05-MY SWEET LITTLE CHEESE CURL!

MY SWEET LITTLE CHEESE CURL! Suddenly, the office door flew open. In marched my sister, Thea. She is The Rodent's Gazette's Special correspondent. Have you met her? You would remember Thea. She's one of a kind, Kind of a nut, that is. "Grandpa, dear Grandpa!" my sister squeaked. She threw herself into Grandfather's open paws. Immediately, his eyes filled with tears. "Thea, my beloved granddaughter! My sweet little cheese curl! More precious than my wallet! More beautiful than Miss Mouse Island!" he cried. Thea smiled sweetly. "See your

sister, here, Geronimo?" my grandfather added proudly. "Now, this is one smart rodent!" Can you tell Thea is Grandfather William's favorite? He sends her on all of these wonderful assignments. In fact, SHE HAD JUST RETURNED FROM a TRIP TO THE SOUTHERN ISLANDS. She was researching the latest trends in swimwear. Tough job, I'm sure. "Well, it seems this year it's all about color!" Thea announced.

"Orange, red, yellow, green! You name it, they're wearing it!" Grandfather beamed. "Brilliant! I'm so proud of you, darling!" he gushed. I tried not to act jealous. But I was. I cleared my throat. "Um, I would love to go to the Southern Islands sometime, too," I offered timidly.

Grandfather William shot me a disapproving look. "Forget it, Geronimo," he squeaked. "Only a stunning mouse like Thea can report on fashion. She's got Style. Too bad I can't say the same about you." I chewed my whiskers to keep from squeaking. What was wrong with the way I dressed? OK, so maybe I was a little on the conservative side. I wasn't into flashy colors or crazy prints. But no one had ever picked on my clothes before.

Grandfather turned to Thea. "How was the flight, darling?" he asked. "I hope your first-class seat was comfortable. Nothing but the best for my little treasure." Did I mention Thea is Grandfather's favorite? Thea's got style.