Bollywood Burglary (Geronimo Stilton #65) Read online

  Geronimo Stilton

  Dear mouse friends,

  Welcome to the world of

  The Rodent’s Gazette

  Editorial Staff

  Geronimo Stilton

  A learned and brainy

  mouse; editor of

  The Rodent’s Gazette

  Thea Stilton

  Geronimo’s sister and

  special correspondent at

  The Rodent’s Gazette

  Trap Stilton

  An awful joker;

  Geronimo’s cousin and

  owner of the store

  Cheap Junk for Less

  Benjamin Stilton

  A sweet and loving

  nine-year-old mouse;

  Geronimo’s favorite

  nephew

  Geronimo Stilton

  Scholastic Inc.

  BOLLYWOOD

  BURGLARY

  Copyright © 2015 by Edizioni Piemme S.p.A., Palazzo Mondadori, Via

  Mondadori 1, 20090 Segrate, Italy. International Rights © Atlantyca S.p.A.

  English translation © 2016 by Atlantyca S.p.A.

  The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any

  responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

  GERONIMO STILTON names, characters, and related indicia are copyright,

  trademark, and exclusive license of Atlantyca S.p.A. All rights reserved. The

  moral right of the author has been asserted. Based on an original idea by

  Elisabetta Dami. www.geronimostilton.com

  Published by Scholastic Inc., Publishers since 1920

  , 557 Broadway, New York,

  NY 10012.

  SCHOLASTIC

  and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered

  trademarks of Scholastic Inc.

  Stilton is the name of a famous English cheese. It is a registered trademark

  of the Stilton Cheese Makers’ Association. For more information, go to www.

  stiltoncheese.com.

  All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright

  Conventions. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted,

  downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into

  any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means,

  whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without

  the express written permission of the publisher. For information regarding

  permission, please contact Atlantyca S.p.A., Via Leopardi 8, 20123 Milan,

  Italy; e-mail [email protected], www.atlantyca.com.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are

  either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any

  resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events,

  or locales is entirely coincidental.

  e-ISBN 978-1-338-08776-5

  Text by Geronimo Stilton

  Original title Il mistero del rubino d’Oriente

  Cover by Danilo Barozzi

  Illustrations by Danilo Loizedda (design) and Daria Cerchi (color)

  Graphics by Michela Battaglin

  Special thanks to Beth Dunfey

  Translated by Lidia Morson Tramontozzi

  Interior design by Kay Petronio

  First printing 2017

  17 Spice Street

  Yawn

  Mmm, hot

  cheese

  Oops!

  That

  day

  began like any other — it seemed

  like a

  perfectly normal

  day, in fact.

  But it turned out to be one of the most

  incredible, mousetastic days of my life! By

  the time I put my snout back on my pillow

  that night, my life had

  changed forever.

  Oh, excuse me, I almost forgot to introduce

  myself. My name is Stilton,

  Geronimo

  Stilton

  , and I am the editor of The Rodent’s

  Gazette, the most famouse newspaper on

  Mouse Island.

  Hmm. . .

  Now, where was I? Oh yes! My morning

  began like any other . . .

  I climbed out of bed and

  scampered

  to my

  office. Once I got settled at my desk, I started

  brainstorming. I had to come up with an idea

  for a new series of books. Hmm . . . should I

  write a book on

  gardening

  ? Or

  do-it-yourself

  projects? Or

  sports

  ? Or . . .

  I thought and thought and thought. By

  lunchtime, I was still thinking.

  And then something

  strange happened

  How

  strange!

  I glanced out the window, and there

  was a small plane towing a

  banner

  right outside — I mean, right outside

  —

  my

  office.

  visit india!

  it said. Hmm, that was

  unusual!

  The mailmouse came and

  left me ninety-four travel

  brochures about India.

  Hmm, that was a bit odd!

  A second later, the

  phone rang and a

  strange

  rodent squeaked, “My dear Mr. Stilton,

  how about a trip to India? I’ll give you

  a discount . . .”

  “

  Thanks, but I think

  I’ll pass

  ,”

  I answered.

  Then I got an email with

  a

  very

  weird invitation . . .

  Hmm, that was a wee bit bizarre!

  But on the other paw, it was lunchtime,

  and I was hungry. I didn’t want to think

  twice about food. So I hailed a

  TAXI

  and

  headed toward 17 Spice Street.

  When my cab screeched up to the curb, I

  spotted a fabumouse

  painted

  wooden

  door

  and smelled an

  intriguing

  array of spices . . .

  yummy, yum, yum!

  It

  sure smelled whisker-licking good!

  A message for Mr. Stilton: Would you like to try

  a delectable assortment of delicious dishes?

  Come to the Taj Mahal Indian restaurant,

  17 Spice Street. It’ll be whisker-licking good!

  Geronimo Stilton

  A fabumouse invitation

  SUBJECT:

  TO:

  mailboxget

  GET mail

  print

  label

  new

  message

  chat

  find

  favorites

  tools

  What a

  delicious

  aroma!

  INDIAN FOOD

  Indian cuisine includes a wide assortment of colors,

  aromas, and

  flavors

  .

  Food from India’s northern regions is non-vegetarian

  and less spicy, using more dairy products in dishes. The

  cuisine of the southern regions is mostly vegetarian and

&
nbsp; tends to be

  spicier

  .

  Dishes are often flavored with

  spices

  like

  turmeric, coriander, cumin, and tamarind, also known as

  the “Indian date.”

  Rice is a staple food of India, and it is served hot as a

  side dish. When cooked in broth and flavored with spices,

  it’s called

  pilau

  . When served with chicken, lamb, or

  vegetables, it’s called

  biryani

  .

  Bread is also an essential staple, especially in the north.

  There are many varieties of bread. The most widespread

  in India is

  roti

  (also known as

  chapati

  ), an

  unleavened round bread made with whole-wheat flour.

  Dal

  is a typical Indian dish that is creamy and made with

  lentils and various spices. There are many types of

  Dal

  .

  Steam’s Coming Out

  of My Eeeeears!

  As soon as I entered the restaurant, a

  waiter with thick

  fur

  and shiny whiskers

  scurried

  over.

  “Yoo-hoo! Welcome, my dear Stilton!

  Have you ever been to

  India

  ?” he asked.

  “No, not yet,” I answered.

  “But that’s absolutely elementary. You are

  thinking of

  going

  , then?” he said.

  “Actually, no . . .” I replied.

  “Actually, yes, you will be!

  Soon!

  Very,

  very soon. In fact, let’s make a bet. I bet that

  you will go to India!”

  Then the waiter waved a sheet of paper

  under my snout. “

  Now sign right

  here, Stilton!

  ”

  Sign here, Stilton!

  Uhhhh . . . okay ?

  I was flabbergasted. No restaurant had

  ever asked me to pay my bill

  before

  I’d

  even ordered my meal! But I was hungrier

  than a rat in a cheese shop. I couldn’t wait

  to sit down and

  eat

  , so I signed.

  I took

  a better

  look

  at the waiter.

  There was something familiar about his

  snout. He also had a

  squeaky

  voice that

  r

  e

  m

  i

  n

  d

  e

  d

  m

  e

  o

  f

  s

  o

  m

  e

  o

  n

  e

  .

  .

  .

  “Have we met

  before?” I asked.

  “

  Nooo, noooo!

  ”

  the waiter replied.

  “Whatever gave

  you that idea, my

  dear Stilton?” He

  pushed me toward

  a table at the back of

  the room.

  The restaurant was lovely. The walls

  were covered with red silk

  tapestries

  embroidered in gold, and there was a

  mousetastic

  fountain in

  the center of the dining area. Delectable

  aromas

  and fabumouse Indian

  music

  filled the air. Waiters scurried around

  of someone!

  You

  remind me

  May I?

  That looks

  delicious!

  What did you say?

  Ha, ha, ha!

  Do you

  want

  some?

  Yummy!

  Delish!

  Mmm,

  that’s

  good!

  Taste it!

  Come, Mr. Stilton!

  Okay . . .

  Ha , ha, ha!

  Of

  course!

  Great!

  Chomp!

  Fabumouse!

  Here you go!

  with trays loaded with yummy dishes. I

  saw

  chicken tikka masala

  (chicken

  with creamy tomato sauce and spices) and

  samosas

  (stuffed fried pastries).

  I glanced at the menu. “Um, I’d like . . .”

  But the waiter ripped the menu out of my

  paws. “You

  don’t know

  much

  about

  Indian food, Mr. Stilton,” he snorted. “Let

  me choose for you!

  DO YOU LIKE

  SPICY FOOD?

  ”

  “Um, yes, I do,” I admitted. “But not too

  spicy . . .”

  The waiter ran off,

  shouting

  , “I’ll bring

  you a meal that’ll knock your tail off! It’ll be

  very hot

  !”

  As he disappeared into the kitchen, I heard

  him squeak, “A

  spicy

  one for the rodent in

  the rear! Heavy on the hot pepper. That’ll

  make his whiskers do the

  loop-the-loop

  !”

  Try the hot

  one!

  Argh!

  Five minutes later, he returned with a tray

  of

  steaming

  dishes. “Try the one with

  the

  hot pepper

  !”

  he ordered.

  I tasted the first dish. It was

  hot!

  I tasted the second. It was

  very hot!

  Then I tasted the third dish. It was

  extremely

  hot!

  I wanted to stop, but the waiter kept

  shoveling spoonfuls into my snout.

  1

  2

  3

  4

  5

  HOT!

  VERY HOT!

  VERY, VERY

  HOT!

  OUCHIE! MY

  TONGUE IS

  BURNING!

  MY MOUTH IS

  ON FIRE!

  “Let’s see

  HOW MUCH

  this customer

  can take before he

  bursts

  !”

  he cried

  gleefully.

  I couldn’t take it anymore.

  “One more bite, Stilton,” he insisted. “By

  the time you’re in

  India

  , you’ll be used to

  hot peppers

  .”

  “But I’m not going to India!” I protested.

  “But you will go to India,” he insisted.

  “

  Wanna bet on it?

  ”

  When he shoved a dollop from dish

  6

  7

  8

  9

  10

  MY

  TONSILS ARE

  SCORCHED!

  IT’S SO HOT

  I CAN’T

  BREATHE!

  HEEELP!

  MY BELLY IS

  ABLAZE!

  I’M AS RED

  AS A RIPE

  HOT PEPPER!

  STEAM’S

  COMING

  OUT OF MY

  EARS!

  SMOKIN’ SAMOSAS,

  THAT WAS ONE

 
; FUR-RAISING

  HOT PEPPER!

  number ten into my mouth,

  STEAM

  started

  coming out of my ears.

  FZZZZZZZZZZ!

  I’m burning

  uuuup!

  What’s the matter

  with him?

  “I’m

  burning up

  !” I screeched.

  I ran to the fountain and dunked my whole

  head into it.

  I heard a sizzle.

  Heeeeelp!

  Finally!

  When I returned to my table, the waiter

  asked, “

  So when are we going to India?

  ”

  “I’m too busy, okay?” I shouted. “B-u-s-y!

  Very busy! I can’t possibly go to

  India

  !”

  Don’t Be a Fly

  in the Fondue!

  It’s you,

  Hercule

  Poirat!

  Ha, ha, ha!

  The waiter was disappointed. “Geronimo,

  you’re such a

  FUR-BRAIN

  !” he scolded

  me. “I was really hoping you’d go to

  India

  with me . . .”

  And that’s when I recognized him.

  “You’re not a waiter. You’re . . . my

  detective friend,

  Hercule Poirat

  !” I cried.

  FIRST NAME:

  Hercule

  LAST NAME:

  Poirat

  WHO HE IS:

  Geronimo’s

  childhood friend

  PROFESSION:

  Private investigator. He runs

  a detective agency in New Mouse City.

  Hercule loves mysteries the way mice love

  cheese!

  HIS HOBBY:

  He likes to play tricks,

  especially on Geronimo. His disguises are

  famousely unpredictable. He’s disguised

  himself as a flight attendant, a gift box,

  and even an ice cream cone.

  HIS PASSION:

  Bananas! (He loves them — but

  Geronimo hates them!)

  HERCULE POIRAT

  No way!

  I can’t go.

  Please,

  please,

  please!

  Poirat pulled off his

  wig

  and

  ripped

  the slick mustache from his snout.

  “Yes, it is I: Poirat, Hercule Poirat!

  And

  you simply must go to India with me.

  ”

  I shook my snout. “I can’t go to India with

  you. I’m too busy, Hercule! I’ve told you

  over

  and

  over

  again!”

  Poirat started to

  sob

  . “Yes, my dear

  Stilton. You did tell me . . . several times, in