Joe the Rat

We once had a pet rat named Joe. (The kids named him after our neighbor, but that's another story.) Joe loved to explore, and we often left his cage open so he could run around the big table where he lived in the garage. He was also a living example of why we say "pack-rat" and "rat's nest." Anything he could drag back into his cage went in the back corner under the cedar chips, where Joe slept--except food, of course. That went in the front corner by the water bottle. One day, somebody left a full box of tissues on Joe's table. On his next outing, Joe discovered it. He climbed up on it, sniffed around, and grabbed the top tissue with his teeth. It came out easily. He pulled it all the way free and dragged it back to his cage. What a wonderful, soft, light thing--just right for rat bedding.