03-PAWS AS COLD AS ICE

PAWS AS COLD AS ICE I started walking home. Luckily, my mouse hole is only a few blocks from The Rodent's Gazette. What is The Rodent's Gazette? Oops, silly me. I completely forgot to introduce myself. My name is Stilton, Geronimo Stilton. I am a writer and the publisher of The Rodent's Gazette. It is the best newspaper on Mouse Island. Now, let's see, where was I? Ah, yes, I was headed back home. When I got there, I pulled out my key to open the door. Just then, two paws as cold as ice covered my eyes. "Heeeeelllppppp! Don't hurt me!" I squeaked in terror.

"You can have anything you want. Take my watch! Take my coat! Take my firstborn rodent!" My attacker uncovered my eyes. It was only my sister, Thea. "Crispy cheese crackers! Pull yourself together, Gerry Berry!" she scolded. "It's just me. What a scaredy mouse!" I had turned as WHITE as a piece of mozzarella. I was breathing hard. Why did my family insist on playing pranks on me? They knew I hated surprises. They knew I hated to be scared. I tried to pry open the door, but my sister blocked my way. "Not so fast, Germeister," she squeaked. "I came to talk to you about Halloween." Ugh. There it was again. HALLOWEEN.

Why do mice love Halloween? It's such a spooky holiday. Just thinking about October 31 makes my fur stand on end. I tried to tune her out, but my sister kept squeaking away. She said she had a great idea. She thought we should publish a book about HALLOWEEN. It would have everything you need to plan a party: spooky party games, costume ideas, and even terrifying recipes. "It will sell like hot cheese cider at the Furtown Fall Festival!" she insisted. "The only problem is, we will have to publish it RIGHT AWAY." I nodded. After all, no one wants to read a Halloween book after the holiday is over. And Halloween was only a week away. But who would be able to write a book that fast? I tapped my head with my paw.

Think, think, think, I told myself. Just then, I noticed my sister was staring at me. She grinned. Uh-oh. I knew that look. It meant she had an idea. Thea's ideas can be scary. Once, she decided I needed some spice in my life. She took me hang gliding. I fell out of the glider and ended up in a prickly bush. I still have nightmares about it. Thea winked at me. "You're a writer, big brother," she declared. "You can write the book about Halloween. You'll just have to work fast. You have twenty-four hours." I held up my paws. "Oh, no, not me!" I shrieked. "I hate Halloween! And I don't know anything about parties or costumes!" No way, I told myself. I would never write a book about a holiday I hated.

Of course, my sister wouldn't give up. Once she gets an idea in her head, there's no stopping her. She's like the Rodents Express train. Full speed ahead! She said I could get help from my cousin. "Trap knows a lot about scary tricks and stuff now that he's working at Tricks for Tales," she explained. I rolled my eyes. There was no way that I would ever ask my cousin for advice. His ideas were scarier than my sister's. "Forget it," I declared, stamping my paw. I Geronimo Stilton will never do it. No, make that never, ever," I added. Then I dashed into my mouse hole and slammed the door before Thea could stop me. What a horrible night.