Four Mice Deep Jungle Read online

  My knees wobbled. My fur stood on end.

  Still, I managed to keep whirling the snake.

  The snake closed its eyes. Soon it fell asleep.

  I wished I was sleeping, too. Old

  Poisonfur had started yelling at me. Then

  she picked me up and began whirling me

  over her head!

  Oh, what a day in the jungle!

  101

  P

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  ”

  Saturday night, we marched nonstop. On

  Sunday morning, we reached our FIRST

  CAMP. We had only been gone for one week.

  Still, it felt like a lifetime. I had learned

  so much! Yes, I had to admit, the course

  in the jungle had changed my life.

  DAY 7: SUNDAY

  After our final bug breakfast, we said our

  good-byes. I was sad to see my new

  friends go. We had been through

  so much together.

  Tubby hugged me. “Thank you,

  Geronimo,” he said.

  “

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  ”

  104

  Suzie Squeakers winked at

  me. “It was great to meet you,

  Boss! Pinky would be proud of

  you!” she grinned.

  Burt Burlyrat

  crushed my paw in his strong

  grip. And Sandy Silverfur

  gave me a photo of me

  whirling the snake.

  “So you won’t forget this course,"

  she chuckled.

  I grinned. I

  knew I would

  never forget my

  adventures in the

  jungle. Or the friends I

  had made.

  I invited them all to New Mouse City.

  Finally, it was Penelope’s turn. “I’ve fixed

  you, haven’t I, Stilton?” she smirked.

  I shook her paw. I wasn’t about to argue.

  Penelope had cured me. I felt like a new

  mouse. I wasn’t afraid of anything anymore.

  I could swim in wild rivers. I could climb

  trees as tall as skyscrapers. I could even eat

  bug sandwiches. Of course, I didn’t have to

  like them. From now on, I’d be sticking to

  my favorite kind of sandwiches. The ones

  with cheese! Like grilled cheese on rye, ham

  and cheese on a hard roll, and cream cheese

  and jelly on whole wheat.

  I turned around to leave, then shouted,

  105

  “

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  ”

  Penelope waved. “You can call me P.P.,”

  she giggled. She really was one special

  mouse. Maybe someday I could take her out

  to dinner after all. As long as she didn’t

  order any bugs. Or make me take her

  mountain climbing course!

  Suddenly, I was surrounded by my family.

  Thea, Trap, and Benjamin were a sight for

  sore eyes. I hadn’t realized how much I had

  missed them. Yes, I know my sister can be

  bossy at times. And my cousin loves to play

  pranks on me. But they’re still family.

  Just then, my nephew threw his paws

  around my neck. “Are you still angry with

  me, Uncle Geronimo?” Benjamin asked.

  I stroked his tiny ears and grinned. “Of

  course not, my little mousey,” I sighed. “I

  love you too much!”

  Then I hugged Thea and Trap, too.

  “You were right, Stiltons,” I said. “This

  course was the best thing for me. I’m cured!”

  The same yellow jeep took us

  back to the airport from

  CAMP. Then we boarded a

  plane to New Mouse City. I

  couldn’t wait to get there.

  As we were flying home, I thought about

  everything that had happened to me. I had

  faced my fears and I had met four

  great new friends. Five, if

  you counted Penelope! Yes,

  this experience had

  taught me a lot of things.

  Like it’s much easier to

  overcome a problem if you

  tackle it together. And a bucketful

  of icy water is a terrible way to wake

  up in the morning!

  The next morning, I went to see Dr. Shrinkfur.

  “Tell me eferything, please!” he insisted.

  “You were right, Doctor!” I squeaked. “I

  went to the Rattytrap Jungle and faced all of

  my fears. I’m cured!”

  He seemed very pleased: “I told you it vas

  all up to you! Ach, my niece is very clever!”

  he murmured.

  I sat up straight.

  “

  Ms. Poisonfur is

  your niece?

  ”

  I asked.

  “Yes, vell, it vas I who gave her name to

  your relatifes,” he confessed. “I vas sure it

  vould vork. Penelope’s style can be a little

  vacky, but I knew she vas the only vone who

  could help you.”

  TELL ME

  EFERYTHING, PLEASE!

  108

  S

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  So I guess that’s the end of my story. It

  really all boils down to this:

  I’m no longer afraid of FLYING!

  I’m no longer afraid of the DARK!

  I’m no longer afraid of SPIDERS!

  I’m no longer afraid of SNAKES!

  As I said, I’m cured!

  Oh, well, there is still one thing.

  IT ALL BOILS DOWN

  TO THIS . . .

  110

  I’m not afraid!

  I’m still afraid of CATS!

  But then again, Dr. Shrinkfur says that’s

  perfectly normal. After all, I am a mouse!

  after all...

  I am

  a

  mouse!

  Born in New Mouse City, Mouse

  Island,

  GERONIMO STILTON

  is

  Rattus Emeritus of Mousomorphic

  Literature and of Neo-Ratonic

  Comparative Philosophy. For the

  past twenty years, he has been

  running The Rodent’s Gazette, New Mouse City’s

  most widely read daily newspaper.

  Stilton was awarded the Ratitzer Prize for his

  scoops on The Curse of the Cheese Pyramid and

  The Search for Sunken Treasure. He has also

  received the Andersen 2000 Prize for Personality of

  the Year. One of his bestsellers won the 2002 eBook

  Award for world’s best ratlings’ electronic book. His

  works have been published all over the globe.

  In his spare time, Mr. Stilton collects antique

  cheese rinds and plays golf. But what he most

  enjoys is telling stories to his nephew Benjamin.

  A

  BOUT THE

  A

  UTHOR

  1. Main entrance

  2. Printing presses (where the books

  and newspaper are printed)

  3. Accounts department

  4. Editorial room (where the editors,

  illustrators, and designers work)

  5. Geronimo Stilton’s office

  6. Helicopter landing pad

  The RodenT’s

  GazeTTe

  6

  1

  2

  3

  4

  5

  1. Industrial Zone

  2. Cheese Factories

  3. Angorat International

  Airport

  4. WRAT Radio and

  Television Station

  5. Cheese Market

  6. Fish Market

  7. Town Hall

  8. Snotnose Castle

  9. The Seven Hills of

  Mouse Island

  10. Mouse Central Station

  11. Trade Center

  12. Movie Theater

  13. Gym

  14. Catnegie Hall

  15. Singing Stone Plaza

  16. The Gouda Theater

  17. Grand Hotel

  18. Mouse General Hospital

  19. Botanical Gardens

  20. Cheap Junk for Less

  (Trap’s store)

  21. Aunt Sweetfur and

  Benjamin’s House

  22. Mouseum of

  Modern Art

  23. University and Library

  24. The Daily Rat

  25. The Rodent’s Gazette

  26. Trap’s House

  27. Fashion District

  28. The Mouse House

  Restaurant

  29. Environmental

  Protection Center

  30. Harbor Office

  31. Mousidon Square

  Garden

  32. Golf Course

  33. Swimming Pool

  34. Tennis Courts

  35. Curlyfur Island

  Amousement Park

  36. Geronimo’s House

  37. Historic District

  38. Public Library

  39. Shipyard

  40. Thea’s House

  41. New Mouse Harbor

  42. Luna Lighthouse

  43. The Statue of Liberty

  44. Hercule Poirat’s Office

  45. Petunia Pretty Paws’s

  House

  46. Grandfather William’s

  House

  Map of New Mouse City

  1. Big Ice Lake

  2. Frozen Fur Peak

  3. Slipperyslopes Glacier

  4. Coldcreeps Peak

  5. Ratzikistan

  6. Transratania

  7. Mount Vamp

  8. Roastedrat Volcano

  9. Brimstone Lake

  10. Poopedcat Pass

  11. Stinko Peak

  12. Dark Forest

  13. Vain Vampires Valley

  14. Goose Bumps Gorge

  15. The Shadow Line Pass

  16. Penny Pincher Castle

  17. Nature Reserve Park

  18. Las Ratayas Marinas

  19. Fossil Forest

  20. Lake Lake

  21. Lake Lakelake

  22. Lake Lakelakelake

  23. Cheddar Crag

  24. Cannycat Castle

  25. Valley of the Giant

  Sequoia

  26. Cheddar Springs

  27. Sulfurous Swamp

  28. Old Reliable Geyser

  29. Vole Vale

  30. Ravingrat Ravine

  31. Gnat Marshes

  32. Munster Highlands

  33. Mousehara Desert

  34. Oasis of the

  Sweaty Camel

  35. Cabbagehead Hill

  36. Rattytrap Jungle

  37. Rio Mosquito

  Map of Mouse Island