A mass meeting of Rats was held (unknown to the Park-keepers) under
the Reformer's Oak in Hyde Park, at midnight of last Sunday. The
object of the gathering was to protest against the proposal made by a
Correspondent of _The Times_, that the "sewer-rats who had established
themselves in the sylvan retreat" known as Hyde Park Dell, should be
exterminated by means of "twenty ferrets and a few capable dogs."
Mr. RODENT (Senior) was called upon to preside. He took the hillock
amid waving of tails and much enthusiasm, and remarked that he trusted
that that vast assembly, one of the most magnificent demonstrations
that even Hyde Park had ever known, would show by its orderly
behaviour, that Rats knew how to conduct business. (_Cheers._) They
lived in strange times. A barbarous suggestion had been made to evict
them--to turn them out of house and home, by means of what he might
call Emergency Ferrets. (_Groans, and cries of "Boycott them!"_)
He feared that boycotting a ferret would not do much good. (_A
squeak--"Why not try rattening?"--and laughter._) Arbitration seemed
to him the most politic course under the circumstances. (_Cheers._)
They were accused of eating young moor-chicks. Well, was a Rat to
starve? ("_No, no!_") Did not a Rat owe a duty to those dependent upon
it? (_Cheers, and cries of "Yes!"_) He appealed to the opinion of
the civilised world to put a stop--At this point in the Chair-rat's
address, an alarm of "Dogs!" was raised, and the meeting at once
dispersed in some confusion.
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