City of the Rats facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | Emily Rodda |
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| Cover artist | Marc McBride |
| Country | Australia |
| Series | Deltora Quest |
| Genre | Fantasy novel |
| Publisher | Scholastic |
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Publication date
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2001 |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | 132 |
| ISBN | 0-439-25325-X |
| OCLC | 47014806 |
| LC Class | CPB Box no. 1857 vol. 34 |
| Preceded by | The Lake of Tears |
| Followed by | The Shifting Sands |
City of the Rats is the third exciting book in the Deltora Quest series, written by Emily Rodda. In this adventure, our heroes continue their important quest to find the seven lost gems of Deltora. Each book brings new dangers and powerful guardians they must face!
Contents
What Happens in the Story?
After finding the Ruby in the Lake of Tears, Lief, Barda, and Jasmine are now looking for the Opal. This special gem is hidden in a place called Hira, also known as the City of the Rats.
As they travel, they keep seeing signs with the word "Tom" written on them. Soon, they fall into a trap set by eleven of Thaegan's children. With help from Filli, their small mouse-like friend, the trio manages to defeat most of the children. Only one, named Ichabod, escapes.
They find Tom's shop and buy useful items like Fire Beads, Water Eaters, Glowing Bubbles, and Instant Bread. They also get three unique animals called Muddlets. Muddlets have three legs and can be ridden like horses.
Lief doesn't listen to Tom's directions and takes the wrong path. The Muddlets suddenly run off on their own, leading the group to the city of Noradz. They become trapped inside! Noradz is a city that is super strict about being clean. When Filli pops out from Jasmine's shirt, a guard called a Ra-Kacharz thinks he's a rat. The guard gives the trio two terrible choices: live or die.
Lief is told to pick a card from a cup, labeled either 'Life' or 'Death'. Lief cleverly realizes both cards say 'Death'. He tricks the guard, but they still end up in prison. A girl named Tira helps them escape. She shows them a secret way out through the kitchen's trash tube! They wear stolen Ra-Kacharz clothes to survive the messy tube.
Finally, they reach the Broad River. Using their Water Eaters, they cross the river. But on the other side, many rats are waiting for them! They use the explosive Fire Beads to escape the dangerous rats and enter the city's center. The Glowing Bubbles light their way through the dark.
Lief starts hearing voices. These voices belong to Reeah, a giant snake known as the King of Rats. The Opal they are searching for is on Reeah's head, like a crown. Lief realizes that the people of Noradz used to live in the City of the Rats. He also figures out that "Noradz" sounds like "No Rats," and "Ra-Kacharz" sounds like "Rat-Catchers." The city became so full of rats that the people had to move and became obsessed with cleanliness. Even "Noradzeer," a word often repeated by the people of Noradz, sounds like "No Rats Here."
Lief realizes Reeah had set a trap for them. After a big fight, Lief and Jasmine defeat the giant snake. When Lief touches the Opal, he sees a vision of himself sinking into the Shifting Sands. But Lief remembers that the Opal's visions of the future are not always true. So, they bravely continue their quest to find the fourth gem in the Shifting Sands.
Meet the Main Characters
Who is Lief?
Lief is the main hero of the Deltora Quest series. He grew up believing his parents were Jarred and Anna, who worked at the forge. As a child, Lief explored the streets of Del. This helped him become smart and skillful for his future adventures. He didn't know it, but Barda was always secretly protecting him. On his sixteenth birthday, Lief learns he must begin a dangerous quest. His mission is to find the lost gems of the Belt of Deltora.
Who is Barda?
Barda was chosen by the King and Queen of Deltora to help find the lost gems. Sixteen years before the story begins, he started his mission. For those sixteen years, Barda pretended to be a beggar. This allowed him to gather important information for the quest. He also secretly became the bodyguard for Lief, the King and Queen's child. Lief didn't know about this protection. When Lief turned sixteen, Barda revealed himself. The quest for the gems of Deltora then began. At first, Barda found traveling with a young person annoying. But soon, he saw Lief as a helpful partner.
Who is Jasmine?
Jasmine is a wild girl with dark hair and bright green eyes. She grew up in the Forests of Silence. Lief and Barda meet her there shortly after leaving Del. Her parents, Jarred and Anna, were captured when she was seven. So, the forest became her home and raised her. Jasmine can understand the language of trees and many animals. She has incredibly sharp senses. However, she sometimes struggles to understand how people act in social situations. Jasmine is usually seen with her raven, Kree, and a small mouse-like creature she calls Filli. Like Lief, Jasmine can sometimes have a quick temper. After helping Lief and Barda in the forest, and with the help of the Topaz gem, she sees her mother's spirit. Her mother tells her to join Lief and Barda on their quest. After this, Jasmine joins them to find the great gems that will complete the Belt.
