his life I cannot imagine, but I shall certainly not try the experiment of following your fortunes for an hour! I've no fancy to be baked in a pie, or starved on a barrel, crushed by a drosky, or worried by a dog, drowned in a sack, or suspended by my tail! No, no, valiant Whiskerandos, I'm quite content to admire your courage at a distance, but I don't want to share your exploits, and would rather have my ears than your fame!" And off skipped the merry little rat, before we could say a word to stay him. Whiskerandos and I, being weary enough with the adventures through which we had passed, slept for the greater part of that day in the field, and wandered about during the night in a not vain search for food. The next day was remarkably hot. It was the season of harvest, and we felt the necessity of keeping quietly concealed, as many men, and women also, were busily engaged in the fields. The heat, however, produced thirst, and no water was near in which we could quench it. "I say, Ratto," observed Whiskerandos, "do you see yonder object, near that sheaf, that glitters so brightly in the sun?" "It is a can," replied I, "doubtless belonging to one of the reapers." "I should not wonder if there were a hunch of bread and cheese beside it," said Whiskerandos. "I should not be surprised if there were." Whiskerandos remained for a minute in silence, then said, "I want to compare English beer with Russian kwas." "You are not going into the field!" I cried in alarm. "I am going,-- why, there is nothing to fear; there is not a reaper near, and if there were, he would need to be a sharp fellow who could catch a rat in an open field!" So the daring fellow went on his way, and I, after peeping cautiously on this side and that, to make sure that no human being could see us in the stubble, hurried after my companion, being to the full as curious as himself to make acquaintance with the contents of the can. There was a bundle of something beside it, tied up in a large red handkerchief, something of a very inviting odour. But scarcely had Whiskerandos, who was foremost, touched the reaper's dinner with the end of his whiskers, when something jumped up suddenly from behind the bundle, and the voice of a rat fiercely exclaimed,-- "Keep off, or I'll bite you!" Whiskerandos looked surprised at the unexpected defiance, but my feelings of amazement can scarcely be conceived when I recognised, (could it be!) the dumpy form, blunt head, and piebald skin of my lost brother Oddity!