I Was a Rat! ... or The Scarlet Slippers

One dark night Old Bob and his wife Joan find a mysterious young boy dressed in a page boy costume and they name him Roger. 'I was a rat!' he insists. And certainly his behaviour is strange. The story charts Roger's search for his roots and a new identity. But what is the Truth about Roger's origins? The Daily Scourge claims to be the guardian of truth and voice of the people. One day its editorial calls for the death of the 'Monster of the Sewers', the next it censures those who have harangued the 'poor innocent child'. Pullman has written an entertaining social satire that challenges the moral integrity of the press and the educational and judicial systems. Dickensian characters, Mrs Cribbins, the uncompromising school teacher, and the unscrupulous fairground showman Mr Tapscrew, contrast with Roger's simple honesty. Pullman weaves together elements of fairy story and nineteenth-century fiction to produce a tale that will engage and delight children and adults. Bailey's vignettes add a light touch and provide a period context.