Chapter 3

The Mouse Trap

A few minutes later, Sofia was back with her cousin Hector.

“I’m back, and I brought help,” she said proudly.

“I really just want to see the mouse,” Hector said.

“First we have to catch him,” Elena said. “Did you bring some cheese?”

“No,” Hector said. “We are out of cheese.”

“We brought peanut butter instead,” Sofia said.

“Peanut butter?” Elena said.

“Mamá said mice like it just as much as cheese,” Hector added.

Sofia smeared peanut butter inside the bucket. Then she put the bucket near the big chair.

“The bucket is too tall for a mouse,” Hector said. “How will he get in?”

“We need stairs,” Sofia said. “Grab my blocks, Hector.”

Sofia and Hector started building the stairs. They worked fast.

Soon the bucket trap was ready. Sofia, Luisa, Elena, and Hector hid near the chair and watched. No one made a sound. They saw Snowflake run out.

Snowflake stood on his back legs and sniffed. He began to climb. Then they heard the mouse plop in the bucket.

“¡Lo hicimos!” Sofia shouted.

Just then, Albert opened the door. “Where’s Snowflake?”

“¡Aquí!” Sofia proudly pointed at the bucket.

Albert scooped up the mouse. “You said you wouldn’t let him run away.”

“¡Yo sé! He didn’t run away,” Sofia said. “He had an adventure.”

“So did we,” Elena said.

Snowflake squeaked, and everybody laughed — even Albert.