CHEESE VILLA

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 744, 17 August 1929, Page 33

CHEESE VILLA

Matilda was a most venturesome young 1 mouse! One day she was walking in and out the back yards of the houses near where she lived, when suddenly she came to a dark alley, and stopped and sniffed. Such a lovely smell seemed to be all around her! Cheese! Where could it come from? The good smell was very near! She looked round and found herself gazing at an enormous round, red Dutch cheese. “Oh, how splendid!” she said. “I shall make it into a house all for myself and call it Cheese Villa.” And she started there and then. Qhe nibbled and nibbled and made a doorway, and then she ate her way in and made a lovely big room—quite round it was. Think of it, a house all of cheese! It was then that she noticed that all around her cheese house were lots and lots of empty honey-pots. Suddenly, in the very early morning, Matilda woke up with a start. Something was wrong—what could it be? Very bravely she popped her head out of the door, and there, right in front of her, was Kip, the Robber Chief! lie didn’t wait to say “How d'you do?” but began at once. “Matilda, you havd been very bad,’' he said; “you have stolen the robbers' cheese. I and my band of robbers took this red, round cheese from the kitchen table in the big house yesterday, and brought it to this rubbish heap for our feast tonight.” “I am so sorry.” quavered Matilda. And at the same time she noticed that the rest of the robber band were hiding in the empty honey-pots, and she was horribly frightened. Then Rip the robber turned to the nearest honey-pot to. consult with his secretary as to what they should do to Matilda, and now Matilda saw her chance. .She leapt out of Cheese Villa and with one bound had disappeared from the rubbish heap. She arrived home quite safely, to find her worried mother waiting for her, and she spanked her and put her to bed for all the next day.