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Special Online Story
written & narrated by Sharri McGarry
“I saw a rat last night in the garden,” Mum said. “A big brown rat!”
Dad looked up from fastening his briefcase. “Did you?”
“We’ll have to get rid of it.” Mum said pointedly.
“Well,” Dad clucked, as he picked up the briefcase and walked from the room. “If you see it again, we’ll get the poison out. Now, I’ve got to go. See you later!”
“Is a rat…DANGEROUS?” said little Jimmy in a wobbly voice.
His brother, Ben, turned to him. “Oh YES!” he said fiercely. “Rats have got long, sharp front teeth and if they catch you, they will BITE you!”
“Nonsense, Ben!” said Mum sharply. “Rats will run away from you!”
Ben shook his head at little Jimmy and screwed up his face into a vicious expression. He smoothed his face as Mum turned from the sink. She set down two glasses and two chocolate biscuits on the table.
“Here’s your elevenses, boys,” she said as she hurried out. “I just have to say goodbye to Dad.”
Ben grabbed his biscuit. “Watch this!” he said, and stuffed the whole biscuit into his mouth.
“Coo!” said little Jimmy admiringly. He reached for his own biscuit.
“LOOK OUT!” screamed Ben. “There’s the RAT!”
Little Jimmy shrieked and leapt on to a chair.
Ben grinned wickedly, picked up little Jimmy’s biscuit ….
And calmly popped it into his mouth.
“Got you!” he said.
The swimming pool was hot and steamy. Ben grabbed his goggles and headed for the slide.
“I want to go on the slide!” little Jimmy yelled.
“Are you sure, dear?” Mum asked. “You’ve never BEEN before!”
“I WANT to go on the slide,” little Jimmy insisted. “with Ben!”
“Ben!” Mum called him. “Please take little Jimmy up the slide.”
“Aw Mum!” Ben moaned. “Do I HAVE to?”
“Yes!” Mum insisted. “Be a good brother and take your little brother up the slide.”
Little Jimmy followed happily as Ben slouched off towards the steps.
“Is the slide FUN, Ben?” asked little Jimmy, nervously climbing the steps.
Ben stopped and considered him. “Fun?” he asked slowly. “Fun? No! Not fun! Did you know that this is a RAT slide?”
Little Jimmy looked around nervously. “A …..RAT….slide?” he echoed.
“A RAT slide,” said Ben firmly. “You have to slide down ….the rat’s tail!” Ben continued. “Round and round and down and down his long black tail….until…. PLOP! You fall straight into his…..STOMACH! Into his stomach filled with bubbling, gurgling ACID! PLOP! Glug..glug..glug….”
Little Jimmy’s eyes filled with horrow. “D..d..down his t..tail?” he quavered.
“Down his long black tail!” Ben insisted.
“And into his…gulp…stomach?” little Jimmy wavered.
“PLOP! Into his nasty, acid-filled stomach” said Ben firmly.
“O..o…o..h!” little Jimmy shuddered. “I.. want…MUMMY!” and he set off back down the steps at top speed.
Ben chuckled and continued up the steps…by himself.
“That was very naughty of you Ben,” Mum scolded. “Scaring your little brother like that!”
She opened the front door wearily. “He was so nervous, I had to take him up the slide myself, just to show him that it was quite safe.”
“It was FUN!” little Jimmy beamed happily.
“He loved it so much that I had to go up and down twenty times with him.” Mum sighed. “I am exhausted!”
Ben grinned unrepentantly.
“I am hungry!” he announced.
“Yes – so are we all!” Mum agreed. “You can have a biscuit while I put dinner on.”
She put two chocolate biscuits on the table and went out to the freezer.
“Aaagh!” screamed little Jimmy, pointing behind Ben. “It’s a RAT!”
Ben caught a movement out of the corner of his eye. Something sleek and black passed behind him. He spun around in horror, ready to shriek in terror. And there was the cat. The cat stared back at him, raising its fur in alarm.
Ben groaned. “Aw Jimmy! You BABY!” He turned towards his brother. “It’s not a rat! Its only the…”
He stopped and stared in amazement as his little brother calmly stuffed the last biscuit into his overfull mouth.
“GOT YOU!” said little Jimmy.
Tales my Ghanaian Grandmother Told Me
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