Melchisedec
- The other person who helps Sara get through some rough times is Lottie, who adores her and can't figure why Sara looks all shabby now.
- Lottie somehow gets up to Sara's room and starts crying because it's so bad.
- (Lottie has also never seen a princess movie, so she doesn't know how this story is going to end.)
- Sara bravely tells her that the room isn't so bad and that she can see all sorts of things from the attic.
- They look out the window. The house next door is empty and Sara says she wishes someone lived over there so she'd have someone to talk to.
- They feed crumbs to the sparrows and Sara talks dreamily about all the amazing things that she can see from up there.
- She even pretends that her room is full of nice furniture.
- Lottie is convinced, but Sara isn't quite. Once Lottie leaves, she sits around feeling pretty sorry for herself.
- Just then, a large rat emerges from the wall with its eye on some of the crumbs that Lottie dropped.
- Sara doesn't scream like other little girls (and Shmoop) would. Instead, she watches the rat and encourages him to come out.
- Though he's pretty scared, the rat finally takes the crumbs and then darts back into the wall
- A week later, Ermengarde comes to join Sara in her room and overhears Sara speaking to someone named Melchisedec.
- Who is Melchisedec, you (and Ermengarde) ask, and why is his name such a mouthful?
- Oh, it's just the rat, no biggie.
- Sara says that she imagines Melchisedec's whole life and his family.
- Then, they hear a knock from the other room. It's Becky, who communicates with Sara through the wall.
- Sara tells Ermengarde stories for the rest of the night, and they're all like one big happy family.