CHEDDARTON MOUSETTES WIN SOCCER TITLE
By Toni Tinypaw
NEW MOUSE CITY—Cheddarton beat Swissville 1-0 in the suspenseful final game of the playoff for the junior division championship of the Mouse Island Female Soccer League. Nine-year-old Priscilla “Tutu” Small was the winning scorer, making the game's only goal in the final seconds of play.
Cheddarton's star got her nickname when she rushed to practice one day after ballet class, forgetting to change out of her dance costume. She's been called Tutu Small ever since, and the name fits, because the tiny mouse barely reaches her teammates' shoulders. But little as she is, Small has been known to strike terror into the hearts of the beefiest goalies.
In this beautifully played game, solid defense held both teams scoreless until the last minute of play. Finally, team captain Xena Havarti saw her opportunity. Dribbling the ball down the left side of the field, she twisted and turned through the defenders. As she approached the corner, she swerved and kicked the ball right across the open goal.
Small had positioned herself to receive the pass, but it looked too high for her. For a split second, it seemed like Cheddarton's last scoring opportunity was over. But Tutu, thanks to her dance training, executed a perfect ballet leap. She rose to meet the ball in midair and tapped it in with the tip of her upraised tail. The crowd went wild and the Mousettes mobbed their little hero, practically smothering her with hugs.
When asked after the game if she hoped to play on the Mouse Island Olympic team one day, she said, “When I grow up, I want to be a soccer player and a ballet dancer.”
Judging by her performance today, it looks like both of Tutu Small's dreams will come true.
OPERA SINGER LOSES VOICE
But Young Mice Find Opportunity
By Teddy von Muffler
NEW MOUSE CITY—Disaster struck at the Mousetropolitan Opera House last night. World-famous tenor Luigi Pavaratty was unable to perform the role of Formaggio in Ricotta’s opera Un Ballo in Mozzarella (The Big Ball of Cheese.)
Just minutes before the opera was to begin, the house manager came through the curtains to announce that Signor Pavaratty was “vocally indisposed.” (This is the opera singer’s way of saying he’s lost his voice, or maybe “The dog ate my sheet music.”)
Naturally, many of the rodents in the audience were furious. They began to shout, stamp, and throw things at the poor manager, who quickly retreated. Things were starting to get out of hand, when a group of young mice from George Mousington Elementary School, who were on a class trip to the opera, stepped up on the stage.
They were greeted at first with laughter, but when the youngsters borrowed some instruments from the orchestra pit and began to play the Mouse Island National Anthem, the audience rose and stood in respectful silence. When they had finished, everyone applauded.
Then, in an inspired move, their teacher, Mrs. Emmenthaler, came on stage and announced in her stern voice, “I’m as sorry as you are that Signor Pavaratty won’t sing tonight, but if you behave yourselves, anyone who would like to stay can hear my students perform their rock opera, Cheese!”
And that’s how Cheese! came to the Mousetropolitan Opera. Nobody left. When it was over there were cries of Bravo! Bravissimo! amidst thunderous applause. The George Mousington students took seventeen curtain calls, and a wonderful time was had by all.
©
EDIZIONI PIEMME – ITALY
|
