YOUNGEST CHESS CHAMPION!

Bobby Mouser Wins World Title
By Teddy von Muffler

New Mouse CityChess, one of the world's oldest games, now has its youngest champion, eight-year-old Bobby Mouser of New Mouse City, who defeated the fearsome Boris Ratoff today before a huge crowd in the Ratison Square Garden Arena.

The score was tied at seven games to seven as the players took their places on opposite sides of the board for the 15th and final game of the match. There were noisy cheers for young Mouser and loud boos for the tall, scowling Ratoff. It took five minutes to get the crowd quiet enough for the game to begin.

"I'll eat him like a piece of cheese," muttered Ratoff. Then he made his first move, advancing his white pawn two squares.

Mouser stroked his youthful whiskers thoughtfully, then quietly moved his black pawn one square forward.

Ratoff, who has held the championship for more than five years, then moved a knight in an attempt to defend himself. It was the worst blunder of his entire career!

Mouser's eyes grew wider and wider as he saw his opportunity. Then, with an expression of pure joy, he moved his queen diagonally to the edge of the board and in his clear, high voice, squeaked, "Checkmate!"

Can rodents roar? That crowd certainly did. While Mouser beamed and waved to his parents, Ratoff put the end of his tail in his mouth, bit it hard, and rolled his eyes wildly. A dramatic end to an unforgettable day in rodent chess history.

GIANT CHRISTMAS TREE ARRIVES

By Valerie Vole

NEW MOUSE CITYOnce again, the city has its famous Christmas tree set up in Ratafeller Center, spreading holiday joy to ordinary passersby and tourists who come thousands of miles to see it. But the tree almost didn't make it this year. Here's what happened:

As always, a team of rodents traveled all across Mouse Island in the annual search for the perfect tree. Only the biggest, finest, most beautiful one would do. The search ended in Cheddar Springs, on Ferret Farm, where they found a gigantic spruce tree just right for the job.

The owner of the farm, Mr. Filbert Ferret, demanded an enormous sum of money for the tree. After a long, difficult bargaining session, a rather high price was agreed on and paid. But before the tree could be cut down, members of the Cheddar Springs Nature-Lovers Club rushed up and blocked the way. "Rodents, spare our tree!" they chanted, over and over again. And holding each other's tails, they made a furry chain all around the huge spruce.

"OK, we'll find another tree," said the leader of the tree hunters. "Give us our money back, Mr. Ferret."

"Nope," said Farmer Ferret. "A deal is a deal."

And there it might have ended, with no money and no tree, if not for little Melissa Mole, a student at Cheddar Springs Elementary School. "You can dig up the tree, roots and all," said Melissa, "plant it in a giant pot in Ratafeller Center, then bring it back to its home when the holidays are over."

And that's exactly how the problem was solved.

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