Ritu bear could not sleep properly. There was some problem in his bed. Everything was okay ten days back. The problem started after Ritu bear’s birthday party. After the birthday party was over and all his friends left, Ritu was exhausted totally. He wanted to go to the bed as soon as possible. He had taken lot of cakes and wafers and he was feeling full. Ritu’s mother said, “Ritu, don’t go to bed straightaway. You have eaten a lot today. So, go to the garden for a small walk and then you can go to sleep. That is good for digestion.” Ritu always obeyed his mom. So, he started for a walk. Then, he felt slightly better.
He came to his room and slept on his bed. He did not know what the time was when he woke up. He felt something was wrong with his bed. He could hear some noise from his bed, as if someone was jumping inside the bed. He had seen a thriller movie with his friends a week back and so he was all the more scared. “My God, what is this noise? “. After a while, the noise stopped. There were no movements in the bed. When Ritu started sleeping, again the same thing happened.
Ritu called his mom. She came from her room wiping her sleepy eyes. “What happened to you Ritu? Why are you awake till now? Don’t you have school tomorrow?” she asked Ritu. Ritu said, “mm.. yes, mom. But, can you come to my room and just have a look at my bed?
I can here some noises, you know, as if somebody is jumping inside”. Ritu’s mom looked puzzled. But, she wanted to see if something was really wrong. So, she followed Ritu to his room and switched on the light. Then she examined the bed. Everything was okay. There was no sound from the bed. She told Ritu, “Ritu, nothing to worry. There is nothing in your bed. You go to sleep now.” Then she kissed Ritu and left his room.
Ritu covered his body with a blanket tightly and tried to sleep again. After five minutes, “trip..trap..trrr..” Ritu jumped from his bed. He shouted gathering all his courage, “Who is that? Come before me, if you are brave enough. Don’t act like a coward”. Then there was perfect silence. After some time, the same noise and movements. Ritu could not sleep the whole night. Next day, when Ritu went to school, he looked very dull. His friend, Mitu squirrel asked him “Hey, Ritu. Why are you not laughing at my jokes. You used to laugh at all my silly jokes.” Ritu told the things happened at home. Mitu squirrel said, “Do not worry. I will come and stay with you during the weekend. Let me find out who is scaring my friend “.
On Friday evening, Mitu squirrel packed his bags and told his mother,” Mom, Can I stay in my friend Ritu’s place today. I will be back by tomorrow afternoon.“
He took a torch and put it inside his bag.
Ritu and Mitu enjoyed the special dinner prepared by Ritu’s mom and watched TV for sometime. Then both of them went to sleep. Mitu squirrel said, “Ritu, today I will find out who is troubling you.
Just give me a bamboo stick. “Ritu gave him the stick. Mitu squirrel said, “You switch off the night lamp also.” It was dark everywhere. Both the friends listened for the noise carefully. Soon, the noise started coming. “Trrr..trap…trrr..“. Mitu told Ritu, “sh… keep quite. Do not get up from the bed. “The two friends did not move from the bed. Slowly, Mitu took the torch and showed it on the floor. He could see two small rats coming from the bed and running towards the kitchen. He called Ritu and showed him the rats. He told Ritu, “Ritu, you must kept your windows open someday or the other. That is how the rats have entered your house. They have bitten your mattress and kept it as their hiding place. When the bite the mattress, you hear that noise and they also jump inside your bed. So, do not get scared. You stitch your bed and I will bring katy cat to drive them away. But always remember to keep your bedroom windows closed.” Ritu remembered that on his birthday, he forgot to close the window after he came from walking. He had left pieces of cakes in his bedroom.
That is how, the rats must have got tempted to come inside to eat them.
Now, Ritu was very happy that he could now sleep without any tension. He offered a lot of nuts to Mitu squirrel the next day.
