This page features a collection of stories that center around rats, offering a variety of plotlines and settings. The stories reflect the diverse roles rats play, from being clever tricksters to encountering larger-than-life situations.
One popular story is The Shoemaker Rat, where a rat tricks a cat into helping him make a leather suit, using the suit to escape and later disguise himself. Another well-known tale is The Pied Piper of Hamelin, which recounts how a mysterious flute player rid the town of rats, only to take revenge when his promised reward was not paid. The Rat and the Elephant tells of a rat who feels overshadowed by a procession featuring a royal elephant, only to have his pride hurt when the royal cat notices him.
Several stories depict Uncle Wiggily’s adventures involving rats. In Uncle Wiggily and a Big Rat, Uncle Wiggily scares off a rat trying to capture a family of birds, and in Uncle Wiggily and the Cheshire Cat, he encounters a rat while trying to escape hungry creatures after finding a piece of cheese. In Uncle Wiggily and Higgledee Piggledee, rats are revealed to be the culprits behind stolen eggs from Mother Goose’s hen.
Other stories feature rats in less prominent roles, such as The Cat and the Old Rat, where an old rat warns the mice about a cat’s trickery. How the Brazilian Beetles Got Their Gorgeous Coats involves a race between a rat and a beetle for a coat, with the rat ultimately losing. Uncle Wiggily and the Trunk presents a rat who helps Uncle Wiggily escape from a trunk, while The Mount of the Golden Queen involves a prince’s quest, with no direct rat involvement, but part of a broader tale involving creatures.
This selection highlights the versatility of rats in folklore, whether as villains, helpers, or incidental characters.
Imagination over knowledge
