There is a tale, now passed into Urban Legend, but I know it to be true - of a rat that inhabited a drain in a district of London. This rat popped up one night, out of the most obvious exit, to find that it was blocked by a large round object with a crack down it. The rat whiffled at it and was surprised when the top of the round object gave a yell, leapt up and turned to stare at him. The rat stared back, then popped down to his abode.
The next time the rat popped up his exit, he saw two round shining things like nostrils staring at him. There was a huge explosion and the rats' exit vanished into a puff of porcelain dust.
And there was a tune written about this incident, called 'The Rats' Whiskers'.....