Rats Tales - Part Three

Minty's Circus

A few days after Minty's big escape adventure the girls were awakened by a loud noise in the hallway outside their room. As they peeped out of their nest wondering why on earth they had been so rudely awakened the door flew open and there was Kirsty, except they couldn't actually see her to begin with. All they could see was a great big cardboard box. "Hello girls" said Kirsty "Just wait until you see the big surprise I've got for you!" The girls were intrigued, what could possibly be in that huge big box? "Maybe it's the worlds biggest box of treats?" suggested Minty. Pinky just looked at her and shook her head. "Even if it was, we would never be able to eat all of them" replied Pinky. "I don't know if I could, but I'd be more than willing to try" replied Minty with a grin. Both ratty girls moved over to the bars to get a closer look as Kirsty started taking things out of the box and began to assemble them. Pretty soon they grew tired and decided to finish off their nap. They would be able to see whatever Kirsty was working on when they woke up

Later that day Kirsty was sitting working at her computer when she heard that the girls were awake. "Well girls are you ready for your surprise?" she asked. Both girls headed over to the door of their cage and waited patiently. Minty was very excited. Pinky had told her that the big box wouldn't be full of treats, but she had decided to wait and find out for herself. After all she could dream couldn't she? Kirsty lifted both girls out of their cage. Minty scampered up and sat on her shoulder. "I hope you like it" she said as she took them over to the other side of the room. What they saw in front of them turned out not to be the world's biggest box of treats, but Minty was just too surprised to be disappointed. Their surprise turned out to be a new cage. Not just any cage, but a really big one

Pinky wasn't too sure of the new cage sure at first, but Minty couldn't wait to get inside. The door had been left open so Kirsty gently placed them both inside. Pinky took her time and had a look around the bottom of the cage by which time Minty had discovered a ramp going up to another level. Pinky was sitting at the bottom of the ramp looking a little uncertainly but Minty charged straight up it. She found herself on a platform, but that wasn't all. She then found a pipe going even further up. She shot straight up it and found that she was on a second platform. When she looked down she could see Pinky who was feeling a little braver sitting on the bottom platform. "How did you get up there?" she asked. "Wait and I'll show you" answered Minty. She could have gone back down the pipe, but Minty decided she wanted to give Pinky a surprise of her own. One minute she was on the platform and the next she had jumped. She flew through the air and landed on the other platform next to her sister. Actually she just missed landing on her sister. "That was great" she laughed. "Yeah, great", thought Pinky who hadn't forgotten how close she had come to being flattened by her sister

"How are they liking their new cage?" asked a voice the girls recognised, it was Kirstys Mum. "They seem to be settling in fine" replied Kirsty. Both girls were now at the bottom of the cage where they had just dicovered their new water bottle. Just then Minty began to climb up the bars of the cage "Be careful" whispered Pinky, it's much higher than our old cage. "I'll be fine" responded Minty as she continued to climb ever nearer to the top. Just as she reached the top of the cage Minty's paw slipped off the bars and she began to fall. Somehow she managed to miss both platforms and landed with a thud at the bottom of the cage. Pinky rushed over to see if she was Ok as did Kirsty and her Mum. Minty stood up and gave herself a little shake. "She seems to be alright" observed Kirsty. Kirsty's Mum was just in the middle of saying how glad she was that Minty was alright when they noticed that she had once more started to climb up the bars. This time she made it all the way to the top without falling before moving slowly down onto the top platform. "She's a brave little thing isn't she" said Kirsty's Mum. Kirsty then told her Mum about how Minty had managed to jump from one platform to the other including the part about Pinky's near miss. "Maybe she thinks she's joined the circus" She looked at Kirsty and they both began to laugh. "Miss Minty's amazing circus!" added Kirstys Mum and they both laughed some more. "You have no idea!" thought Pinky shaking her head

~ Shirley Layfield ~