‘Do you know how the Romans fattened up their dormice?’ Griffin asked. Robin sighed. ‘Griffin.’ ‘Your tutors had you read Varro, didn’t they? He describes a glirarium in the Res Rustica.* It’s quite an elegant contraption. You make a jar, only it’s perforated with holes so the dormice can breathe, and the surfaces are polished so smooth that escape is impossible. You put food in the hollows, and you make sure there are some ledges and walkways so the dormice don’t get too bored. Most importantly, you keep it dark, so the dormice always think it’s time to hibernate. All they do is sleep and
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