• An Introduction From Emrys Fleet Himself
• Some Puckers A'Puckin'
• Some More Basics of the Game
• Official Rat Puck Gear

Here then is a condensation of Rat Puck.

• One begins by adopting a rat of his very own from Emrys Fleet.
  
• Then one secures a satisfactory pucking stick that meets the criteria. The criteria being that the stick is of natural wood only and the business end is no wider then the first two knuckles of Emrys' pointer finger.
  
• Now one addresses one's rat and, after giving the fore warning cry of "Cheese!", one pucks off! Failing to cry "Cheese!" before pucking results in a "Stroke penalty!"
  
• The pucking continues until every pucker achieves the goal. The pucker with the fewest strokes is victorious!
  
• As long as the play is a sanctioned tournament the winner shall become a Master Pucker and shall be awarded the Coveted Crimson Rat.
  
• Any conflicts are resolved by referring to the unilateral rules committee which is made up of Emrys Fleet. In the absence of Emrys, the unilateral rules committee shall be made up of any present Master Puckers.
  
• It must be understood by all that one does not become a Master Pucker on strokes alone, rather by embracing the spirit of the game, elevating the spirit of mankind, and most importantly, gifting!

Rat Puck is a game much like the Scottish game of Golf, but much more fun! Instead of a ball and a club, Rat Puck is played with a rat and a stick. Ostensibly, the object of the game is to strike the target of the hole with your rat in the fewest number of strokes, and thereby finish all of the holes with the lowest total score.

The basic Rat Puckin' shot starts with your rat lying upon the ground. You then address you rat by putting the tip of your stick under your rat and using your foot to settle your rat upon the end of your stick. The rat is then pucked, or flung, toward the target with one motion of the stick. There are a wide variety of shots that can be made in the game of Rat Puck. See the section on Puckin' Techniques for an extensive list.

Here is a list of some of the basic rules of Rat Puck.

• The first and most important rule is that since Rat Puck is Emrys Fleet's game he can change the rules anytime he likes!
  
• The next most important rule is that you must always call the warning cry of, "Cheese!" before every shot. Since Rat Puck is often played where there are crowds of people this cry is required so as to give fair warning to those who may be in danger of being struck by a rat. To forego the cry of "Cheese!" is a "Stroke penalty!"
  
• Striking a Gentle (i.e. faire customer) with your rat is a "Stroke penalty!" This is to encourage puckers to be considerate of others while puckin'. Similarly, having a gentle touch your rat even as it is lying upon the ground is also a "Stroke penalty!"
  
• You must address your rat with your foot in order to get it positioned on the end of your stick. The only exception is that you may use your hand to ready your rat for the first shot of a hole only. To touch your rat with your hand in preparing for any other shot is a "Stroke penalty!"
  

• Puckin' sticks are generally made from a piece of wood such as a downed tree limb. The puckin' end is usually carved to form a flat spot to rest the rat upon. This flat spot cannot be any wider than two of Emrys' fingers, nor can it include hooks or other uneven ridges to help keep the rat upon the stick. Metal of any kind is not permitted anywhere on the puckin' stick. Puckers can be found using all sorts of shapes and sizes of sticks -- it is mostly a matter of personal preference.

  
  
• It must be noted that just about any stick will do in a pinch. In fact, one day in 1997 I forgot to bring my puckin' stick with me to the faire so I went off into the trees and scrounged up a small scrap of a stick that was just lying on the ground in the scrub, and managed to puck with it right well. It just goes to show that it's not the stick, but the skill of the wielder that counts!

Emrys Fleet now has a convenient place on the internet where you can acquire all the offical Rat Puck gear and accessories you desire. He's set up his nice market stall at: http://www.scarlettrat.com/stuff.html

Thank you for stopping by, and come again soon to see what's new. Feel free to write to us with any comments, problems, questions, suggestions, or whatever -- we'd love to hear from you!