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.