It was sitting atop a stone that was unnaturally well aligned to the small hill. Its fur was brown with a dark, rich, red hue, its size about that of a small dog. It looked healthy and didn't react to the two travellers who sat before it.
"It must be a Rat of power, maybe a rat god or goddess!"
"I seldom agree to your spiritual suggestions, but I must admit. This rat gives an impression of power."
"We could use some of that power couldn't we? To ease our travel to Nuur, the holy city."
"We could indeed. I am weary and beginning to doubt. Maybe it could restore my faith."
The two travellers looked at the rat. Then the one who had spoken first took out a piece of bread and placed it on a large leaf he pulled off one of the nearby trees. They pushed the offering closer to the rat. It ignored them.
"Damn! bread is not enough for such a creature."
"Maybe we should offer it the fruits we found yesterday in the meadows?"
The ripe purple fruits were laid on the leaf and the travellers moved away a few paces so the rat could eat. The rat looked at the setting sun.
"Trash and titties! This is one powerful creature! Should we give it the meat?"
"No doubt we should!"
They lay the strips of dried meat covered in sage an thyme on the leaf. The rat lifted its head and sniffed the air. It looked at the two for a couple of moments, then it turned its back on the humans.
"It wont have it. If we had time we could build it a temple. But... never mind. We have to get to Nuur."
"Yea, it is powerful though, I do not doubt it one bit any longer. This is a very powerful being."
They collected the food and packed it in their bags. Before leaving the hill of the holy rat they bowed deep to this creature that really wasn't hungry.
I've seen more rats than I would like. That comes from keeping chickens. I recently got a feeder that seems harder for the rats to access as they were getting most of the food. They are pretty smart creatures really. I don't know how much they are worshipped, but they are part of the Chinese zodiac.
Yes, maybe in China they do - and at least in the zodiac. Elsewhere it seems to be a bit in competition (and symbiosis) with another very successful race of animals which has shitcoins, tupperware and lawnmowers.
Rats can never be God, people think so, A beautiful story
After having written this story I didn't reflect much about it, it was just a scene I saw inside my head. But your comment made me think of what it might mean. Maybe that those not hungry for worship or power seems to attract a lot of respect, but at the same time not much else... Could also be about God I guess in some metaphorical way. I prefer stories to be ambiguous so I seldom have a one stringed interpretation myself.