The Treasure of Easter Island (Geronimo Stilton #60) Read online

  THE TREASURE OF

  EASTER ISLAND

  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

  Scholastic Inc.

  THE TREASURE OF

  EASTER ISLAND

  Copyright © 2013 by Edizioni Piemme S.p.A., Palazzo Mondadori, Via

  Mondadori 1, 20090 Segrate, Italy. International Rights © Atlantyca

  S.p.A. English translation © 2015 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., 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 978-0 -545-74742- 4

  Text by Geronimo Stilton

  Original title Il tesoro di Rapa Nui

  Cover by Giuseppe Ferrario (design) and Flavio Fausone (color)

  Illustrations by Giuseppe Ferrario (design) and Flavio Fausone (color)

  Graphics by Paolo Zadra

  Special thanks to AnnMarie Anderson

  Translated by Lidia Morson Tramontozzi

  Interior design by Becky James

  First printing 2015

  I’m ready to tell you about an incredible

  adventure I’ll never forget. This story is very

  special to me because it takes place in one of

  the most mysterious places on Earth . . .

  An Adventure to

  remember!

  The whole thing started on a beautiful

  spring morning. Oops! What terrible

  manners! I haven’t introduced myself yet.

  My name is Stilton, Geronimo Stilton, and

  I’m the publisher of The Rodent’s Gazette,

  the most

  famouse

  newspaper on Mouse

  Island.

  Anyway, that

  spring

  morning I was

  hard at work in my office. (For the record,

  I’m always hard at work when

  I’m in the office, even if my grandfather,

  William Shortpaws, says otherwise!) I was

  with Susie Shuttermouse, our new staff

  photographer. We were deciding which

  photo to put on the front page of our next

  issue. Susie is also best friends with my

  sister, Thea. And Thea is the newspaper’s

  special correspondent.

  Susie pointed to a photo of the Amazon

  Susie Shuttermouse

  Susie’s Equipment Bag

  Susie Shuttermouse is The Rodent’s Gazette’s official

  photographer and Thea’s best friend. They travel the

  world together looking for exclusive stories. Susie wants

  to be ready for anything and everything, so she never

  travels anywhere without her equipment bag.

  Susie’s bag is enormouse! It has lots of hidden,

  zippered compartments. Each pocket holds a different

  item, such as a camera, pliers, scissors, energy bars,

  a toothbrush, etc. The bag also has

  many special features. It can

  become a backpack, a parachute,

  or an umbrella! And it’s made

  of very lightweight but durable

  waterproof material.

  AMAZON RAIN FOREST

  rain forest. The image showed a crew of

  rats chopping down trees and vegetation.

  “Listen to me, Geronimo,” Susie squeaked.

  “You should put a story about the Amazon

  on the front page. We have to do something

  to keep these rats from

  destroying

  the

  rain forest! I risked my fur to take these

  photos. Now the least you can do is publish

  them!”

  Pee-yew!

  “Nice work, Susie,” I said proudly. “I can

  already see the HEADLINE: ‘Amazon

  Rain Forest in Danger from —’”

  Before I could finish, my office door

  FLEW open and my cousin Trap

  BURST in. He also works for the

  newspaper, though you’d never know

  it! He only shows up in the office when

  it’s convenient for him. Anyway, he

  was pinching his nose with one

  paw, and he held an

  umbrella in his

  other paw.

  A letter

  dangled by a

  string from the

  tip of the umbrella.

  And as if that wasn’t

  weird enough, a cloud

  You’ve got

  mail!

  What is it?

  of flies buzzed around the letter!

  “You’ve got MAIL, Geronimo!” Trap

  squeaked. “And boy, does it stink!”

  He snipped the string with a pair of

  scissors and the letter landed on my desk

  with a flutter.

  “Yuck, yuck, yuck!” Trap screeched.

  “Rat-munching rattlesnakes, where’s this

  thing from? A garbage dump? A sewage

  treatment plant? An underground cave full

  of rancid roaches that haven’t bathed in

  years?”

  He
turned to leave, calling over his

  shoulder: “You’d better close the door

  before you open that thing, Cuz! Everyone

  in the newsroom is complaining about the

  awful stench!”

  I sighed. Was it my fault someone had sent

  me the stinkiest piece of mail in all of

  BANG!

  Susie closed the

  door.

  Then she threw

  open the window.

  1

  2

  Done!

  New Mouse City?!

  A second later, Susie closed the door with

  a bang!

  Then she dashed to the window and

  threw it open. A GUST of wind blew

  into the office, making it much easier to

  breathe.

  Next she took a pair of tweezers out

  of her giant equipment bag. She carefully

  1

  2

  . . . and examined it

  carefully.

  She picked up the letter

  with a pair of tweezers . . .

  3

  4

  What a stench!

  How odd!

  picked up the envelope.

  Finally, she pulled out a magnifying

  glass and used it to examine the foul piece

  of mail.

  “That’s odd,” Susie remarked. “This comes

  from EASTER ISLAND. Who would write to you

  from there, Geronimo?”

  I shook my head in surprise.

  “Musty muenster, I have no idea!” I

  3

  4

  Geronimo Stilton

  the rodent’S Gazette

  17 SwiSS CheeSe Center

  new mouSe City, mouSe iSland

  13131

  exclaimed. “Easter Island is one of the most

  MYSTERIOUS places in the world . . . and

  it’s in the middle of nowhere!”

  My paws trembled with excitement as

  I opened that strange, stinky envelope.

  Another surprise awaited me inside . . . The

  letter was from my sister, Thea!

  Dear Geronimo,

  I’ve found a map that leads to treasure on Easter Island,

  and I’ve decided to search for it! I’m on the island right now.

  But I’m afraid finding the treasure could be very difficult, so

  that’s why I’m sending you a copy of the map. If you receive

  this letter before I’m able to call you, it’s because I may be

  in danger and I need your help. Find me by following the

  directions on the map. See you soon!

  P.S. Don’t dillydally. Leave immediately!

  P.P.S. Invite someone adventurous to come with you —

  someone like Wild Willie!

  P.P.P.S. Take Susie with you as well. She can take photos to go

  along with my story, and The Rodent’s Gazette will have the

  scoop of the year!

  Furthermore: Remember to update your will before leaving.

  This island is very mysterious, and who knows what might

  happen on a search for treasure. You may be leaving your fur

  behind!

  One Last Thing: I hope you didn’t find this letter too stinky.

  I wanted to keep any sneaky rodents from opening it and

  reading the map, so I dipped this letter in guano (that’s bird

  poop, in case you were wondering). It stinks so much no one

  would ever want to open it! Aren’t you impressed with my

  ingenuity?

  Love,

  THEA

  MAP TO THE TREASURE

  OF EASTER ISLAND

  Find the biggest ahu and its fifteen protectors.

  Turn west and search for the Great Water that is and isn’t.

  At the end of the day, follow the sun and you’ll find the

  Seven Young Explorers.

  Take seven gigantic steps to the right, three warrior steps

  to the left, and one baby step forward.

  The Sigh of the Wind will take you far away to the

  Big Black Bubble.

  There, the sea hides an ancient secret . . .

  THE TREASURE OF EASTER ISLAND!

  “Wh-wh-what?” I stammered. “A

  map? A treasure? Easter Island?”

  My whiskers trembled with fear. I didn’t

  want to go on a treasure hunt! In case you

  didn’t know it, I’m a real scaredy-mouse.

  As soon as I uttered the word treasure,

  the door flew open and smacked me in the

  snout.

  “OUCHIE!” I squeaked.

  It was my cousin Trap. He had clearly

  been standing just on the other side of the

  door, eavesdropping. He didn’t

  even apologize.

  “A treasure?” he squeaked, rubbing his

  paws together greedily. “I’m coming with

  treAsure, treAsure,

  treAsure!

  Watch out!

  BANG!

  you. Oh, what a beautiful word:

  treasure,

  treasure, treasure

  !”

  “Trap, don’t you understand?” I scolded

  him. “The treasure isn’t important — Thea

  is! I received her letter, but she hasn’t called.

  That means she’s in danGer!”

  Susie tried to call Thea on the phone, but

  she didn’t answer at home or on her cell

  phone.

  Ouchie!

  A treasure?!

  1

  2

  3

  4

  “Rat-munching rattlesnakes!”

  I squeaked. “Thea must be in

  real danGer! She always

  answers her cell phone.”

  I was so worried about my

  sister that I fainted from fear.

  As I said, I’m a real scaredy-

  mouse.

  But Susie managed to revive

  me. First, she

  smacked

  my

  cheek. Then she pinched

  my ear. Next she poured

  ICE-COLD

  water from a vase

  of flowers over my snout.

  Finally, she stuffed a piece of

  cheese into my mouth.

  While I was trying to

  get myself together, Susie

  called Wild Willie. Do you

  Smack!

  Pinch!

  Splash!

  Eat!

  1

  2

  3

  4

  Wild Willie?

  know him? He is an

  ARCHAEOLOGIST and a

  true adventure mouse!

  “Wild Willie, is that

  you?” Susie squeaked.

  “It’s Susie, the

  official

  photographer for The Rodent’s Gazette.

  Thea has disappeared . . . There’s a treasure

  map ... Easter Island ... RIGHT. We’ll leave

  right away . . . YEAH, YEAH . . . Won’t

  dillydally . . . RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT.”

  She hung up.

  “Wild Willie is on his way,” she

  squeaked with satisfaction. “We’re leaving

  immediately.”

  “Wh-what do you mean?” I stammered.

  “We’re leaving right now? But I have to

  PACK a bag! And turn on my out-of-

  office message! And say good-bye to my

  Yikes!

  Moldy mozzarella!

  Where were we going?!

  sweet nephew Benjamin!”

  Suddenly, a GUST of

  wind hit me right in the

  snout. Then I heard an

  incredible noise from

  outside m
y window.

  Before I knew what was

  happening, a giant hook seemed to come

  out of the sky. A second later, I was dangling

  by my jacket collar as the hook scooped

  me up and carried me away!

  “Heeeelp!” I squeaked.

  I turned toward Trap and Susie, hoping

  they’d pull me inside. But instead, Trap

  grabbed my tail, and Susie grabbed his.

  “Go with the adventure!” Susie shouted

  with a giggle as the hook lifted the three of

  us into the air.

  Heeeelp!

  Heeeeeeeelp!

  Go with the

  adventure!

  I

  t

  ’

  s

  t

  i

  m

  e

  f

  o

  r

  a

  n

  a

  d

  v

  e

  n

  t

  u

  r

  e

  !

  –

  W

  .

  W

  .

  THUMP!

  A midnight blue airplane with a fierce

  dragon painted on it flew overhead as we

  soared over the roofs of New Mouse City.

  My whiskers quivered with fright.

  Have I mentioned that I get airsick? And

  that’s when I’m actually inside

  an airplane, not dangling below one!

  I shrieked.

  With a metallic screech, the cable above

  me began moving UPWARD. Finally, I

  landed inside the plane:

  “This is fabumouse!” Trap shouted.

  “Awesome!” Susie squeaked in agreement.

  I’m AlIve!

  I’m stIll AlIve!

  But there were no shouts of excitement

  from me! I kissed the floor of the plane

  as I cried with relief.

  “I’m alive! I’m still alive!”

  “Well, for now…” a deep voice muttered.

  It was Wild Willie !

  He was the one flying the plane! He

  handed me a map.

  “Instead of wasting your breath, help me