“You sure these things work, Homer?” Johnny Rat held up the bell. It had a long chain coiled around it, making a large package for them to carry around. Johnny hefted it. “And these little locks for the chain? Where they go, anyway?”
“At the end....” Homer started to instruct him, annoyed at the entrance of noisy Ronald Rat.
“You gott’um, Homer, those bell thingies?” Ronald fairly yelled.
“At the end of the chain, Johnny, to lock it to the cat’s neck.” Homer finished, glaring at Ronald.
Homer Rat showed the other two rodents how to work the chains and locks. The chains were wrapped in such a way that they just had to throw it around the cats neck. Another rat would have to be below the cat, the most dangerous spot, to throw the end back up the other side to the first rat, who would quickly snap the lock on. The third rat would have to distract the cat.
They practiced all morning, knowing the cat took a nap about noon. Finally ready, the three anxious rats went out to find the cat, Ronald carrying the bell and chain.
The cat was already asleep, looking like a black ball of fur with whiskers sticking out of the lump.
Homer, being the smallest, climbed up the cats tail and crept to its neck. Johnny made his way under its chin, shivering at the sight of sharp teeth next to him. Ronald, being the loudest, stood back, glancing at the nearby rat hole.
“Hey, Pussy,” Ronald shouted.
The cat snapped his head up, and the rats got to work. The lock snapped and Homer dropped down and ran, with the others, to their hole.
They looked back to see an angry feline, shaking its head and clanking loudly.
Oscar Rat