Upon one occasion, her master had some very fine eggs, which
he held in great estimation, and laid carefully away in the
store-room above stairs. Presently some of these eggs were
missing. Who had taken them ? This was a Question more '
easily asked than answered ; for, until then it appears, none
o£ the domestics knew anything about them. But how could
they have gone ? This was a greater mystery still, since it
w^Asr quite clear that they could not "nwi a^^^^ oH. ^^x&si^^i^^
-^everthelessy with every search, and Vnc^vvYrj, XLo'CKov^^aiCY^-



WONDERFUL TALES OF BATS. 97

ikcU>i7 could be ascertained as to the disappearance of the
€ggs. At the same time it was reasonable to suppose, that
though the scrutiny could not bring back those that were lost,
yet it might tend to prevent others following them. In
(qpite of 8^ threats and precautions, however, the following
morning proved to the contrary ; for on inspection it was
found that others had departed also. Now this was
thought too bad : indeed, it was unpai'donable ; for if
any of the domestics wanted eggs for their use, there were
plenty of others, equally good, at their service, without
taking those that were treasured like gold. This very
natuially, and as might be expected, caused a great deal
of uneasiness in the establishment, since every one felt
equally innocent of such an act of wilful destruction, and
at the same time were equally scrupulous in their suspicion of
others. But on the following morning early, as the narrator
of this anecdote was rising after a sleepless night, she thought
she heard a noise on the stairs, and her first impression was of
course that some one was stealing the eggs. She stole gently
oat of her room on to the landing, for the purpose of detect-
ing the thief or thieves, if possible, and after pausing for a
few moments, with breathless anxiety, to listen, she again
Iieard the noise, but more distinctly than before. She
cautiously peeped over the banisters, when she saw two rats,
one large and the other small, most ingeniously conveying
one of these eggs down stairs. It is needless to say, that
the instant she saw them the whole mystery was explained,
and her mind relieved of a world of cares. 