Pérez the Mouse

This story is called Perez the Mouse, written by Luis Coloma, and adapted, read and translated by Lorena Romero and Madeline Walton-Hadlock. This is a LibraryCall recording. Many years ago lived a King called Buby. He was a great friend to children in need, and he was also a protector of mice. He prohibited mousetraps in his kingdom and punished any cat that chased these rodents. King Buby took the throne at only six years old, under the guidance of his mother, the Queen. She was an affectionate and devoted mentor. Well, one day, when King Buby was eating a bit of soup, one of his teeth started to wiggle. Everyone in the court panicked and called the medics, who then arrived one by one. It looked like it was time for King Buby’s baby teeth to fall out and make room for his grown up teeth. The doctors had a very serious conversation. They decided that the young King’s tooth had to be extracted. Luckily, King Buby was brave and ready to confront any danger face to face. So, they tied a silky, red string to his loose tooth and one of the doctors began to pull. The small King frowned in pain, but before he could cry out, a shiny white tooth popped out and bounced across the floor. It looked like a tiny pearl. One of the royal guards carefully picked up the tooth, put it in a box made of gold and took it to the Queen. The royal council held an emergency meeting to decide what to do with the precious item. Some wanted to coat the tiny tooth in gold and keep it with the royal treasure; others suggested placing it inside a jewel and displaying it in a museum. But the Queen, being the wise and traditional woman she was, decided that King Buby should write a letter to Perez the Mouse and place his tooth under his pillow. Every child knew that Perez the Mouse, who was a tooth mouse, would pick it up and replace it with a wonderful gift. King Buby wrote the letter with his mother’s help. When he finished, he noticed that the ink from his pen had stained all his fingers, his left ear, a bit of his right shoe, and even the tip of his nose. Writing was still new for him. He went to bed earlier than usual, and he made sure all the candles in his room were still lit. Placing the letter and tooth carefully under his pillow, he sat on his bed and waited for Perez the Mouse to come by. As he waited, the tiny King thought of what he would say to Perez upon his arrival. How does one greet a mouse, he wondered? Soon, King Buby began to blink his eyes, fighting the sleep that was coming upon him. His body began to slide towards his warm blanket until his little head landed on the soft pillow that was hidden behind his arm. Just as he was falling into a deep sleep, King Buby felt something soft touch his forehead. He immediately jumped to his feet! Next to him on the pillow stood a very small mouse with a tiny straw hat, golden glasses, little cloth shoes, and a red wallet strapped to his back. The little mouse gazed up at King Buby with his black eyes, observing how the monarch's body trembled with fear. The mouse smiled reassuringly at the boy, then took off his hat, bowed his head, and respectfully waited for His Majesty to speak. But the King did not say a word. He had forgotten the speech he had prepared for the mouse. Eventually, he let out a weak “Good evening…” to which Perez the Mouse excitedly replied “Good evening to you!.” And with this first meeting, King Buby and Perez the mouse became the very best of friends. The end. Thank you for listening to Perez the Mouse, written by Luis Coloma, and adapted, read, and translated by Lorena Romero and Madeline Walton-Hadlock. This was a LibraryCall recording.