by Anusha Rankoth Sloan
Michael and Anusha 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 Anusha 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 Titanic. What a fine home this would be, thought Michael and Anusha. Late one night, when the construction workers were asleep, they climbed abroad the Titanic.
Michael and Anusha 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 Anusha nursed her young.
It was not long before the children of Michael and Anusha 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 Anusha and their children and grandchildren something to eat.
Michael and Anusha 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 Anusha 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 Anusha 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 Anusha 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 Anusha 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 Anusha 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 into 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 Anusha on the bottom of the boat. They played with Michael and Anusha 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 Anusha 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 Anusha 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 Anusha needed to find a new place to live.
Soon, Michael and Anusha 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 Anusha started a new family and soon their family was as big as before.
Michael and Anusha lived happily ever after on Orchard Street. Their children and grandchildren are still there to this day!
One of the two French boys is still alive in France to this day. He never learned to speak English.