HOW I VISITED THE ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS.
That night I set out with Whiskerandos on more extended travels than any
which I had yet attempted. Oddity might have accompanied us, but he
preferred, as he said, home comforts and a nibble in the warehouse.
I knew that he would look after old Furry, whose infirmities were sadly
increasing upon him, so that I had no fear of the blind rat being
neglected.
I suspected that more than one reason induced my pie-bald brother to
decline the tour. He had struck up an acquaintance with Bright-eyes,
a lively little rat, and probably found his society more agreeable than
that of Whiskerandos, of whom he always stood somewhat in awe. I shall
not pause on the description of our underland journey through the
wondrous labyrinth of passages which, like a net-work, spreads in every
direction under the foundations of London. I saw more rats in these
gloomy lanes than I had ever imagined existed in the world. I should
have been afraid to have passed them, so fierce they looked, so ready to
attack an intruder, had not Whiskerandos been at my side. He neither
provoked contests, nor feared them-- neither gave offence willingly, nor
took it readily-- but had withal so resolute an air, that few would have
been disposed to have quarrelled with him. I was heartily glad, however,
when again we emerged into the light of day; and I was full of
astonishment at the sight of green grass and trees, such as I had never
beheld before.
"Ah!" said Whiskerandos, smiling at my delight, "you should see this
grass in the fresh spring, and those black bare trees when the bright
young leaves are upon them. The branches of yonder row seem dropping
their blossoms of gold; and how sweet is the scent of the hawthorn!
But I would not have you pass through that iron paling to examine more
closely the beauties of the garden; the square would be a charming
place, no doubt, if it were not haunted by cats."
I had never seen a cat in my life, but I started instinctively at the
name. "Take me anywhere," I exclaimed, "take me anywhere that you will,
so that I never come in sight of one of those terrible creatures!"
"I am going," said Whiskerandos, "to take you where there are cats so
huge that one could take a man's head in her mouth, or strike him dead
by a blow of her paw!"
"Oh, for my shed! Oh, for my quiet hole! for Furry, and Oddity, and my
peaceable companions!" thought I. "What folly it was to venture into the
world with such a guide as this desperado, Whiskerandos!"
I suppose that the bold rat read my thoughts in my frightened face, for
he hastened to reassure my mind. "The big cats," said he, "some with
long flowing manes, some spotted, some striped black and yellow, have no
power to harm us. They are kept in barred cages by man, and spend their
lives in wearisome captivity, denied even the solace of amusing
themselves by catching a mouse for supper."
It was the dawn of a winter's morning, when with my comrade I merrily
made my way across the park. The grass was whitened with hoar-frost,
which also glittered on the leafless boughs of the rows of trees which
lined the long straight avenue. We entered the gardens without paying
toll, or in any way obtruding ourselves on the notice of man.
"See here!" exclaimed Whiskerandos, half pettishly, as we passed a pond
with a curious wire-fence all round it. "What a dainty breakfast we
should make of some of the delicate young water-fowl, but for the
extraordinary care which has been taken to shut us out! We can look in,
to be sure, and see our prey, but the ducks do not even flutter, or move
a wing, so secure are they that we cannot reach them!"
The season being winter, we were unable to see many animals from
tropical climes, whose health would have suffered from exposure to cold.
I however regretted this but little. The white bear was shaking his
shaggy coat, the wolf pacing uneasily up and down his den, birds pluming
their feathers in the dull red light, while the monkeys' ceaseless
jabber sounded from the walls of their prison.
"Whiskerandos," said I to my guide, "I care little for making
acquaintance with cats, whether they be little or big; but if any
foreigners of the race of Mus be kept here, might I request you to
introduce me to them?"
Whiskerandos pointed with his nose towards a building. "You will find
relations there," he said, "some of the forty-six classes of our race,
known by the family likeness in their teeth.* For me, I'm going to pay a
visit to the monkeys' house; I'm sure there to find some provision,
always a matter of importance to a rat. The door is shut, but I'll not
trouble the keeper to open it for me!" So saying, with wonderful agility
he began to climb the building, and soon vanished through a hole in the
roof.
Food was to me a subject of at least as great importance as to
Whiskerandos. Even my curiosity had to wait attendance on my appetite.
I was fortunate, however, in discovering half a bun, which had probably
been dropped by some child; and cheered and refreshed I proceeded to the
building in which I was to make my affectionate search for distant
relations. I carefully examined the walls, till I discovered a hole,
probably made by some rat of the place, and through this I entered the
house, and proceeded at once with eagerness to a small barred division,
from whence a feeble squeak proceeded.
[* I am not aware whether the Zoological Gardens at present
contain specimens of the curious rats described in the following
chapter.]