14-MY NAME IS NIBBLETTE!

MY NAME IS NIBBLETTE! At last, we were ready to head home. Right then, I heard someone crying. It was a young female mouse about Benjamin's age. She was hiccupping with tears. A tough-looking young mouse stood over her. He was pulling one of her pigtails. He had tossed her backpack in the snow. If there is one thing I can't stand, it's bully mice. "HEY, YOU!" I said sternly. "Leave her alone!" The little thug marched over to me. Then he KICKED me in the shins. I doubled over. Rats! That was painful! I slipped on the ice and fell, snout first, in the snow.

"Leave my uncle alone, you mean bully!" shouted Benjamin. The other mouse RAN AWAY. Benjamin picked up the backpack. He gave it to the young mouse. "Don't worry about him," he told her. "He was just a COWARD. Did you see how he raced off?" The little mouse wiped away her tears. "Thanks, that was very brave of you," she said shyly. Benjamin turned bright red. I smiled. It looked like my little nephew had a new friend. Before

long, the two were holding paws and chattering away. The little mouse told us her name was Nibblette. we all walked home together. On the way, we stopped at The Slurpy Snout for a CUP of hot chocolate. The Snout makes the best cocoa in New Mouse City. We sat down at a corner table. Then

the waitress brought us our drinks. I took a few sips. The steamy hot chocolate was topped with whipped cream. The cream stuck to my whiskers. I licked it off. I was wrong. I decided. The Snout didn't make the best cocoa in town. It made the best cocoa in the whole world! Yum!