GET INTO GEAR, STILTON! Scholastic Inc.
If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as unsold and destroyed to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this stripped book. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the copyright holder. For information regarding permission, please contact: Atlantyca S.p.A., Via Leopardi 8, 20123 Milan, Italy; e-mail foreignrights@atlantyca.it, www.atlantyca.com. ISBN 978-0-545-48194-6 Copyright 2011 by Edizioni Piemme S.p.A., Corso Como 15, 20154 Milan, Italy. International Rights Atlantyca S.p.A. En glish translation 2013 by Atlantyca S.p.A. GERONIMO STILTON names, characters, and related indicia are copy right, trademark, and exclusive license of Atlantyca S.p.A. All rights reserved. The moral right of the author has been asserted. Based on an original idea by Elisabetta Dami. www.geronimostilton.com Published by Scholastic Inc., 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012. SCHOLASTIC and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Scholastic Inc. Stilton is the name of a famous En glish cheese. It is a registered trademark of the Stilton Cheese Makers Association. For more information, go to www.stiltoncheese.com. Text by Geronimo Stilton Original title Ingrana la marcia, Stilton! Cover by Giuseppe Ferrario (design) and Giulia Zaffaroni (color) Illustrations by Alessandro Muscillo (design) and Christian Aliprandi (color) Graphics by Chiara Cebraro Special thanks to AnnMarie Anderson Translated by Lidia Morson Tramontozzi Interior design by Kay Petronio 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 13 14 15 16 17 18/0 Printed in the U.S.A. 40 First printing, July 2013
Thirty stories below New Mouse City in an undisclosed location, a very sophisticated robotic vehicle called Solar is stored in a secret laboratory. Solar is the only robot of its kind in the entire world. It can see, hear, and even talk! Solar will only allow one mouse to be its driver the one and only Geronimo Stilton! Too bad Geronimo can barely drive and his driver s license has expired. Holey cheese! What s a gentlemouse to do? Turn the page to read the absolutely true story of Geronimo and Solar s first encounter and their top-secret mission.
A CHEERFUL SPRING MORNING It was a cheerful spring morning in New Mouse City. The birds were singing, the air smelled fresh and clean, and it seemed as if everyone was smiling at me. I left my house whistling and headed toward my office at 17 Swiss Cheese Center.
Geronimo
A C HEERFUL S PRING M ORNING Oh, I m sorry! I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Stilton, Geronimo Stilton. I m the editor of The Rodent s Gazette, the most famouse newspaper on Mouse Island. On my way to work, I stopped at the newsstand and bought a copy of my favorite magazine, The Collector of Cheeses. Then I saw the NEWSPAPER headlines: Someone had STOLEN Duchess Catherine Rodenton s seventy-three-carat diamond necklace! Holey cheese! I headed to my favorite coffee shop for breakfast. The owner, Flip Hotpaws, T! you k n ha Yum!
A CHEERFUL SPRING MORNING served me my usual order of a cappuccino and a delicious CHEESE-FILLED pastry. After my breakfast, I passed the bookstore in Singing Stone Square and glanced in the window. I was happy to see that the bookstore was featuring one of my bestselling books in the front window. An older rodent recognized me and asked for my autograph. I m a very shy mouse, and I flushed with embarrassment. What will your next book be about, Mr. Stilton? she asked. Ahem! Oh, Mr. Stilton... Hmm...
A CHEERFUL SPRING MORNING I haven t decided yet, I told her. After I signed her BOOK, I continued to my office. I walked slowly along the sidewalk, deep in thought. Who had stolen the enormouse diamond necklace? And what should my next book be about? Maybe I would write a comedy or a love story. Or I could write a mystery about a jewel thief! With my head in the For the love of bananas, watch out!
A CHEERFUL SPRING MORNING clouds, I stepped off the curb to cross the street. Suddenly, there was the sound of screeching brakes. I spun quickly and saw that something large and YELLOW was about to hit me. I tried to jump out of the way, but it was too late. I flew up, up, up into the air and came SMASHING down to the ground in the middle of the street! La, la, la! Oh, no!