"Ruby" by Michael Emberley

In the beginning of her story, Ruby, the main character of Emberley’s “Ruby,” presents herself as intelligent, naïve, and unprepared for the danger ahead of her. The audience can see the danger in store for Ruby, even before she realizes for herself, as the stranger who saves her smoothly says, “You know…a tender, er, pretty thing like you really shouldn’t be strolling the streets alone…allow me to escort you for the remainder of your journey today.” The audience, with the aid of the illustrations, immediately recognizes the stranger as a cat, the eternal enemy of mice everywhere. In the heart of the story, Ruby finally grasps the utter threat and remembers what she has been taught about strangers just in time. After cleverly making a call to the proper person, Mrs. Mastiff, she uses her resources to fix the situation, knowing she alone is helpless against the threat of the cat. Mrs. Mastiff commends her foreword thinking in phoning her when she says, “It was wise of you to call me instead of your granny.” Through the praise of Mrs. Mastiff, Ruby recognizes that she used her resources to solve the ominous predicament she had found herself in successfully.