Shared His Bed With Rat

Northern Advocate, 16 June 1947, Page 5

Shared His Bed With Rat

If Whangarei ever holds a rat week campaign, this will have the unstinted support of two young bachelors. Living in a former Army hut near the Winter Show Buildings, these two men recently had a most disturbed night. The cause of it all was one rat.

Retiring shortly before midnight, the two were awakened in the very early hours by the scuttling of a very large rodent in their sleeping quarters- Pulling on the light, one of the men was just in time to see the rat commence to devour a large area of a recentlypurchased shirt. This was too much. A misdirected shot with an ex-army number 11 boot caused the,rat to scuttle into hiding. The hut Was in a turmoil. Boxes, table, chairs and bedding were moved in an endeavour to locate the animal. All this was of no avail.

Deciding that the rat must have left what now looked like a sinking ship, the two men again retired. TUGGED HIS HAIR A loud call of rage, dismay and astonishment awakened one of them later. His companion had been awakened to feel the rat pulling at the hair of his head.

Another fruitless search followed.

As the man who had been awakened by the other's cries again pulled the bedclothes over himself, it was his turn for terror. The rat was in bed with him. Apparently it had been hiding in the fold of the bedclothes. As the rat was now on the floor of the hut, two large pieces of 3 x 4 were obtained and, after about 10 minutes, one of the awakened sleepers had the satisfaction of accounting for the cause of all the bother.

The night's amusement did not end there, however.

Occupants of an adjoining hut were by now pounding on the walls, suggesting that the two rat chasers should quieten down and let others get a little sleep.