02-THE RODENT'S GAZETTE

THE RODENT'S GAZETTE Luckily, I survived. So did my tail. After the trolley hit, I yanked my tail from the rails. Then I stumbled to my paws. I had a huge grin on my face. I felt so happy. So carefree. So ALIVE. Oh, yes, I was happy to be alive. And I was happy for

another reason, too. I had fallen in love! Getting knocked in the head by that trolley had made me realize something. The beautiful mouse in the diner was the one for me. I just knew she was my soul mouse. Now all I had to do was tell her. I reached my office in a daze. Oops, I forgot to tell you. I run a daily newspaper. It's called The Rodent's Gazette. As soon as I walked into the editorial

room, my sister, Thea, ATTACKED me. "Geronimooo! Where have you been?" she shrieked. "The meeting has already started!" I just grinned from ear to ear. "Meeting? What meeting?" I murmured absentmindedly. My sister stared at me. "What's with the bottles in your nose? And what happened to your jacket? You look like you just got run over by a trolley!" she declared. I smiled. "Yes, it was a trolley. It ran right over me," I giggled. I was still dreaming about the mouse from the diner. "Such gorgeous fur," I mumbled. "And that smile could light up the darkest mouse hole." My sister stamped her paw. Then she grabbed me by the whiskers. "Hello in there! Is anybody home?!" she shouted in my ear. "What are

you talking about? You are not making any sense. Did you drink too much coffee this morning?" I blinked. That's right, coffee, I thought. That's how it all began. With a cup of coffee... A silly grin spread over my face. Just thinking about the mouse you love can make you do that. Meanwhile, Thea was staring at me like I was some kind of rodent science experiment. Suddenly, she groaned. "Did you fall in love?" she squeaked. "Is that why you're acting so strange?" I sighed happily. "LOVE, isn't it wonderful?" I beamed. Then I pulled a wad of bills out of my pocket. I began counting them

as if they were petals on a flower. "She loves me, she loves me not, she loves me, she loves me not..." I sang. Thea rolled her eyes in disgust. "You'd better get your act together, big brother," she advised. "In case you've forgotten, you are the publisher of a newspaper. There's a ton of work to be done!" I twirled my tail, lost in thought. Work, I thought DREAMILY. I wonder what kind of work the most beautiful mouse in the world does. She looked so smart. So polished. Maybe she was the head of her own advertising agency. Or perhaps she was an international supermodel. I was so busy thinking about my soul mouse that I barely heard the knock on my door.