22-SWIMMING WITH SHARKS

SWIMMING WITH SHARKS I decided to go for a swim. I noticed there wasn't a single mouse in the water. perfeet! I put on my flippers, my bathing cap, and my earplugs and plunged in. I floated lazily out to the open sea. After a while, I noticed that a small boat was following me. The lifeguard on board waved his paws at me. It was Crusher. I guess he thought I might be afraid of the deep water. I waved back and smiled to let him know I was OK. But Crusher kept following me. Then he started yelling something. I took out my earplugs as the boat came closer.

"LOOK OUT FOR SHARKS!" I heard Crusher shriek. At the same time, I heard something else. A loud splashing sound right behind me. Cheese niblets! Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a gleaming fin. A SHARK was right on my tail! TEN SECONDS later, a paw reached out and grabbed me. It was Crusher. He pulled me onto his boat. Then he motored back to shore. "I told you to watch out for the sharks, Gerattimo," Crusher scolded me. When I got out of the boat, everyone was staring at me.

The comments were flying. "It's that Gerattimo Stilton again!" one rodent huffed. "Swimming with the sharks just to get himself noticed!" another griped. "What a cheesehead!" someone else snorted. "TOO MUCH SUN, if you ask me..." another mouse mumbled. How embarrassing! QUIET AS A MOUSE. I ducked under the umbrellas. Then I scampered away.