09-STRANGER, CACTUS CITY IS TOO SMALL FOR THE TWO OF US!

STRANGER, CACTUS CITY IS TOO SMALL FOR THE TWO OF US! I blew on my paws. They felt like they were on fire. I started hopping around in a circle screaming, "OUCH, OUCH, OUCH!" Then I heard a crunch. Oops! I had accidentally stepped on someone's paw. I turned around. I was snout to snout with an ugly rat with HUMONGOUS MUSCLES. Ylkes! "S-s-s-soorry," I stammered. He gnashed his teeth. "You did that on purpose!"

he ROARED. Then he spit into a METAL BUCKET across the room. Ping! Perfect shot. I turned pale. "No, really, it was an accident," I tried to explain. He didn't let me finish. "Stranger, Cactus City is too small for the two of us!" he declared.

I was shivering in my boots. Oh, why did I have to step on this cowrat's toes? He was bigger than a pro rat wrestler. "Of course, I'll leave immediately," I muttered. But the rodent held up his paw. "Too late, stranger," he squeaked. "No one messes with Mick Muscle Mouse and gets away with it. We need to fight it out. One of us will live, and the other will be PUSHING UP DAISIES." The UNDERTAKER applauded. "Pushing up daisies. I like it!" He leaned out the door and yelled to the gravedigger. "Hey, Grimsly, get a casket ready!" he instructed. "On second thought, make that two casket. We might get lucky!" Then he looked me up and down. "So, stranger, what's your name?" he asked.

I gulped. "Well, my name is GERONIMO," I said. G as in GENTLE. E as in EDUCATED. R as in RESPECTFUL. O as in OH, I AM SO SORRY THAT I STEPPED ON MICK MUSCLE MOUSE'S PAW! N as in NOT DONE ON PURPOSE. I as in I AM A POLITE MOUSE. M as in MY, OH, MY, HOW DID I EVER GET INTO THIS MESS? O as in OH, POOR, POOR ME!

The undertaker chiseled my name on the coffin. "Uhm, let's see, that's GERONIMO..." G as in GONNA PAY ME IN ADVANCE WHILE YOU'RE STILL BREATHING. E as in EVERYBODY HAS TO KICK THE BUCKET SOONER OR LATER. R as in you REALLY BLEW IT THIS TIME. O as in OH, WHY DID YOU STOP IN CACTUS CITY? N as in NO ONE LASTS LONG HERE. I as in I PITY YOU.... M as in MAYBE YOU'LL TELL ME WHY YOU STEPPED ON THE FOOT OF MICK MUSCLE MOUSE, OF ALL RODENTS? O as in OH, WELL, HOPE YOU HAD A NICE LIFE! Mick jumped to his paws. "Let me at him!" he shrieked. "I'll flatten him! I'll mash him into cottage cheese! I'll skin him like a rat-fur rug! I'll spread him out like cream cheese!"