A Rat is a Rat is a Rat... unless he's a field mouse.

24 hours since Niccolo's demise... In my current state of grief, I am a wee bit distressed that so much debate has been generated about how truly "genuine" Nic's "ratness" is (was). I have even been told that "field mouse (or mice)" scans wells poetically. Judge for yourself:

"Mice, right field"

field mice
are twice as nice --

I make them rhyme,

all the time,

and still they scan,

so I'm a fan
--Nicodemus (2009---original)

“Mouse, left field”
field mouse,

that rotten louse

-infected

undetected

little beastie

who's at least

been trying

to dispel the news of dying

rats.

--Nicodemus (2009---original)

Hmmm.... not too shabby.

But Niccolo did *not* look like the picture above!