Chapter 6 5.rescue

George was delighted to have the opportunity to destroy the pantry floor.He ran out and brought back his hammer, screwdriver and ice pick. "I'm going to snap these old floors off," he said, inserting his screwdriver into the edge of the first floor and prying hard. "Don't destroy these floors until we've done a thorough investigation," Mr Little declared. "That's enough, George! You can put that hammer and all back where it came from." "Oh, all right," said George. "I don't think anyone in this house cares about Stuart except me."

Mrs. Little began to cry. "My poor, dear little boy!" she said. "I knew he was going to get there." "Just because you can't travel comfortably through a rat hole doesn't mean Stuart can't either," Mr Little said. "You must not think so." "Maybe we should give him something to eat," George suggested. "That's what the state troopers do when a guy's stuck in a hole," said George, rushing into the kitchen and bringing back a small dish of applesauce. "We can pour some jam in here, and he'll come out and eat it." George poured out some applesauce, and looked into the hole.

"Don't do that!" roared Mr. Little. "George, can't you please let me take care of this? Get that applesauce off right now!" Mr. Little gave George a sharp look. "I'm just trying to save my own brother," George said, shaking his head as he carried the applesauce back to the kitchen. "Let's call Stuart," suggested Mrs. Little. "It's possible that there were too many sideways in that mouse hole, so he got lost." "That's a good idea," said Mr. Little. "I'll count to three, and then we'll shout together, and then we'll be completely silent for three seconds, to see if there's an answer." He took off his watch.

Mr. and Mrs. Little, and George, were kneeling on their hands, with their mouths as far as they could go toward the rat hole.Then they yelled together: "Stu-art!" Then they were all completely silent for three seconds. Stuart, struggling in the rolled-up curtains, heard their shouts from the store-room and replied, "Here I am!" But his voice was too low, and the curtains shut it, so the family did not hear to his shout. "Do it again!" said Mr. Little. "One, two, three—Stu-Art!" It didn't work.Still no answer.Mrs. Little ran into her bedroom, lay down and wept softly.Mr. Little ran to the phone and called the Missing Persons Registry, but hung up in disgust when the operator asked for a description of Stuart and was told he was only two inches tall.George was checking the cellar below, to see if there were any other rat-hole exits.He moved many suitcases, suitcases, flower pots, baskets, pots, and broken chairs, and moved them from one side of the cellar to the other, just to find the place he thought was most likely to have a hole, but he couldn't find it. Not a single hole was found.In the course of rummaging, however, he happened to come across an old old rowing machine of Mr. Little's, and immediately took an interest in it, carried it upstairs with great difficulty, and spent the rest of the morning in Sit on and row the boat.

At lunch time (everyone forgot to eat breakfast) they put on the lamb stew which Mrs. Little had already prepared.It was a sad lunch, and everyone tried not to notice the little empty chair Stuart used to sit near Mrs Little's water glass.No one wanted to eat because they were all in a state of intense grief.George ate nothing but a little dessert.After lunch Mrs. Little burst into tears and said she thought Stuart must be dead. "Nonsense, nonsense!" roared Mr. Little. "If he's dead," said George, "we'll draw all the curtains in the house." He ran to the window to draw the curtains.

"George!" said Mr. Little, in an angry tone, "I will punish you if you don't stop your idiotism. We've had enough trouble today, and we can't go any further." Put up with your stupidity." But George had already run into the living room and began to draw the curtains to express his deep condolences for his dead brother.He tugged on the rope, and Stuart fell through the curtain onto the windowsill. "Oh, thank God," said George. "Look who's there, Mom!" "Someone finally pulled that curtain," Stuart said. "That's all I can say." He was weak and hungry.

Mrs. Little was so overjoyed at seeing him that she couldn't help crying again.Of course, everyone wants to know how it happened. "It was just a little accident, but any of you would think so," Stuart said. "Because my hat and cane were found at the mouth of the rat hole, you draw your own conclusions."