I Was a Rat! or, The Scarlet Slippers

'I was a rat!' So insists a scruffy boy named Roger. Maybe it's true, but what is he now? A terrifying monster running wild in the sewers? The Daily Scourge is sure of it. A victim of 'Rodent Delusion'? The hospital nurse says yes. A lucrative fairground attraction? He is to Mr. Tapscrew. Or is Roger just an ordinary little boy? Only three people believe this version of the story, and it may take a royal intervention-and a bit of magic-to convince everyone else. A playful parody of the press, I Was a Rat! is a magical weaving of humour, fairy tale, and adventure. When, in A Scarecrow and His Servant, a bolt of lightning brings Scarecrow to life, he proves to be a courteous but pea-brained fellow with grand ideas. He meets a boy, Jack, who becomes his faithful servant and the two embark upon a terrifying series of adventures-including battles, brigands, broken hearts, and treasure islands. But little does the Scarecrow know that he is being followed by a family who desperately wishes he'd never sprung to life. Two stories of myth, magic and adventure from the master teller of tales.