66

CLOSE AND DISTANT

RELATIVES

Uncle Gagrat pulled out a red balloon

from under my chair. He waved it in the air.

“Pretty good, eh, Nephew?” he chuckled.

He slapped me on the back so hard I nearly

lost my whiskers.

“Ahem, very funny, Uncle,” I mumbled,

still embarrassed.

The whole room was now laughing at me.

Oh, why did everyone like to pick on me?

I was a good mouse. I didn’t lie, cheat, or

steal. Well, except for the time I took a box

of cheese crackers from the grocery

store. But it was an accident. Sometimes I

forget to look in the bottom of my shopping

cart. I was still thinking about those yummy