Ricky The River Rat

The piece features the instruments of the percussion family in appealing way for young people. Ricky the River Rat is a story about smelly rat that is a menace to the neighborhood for stealing children’s birthday cakes, Trick or Treat candy, Santa’s cookies and the neighborhood’s favorite snack – crackers.   In their attempt to capture the rat they connect themselves to the rat with fishing line. But he is so strong that he pulls them on an adventure through the slimy sewer, up a mountain covered with sticker bushes, bouncing down the mountain of boulders and into a river with rapids.  They almost catch the rat by tying their fishing line to a low-lying branch. Ricky manages to break free but never is seen again.  The story ends with “If you see some fishing line stuck on a branch over a river you will know where they almost caught Ricky the River Rat."

The story shows the value of perseverance as well is a vehicle to introduce and feature the percussion family of music instruments to young people.