The Cunning Escape, Part One

by J. Rosemary Moss

Genre: Fan-Fiction (Bonanza)
Rating: General Content

~

Jenni scooped up the shiny black rat. He was a small fellow—only a couple of months old. She smiled at him as she stroked his belly. “This one’s male,” she told her companion. “Let’s put him in the other cage.”

Kelly wasn’t about to touch a rat, but she was willing to open the cage door. She pulled it down and watched as Jenni placed the rodent on the hammock. As soon as Jenni withdrew her hand Kelly slammed the cage shut.

She took a good look at the rat while Jenni went back to the original cage. He stared right back at her, intelligence gleaming in his dark eyes. Kelly shivered. Maybe that was what was so unnerving about rats: the fact that they seemed almost as smart as humans.

“Here’s another male,” Jenni called out.

Kelly turned in time to watch her pick up a large, brown rat. He looked like a tough guy, but he was quite docile in her hands.

“Jeez,” Jenni said, rolling her eyes, “he’s a couple of weeks younger than the black one and look how big he is! This one likes his treats. Open the other cage again, will you?”

Kelly obliged her and watched her add the big fellow to the new cage. Once again she waited for her friend to withdraw her hand and then slammed the door shut.

“There’s one more male here,” Jenni said as she scanned the original cage. “This little guy—one of the black and white ones. Come here, sweetheart.”

They repeated the process one last time and soon the black and white rat was in with the other two males. Kelly frowned at the threesome.“Won’t they fight as they get older?” she asked. “I thought you can’t house male rats together.”

“You can if they know each other,” Jenni explained. “These three are half-brothers—same father, different mothers. Besides, it’s an enormous cage, so they won’t fight for territory. Plus there aren’t any females with them to duel over. They should be ok. Now what should we name them?”

Kelly grinned. She already had a name in mind for the fat, tough fellow with the sweet disposition. “Well, you have to call that big one Hoss!”

Jenni’s eyes lit up. “Of course! And the black one will be Adam.”

Kelly stared at the black one, who was now regarding Jenni with the same look of intelligence. “Oh, yes,” she agreed. “And the pinto will be Little Joe.”

That drew a chuckle from Jen. “I have a feeling he’s going to be just as much trouble as Little Joe. Look at the way he’s eyeing the girls’ cage!”

Kelly considered that. “Well, I can’t say I blame him. These boys are sure going to get lonely without any females.”

Jenni shrugged. “There’s no help for that. I have twelve rats already—no more! I don’t need a whole colony.”

“That’s true,” Kelly owned. Then she stepped aside so that Jenni could give the boys blueberry treats. She even smiled as she watched them inspect the treats and then eat them with their hands. She wasn’t a big fan of rats, but she had to admit that they were cute at this age. It was possible—almost—to forget that they were loathsome rodents.

LINK TO PART TWO