Rats
by
M.R. James
(unabridged)
(Audiobook) 
 Rats
begins with the tail end of another story:
"And
if you was to walk through the bedrooms now, you'd see the ragged,
mouldy bedclothes a-heaving and a-heaving like seas.' 'And a-heaving
and a-heaving with what? Why, with the rats under 'em."
The
narrator has obviously been listening to this story and seems to have
some doubts about it because he remembers hearing another similar tale
when he was much younger and in that case the thing hidden beneath the
blankets was not rats at all, but something much worse.
The
story he then shares took place on the Suffolk coast, where is
acquaintance, Mr Thompson -- then only a young man himself - had taken
a room at a quiet inn, where he hoped to be able to enjoy the solitude
and devote some time to reading.
Thompson
did not spend all of his time reading; however, he also enjoyed some
long walks in the countryside. One day he forsook the open country and
took a walk down the passage instead. When he found the door of the
'south-west room' locked Thompson's curiosity got the better of him and
what he found inside the room made him forever cautious of doors and
what he might find behind them.
The
title of this story is a little misleading perhaps, but Rats
is a rather enjoyable story. The
Frightful Tales audiobook
version has a runtime of about seventeen minutes and is
available for download from Audible.co.uk, where it can be found in the
'Audible Kids' category. Rats
is a classic ghost story, written by a master storyteller, and there is
no reason that I can think of why this story should
particularly be for 'Kids.' In fact the story might even be a little
frightening for the very young.
My
main problem with this audiobook is not the category it has been placed
in, but in the quality of the recording. James
Mio reads the story very
well, but the recording; although clear enough has a hollow sound to it
that gives the impression of having been recorded inside a box. Much
more annoying, however, is the hissing and whistling quality to a lot
of the words. If you have ever heard anyone trying to speak when they
have just lost a tooth, then concentrate on that memory now and you
will have some idea of what to expect if you decide if you buy the
audiobook.
Read the full story
online
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