26-PARTY TIME AT LAST!

PARTY TIME AT LAST! Soon, the dining room table was filled with food. A beautiful cheese tower stood as a centerpiece. Each place was set with my best china. Yes, it had survived the fire! Unfortunately, my tablecloth wasn't as lucky. It was burned to a crisp. But Thea came up with a great idea. She pulled down my red velvet curtains. Then she draped them over the immense table. I must admit, everything looked incredible. I was shocked. I mean, I'm not much of a last-minute mouse. I like to plan. And plan. And plan some more. Thea says I need to relax. She says I should learn to go with the flow. Maybe I will try. I just need to know when the flow is coming. How long it will

stay. And if it's going to eat dinner. It was nine o'clock sharp. Party time. The doorbell rang. Hmm... whatever happened to fashionably late? Oh, well. It- didn't matter. I was ready for my first guest. I swung open the door. But it wasn't a guest. It was a delivery mouse from Better Cheddar and Beyond. He had the two cheese baskets I had bought this morning. Was it only this morning? It seemed like a million years ago. I stared at the baskets. They would make perfect presents for Thea and Trap. A couple of minutes later, the doorbell rang again. Was this one of my guests? No. It was a delivery mouse from the toy shop. He gave me the STUFFED cat I had bought. "Merry Christmas, my dear nephew," I

said, presenting it to Benjamin. He hugged it tight. "Thank you, Uncle," he whispered. "You are the best." The doorbell rang once more. Was it another delivery? No. This time it really was the first guest. "Geronimo, my darling nephew," squeaked my aunt Sweetfur. Aunt Sweetfur is my favorite aunt. She lives a few blocks away. She is always forgetting things like her glasses and her house keys. Once she even forgot her own birthday. But she never forgets me. Now she handed me a gift. It was a beautiful hand-knit scarf. "Oh, thank you, Auntie," I gushed, giving her a hug. The bell was ringing again.

It was my uncle Samuel S. Stingysnout, Uncle Samuel was one cheap mouse. He never gave anyone anything. Not even the time. Now he shook my paw. "I brought you something, too, Geronimo," he smirked. I gasped.

Could Uncle Stingysnout have changed his cheapskate ways? Then he stepped aside. "Say hello to my son, Stevie Stingysnout. HA-HA-HA!" Uncle Samuel roared. I laughed politely at his joke. I'm surprised he didn't charge me for it. Uncle Samuel was followed by my AUNT SUGARFUR and UNCLE KINDPAWS and their twin daughters, Squeakette and Squeakella. The two young mice pawed me a huge package. "This is for you, Uncle Geronimo!" they squeaked shyly. I opened it. It was a tin of chocolate- covered Cheesy Chews. Yum! My favorite! Behind them stood Uncle Walter Worrywhiskers. Uncle Wally is a champion WORRYWART. He is especially worried about germs. He didn't shake my paw. Too many germs, I guess. "You haven't

invited anyone with a cold, have you?" he asked. Then he gave me a gift. It was a box of herbal cough drops. I was startled by a loud whistle. It was my UNCLE GAGRAT, always the prankster. He pawed me a small box. I opened it carefully. A boxing glove sprang out and punched me in the snout. "Slimy Swiss rolls!" I cried. Uncle Gagrat smacked his side. "Ha-ha! Tricked you again, Nephew," he snorted. "You got me, all right," I murmured politely.