by Thea Stilton
caseta from floor to ceiling, but they didn’t
find anything helpful. So Violet and
Paulina turned to Anita and Joaquin’s parents
and asked if they had noticed anything.
“Not me. I was playing my guitar the whole
time. When I play, I concentrate only
on the music,” said Javier. He sounded upset.
“I noticed a rodent with a hat, too,”
Mama Lucia said. “He seemed familiar, but I
can’t quite put my paw on WHY. . . .”
AN OLD FRIENDSHIP
“Now that you squeak it, he did seem
familiar
. . . .” Vanessa murmured. “But
I can’t get a clear picture of him in my mind.”
“We can help with that!” Violet exclaimed.
“Paulina, do you have your MousePad with
you?”
“Of course,” her friend replied,
pulling
out
her tablet computer. “What do you have in
mind?”
“Open the Identikit app! We’ll create a
sketch of the THIEF,” Violet suggested.
With help from Vanessa, José, and Mama
Lucia, Paulina reconstructed the thief’s
looks.
“No, his snout was a bit longer. . . .”
“And his cheekbones a little higher . . .”
“His
snout
was hidden by his hat, but
his eyes seemed darker to me. . . .”
After a few minutes, the mouselets found
themselves staring into the
snout of a young, mysterious-
looking
rodent.
“That’s . . . that’s Carlos!”
Julieta cried.
“You’re right! It’s him!”
Mama Lucia added.
“Who are you
squeaking about?”
Paulina asked.
“He’s an old friend of
Julieta’s, a great GUITAR
player. They performed
together years ago,”
Vanessa explained. “When
they appeared onstage
together, their harmony
took your breath away.
The connection between
. . . a
longer
snout . . .
. . . higher
cheekbones . . .
. . . that’s
Carlos!
contract
Julieta and Carlos
performing together
music and dance was
perfect
!”
“Yes . . . what a shame they
didn’t last longer!” Mama
Lucia said sadly.
“What do you mean?” Violet
asked curiously.
“Carlos disappeared just a few hours
before the performance that would
have secured them a
with the
most important theater in the city,” Vanessa
explained.
“
But why?
” asked Violet.
“I don’t know why,” Julieta SIGHED.
“Carlos just vanished without a word. I
haven’t seen him since then.”
“That’s incredible! But why would
he come back now?” Paulina asked.
“I have no idea. And I don’t understand
why he would take my fan, either.”
Vanessa shook her snout. “I don’t
believe that he would really
have stolen it. . . .”
“It’s been years since
we’ve heard anything about
him,” Julieta said sadly. “We
have no way of knowing if he’s
still the kind rodent he once was, or if
he’s changed.”
“We’ll find him soon,” Paulina declared.
“The others are already on his
trail
. With
a little bit of luck, they might have already
tracked him down!”
Just then, Paulina got a text message from
Nicky:
“Granada . . . that’s where Carlos is from,”
Julieta said. “He came to Seville to study
music with a famouse guitarist.”
THE CHASE!
“It’s so strange,” Violet reflected. “After
years without squeaking to you, this
Carlos pops up out of nowhere. He takes
your fan and then goes back to his hometown.
What could he be thinking?”
“There’s only one way to find out — we’ve
got to FOLLOW him!” Paulina exclaimed.
“Yes, let’s go!” Julieta said.
“My dear, you and Rodrigo have four
performances in the next two days,” Mama
Lucia interrupted. “Let Anita and Joaquin
and the mouselets go without you. Together
they’ll solve this mystery!”
Julieta sighed. “You’re right. I can’t cancel
my shows. But I can help you with the
search — I still have Carlos’s address in
Granada. I wrote to him there, but I
never received a reply. . . .”
She pulled out an
address book
and gave
the information to Paulina.
“Before you leave, you
should go back to the house,”
Mama Lucia said. “You can’t
investigate a mystery
in flamenco dresses!”
Violet and Paulina burst out laughing.
They had been so focused on the theft, they’d
completely forgotten how they were dressed.
“You’re right, Mama Lucia,” said Violet.
“In these gowns, we’d stand out like
bobcats in a bird preserve!”
Back at the Vega house, Violet and Paulina
changed and filled their backpacks with
fresh
clothes
for their friends. Mama
Lucia packed them a lunch and a map of
Granada. Then she drove them to the
TRAIN STATION.
Anita, Joaquin, Colette, Nicky, and Pam were
anxiously waiting for them at the entrance.
“Flying fish sticks, what took you so
long!? Quick, the next train for Granada is
about to leave!” Colette cried.
“We DISCOVERED something
important! We’ll explain everything on
the train,” Violet said.
The seven friends scurried on board the
train. They were in such a hurry, they didn’t
notice two sneaky SHADOWS spying on
them from one of the train’s windows. . . .
Did you notice the two figures in the first train
car? Do you recognize them?
shook
After everyone had changed out of their
flamenco costumes, Paulina and Violet
told the others what they had discovered.
“I was little back then, but I remember
Carlos! He and Aunt Julieta were inseparable.
He was a very nice mouse,” Anita commented.
“That’s how I remember him, too!” Joaquin
agreed. “He always took the time to play
with us.”
Colette smiled. “Do you remember
anything else about him?”
The siblings
their snouts.
“We’ll just have to go to his house and
hope to find him there. . . .” Pam said.
Violet studied the map of the city
> DESTINATION:
GRANADA
back
carefully. When they arrived in Granada, she
led them to Carlos’s home without hesitation.
The city was beautiful, and the mouselets
wished they had time to explore, but
first they needed to find the fan. Julieta
wouldn’t have a moment’s
peace
until it
was
in her paws!
Granada
This Andalusian city is an
important cultural center that’s
rich in architectural wonders. Its
most striking spots are hidden
in old neighborhoods such
as the ALBAYZÍN, with its
narrow streets, white houses,
and ancient villas, and the
SACROMONTE, which is built on the ruins of
Roman catacombs. But the true jewel of Granada is
the ALHAMBRA, a sprawling fortress built on a
hillside overlooking the city.
GRANADA
Madrid
Córdoba
Seville
large
Carlos lived in a big building with an
interior courtyard. Colette, Nicky, Pam,
Paulina, Violet, Anita, and Joaquin were
looking for his name on the buzzer
when a deep squeak
surprised
them.
“Do you need something?”
It was the building’s superintendent. He
was a stout rodent with a
bunch of
keys at his waist.
“We’re looking for Carlos,” Joaquin said.
“We’re
old
friends of his.”
“Ah, the
musician
!” the
superintendent said. “He’s
not here. I saw him a little
while ago, but he was in a
HURRY.”
“Did you see which way
he went, by any chance?”
Anita asked.
“Oh, sure, I can tell you more than that.
He said he was going to the jeweler
at the corner of San Nicolás Square. You can
wait for him here. I don’t think he’ll be gone
long —”
Before he could finish, Anita had
thanked him, and the little group ran off.
They scrambled through the streets of the
Albayzín neighborhood, which was a jumble
of picturesque white buildings.
“The square must be at the end of this
street,” said Violet, examining her map.
When they entered the square at last, the
mouselets stopped and gazed in awe.
On the hill in front of them was
a truly breathtaking sight.
“That’s the
Alhambra
!”
Joaquin said. “The
fortress
Alhambra
means “the red citadel” in
Arabic. The name seems to come from
the red clay used to build its walls.
The Alhambra is a walled city built on the side of a hill
next to Granada. Construction began in 1238, during the
reign of the founder of the Nasrid dynasty, Ibn el-Ahmar.
As time passed, the structure grew until it became what it is
today: an enchanting place, the pride of the city.
The Patio de los Arrayanes, or Court of
Myrtles, takes its name from the fragrant
myrtle bushes that grow around a large pool.
The Mexuar is the oldest
hall, where the council
of ministers would meet.
THE ALHAMBRA
The architecture of the Alhambra was designed
to achieve perfection in every detail. Every stone,
inscription, and corner was placed with grace,
harmony, and elegance.
The Torre de Comares
(Comares Tower) soars
over the palace.
Dozens of cypress trees
grow in the Patio de
Lindaraja (Court of the
Lindaraja).
The Patio de los Leones (Court of
the Lions) is circled by 124 marble
columns. In the center flows a fountain
decorated with twelve lion statues.
was once home to the rulers of the
city.”
“Mouselets, there’s the jeweler!” Nicky
exclaimed, pointing to a small shop a
short distance away. “Quick, it’s closing!”
But before the Thea Sisters and their
friends could make a move, the shop owner
lowered the shutters.
Everyone looked at one another. No one
knew what to do next.
Then Anita exclaimed, “
Over there!
It’s Carlos!”
Anita pointed to a rodent a few yards away.
He had a backpack on his shoulders,
and he was busy undoing a bike lock.
“Are you sure that’s him?” Paulina asked.
“Definitely!” Anita exclaimed.
As Colette, Nicky, Pam, Paulina, Violet,
Anita, and Joaquin moved toward him,
Carlos climbed on his bicycle and
pedaled
out of the square. A moment later, he was
zooming down an alley.
Quicker than a cat with a ball of yarn, the
mouselets scurried after him. Soon, they
were
breathless
trying to keep
him in sight. That’s when they heard a cry.
“Oh! Ouch!”
The mice turned and saw Colette on the
CARLOS’S TALE
ground, holding her left leg.
Joaquin rushed over to her. “Are you hurt?”
he asked,
concerned
.
“No, it’s just a cramp!” she replied,
grimacing
.
“Lean on me!” he said, helping her up.
“Oh no, we’ve lost sight of Carlos!
My
bad!
” Colette apologized.
“Don’t worry,” Anita reassured her. “We’ll
try his house again.”
The group began retracing their steps.
Steadily, they drew closer to Carlos’s
building. After a few minutes,
Paulina exclaimed, “Hey,
look!”
Locked to a pole was
a bicycle identical
to the one that Carlos
had been riding!
A moment later, the rodent emerged
from a travel agency. This time, the mouselets
were determined not to let him
escape
.
They immediately surrounded him.
“Hey, you’re . . . you’re . . . Anita and
Joaquin!” he exclaimed, amazed. “What
are you doing here?”
“Actually, that’s what we’ve been planning
to ask you,” Anita replied coldly.
“Me?” he started, surprised,
“I’m going back home to —”
“To hide the fan that you STOLE from
our aunt?” Joaquin accused him.
“Wait,
WHAT
? No, there’s been a
misunderstanding!” exclaimed Carlos,
blushing redder than a tomato. “It’s true, I
took Julieta’s fan, but I just wanted to surprise
her. . . . I’ll show you.”
Carlos took his backpack off his
shoulders and opened it.
“Here, LOOK. Wait . . .
no, this can’t be right!” he
cried. “The fan is gone!”
“What did you say?” Nicky
asked.
“I put it in here a moment ago. . . .
Someone must have STOLEN it!”
“Are you telling us that someone stole the
fan that you stole from Julieta?” asked
Violet, staring him down.
“That’s not how it was!” Carlos said firmly.
“I didn’t steal the fan, I just . . . borrowed
it.” He SANK down on a bench and put his
snout in his paws. “You see, I haven’t seen
your aunt since I left Seville, but I’ve never
stopped thinking about her.” Carlos’s
squeak was both sweet and sad.
Who stole the fan from Carlos’s backpack? Why?
fearless
“But why did you leave?” Anita asked.
“I never had Julieta’s confidence onstage.
She was always so brave, so
in
front of an audience. I was always terrified
of making a mistake and ruining our
shows!”
“Stage fright is totally normal,”
Anita said. “It happens to us, too,
when we dance!”
“You just need to be brave and
face your fears,” Joaquin agreed.
“I know that now, but back then, I was a
scaredy-mouse.
I let my stage fright
get the better of me,” Carlos said. “I didn’t
even have the courage to tell Julieta I hadn’t
written a song for our
performance
!”
“So why come back now?” Joaquin asked.
“Because now my song is ready. And I want
to show Julieta that I’m worthy of
accompanying the greatest dancer in all of
Spain!”
“But what about the
fan
?” Colette asked.
inscribe
“It was supposed to be a surprise for
Julieta,” Carlos explained. “I wanted to talk
to her last night. I was going to ask her
forgiveness
— and confess my love
for her. But when I saw her gorgeous fan, I
had an idea. . . .”
“What idea?” Violet asked.