07-MIND YOUR EARS, STILTON!

MIND YOUR EARS, STILTON! I put my clothes back on. I couldn't stop sobbing. I was like a baby mouse on his first visit to the pediatrician. Just then, Pinky sailed through the door. "I KNOW A SONG THAT DRIVES MICE wild, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH..." she sang in her high-pitched squeak. I groaned. Talk about kicking a mouse when he's down. That silly song was about to drive this mouse up the wall.

Pinky plopped down in a chair and rested her paws on my desk. "Check it out, Popsy Wopsy," she remarked, tossing the latest copy of Fur Kids only at me. It had a special section filled with fun games to play on vacation. I leafed through the magazine. "Hmm... very nice!" I admitted. As I said, Pinky can

be annoying, but she is clever. Very clever indeed. "By the way, Ratty Daddy, I'm leaving on vacation next week," she announced. "Don't miss me too much!" I rolled my eyes. "I'll live," I told her. Plus, I was off on my own vacation the next day. Cheesecake! I couldn't wait to be off. I couldn't deal with the HEAT. I couldn't deal with the piles of work. And mostly I couldn't deal with Pinky Pick anymore! Just then, the phone rang. I stretched out my paw to answer, but Pinky beat me to it. "Hello, you've reached Mr. Stilton's office. This is his assistant Pinky Pick speaking," she squeaked. "Oh, hello, Mr. Crunchrat. What? You're going to buy one

million copies of Fur Kids only to give away with your Crunchrat Cheesy chips? wow! What fabumouse news!" she shrieked. I grabbed the receiver. "Hello, Stilton speaking," I began. But Crunchrat cut me short. He wanted to talk about Pinky Pick. He told me that she was the most brilliant mouse on my staff. He told me that I was lucky to have her. Then he went on about the latest copy of fur Kids only He loved the special insert, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH. Pinky skipped out of the room, twirling her tail. Meanwhile, Crunchrat's voice droned on and on in my ear. I was glad he loved the magazine. But he never stopped squeaking. And I was getting tired.

So tired. Maybe it was the heat. Or maybe I just didn't want to hear any more about Pinky Pick. I put my head down on my desk. I'll take a quick mouse nap, I told myself. Within minutes, I was snoring. I dreamed I was vacationing on the swiss CHEESE ISLANDS. Ah, the cool breeze off the ocean tickled my whiskers. The sand squished beneath my paws. But what was that sound? It was like a siren. Just like the wail of a police car. I woke up. I was wrong. It wasn't a police car. It was Crunchrat. He was wailing in my ear. "Are you listening, Stilton?!" he bellowed. "I want you to give Ms. Pick a bonus or I will not buy a single copy of that magazine of yours! DO YOU UNDERSTAND? DO YOU? DO YOU?"

I snapped to attention. "Give Pinky a bonus!" I cried. "But I'm already paying her a ton!" Just then, Pinky sailed back into the room. She was waving an advertisement for Crunchrat Cheesy Chips. It showed a picture of Crunchrat. He was ENORMOUS! He was as big as my wardrobe! And he looked just like one of those sumo rat wrestlers. Crunchrat continued to shriek in my ear. "I'm telling you, Stilton, if you don't do as I say, you'll be sorry!" he warned. "I'll twist your tail up in knots! I'll pull out all of your fur! I'll send your suit to the dry cleaners with you in it! I'll_" I quickly cut him off. "Don't worry, Mr.