09-I HATE BOATS!

I HATE BOATS! The mouse introduced himself. His name was Scamper Skipper Paws. He was the captain of the Queen Ratsy, the boat we had rented. "We're ready to cast off," he said, pointing to a cheese-colored boat floating at the dock. I moaned silently. DID I MENTION I HATE BOATS? "Ahem, maybe I could wait for you here," I suggested. I spotted a hotel near the harbor. It wasn't too fancy. It wasn't too shabby. And best of all, it wasn't floating on the water. "But, Nephew, don't you want to see where your uncle Grayfur disappeared?" Aunt Sweetfur murmured. Actually, I didn't. After all, my uncle was

lost at sea. He could have drowned in a hurricane, or been swallowed by a ferocious sea monster. I was ready to hit the hotel when Trap shoved me on board. "We all know you hate boats, Gerry Tails," he smirked. "But it's time to face your fears. That's right. You need to get your snout out of the encyclopedia and see the real world!" I was fuming. So what if I loved to read my Encyclopedia Ratannica once in a while? OK, maybe I read it every day. Can I help it if I love to read? I shot Trap a look. He was right about one thing. I HATE BOATS!