Some people say that rats are ugly creatures. When they see a rat running along, they go ee-yuck! Well I don’t know about you, but I’ve always thought that this was rather rude. Rats can have hurt feelings too, you know! In any case, when I catch sight of my reflection in a stream, I think I’m rather cute. Just recently, I was trotting along the King’s Highway, in my sweet little way, when I heard a great commotion on the road up ahead. Who or what is causing all that fuss? I wondered. When I got closer, I saw the King himself, riding along on top of a great fat lump of an elephant. The crowd of onlookers were ooo-ing and aah-ing full of admiration for that stupid beast with a nose that’s far too big for her face. She’s much uglier than me, I thought. So I started to spring up and down and say: “Hey everyone! Why not look at me? I’m such a cutie-pie! I could join the King’s household and be a royal rat, if only there was any justice in the world.” At first, nobody noticed me. They were