Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat Read Free Page A

houses.”
    â€œThirty-three rooms,” said Emmy gloomily, “nine bathrooms, a housekeeper, a gardener, and a chauffeur. Oh, and Miss Barmy, my nanny.”
    â€œWhat?” the Rat said again. “No parents?”
    â€œI told you, they’re out of town. They’ve been gone for five weeks and three days, but they’re coming back tomorrow night.” She looked at her watch, squinting in the bright sun. “I really should get going.”
    But the Rat’s attention was back on the soccer field, where Joe had just scored another goal. The Rat leaned forward until his nose was poking through the bars of his cage, his whole body tense with yearning.
    Emmy, watching, felt something come over her. It was a feeling—unusual for her—that she very much wanted to do something she wasn’t supposed to do. Her hand drifted up through the open window … her fingers found the latch of the cage ….
    She hesitated. If anyone saw her, Miss Barmy might find out. If Miss Barmy found out, she would give Emmy’s parents a bad report—and then they might not come home at all.
    There was a stifled moan from the Rat. His gaze was riveted to the latch, and his whole body was trembling. Then, as Emmy watched, he clasped his paws together in front of his chest, looked beseechingly into her eyes, and dropped to his knees with a little thump.
    Emmy wavered for a heartbeat—and lifted the latch.
    The Rat knelt, perfectly still, for one incredulous moment. And then he leaped to his feet. “I’m free! I’m free!” he shrieked, hopping up and down. He scrambled to the windowsill and launched himself into the air, landing with a puff of dust.
    In an instant he was running, scampering, rolling through the wide grassy schoolyard like a small gray juggernaut. “Freeeeeee!” came a last high, thin cry, faint in the open air, and then he was gone.
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    Emmy walked across the schoolyard, her shoes scuffing at the grass. The thought occurred to her that Miss Barmy would want her to pick up her feet. She didn’t do it.
    Of course she hadn’t expected the Rat to say thank you. He had never been a polite sort of rodent. But for him to leave so suddenly, without even a good-bye, gave Emmy a hollow feeling.
    The Rat had been someone to talk to, even if he was rude. Now all she had to look forward to was the same old class, with the same old kids who never seemed to know she was alive.
    Well, no, that wasn’t quite true anymore. Emmy passed the soccer field and brightened as she saw Joe, who was standing with his father. She walked slowly past them, listening in spite of herself.
    â€œAnd I’ve told you before, Son—if they try a wall pass, you have to follow the player, not the ball. Now don’t let them fool you again.”
    Emmy wondered for a moment what it would be like to have the kind of father who would come to her activities, put his hand on her shoulder, and give her friendly advice.
    But Joe wasn’t listening. He seemed to be gazing off in the distance.
    Had the Rat run that way? Emmy walked on toward the trees that bordered the playfield—and stopped. A small gray animal bounded through the grass and leaped to a tree trunk. It balanced itself with its long, bushy tail.
    Emmy sighed. It was only a squirrel. Another came right after the first, darting through the underbrush and to the base of the tree, its claws out and digging into the bark, its long, pink tail— pink tail?
    Emmy sharpened to attention as the Rat scrabbled up the tree. He climbed fairly well, especially considering how long he had lived in a cage with only a wire wheel that went round and round.
    The Rat caught up to the squirrel at the first fork in the trunk and began to speak, waving a paw in the air as if to emphasize a point. Emmy couldn’t make out his words, but as far as she could tell, the Rat seemed to be introducing himself. The squirrel’s mouth