16-LOVE UNDER A CHEESE-COLORED UMBRELLA

LOVE UNDER A CHEESE-COLORED UMBRELLA Suddenly, a mouse appeared out of nowhere. He was carrying a large CHEESE- COLORED umbrella. "Please, allow me," he said softly to Miss Angel Paws. He held the umbrella over her head and smiled. The two rodents stared at each other. They stared and stared. I wondered what the staring contest was all about. Then I noticed something. The mouse with the umbrella was missing a whisker. Could it be? I wondered. Just then, the two mice clasped paws. "It's you!" they squeaked together. Well, that answered that question. It was

all pretty amazing. I mean, what were the chances Miss Angel Paws would find her lost love at Niagara Falls? That's like finding a cheese cracker in an overflowing garbage can. It takes more than just digging. It takes luck! I was happy for the teacher. At least someone was having a lucky day. I, on the other paw, was not. The rain seeped into my fur. It dribbled down my whiskers. It poured into my ears. I was getting soaked. I could see the little mice huddled together in a dry cave up ahead. Meanwhile, the two love mice had the cheese-colored umbrella to protect them. Not that they seemed to notice it was

raining. They looked like they were under some kind of magic spell. The kind that makes you forget where you are. I sighed. I wished I were under a magic spell. Then I could forget I was standing outside in the middle of a torrential RAINSTORM!