What do you think the “rat” was? Read below pls...

Question

Three Little Kittens (since the poem is kind of long, so I get just the important part of it...)

"Oh mother dear, we greatly fear 

That we have soiled our mittens."

"What! soiled you mittens, you naughty kittens!"

Then they began to cry, "Meeow, meeow, meeow"

Then they began to sigh.

The three little kittens they washed their mittens

And hung them out to dry,

"Oh mother dear, do you not hear

That we have washed our mittens."

"What! washed your mittens, you are good kittens."

But I smell a rat close by, 

"Meeow, meeow, meeow" we smell a rat close by...

Words of the Three Little Kittens Nursery Rhyme

A cautionary tale

with words directed toward to a mother and child and the common occurrence of losing an article, then finding it and finally being rewarded! The word "meeow" shows effective use of onomatopoeia where a word sounds like the action. The mother cat was correct in her view that she could "smell a rat!" This Nursery Rhyme first appeared in the" Only True Mother Goose Melodies" in 1843.

Answer 1

The rat could mean something dangerous is close by.

Answer 2

Smelling a rat nearby most likely is referencing a feeling of danger or an ominous threat. Rats are often seen as dirty and dangerous creatures because of their affinity for spreading diseases. Smelling a rat is a phrase used to describe knowing that someone is gossiping/reporting/informing/tattling. I hope this helps!