The French in Bernard into Battle

Bernard into Battle is the last book in Margery Sharp’s Rescuers series (or, as the author seems to prefer it, the Miss Bianca series). This last adventure has the mice who live in the Embassy threatened by an invasion of rats from the sewer. The mice must mount a defense, and, it turns out, it’s a deadly battle. 

The rats lay siege to the Moot Hall of the Mouse Prisoners’ Aid Society, which is an old wine barrel. To thwart the rats, the mice fight back with chemical warfare — a particularly stinky old cheese:

[The] fumes [of the bad cheese] proved so deadly, the rats succumbed as before a gas attack. Those in front fell sideways from their hunkers with all four feet in the air, and even the rearmost ranks choked and spluttered but a moment before following suit, and within a moment all were hors de combat (which is French for being down and out). Even Hercules was hors de combat, he the foremost of all having received the Gorgonzola’s full blast absolutely nez a nez (which is French for head on), and lay senseless upon what should have been his field of victory!

The deadliness of the fumes prove to be more figure of speech than real poison, and the rats recover to attack another day.

While the rats are recuperating, our old friend Bernard convinces Miss Bianca to stay out of any future fray. She may be able to talk a cat out of eating a mouse, but Bernard doesn’t think Miss Bianca’s silver tongue is up to the challenge of a swarm of rats. Miss Bianca, however, refuses to be cooped up 24/7.

Bernard … consented to [Miss Bianca] walking out for twenty minutes or so each day in the Radish Patch, which permission he gave more readily because the Radish Patch was surrounded by practically a cheval-a-frise of close set holly bushes …

The war culminates in a real pitched battle. Pen-nibs have been appropriated from the Ambassador’s office to act as spear heads. Even thus armed, our mouse heroes are outmatched by the burlier rats.

Many a pen-nib indeed found its mark in rattish vitals, but even a rat struck to the heart could ere he succumbed still bowl his assailant over and leave it to a fellow-rat to administer the bite, or coup de grace.

Hercules, the leader of the rats, is confident of victory.

Hercules advanced at the head of his corps d’elite (again French, meaning his best troops).

definitions: Margery Sharp usually provides quick translations of her French in Bernard into Battle. But here are some versions from the internet, too:

hors de combat : Out of action due to injury or damage.

nez a nez : face to face

cheval-a-frise : an obstacle, usually a piece of wood with projecting spikes, formerly used to hinder enemy horsemen 

coup de grace : a death blow or death shot administered to end the suffering of one mortally wounded

corps d’elite : A select group

source:

Bernard into Battle

by Margery Sharp

illustrated by Leslie Morrill

1978. Little, Brown, & Co., Boston