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The Mouse Island Marathon

Page 3

by Geronimo Stilton


  was amazing.

  But I still wanted to quit.

  “This marathon is too long for me . . .” I

  blubbered.

  Thea rolled her eyes. “OF COURSE it’s

  long,” she snickered. “That’s why it’s called

  a marathon. Now stop whining and start

  running. You don’t want to tell Champ he

  wasted his time with you, do you?”

  I gulped. Thea was right. Champ would

  have a fit if I gave up now.

  I kept on running. Oh, my acting paws!

  Mile13

  52

  ROASTED MOUSE!

  After twenty miles, the south wind started

  blowing. It came from the Mousehara

  Desert. Now it was hot, hot, hot!

  I took off my hat, scarf, and tracksuit.

  IT WAS BOILING My whiskers

  were dripping with sweat.

  At that moment, the sky turned a funny

  yellow color. Before I could say cheese

  niblets, there was a tremendous blast of

  wind. A second later, I couldn’t see a thing!

  I was covered from head to paw with sand.

  It was a sandstorm!

  “Everyone get down!” another runner

  yelled. We crouched down together behind a

  wall. It sheltered us from the wind and sand.

  We covered our snouts with handkerchiefs,

  54

  so that the sand couldn’t get in our mouths

  and noses.

  A car motor rumbled in the distance. I

  just knew it was that creepy rat in the pickup

  truck

  . He couldn’t wait for someone to drop.

  I shivered. I hoped it wouldn’t be me.

  I decided to pass the time by humming

  nursery rhymes. Everyone joined in. We

  were just finishing the second chorus of “Pop

  Goes the Gerbil,” when the storm ended.

  I wiped off my glasses, said

  good-bye to the other runners, and

  took off.

  55

  BZZZZ ... BZZZZZ ...

  B

  ZZZZZZZ!

  I had only gone a little farther when I

  heard a strange buzzing noise.

  The buzzing got louder and louder.

  All of a sudden, a black cloud

  fell over me. It was a giant swarm of

  bloodthirsty mosquitoes!

  The mosquitoes made a feast of my

  fur. I felt like the strawberry cheesecake

  at my nephew’s birthday party. Every

  bug wanted a piece of ME!

  I tried slapping them away, but it was no

  use. They just kept coming back for more. I

  was being eaten alive! Headlines flashed

  before my eyes: MOUSE-HUNGRY MOSQUITOES

  MAKE A MEAL OUT OF PUBLISHER! GERONIMO

  STILTON :ALL CHEWED UP AND NOWHERE TO

  GO!

  Finally, after I ran and ran, the buzzing

  stopped. I opened one

  eye. The cloud of black

  mosquitoes

  swirled off into

  the sky.

  WET UP TO THE

  WHISKERS!

  I was so happy to be away from the

  sand and the mosquitoes. For a moment, I

  almost forgot that I was running in a CRAZY

  marathon. I felt the warm sun on my fur. I

  listened to the birds singing in the trees. Ah,

  what a beautiful day, I thought.

  Then I noticed a pretty little pond off

  to the side of the road. It looked so calm

  and peaceful. I scampered over and dipped

  one sore paw into the water. The cold water

  felt fabumouse! I leaned over to splash my

  snout. Big mistake.

  SPLASH I fell headfirst into the pond.

  I was wet up to my whiskers! Green scum

  from the bottom of the pond stuck to my fur

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  58

  as I pulled myself out of the water.

  Just then, the rat in the pickup truck

  pulled up. “You smell worse than the mice at

  the morgue,” he snickered. “Ready to call it

  quits? I’m sure they’d love to meet you.”

  I shivered.

  Smack! Some of it hit the driver right in the

  snout. He took off with a scowl.

  That’ll teach him, I giggled to myself.

  REST IN

  PIECES

  59

  A SCHOOL IN

  FLAMES

  I started running again. My paws

  pounded the pavement. Just as I turned

  the corner, it smelled like something was

  burning. In the distance, I could see a school

  building sitting on a hill.

  BLAMES

  shot from the roof!

  I signaled to some of the other runners.

  “Quick, they need our help!” I squeaked.

  WE GOT THERE IN THE

  NICK OF TIME

  Crying mouselets

  STUMBLED OUT of the exits, while

  their teachers tried to keep them calm.

  One mouselet was missing.

  I didn’t stop. I just ran inside. Burning

  embers were falling everywhere. The roof

  started to cave in.

  60

  I was scared out of my fur. But what could

  I do? I had to find that mouselet.

  Finally, I found the terrified mouse in the

  school’s music room. He was hiding under

  the piano. I SCOOPED HIM UP AND CARRIED

  him outside to safety

  Everyone clapped and cheered when

  we emerged safely outside. I felt like a big

  cheese.

  I took off on the race again. But this time,

  I had a huge smile on my snout.

  61

  EARTHQUAKE!

  I was still smiling as I scampered by

  a grassy field. But before long, I noticed

  something ODD. The grass seemed to be rising.

  I squinted. What was going on? Was I

  dreaming? Was I going blind? Was I headed

  for the Mad Mouse Center?

  Just then, the earth began to shake

  beneath my paws. Now I knew what was

  going on. I had read about it in The City of

  Nibbles Guidebook. Every ten years or so,

  the place got hit by an earthquake.

  Rat-munching rattlesnakes

  I felt faint with fear. I took off my glasses

  so I could cry freely. “I want my mummy” I

  squeaked. Then I noticed a blurry figure to

  one side of me. I squinted. It was Honey Fur,

  62

  the pretty rodent I had met at the beginning

  of the race. Oh, why did I always have to act

  like such a ’fraidy mouse?

  Just then, we heard someone shouting. A

  gaping chasm had opened up in the middle

  of the road. One of the runners was about to

  F

  A

  L

  L

  to the bottom.

  I had an idea. Quickly, I gathered

  everyone’s running jackets. I tied them

  together to form a rope. Then, we pulled the

  runner to safety.

  Honey Fur patted my paw. “Great idea,”

  she whispered.

  I grinned. Score one for the ’fraidy

  mouse!

  I tied our jackets together

  to form a rope...

  64

  HOLD ON TIGHT!

  I was so proud of myself. I felt a sudden

  burst of energy. I felt strong. I felt focused.

/>   I felt... WET? I looked down. Holey

  cheesecake! I was so busy rescuing the other

  runner, I hadn’t heard the sound of rushing

  water.

  “Look out! The Rattenburg River has

  burst its banks!” a mouse called.

  All of the marathoners began to panic.

  65

  Crashing waves suddenly surrounded us.

  I was TERRIFIED. I grabbed the paw of the

  mouse next to me. That gave me an idea.

  “Hold on tight to each other. If we do that,

  maybe we won’t be swept away!” I yelled.

  We formed a MARATHON MOUSE

  CHAIN

  . It worked! We didn’t get carried

  away by the river. Slowly, the waves

  subsided.

  We were ready to race again!

  66

  GREAT-

  G

  RANDMOTHER

  STINKYFUR

  I was about to take off when I saw a runner

  by the side of the road. She was staring sadly

  at the ground. Tears trickled down her fur.

  “Are you OK?” I asked.

  The rodent wrung her paws. “I’ve lost

  my WATCH. It means so much to me. It

  belonged to my great-grandmother Stinkyfur.

  Oh, I just have to find it,” she sobbed.

  I felt sorry for her. I felt sorry for Great-

  Grandmother Stinkyfur, too. I mean, did her

  fur actually STINK? I figured now wasn’t the

  time to ask.

  Instead, I searched the ground for the lost

  watch.

  67

  time passed. The other runners

  were long gone.

  “I don’t want to keep you, Mr. Stilton,”

  the mouse said, sighing. “Please go back and

  finish the race.”

  At that very moment, I thought I saw

  something SHINING in the dust. I bent

  down. Could it be? It was!

  “My watch!” the mouse squeaked.

  She threw her paws around me in a bone-

  crushing hug.

  68

  CHEESEBALLS IN

  THE

  ROAD?

  I took a deep breath and rejoined the race.

  I was feeling pretty STRONG. I could

  hardly believe it. I was doing it!

  Two seconds later, the muscular rodent in

  front of me fell to the ground. What was it

  this time? Cheeseballs in the road?

  I looked around. Nothing seemed unusual.

  “Are you okay?” I asked the muscular

  rodent. By now, he was rolling around on

  the ground, clutching his tummy.

  "Oh, I am such a fool!" the mouse cried. “I

  stopped at that Spicy Rat stand on the side of

  the road. Now I have an awful stomache.”

  I nodded sympathetically. I mean, who can

  resist a piping-hot cheddar burrito? Yummy!

  69

  “Ahem, well, maybe I can help,” I offered.

  “I have a weak stomach, too.” I pulled a

  Swiss–cheese– flavored mint from my pocket.

  “HERE TRY THIS” I squeaked.

  The big mouse sat down on the curb and

  popped the mint in his mouth. A few minutes

  later, he jumped up.

  “Geronimo, you’re my hero! I feel like a

  new mouse!” he squeaked. Then he smacked

  me on the back in thanks and took off.

  Forget Bigpaws, that mouse should

  change his name to Gigundo Paws!

  70

  I LOST

  MY MOMMY!

  I was still checking for broken bones

  when I heard a mouse crying. What now?

  Had someone twisted a tail? Lost a lottery

  ticket? Forgotten to cross at the green and

  not in between? Then I spotted a very small

  mouse crying behind a bush.

  “I LOST MY MOMMY” he wailed.

  I had to stop. What could I do? After all,

  I am a gentlemouse. I picked up the tyke and

  dried his tears.

  “My name is Geronimo Stilton,”

  I told him. “Why don’t we go find a nice

  policemouse? He’ll be able to help us look

  for your mommy.”

  The little mouse smiled. Then he blew his

  71

  nose on my shirt. Oh, the price of being a

  gentlemouse.

  I led the little mouse to the police station.

  Within a few minutes, a female mouse came

  rushing in. “PIPSQUEAK! ” she cried. “I was

  worried sick about you! My glasses fell off,

  and I couldn’t find you in the crowd.” She

  picked up her son and hugged

  him tight.

  Then she hugged me.

  Then a policemouse.

  Then a chair, a desk, and

  a filing cabinet before she

  headed out the door.

  I grinned, and set off on

  the race again.

  72

  THE PRETTIEST

  BLUE EYES

  I was just starting to pick up the pace

  again when the mouse next to me tripped.

  “

  Ouch

  ” she cried, rubbing her paw.

  Her name was Sugarsnout Snap, and she

  had the prettiest blue eyes I had ever seen.

  “I think I sprained my paw! I guess I'm

  out of the race,” Sugarsnout said, sighing.

  I felt awful. I just had to do something.

  “Let’s go to the first aid station. I'm sure

  they'll be able to help you,

  ” I suggested.

  Sugarsnout leaned on my shoulder

  , and off

  we went.

  It took us a while to get the first aid station.

  It must have been two thousand miles away.

  Well, OK, maybe not two thousand, but you

  73

  get the picture. It took us forever!

  Lucky for me, Sugarsnout was great

  company. We talked about books and

  food. Two of my favorite topics! Yep, that

  Sugarsnout was a mouse after my own

  HEART.

  When we reached the first aid station,

  I was having so much fun I didn’t want

  to leave. But Sugarsnout told me to go on

  ahead. She’d meet me

  at the finish line.

  Now I had

  another reason

  to make it to

  the end!

  74

  JUST LIKE

  SUPERMOUSE!

  I scampered off again. As I passed the

  twenty-third mile marker, I saw a mouse

  who looked just like my dear aunt Sweetfur.

  “That’s it, young mouse! You can do it!”

  she shouted encouragingly.

  I SMILED and waved. That’s when I noticed

  a shifty-looking rodent.

  He was standing

  right next to the

  Aunt Sweetfur

  lookalike. In a

  flash, he GRABBED

  her pocketbook and

  LOOK OFF into the

  crowd.

  I had to do something! I ran after the thief.

  My heart pounded with fear. What if he

  had a weapon, like a can of rodent spray? Was

  I ready to go paws-up for a pocketbook?

  I glanced back at the little old lady

  mouse. She was sobbing into her little-old-

  lady-mouse handkerchief. I felt a surge of

  energy. With one final lunge, I grabbed the

  thief’s tail. I ripped the bag
out of his paws

  and returned it to the old lady.

  “You were just like SUPERMOUSE,”

  she sighed.

  I wished it were true. I was

  feeling more like Totally

  EXHAUSTED

  Mouse.

  75

  76

  THE BRIDGE OF

  SQUEAKS

  I stumbled back into the race. At last, I

  reached an enormouse bridge. I remembered

  Champ had told me this was called the Bridge

  of Squeaks. Now I knew why. It was at such

  a steep angle, it took every last squeak to

  make it across!

  All of the runners around me were

  groaning. I heard one cry,

  Another sobbed, “I've got too many

  BLISTERS I'LL NEVER MAKE IT TO THE

  END

  ”

  “This is CRAZY!” a third wailed.

  I felt the same way. What kind of a nutty

  mouse wants to run a marathon, anyway?

  Just then, I spotted Old Rat Rickety

  “

  T

  H

  A

  T

  ´

  S

  I

  T

  I

  ´

  M

  D

  O

  N

  E

  ”

  running nearby. He had

  a huge smile on his face.

  Speaking of nutty!

  Then I remembered

  the old rat’s words of

  advice: Never give up.

  Never stop believing in

  yourself.

  I took a deep breath.

  If Old Rat Rickety

  could do it, so could I.

  I scampered forward

  with every last bit of

  strength in my paws.

  I was almost to

  the top of the bridge

  when a terrible thing

  happened. A runner

  fainted and fell into

  77

  78

  the water below!

  What could I do? I had to help.

  Before I could talk myself out of it, I

 

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