Mother gasped when Trish opened the paper sack containing Mr. and Mrs. Longtails."Aren't they cute?" asked Trish, proud of her new pets. Her younger brother Fredrick thought the brown and white and black rats very cute. So did Trish's special friend Sally, until a misunderstanding about a pair of skates and the designs of Sally's cat Muffin, spoiled things.The Longtails family, which grew considerably within a short time, seemed to bring nothing but trouble. Would Trish ever forget the day she took the rats to school, the day the rats somehow got out of the cage and one of them found his way down inside Mr. Plunkett's jacket? Through it all Trish learned some important lessons about honesty, self-reliance, and friendship. She even learned to appreciate her older sister Lynne more.