A Rat Story | AdventAI

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 2, 1875

A Rat Story.

Facts are stubborn things, and they will not go out of the way for any one, not even for theology. Here is an interesting little incident told by a writer in the Christian Union. It shows that animals have reason. Are they therefore immortal?

“As the merits of cats and dogs have been at divers times set forth in the Christian Union, it seems only fair that their much-abused victim, the rat, should have a share in the public interest. The following story I know to be true. A lady, living in the country, had her attention drawn one day to some rats in an outer room, surrounding a pail which had been prepared for the pigs. Observing them carefully, she soon discovered that a young rat had fallen into the pail, and that his friends to the number of five or six were in consultation as to the best means of rescuing him. The lady called others of her family to witness their manoeuvres, while they continued busily at work, regardless of the presence of the spectators. By twining their feet together, (the hindfeet of the foremost rat being entwined with the forefeet of the next, and so on) they formed a chain extending over the side of the pail. The foremost rat, supposed to be the mother, then reached down, grasped the young one in her arms, and both were drawn out on the floor. Unfortunately their deliberations had occupied so much time that the young rat was drowned before he was extricated, and apparently the intelligence of his friends did not extend so far as to attempt resuscitation.”