by Anusha Rankoth Sloan
Michael and Lucy fell in love and decided to get married. All the rats gathered together for a big wedding celebration for the two rats.
After they got married, Michael and Lucy decided to make a home of their own. They found out that a grand new ship was being built in Belfast. The name of the ship was the Titanic. What a fine home this would be, thought Michael and Lucy. Late one night, when the construction workers were asleep, they climbed abroad the Titanic.
Michael and Lucy made a comfy new home for themselves down in the bottom of the ship. Soon, they had a blessed event. Three baby boy and three baby girl rats were born. Michael was proud to be the father of such a fine litter of rats. Michael passed out cigars while Lucy fed her young.
It was not long before the children of Michael and Lucy had children of their own. Soon, their family was almost as big as the families they had left behind in Belfast.
The ship began to sail. They were on the high seas. A lot of rich passengers came on board. From now on, there was no shortage of food. Their wealthy guests were always happy to leave Michael and Lucy and their children and grandchildren something to eat.
Michael and Lucy found a new Renault car which had been put on the ship. They decided to make a new home underneath the car. Underneath the car, they found an old lady dressed in rags. They called her the Mummy. The mummy told Michael not to disturb her, so Michael and Lucy slept nearby, but were careful not to disturb the mummy.
One night, they heard a bump. It was not a very loud bump, but something was wrong. The ship was not level any more.
Michael and Lucy knew the stories about rats leaving a sinking ship. They knew that they had to be the first to leave. Only in this way, the passengers would find out that the ship was sinking.
Michael and Lucy and their children and grandchildren and great grandchildren ran up and down the corridors of the ship to alert the passengers that the Titanic was sinking. Some of the passengers followed them, while the rats led the way.
Michael and Lucy found a lifeboat and jumped in. They hid themselves under the boards in the bottom of the boat, so nobody could see them.
Soon, the boat began to be filled with passengers. Michael and Lucy quietly hid beneath their feet.
The boat was raised and lowered into the ocean. Suddenly, a man came with two small French boys in his arms. The officer told the man that only women and children could get into the boat. So, one by one, the man threw the two French boys on the boat. The boys were only two and three years old! As he threw them, the man told the boys that he loved their mother and always would.
The two boys found Michael and Lucy on the bottom of the boat. They played with Michael and Lucy and promised not to tell the other passengers that they were hiding there.
Soon another ship, the Carpathia, came by. The Carpathia lifted the lifeboat, with Michael and Lucy in it, on to the deck.
Nobody knew who the two French boys were. They could not speak any English at all, and their father had gone down with the ship. They had no mother, so they were called the orphans of the Titanic.
When the ship got to New York, the two boys were handed over to a French lady for safekeeping. Michael and Lucy got in the bottom of their carriage and went with them. However, a few weeks later, the mother of the two boys arrived from France, and took the boys back to France. Michael and Lucy needed to find a new place to live.
Soon, Michael and Lucy found a warm comfy home on Orchard Street in New York City. Most of their family members had not made it to New York, but Michael and Lucy started a new family and soon their family was as big as before.
Michael and Lucy lived happily ever after on Orchard Street. Their children and grandchildren are still there to this day!