CHAPTER 1 ALL THE COLORS OF TRASH
Everyone knows that rats love garbage. A human’s trash is a rat’s feast, after all!
But here’s a RAT FACT you may not know: Not all trash in The City is created equal.
Want sweet treats? Head to a trash can in the park.
A park will always have cookie crumbs, jam sandwich crusts, and juice boxes. Yum!
Looking for a heartier meal? Look no further than the deli trash can. It’s got leftover chicken noodle soup containers and greasy corned beef sandwich wrappers.
And if you want a five-star gourmet experience? Oh boy, do I have the perfect trash can for you!
In fact, I was headed there right now.
I scuttled along the streets, past the park and deli. I zipped over a grate on the sidewalk and got hit with a blast of hot air. Finally, I hit a dead end.
Right there, towering above me, was a big glass building.
It was the brightest building on the block, with huge windows instead of walls. Everything about it was sparkling new. Even the dumpster!
Every fancy building has equally fancy trash, and this building was no different. Inside the dumpster, I found avocado skins, organic snack packs, and oyster shells.
I was feeling pretty fancy, so I even dug out a lace picnic blanket for my meal.
Mwah! Chef’s kiss!
First I tried some smooth, waxy-looking thing in a fancy glass jar.
“BLEGGGGH!” I yelled, spitting it out of my mouth.
Turns out that fancier doesn’t always mean yummier!
I tossed the jar and leaped out of the dumpster. Then I ran along the outside of the building, looking for a rain gutter where I could wash out my mouth.
Aha! There was one up ahead. I lapped up the water as fast as I could.
“Oof. That’s better,” I said, wiping the water off my whiskers.
I looked up and found myself face-to-face with my reflection in the building window.
“Wait a second,” I said. “Did I always look like this?”
When had my fur grown so thick? When had my teeth gotten so long? And I didn’t remember ever tying a bow on my head…
I puffed out my cheeks and watched my reflection’s cheeks puff out too.
I wiggled my snout, and my reflection wiggled its snout.
Then my reflection opened its mouth and said, “Nice to meet you!”
