mouse flying the plane was.
“My sister loves pink,”
I added.
At that moment, an
enormouse pink package
struck me on the head. Before
I fainted, I noticed a note on
the side of the box. It said:
When I came to, the others
were busy opening Thea’s
package. No one gave me a
second glance. I snorted. So
much for mousely manners. It
Pink almonds
Pink notes
Pink roses
For Angel Paws
and Gentle Mouse
Angel Paws
and
Gentle Mouse
99
was clear that all anyone cared about was
the box.
What was inside? It was a full-length
wedding dress and a tux. Now everyone
was happy. Well, everyone except me,
that is. A lump had formed on top of my
head. It was the size of a mega-huge ball of
mozzarella!
The surprise package
Congratulations!
BA R B ECU E!
Come one, Come all.
Get ready for the best barbeCue
this side of niaGara falls!
b
rouGht to you by the
best Chef in the world!
bArbecue tiMe!
After the wedding ceremony, we headed
back to the campsite. When we arrived
we were overwhelmed by a delicious
smell. I sniffed the air. Could it be? Yes,
it smelled just like a backyard
barbecue.
I ran toward the campsite. That’s when I
spotted a big poster leaning against a rock.
It said:
103
I scratched my fur. There was only one
rodent I knew who was that full of himself.
There was only one rodent I knew who was
that irritating. . .such a pain!
My cousin Trap!
Just then, a pair of whiskers emerged from
behind a cloud of smoke. A pot-bellied
rodent wearing a loud Hawaiian-print shirt
stood behind a smoking grill. He waved a
what’s squeaking?” he smirked. “Love the
lump on your head. It’s sooooo you!”
I rolled my eyes. Yep, it was my cousin
Trap, all right. Have I mentioned he’s a total
pain
in my tail?
I started to explain about the bump on my
head when Trap interrupted me.
“Listen up, rodents!” he called. “You’re
about to taste the best cooking around. So
,
greasy spatula at me. “Yo,
Germeister
Yum!
Yum!
Yum-Yum!
DELICIOUS!
don’t drag your feet, it’s time to eat. Now
that you’ve found Trap, you can throw away
your map. That’s TRAP —
T as in LOOK OUT, TONGUE, YOU’RE IN
foR A TReAT!
R as in READY OR NOT, HERE IT
comes!
A as in ASK ME IF I CAN COOK.
P as in PAY ATTENTION, THE NAME IS
TRAP!”
Yes, there is one thing you should know
about my cousin. He’s in love. No, not with
another mouse. With himself!
T
H
A
T
H
I
T
T
H
E
S
P
O
T
!
Yum!
Yum!
Yum!
Still, I had to admit his
barbecue was delicious. I
stuffed my snout like my uncle
Cheesebelly at a make-your-
own-cheese-sundae buffet
.
After dessert, Thea took
me on a helicopter ride over
the f a l l s. It really was
a SPECTECULARsight. Too
bad I got sick on the way
down. I knew I shouldn’t
have eaten three piece of
cheesecake
!
107
little Mice
A
round the World
Finally, it was time to go home. We boarded
the plane headed for Mouse Island. It was
another long flight. The little mice climbed
all over me. Then they sang songs at the top
of their lungs. I didn’t get one bit of rest.
Still, I was kind of sad when we landed. I
was going to miss those little rodents.
As we were waiting for our luggage, I
made an announcement. “You are all invited
to visit me at The Rodent’s Gazette,” I told
the class. “You can see how we put the
newspaper together. You can see how a
book is made
.”
“HOORAY!” the little mice cheered.
Then Punk Rat grabbed my paw.
“I’m going to miss you, Mr. Geronimouse,”
he sobbed.
I patted his head.
but remember, my name is Geronimo,
Geronimo Stilton.”
“of course, Mr. Geronimity,” Punk Rat
squeaked.
I tried to remain calm. “It’s Geronimo, Punk
Rat,” I repeated. “That’s G-E-R-O-N-I-M-O.”
Punk Rat smirked. “That’s what I said,
Mr. Geronimoose,” he giggled.
I gave up. What else could I do?
Punk Rat flung his paws around my neck.
He really wasn’t such a bad little mouse.
In fact, he was just like lots of little mice
around the world — full of life and love
and, oh, of course, cheese.
110
to trAvel . . .
is better thAn
to Arrive
We headed for the airport exit. A school
bus was waiting for Miss Angel Paws and
her class. I waved good-bye. “I’ll take a taxi
home,” I told them.
A line of cheese-colored cabs waited at the
curb. But for some reason, my paws didn’t
want to budge. My bag felt like it weighed
a ton. An overwhelming feeling of sadness
came over me. It had been such an
exciting adventure.
And now it was over.
Just then, I remembered
a line from one of my
favorite authors. His name
was Robert Louis Squeakenson.
Do you know him? He wrote
a book called Treasure
Island. Anyway, he said
that to travel is better
than to arrive.
Well, I don’t know if that is true all of the
time. Usually, I am thrilled to get back to my
comfy, cozy mouse hole. But this time, I still
had the travel bug in me.
And so I did what any smart mouse would
do. I turned around and headed right back into
the airport. I, Geronimo Stilton, booked
a trip to
Blue Cheese Island
. I
hear it’s supposed to be beautiful there this
time of year. Blue skies, blue waters, and lots
R
.
L
.
S
q
u
&nb
sp; e
a
k
e
n
S
o
n
I
c
o
u
l
d
n
’
t
w
a
i
t
t
o
g
e
t
t
h
e
r
e
!
and lots of blue cheese.
Born in New Mouse City, Mouse
Island,
Geronimo Stilton
is
Rattus Emeritus of Mousomorphic
Literature and of Neo-Ratonic
Comparative Philosophy. For the
past twenty years, he has been
running The Rodent’s Gazette, New Mouse City’s
most widely read daily newspaper.
Stilton was awarded the Ratitzer Prize for his
scoops on The Curse of the Cheese Pyramid and
The Search for Sunken Treasure. He has also
received the Andersen 2000 Prize for Personality of
the Year. One of his bestsellers won the 2002 eBook
Award for world’s best ratlings’ electronic book. His
works have been published all over the globe.
In his spare time, Mr. Stilton collects antique
cheese rinds and plays golf. But what he most
enjoys is telling stories to his nephew Benjamin.
A
BOUT THE
A
UTHOR
1. Main entrance
2. Printing presses (where the books
and newspaper are printed)
3. Accounts department
4. Editorial room (where the editors,
illustrators, and designers work)
5. Geronimo Stilton’s office
6. Helicopter landing pad
The RodenT’s
GazeTTe
6
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
41
42
38
37
35
36
39
30
29
34
27
28
31
32
33
40
44
43
46
45
R
O
D
E
N
T
R
I
V
E
R
B
e
a
c
h
1. Industrial Zone
2. Cheese Factories
3. Angorat International
Airport
4. WRAT Radio and
Television Station
5. Cheese Market
6. Fish Market
7. Town Hall
8. Snotnose Castle
9. The Seven Hills of
Mouse Island
10. Mouse Central Station
11. Trade Center
12. Movie Theater
13. Gym
14. Catnegie Hall
15. Singing Stone Plaza
16. The Gouda Theater
17. Grand Hotel
18. Mouse General Hospital
19. Botanical Gardens
20. Cheap Junk for Less
(Trap’s store)
21. Aunt Sweetfur and
Benjamin’s House
22. Mouseum of
Modern Art
23. University and Library
24. The Daily Rat
25. The Rodent’s Gazette
26. Trap’s House
27. Fashion District
28. The Mouse House
Restaurant
29. Environmental
Protection Center
30. Harbor Office
31. Mousidon Square
Garden
32. Golf Course
33. Swimming Pool
34. Tennis Courts
35. Curlyfur Island
Amousement Park
36. Geronimo’s House
37. Historic District
38. Public Library
39. Shipyard
40. Thea’s House
41. New Mouse Harbor
42. Luna Lighthouse
43. The Statue of Liberty
44. Hercule Poirat’s Office
45. Petunia Pretty Paws’s
House
46. Grandfather William’s
House
Map of New Mouse City
1
35
37
36
34
4
33
32
31
29
28
27
24
23
22
25
21
20
19
18
16
15
14
13
12
10
9
8
7
6
5
3
2
Cat’s
Claw
Bay
17
This way
to the Mousific
Ocean
This way
to the
Ratlantic Ocean
This way to the Sea of Mice
This way to the Rodent Straits
Stray
Cat
Harbor
Furflung Island
Hamster Islands
C
o
r
a
l
R
e
e
f
s
Brigand’s Isle
Tomcat Island
Panther
Archipelago
Blue Dolphin
Bay
Mousefort Beach
New Mouse City
San Mouscisco
Swissville
Mouseport
Cheddarton
11
26
30
P
i
r
a
t
e
S
h
i
p
o
f
C
a
t
s
M
o
u
s
e
I
s
l
a
n
d
1. Big Ice Lake
2. Frozen Fur Peak
3. Slipperyslopes Glacier
4. Coldcreeps Peak
5. Ratzikistan
6. Transratania
7. Mount Vamp
8. Roastedrat Volcano
9. Brimstone Lake
10. Poopedcat Pass
11. Stinko Peak
12. Dark Forest
13. Vain Vampi
res Valley
14. Goose Bumps Gorge
15. The Shadow Line Pass
16. Penny Pincher Castle
17. Nature Reserve Park
18. Las Ratayas Marinas
19. Fossil Forest
20. Lake Lake
21. Lake Lakelake
22. Lake Lakelakelake
23. Cheddar Crag
24. Cannycat Castle
25. Valley of the Giant
Sequoia
26. Cheddar Springs
27. Sulfurous Swamp
28. Old Reliable Geyser
29. Vole Vale
30. Ravingrat Ravine
31. Gnat Marshes
32. Munster Highlands
33. Mousehara Desert
34. Oasis of the
Sweaty Camel
35. Cabbagehead Hill
36. Rattytrap Jungle
37. Rio Mosquito
Map of Mouse Island
Dear mouse friends,
Thanks for reading, and farewell
till the next book.
It’ll be another whisker-licking-good
adventure, and that’s a promise!
Benjamin
Trap
Geronimo STilTon
Thea
www.scholastic.com/
geronimo stilton
Who is Geronimo Stilton?
That’s me! I run a newspaper, but
my true passion is writing adventure
stories. Here in New Mouse City, the
capital of Mouse Island, my books
are all bestsellers! My stories are
funny, fa-mouse-ly funny. They are
whisker-licking-good tales, and that’s
a promise!
FIELD TRIP TO
NIAGARA FALLS
Holey cheese, what an adventure!
I was off to Niagara Falls on a field
trip with my nephew Benjamin’s
class. It was a beautiful place — truly
one of the most amazing sights I’d
ever seen. But unfortunately, I was
surrounded by mischievous young
mouselets who seemed determined
send me over the Falls in a barrel!
Oh, would I ever make it back to
Mouse Island alive?
FnL1 00 0000
RL3 007-010