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To thee be the glory； because the love of life was brighter before thy face than the fear of death was dark。 Thou art Demeter and Hertha and Isis； Cybele of the Lions； and the Mountain…Mother。 From thy daughters shall spring tribes； and from thy grandsons； nations！ Thy name is The Mother； and they shall call thee blessed。
There will be laughter and song again。 Maidens will walk in the meadows； young men； leap by the brooks。 Their children's children shall be again as the pine trees of the mountainside。 They shall call thee blessed； because in a dark time thy look was toward the light。
While they were still uncertain； Em looked out one morning and said； 〃See； some rats！〃
He looked。 Sure enough； two rats were nosing their way along the base of the hedge； foraging about or merely investigating。 Em pointed out the rats to Princess through the window； and then opened the door。 But being a dog who gave tongue to tell the hunter where the chase was leading； she leaped out baying； and the rats vanished before she was anywhere near them。
That afternoon they saw more rats at several times； one place and another； near the house； in the street； or running in the gardens。
Next morning the wave had engulfed them。 Rats were everywhere。 These were merely ordinary…looking rats； no larger or smaller than rats were expected to be； not particularly fat or particularly lean…just rats。 Ish thought of the way the ants had been some time ago； and felt a cold shiver run through him。
The only thing to do was to make an investigation； and thus render the rats less horrible； because when you knew sometlung about the situation； you saw the interest that lay in it。
In the station…wagon they drove about here and there； often crushing some rat which decided to dash across the street； just ahead of their fires。 At first they shuddered a little at the soft squash； and looked at each other； but before long it had bee so mon that they thought nothing about it。 The area which the rats were occupying was roughly the city； although they spread outward from the built…up area； covering somewhat larger an area than the ants had done。 …
What had happened； in general； was clear enough。 Ish remembered some kind of statistics which declared that the number of rats in a city was generally about equal to the number of people。
〃Well；〃 he explained to Em； 〃you start then with； say； a million rats； half of them being does or bitches or whatever you call lady rats。 Some of the stores and warehouses are rat…proof； but still there has been for all this tune what you can call an unlimited supply of food。〃
〃Then how many rats should there be now？〃
〃I can't do that problem in my head。 I'll try later。〃
That evening at home he sat down to it as a mathematical problem。 With the aid of his father's encyclopedia he determined that rats had approximately one litter a month； with an average of about ten young。 That is； one month of uninterrupted breeding might have produced about a population of ten million rats in this given area。 These young females； in turn； would begin to breed before they reached the age of two months。 There must be some casualties； of course； and he had no way of determining just how many of the rats would live to maturity But； c：ertainly the increase must be prodigious under the circumstances。 His mathematics broke down。
But even if the rats should only be increasing at the rate of doubling their numbers every month； an estimate which seemed ridiculously conservative； there should by this time be already somewhere in the neighborhood of fifty million。 If they were increasing threefold each month； an estimate which still seemed conservative； there would now be in the area approximately one billion rats。
As he considered the problem； he saw no reason at all why。 the rats； with unlimited food； might not possibly quadruple their numbers every month。 In the Old Times man had been the only important natural enemy of the city rats； and even man had had to maintain constant war against them to keep their numbers under control。 With man gone； their only enemies would have been the small number of dogs whose instinct led them to catch rats； and somewhat larger number of cats。 But here a secondary result must have influenced the situation in favor of the rats。 As he had noticed； the rat…catching dogs seemed to hold the ground alone without the help of any cats。 Probably the dogs had killed the cats as much as they had the rats； and so had eliminated the chief control。 And in the end； the dogs themselves had probably been overwhelmed in the mere increase of numbers。 Now he no longer saw any dogs。 It seemed unlikely that they had actually been killed by the rats； although the rats may very well have cleaned out many litters of puppies。 Probably； the dogs had merely retreated before the swarms of rats； and were still hanging around on the outskirts； now having been driven from the city into the suburbs。
Whether there were a billion rats or only fifty million made very little difference。 There certainly were too many rats； and Ish and Em felt themselves in a state of siege。 They watched all the doors carefully。 Nevertheless； one rat appeared in the kitchen from some unknown quarter； and they had a mad scurry as Ish pursued it with a broom。 Cornered； it leaped viciously at the broom…handle； and left teeth marks in the hard wood before he was able to crush it against the floor。
After a few days； moreover； they began to see a kind of difference； both in the appearance and in the behavior of the rats。 Apparently； the supplies of food； vast though they were； had at last begun to yield before the attack of an ever…pyramiding number of rats。 The rats now appeared thinner； and they ran around even more feverishly in search of food。 They began to burrow in the ground。 They dug up the tulip bulbs； first of all； seeming particularly fond of them。 Then they attacked the less palatable bulbs and roots。 They ran along the branches of the trees； apparently eating any insects they could find or any remains of seeds or fruit。 They even； at last； began to gnaw the bark of young trees； like rabbits。
Ish parked the car as close to the house as he could now； and made a dash for it； wearing high boots。 But actually the rats never made any attempt at an attack。 Ish kept Princess in the house mostly； although the rats had offered her no violence either。
Still driving about to investigate； Ish became more and more accustomed to the soft squash beneath his tires。 He began to feel as if he were plastering the streets with a continuous line of crushed rats。 In the angle of two walls； as he drove slowly by； a small white object caught his attention。 Stopping the car and looking carefully； he saw that it was the skull of some small dog。 The long teeth； still shining white； indicated that it had probably been a terrier。 Apparently； the rats had cornered the dog in the angle of the walls； or else； the dog ' fighting for its life； had retreated there。 Whether the rats had dared attack a strong and healthy dog； Ish could not know。 Perhaps it had suffered an accident or had been chewed up in a fight with another dog。 Perhaps it was old or sick。 But apparendy' for once； the swarm of rats had been too much even for the ratter。 Ish saw only a few of the larger bones； 4he rest had apparently either been gnawed to pieces or dragged away。 In the vicinity； he saw also the skulls of several rats； indicating that the terrier had gone down fighting。 He tried to imagine the scene。 The swarrning gray bodies clambering all over the struggling dog； the dog unable to attack those which hung to its back。 Others must have slashed at the hamstrings like wolves attacking an old bison…bull。 Though the dog might kill a dozen or fifty； in the end the mad； hunger…frenzied rodents must have gnawed through the skin and tendons until the dog collapsed。 Ish drove away from the spot feeling definitely sober； and deciding that they must keep an even more careful watch on Princess。
He remembered； hopefully； that the ants had vanished almost overnight； and he kept expecting that something like that also might happen to the rats。 But ther