The Mouse Family Robinson by Dick King-Smith Page B

short life.

    â€œWell,” said Beaumont, “isn’t there any way we can get rid of the beastly thing?”
    â€œAlas, no,” said Mr. Brown. “Cats can kill mice, but, unfortunately, mice can’t kill cats.”
    â€œOh,” said Beaumont. “So we have to wait till it dies of old age, do we?”
    â€œThat might be a long time,” said Mr. Brown.
    â€œWhat can we do, then?”
    â€œNothing, I’m afraid, Beaumont. The giants have got a cat, and we have got to live with it .”
    Have we? thought Beaumont. What if … ? No , I’d better ask Dad first.
    â€œGot to go,” he said. “Nice talking to you, Uncle Brown.”
    When he got home, he said, “I’ve been talking to Uncle Brown, Dad.”

    â€œHave you indeed?” said John. I bet the old chap’s pleased at being called that , he thought.
    â€œYes,” said Beaumont. “He saved my life, Dad. I went up into the kitchen and the cat nearly got me!”
    â€œGosh!” said John.
    â€œUncle Brown says we just have to live with the beastly thing.”

    â€œWell, he’s right, Beaumont. We have no choice.”
    â€œYes, we have, Dad,” said Beaumont. “If the cat won’t leave us, we can leave the cat.”
    â€œWhat d’you mean?”
    â€œWe can move to another house, one without a cat. We can emigrate, Dad,” said Beaumont.

3

    â€œEmigrate?” said John to Beaumont.
    â€œYes, Dad.”
    â€œBut … how will I know if another house has a cat or not?”
    â€œIf it has a cat, it’ll smell of the beastly thing. If it doesn’t, it won’t. Simple, Dad.”

    â€œIt’ll take me an awfully long time to inspect every house on the street.”
    â€œIt would if it was just you, Dad,” said Beaumont, “but what if we all helped, eh, Mom?”
    â€œI certainly will,” said Janet, “but you kids are too small to take the risk.”
    â€œWe’re not,” said Beaumont, turning to the other five mousekins, “are we? We can help, can’t we?”
    And with one voice, Ambrose and Camilla and Desdemona and Eustace and Felicity cried, “Yes!”
    Janet looked proudly at her six children.
    â€œAll right,” she said, “but not just yet. Wait till you’ve grown a lot bigger.”
    â€œAnd a lot faster on your feet,” added John. “There’ll be other cats in other houses on the street, and dogs, too, and then there’s all the traffic. Wait till you’re as big as Mom and me.”

    â€œBut that’ll be ages, Dad!” said Beaumont.
    â€œDo as your father says,” said Janet sharply, and in unison, Ambrose and Beaumont and Camilla and Desdemona and Eustace and Felicity muttered, “Yes, Mom.”

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    In fact, a month went by before John and Janet allowed the six mousekins out of the house.
    John had established a route—from under the kitchen floor through a runway that led down into the cellar, and from the cellar up and out through a grating onto the sidewalk outside.
    Janet made a plan of action. Their house was number 24, even-numbered like all those on that
side of the street. Each night she and the three girls would work their way down the road, somehow making their way into number 22, then number 20, and so on, while John and the three boys would be inspecting each house up the street—numbers 26, 28, 30, and so on.
    â€œLet’s just hope they don’t all have cats in them, Janet,” said John. “I don’t fancy having to cross the road.”
    But luck was on their side.
    On the fourth night, Janet and the girls explored number 16 and came home excited and delighted to report that there was no smell or sign of cat or dog in that house.

    â€œAll we could smell,” said Janet, “was mice
    â€œGreat!” said John. “We’ll emigrate there.”
    Five of the mousekins