My Name Is Stilton, Geronimo Stilton Read online

  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

  Asweet and loving

  nine-year-old mouse;

  Geronimo’s favorite

  nephew

  NewYork Toronto London Auckland Sydney

  Mexico City New Delhi Hong Kong Buenos Aires

  Scholastic Inc.

  MY NAME IS STILTON,

  GERONIMO STILTON

  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.

  eISBN 978-0-545-39204-4

  Copyright © 2000 by Edizioni Piemme S.p.A., Corso Como 15, 20154

  Milan, Italy.

  International Rights © Atlantyca S.p.A.

  English translation © 2005 by Atlantyca S.p.A.

  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.

  Text by Geronimo Stilton

  Original title Il mio nome è Stilton, Geronimo Stilton

  Cover by Larry Keys

  Illustrations from ideas by Larry Keys, drawn by Raterto Rattonchi

  Graphics by Merenguita Gingermouse

  Special thanks to Tracey West

  Interior design by Kay Petronio

  First printing, May 2005

  1

  MY NAME

  IS STILTON

  My name is Stilton, Geronimo Stilton.

  I like to think of myself as a very normal

  mouse.

  I have a pretty normal job. I am the

  publisher of The Rodent’s Gazette. It is the

  most popular newspaper in New Mouse

  City.

  I like NORMAL things.

  Like classical music

  and good books. I always

  wear a suit and tie. I don’t

  like to stand out in a

  crowd.

  When I order a pizza, I

  take it plain. No anchovies,

  loud rock music.

  2

  please! I don’t like

  I don’t wear clothes with polka dots or stripes

  or bright colors. And I

  will take a slice of bland American cheese

  over a chunk of jalapeño hot-pepper cheese

  any day.

  As you can see, I like my life to be calm

  and peaceful. I know some people

  might think I’m plain, or even

  boring. That may be true. But

  that is how I like it!

  So why am I telling you all

  of this?

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  TOO MUCH

  WORK

  Things were very busy at the newspaper

  office. I was working so hard that I had not

  had time to get my fur clipped in months!

  Something had to be done.

  Then I had a great idea. I

  decided to hire an assistant. I placed an

  ad in the paper, and hundreds of mice sent

  in their résumés.

  I read them all. One stood out from the

  rest.

  I cried.

  I called my secretary, Mousella. She came

  into my office.

  “Mousella, please draw up a contract right

  “

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  ”

  away!” I said. “I have found the perfect

  assistant. It says here her name is Pinky Pick.

  She is young and smart. She has excellent

  computer skills. And she is an expert

  on the latest trends. That is just what we

  need! A TRENDY mouse!”

  Mousella frowned. “Don’tyouwant to bring

  her in for an interview first?” she asked.

  I did not want to wait. Pinky Pick sounded

  perfect! “There is no need for that,” I said.

  “I have years of experience as a newspaper

  editor. I just need to look a rodent in the

  snout to know if he or she will do a good job

  or not. I CAN FEEL IT IN MY WHISKERS!

  She is going to be great.”

  “Of course,” Mousella said. “But, er, are

  you sure . . .”

  “My whiskers never lie!” I snapped. I did

  not want to argue. I was so sure I was

  right!

  A MOUSE IN

  PLATFORM SNEAKERS

  The next day, I woke up before sunrise. I

  had to get to the office early to CATCH

  UP with my work. I brushed my teeth with

  cheddar toothpaste. Then I got dressed and

  ran downstairs.

  My driver was waiting for me. I got into

  my car,and we drove through the empty

  streets of New Mouse City. At

  six in the morning, every-

  thing was peaceful and

  quiet. Just how I like it.

  The driver pulled

  up in front of

  17 Swiss Cheese

  Center. I walked

  in the building and

  headed down a />
  long

  hallway

  covered with cheese-

  yellow wallpaper.

  Then I opened the

  door to my office.

  Stacks of paper

  COVERED the

  floor and desk.

  “Cheese niblets,

  this is a lot of work!”

  I squeaked. “Thank

  goodness, my new

  assistant will be

  here today.”

  I closed the door

  behind me and went

  to work. At eleven

  9

  o’clock, Mousella knocked on my door. She

  stepped into my office.

  “Mr. Stilton, the new assistant is here,” she

  said. “But I think you should see her before

  she signs the contract.”

  “Yes, yes, the contract,” I said. I was so

  busy with work, I was not really listening to

  Mousella.

  “But, Mr. Stilton, I really think you should

  see her,” Mousella insisted.

  “I am very busy!” I squeaked. “I do

  not need to see her. Please take care of it for

  me!”

  Mousella looked amazed. “As you wish,

  Mr. Stilton,” she said. “I will get her to sign

  the contract. But you should know that she

  has a request. She would like three months’

  pay in advance. She says she has offers

  from other newspapers. I told her that a

  serious mouse like you would never agree to

  that. But it is up to you, of course.”

  “Yes, yes, whatever,” I said. Once

  again, I wasn’t really listening.

  Mousella left, shaking her head. I

  thought I saw her

  smile slyly

  as she closed the door.

  “That is strange,” I muttered.

  Then I went back to work.

  A minute later, there was

  another knock on the

  door.

  “I said, I am very busy!”

  11

  I cried, not looking up from my work. The

  door opened anyway. A young female mouse

  stood there. She looked like she was about

  fourteen years old. She had gray fur and a

  POINTED

  snout.

  But it was her outfit that .really got my

  attention. The first thing I noticed was her

  shoes. I COULD NOT BELIEVE MY EYES!

  Her shoes were enormouse. They were

  shocking pink high-top sneakers with high,

  see-through platform soles. Inside the

  platforms, pink plastic fish swam in water. A

  bright light flashed on and off, illuminating

  the fish.

  The rest of her outfit was just as

  ridiculous

  . She wore bright green

  leggings under a large yellow sweatshirt.

  Swiss cheese holes dotted her shirt.

  And that wasn’t all. She had a clear plastic

  12

  backpack on her back. A diary covered in

  FAKE CAT FUR

  dangled from the backpack

  strap. It was shocking pink, just like her

  shoes. Papers and photos stuck out from

  the pages. It was clamped shut with a

  BIG

  LOCK

  shaped like a cat’s head.

  I had never seen anything like it. Her

  clothes were so bright, I wished I was wearing

  sunglasses!

  Pink plastic fi sh were swimming

  inside her platform sneakers.

  14

  MY NAME IS PICK

  “My name is

  Pick!

  ” the brightly

  dressed mouse yelled.

  “That’s nice, little girl,” I said, going

  back to my work. “My name is Stilton,

  Geronimo Stilton. If you are looking for

  the office of Mini Mouse magazine, the

  publication for young mouselets, you’re in

  the wrong place.”

  “I am not looking for Mini

  Mouse magazine,” she said. “I

  told you. My name is

  Pick!

  ”

  The name sounded familiar.

  Then I remembered. Pinky Pick

  was the name of my new

  assistant.

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  “Are you looking for your

  mother?” I asked. “Because I am

  waiting for her, too. She is going

  to start working for me today.”

  The little mouse leaned over my

  desk. Her eyes

  glittered

  .

  “No, I am going to start working for you

  today,” she said. “My name is

  Pinky

  pick

  . I am your new assistant. Get it,

  Boss?”

  Nobody had ever called me boss before.

  I didn’t like it.

  Not one bit!

  16

  WHAT’S THE

  PROBLEM, BOSS?

  Platform sneakers? Boss? My new assistant?

  My head was spinning faster than the

  Screamin’ Rat Roller Coaster at the

  amousement park.

  “You . . . you are my new

  assistant?” I stammered. It could not

  be true.

  “That’s right!” she said.

  She leaned back and folded

  her arms.

  “But you’re so young!” I

  squeaked.

  “For your information, I am already

  fourteen

  ,” she said

  calmly.

  17

  I shook my snout. “That is too young to

  work at a newspaper.”

  “That’s what you think,” she said. She held

  up one shocking-pink foot. “I wear size

  twelve

  shoes. I bet my paws are

  bigger

  than anyone’s on your staff.

  Bigger

  than yours, even.”

  “I don’t care what your shoe size is,” I

  replied. “When I was your age, I was playing

  with my

  teddy mou se

  . Not

  working on a newspaper.”

  Pinky Pick shrugged. “It’s not my fault you

  didn’t have any goals back then.”

  Cheese nips! This little mouse was

  starting to get on my nerves.

  “Listen, young lady,” I said. “I need a true

  professional to be my assistant. Not a little

  mouselet like you. Now, please run along.”

  But Pinky Pick did not leave. Instead, she

  sat down in the chair in front of my desk.

  “So why did you hire me?”she

  asked softly.

  “Hire you?” I cried. “Why would I hire

  someone like you? That’s ridiculous!”

  Pinky smiled. She pulled a piece of paper

  out of her backpack and WAVED it in

  front of my snout. It was a contract made out

  to Pinky Pick. And there was my signature,

  Geronimo Stilton, right on the

  bottom!

  “You see, Boss?” Pinky said. “You are so

  busy, you don’t even know what you are

  signing. That is why you need agood

  assistant like me.”

  “Mousella!” I screamed. My

  secretary scurried into the office.

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  “Yes, Mr. Stilton?” she asked.

  I grabbed the contract from Pinky Pick.

  “Why did you let me sign this?” I asked.

  “You should have told me she was only

  f

  ourteen.”

  “Why, Mr. Stilton, I tried to warn you,”

  Mousella said in a smooth voice. “But you

  told me your whiskers never lie. And that you

  were very busy. And . . .”

  “Yes, yes,” I moaned. I had said all of those

  things. “Well, we will just have to start again.

  Put another ad in the newspaper.”

  Pinky Pick jumped up. She unclipped her

  big diary and SLAMMED it on my desk.

  “Let me help you out, Boss,” she said.

  “Just tell me what you need. What’s

  your problem?”

  I sighed. Of course, I

  could not take this little

  I am looking for information on a very rare cheese.

  21

  mouse seriously. But I did have a problem.

  “I am sure you can’t help me,” I said. “I have

  to find information on a very rare cheese

  for an article I am writing. I don’t even know

  what it’s called. It is made in a small village

  in the Fossil Forest. I need to know

  how it is made. And how much it costs.”

  Pinky Pick grinned. “Leave it to me, Boss,”

  she said. “I can find anything on the Net.

  I’m a regular cheese whiz when it comes to

  the computer.”

  She sat down in front of the computer

  and grabbed the mouse. I didn’t try to stop

  her. Something told me she wouldn’t take no

  for an answer!

  22

  AN IMPOSSIBLE

  INTERVIEW

  I could not believe

  it. Half an hour

  later, Pinky Pick

  was done.

  “Here you are,” she said. “The cheese

  is called Megacheese.

  It comes from the village of Little

  Cheeseville. They only make seven whole

  cheeses a year,” she said. “That is because it

  takes three thousand gallons of milk to

  make one pound of cheese! It’s very