The rope was one which the sailors had put out to tell them how many
miles an hour they were going. This rope had a wonderful wheel at the
end of it which kept twisting and turning in the water.
Every now and then the rope would turn suddenly over and poor Pinkie
Whiskers would go under the water with it and nearly fall off. At last
he was rested and climbed the rope to the ship. When no one was about he
jumped aboard.
Of course, he did not know which way to go, but there was a pleasant
smell of cooking in the air and he followed this smell.
He soon found himself in a big kitchen with many people hurrying about.
There were cooks with white caps and aprons and waiters with white
jackets.
Pinkie Whiskers kept very close to the wall and ran until he saw a white
jacket hanging on a nail.
Pinkie Whiskers saw that the jacket had pockets, so he ran up the side
of the wall and hid in one of the pockets. He had just nestled down for
a little nap, for he was very tired, when along came the owner of the
jacket. He took it off from the nail and put it on.
Pinkie Whiskers, did not know what to do, but he decided to keep very
still. The waiter took his tray of food and went into the dining room.
Pinkie Whiskers peeped out of the pocket and saw many tables with people
about them.
Pinkie Whiskers' head was still out of the pocket when the waiter went
up to a table to serve a lady. She saw Pinkie Whiskers and screamed, "A
mouse! a mouse!"
Now, Pinkie Whiskers knew that he was a rat and not a mouse, so at
first he did not think that she meant him, but when all of the ladies
jumped up from the table and started to run, Pinkie Whiskers jumped from
the pocket and ran too.
He hid behind the leg of a big chair and did not move until he felt the
ship stop and saw everyone going ashore. He started to go ashore too and
as everyone had bundles and baggage, he picked up a small hand bag, an
umbrella, a can and a cage filled with butterflies, grasshoppers and a
lady-bug.
He had only gone a short way when the door of the cage flew open and the
insects flew out.
"I never had so much trouble in all my life," complained Pinkie
Whiskers.
He ran after them and caught as many as he could and put them back into
the cage for he wanted to take them home as presents to his dear ones.