71

THE EARLY MOUSE

CATCHES THE CHEESE

That night, I wished I had Uncle

Mastermouse around to put me to sleep. I

barely slept a wink. It was

fur-freezing

cold.

I tried pretending the fake fireplace

was real. But it didn’t help. My teeth were

still chattering.

I huddled under an

old holey blanket,

fully dressed. I was

even wearing my coat! On

top of it all, the bed had no mattress. Uncle

Samuel claimed that sleeping on a board

is healthier for your back. “A mouse needs

good posture,” he explained.

I tossed and

turned

all

night.