CHEDDARTON MOUSETTES WIN SOCCER TITLE
By Toni Tinypaw
FOSSIL FOREST— All the beavers of Mouse Island have gathered together this week for their annual powwow. There have been tree-chewing, dam-building, and underwater swimming contests, as well as dances, drumming, songfests, speeches, and twig-munching feasts. But the highlight for eleven-year-old Marty Mousefield of Cheddarton was the ceremony that made him an honorary beaver.
Last week, Marty was on a hike with his Mouse Scout troop when he heard splashing and frightened cries from a nearby lake. When he got to the shore, he could see a baby beaver struggling in deep water. With true Mouse Scout courage and skill (he has a merit badge in lifesaving), Marty dove right in and rescued the helpless little rodent.
He soon learned that he had saved the son of Nil-Chi-Tso (“Big Wind”) chief of the local tribe, and as a reward, was invited to the powwow to be honored as a hero.
The ceremony was held today. True to his name, Nil-Chi-Tso gave a very long speech, and then presented Marty with a special headdress of eagle feathers and a magnificent, rainbow-hued wampum necklace. Finally, painting Marty’s face with war paint, he proclaimed him a brother to all beavers, and gave him the new name of Na-As-Tso-Si-Lo, “Mouse-Who-Swims-Like-a-Fish.”
Marty thanked the chief for the gifts, and thanked all the beavers for their kindness and hospitality. He complimented them on their dancing, drumming, and singing, and the delicious twigs they had shared with him at their feast. Luckily, no one noticed he had his toes crossed during the twig part.
EXPEDITION FINDS NEW KING OF THE JUNGLE
By Teddy von Muffler
AFRICA—Ten years ago, while on safari in the African jungle, Sam and Janet Ratney lost their infant son Travis. It seems that the baby rat, then just a few weeks old, was kidnapped by wild monkeys. The Ratneys have never stopped hoping that Travis was still alive, but no one ever found any trace of him. Until now.
An expedition sent by the Mouseum of Natural History reports that they have found a young rat who must be the missing Ratney baby. Dr. Jessica Smartwhiskers, a scientist with the expedition, says that Travis was raised by his monkey captors and has grown up as one of them. He calls himself Zan-Rat, a name that means “jungle lord” in monkey language. Dr. Smartwhiskers is learning to communicate with him. They have become good friends, and she has even been allowed to visit his rat hole high in the trees.
She has learned that Zan-Rat speaks the languages of all the wild animals, and through his courage and cunning, has become King of the animals. His bloodcurdling battle squeak is a terror to all who would invade his kingdom. When he's not moving swiftly through the trees by swinging from vine to vine, he travels through the jungle on the back of a huge warthog. His monkey training has given him powerful muscles, and he can wrestle a full-grown mongoose to the ground with his bare paws. Furthermore, he may be the only rat in history who can hang from a branch by his tail.
When asked if she was afraid of her wild new friend, Jessica said, “Not at all. He may be wild when he's with the monkeys, but he's a perfect gentleman with me. I think he's kind of cute.”
Did she think she could tame the mighty Zan-Rat? Jessica had a quick answer to that one: “I certainly hope not. He's perfect just the way he is.”
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EDIZIONI PIEMME – ITALY
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