05-D-D-DON'T BE AFRAID!

D-D-DON'T BE AFRAID! Waving good-bye to Aunt Sweetfur, Benjamin, Bugsy, and I headed out to the Egyptian Mouseum. When we got there, I looked around. How strange. Usually there is a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG line to get in to the museum. But today, there wasn't a rodent in sight.

THE GODDESS BASTET With the body of a woman and the head of a cat. this ancient Egyptian goddess was the protector of fire, cats, pregnant women, and the home. To obtain her favors, the ancient Egyptians offered fresh fish to house cats, which were considered to be her earthly representatives. Her temple was located in the ancient city of Bubastis in northern Egypt. I pulled open the heavy door. It let out a loud CREAK that made me jump. I don't know why, but something about the empty museum gave me the creeps. In the Great Hall, we were greeted by an enormous statue of Bastet, the Egyptian goddess with the head of a cat. Cheese niblets, that cat made me shiver! I grabbed Benjamin's and Bugsy's paws. "D-d-don't worry, everything is OK. D-d-don't be afraid," I stammered.

Benjamin squeezed my paw. "I'm not afraid, Uncle Geronimo," he squeaked. "Don't worry about us, Uncle G! We're not afraid of anything!" Bugsy yelled at the top of her lungs. Her voice ECHOED in the deserted museum. Right then, Bugsy realized that she had forgotten her camera in the car. "We'll be right back, Uncle G. You wait for us here," she hollered. She grabbed Benjamin's paw and sprinted back outside. I stood alone in the cold, dusty lobby. "Aehoo!" I sneezed. Did I mention I'm allergic to dust and mold and even rubber flip-flops? But that's another story. Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, I was standing alone in the dark Great Hall of the museum when I heard a loud BANG.

I spun around. The velvet rope that surrounded an ancient stone coffin known as a sarcophagus had collapsed in a heap. How strange. I went closer to read the plaque in front of the coffin: THE MUMMY WITH NO NAME. I sniffed the air. What was that DISGUSTING MUSTY SMELL? All of a sudden, a real MUMMY, covered in dust and wrapped in yellowed bandages, emerged from the sarcophagus. I froze. Rat-munching rattlesnakes! "I AM THE MUMMY WITH NO NAME!" the mummy roared. I was so scared I lost my squeak.

The MUMMY WITH NO NAME shuffled closer. It almost touched my whiskers. "Leave, before it is too late!" it hissed in my ear. Then it stumbled down the dark corridor, leaving a trail of thousand-year- old dust behind it. I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't see. A sudden FLASH of light blinded me. Then a voice shouted, "Hey, Uncle G! Hope you don't mind my taking your picture. You know, you really should trim your Whiskers. They're a mess." Bugsy and Benjamin were back. But had they seen the MUMMY?