"The maggots will nibble off the dirt, you muck snipes!" Mrs Curdle would snigger. To dry off afterwards, she would peg the children to the washing line by their ears. TWANG! Once, when Elsie was found with a pet rat in her pocket that she had befriended, Mrs Curdle used it as a ball in a game of cricket. THUD! "EEEEEK!" WHIZZ!"