A BIG FISH TALE?

By Zeppola Zap

It may sound like a big fish story, but this tale is true. Early Saturday morning, a young mouse named Freda Fishpaws caught the biggest catfish known to mouse. Freda dropped her line into the murky Moussissippi River, felt a tug, and then, nearly fainted when she hauled in a 130 pound 5 ounce fish! To give you a sense of how big this actually is, imagine a fish as big as a seventh-grader!

Im surprised I was able to reel it in by myself, said the young mouse. At a little past 6 AM, the fish grabbed Fredas line and the two struggled for more than two and a half hours before she was able to reel it in. At one point, the fish actually dragged the boat carrying Freda and her father, pulling so hard that they thought the boat was going to tip.

Im so proud of my niece, said Fredas uncle who was there at the boat dock waiting for her. Shes going to grow up to be quite the fishermouse.

Until the end of next week, the big fish will be kept in a special tank. After that, Freda says she would like to release the fish back into the river. I thought it would be cool to give every mouse a chance to see the fish. But then, it deserves to go free.

An Interview with Chef Stewrat

By Gigi Gogo

The head chef at Cacklefur Castle, Chef Stewrat, may be one of the worst chefs in all of Mouse Island. In this exclusive interview, I was lucky enough to get the famouse chef to reveal his deepest secrets about his disgusting recipes.

Gigi Gogo: Good afternoon, Chef Stewrat. What are you cooking right now?

Chef Stewrat: A stew that has been simmering for five hundred years! I inherited it from my great-great-great-great-great grandfather!

Gigi Gogo: Wow. Thats amazing. If you dont mind me asking, whats in it?

Chef Stewrat: Lets see. Theres earthworm liver, leech lard, black scorpion claws, wasp stingers, bat thighs, crushed red termites, snake spleen, cockroaches, plus salt and pepper.

G.G.: Anything else?

C.S.: About five minutes ago, I thought the stew needed just a little bit of flavor so I threw in some really smelly socks.

G.G.: Ive heard that you like to sing while you cook. Anything in particular?

C.S.: Yes. It goes like this: Open your snout, come and pig out! My stew is a treat. The best thing youll eat! Eat and eat until youre fat. And you will be a happy rat!

G.G.: Has anyone tasted it yet?

C.S.: As a matter of fact, yes. His name is Geronimo Stilton. Hes an important newspaper editor. And let me tell you, after he took just one bite, he started wailing and running away. I think he loved it so much that he just couldnt contain himself. He wanted to run home to spread the word.

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