by Thea Stilton
“A little too strange,” said Professor Van
Kraken. “But what’s even stranger is that the
local authorities let the resort be built in
that location. It is too close to the volcano!”
“Will we be safe if we stay here tonight?”
asked Colette anxiously.
“Yes, I think so,” said the professor. “Keep
your phone with you at all times. I’ll call
you immediately if there is any sign of
imminent danger.”
“Of course!” said Paulina.
The professor was silent for a moment.
“Mouselets, I absolutely do not mean to
scare you
, but I’m asking you to take
advantage of where you are to investigate
and, if necessary, intervene. Your resort
could be wiped out by the eruption!”
Let’s Review the Situation:
•
The Fire Flowers Resort is extremely close to the famouse
v
olcano Mauna Loa.
•
Ekana Kahanamoku, one of the r
esort’s owners, assured the
Thea Sisters that Mauna Loa is a dormant volcano, and isn’t
dangerous. He says that the research observatory provided
him with data assuring its safety before they began building
the hotel.
•
According to the data gather
ed by Professor Van Kraken,
Mauna Loa is anything but dormant: It could erupt any
minute!
•
The scientists
from the research observatory
insist that there is no danger.
•
How is it possible that Pr
ofessor Van
Kraken’s team and the scientists from the
research observatory have collected such
different data?
The next morning, Violet picked up the
program for the competition and read it out
loud.
THE COMPETITION
BEGINS!
The Thea Sisters were awake early — they
wanted to get a head start on the first day of
the competition. All five mouselets were
feeling a little
nervous
as they pulled out
the costumes Colette had designed for them.
“What do you think of the phone call last
night?” asked Violet.
Paulina sighed. “I don’t know. But
one thing’s for sure: Professor Van Kraken is
very serious about his science. I’d be
shocked if he made such a BIG mistake!”
“But if he’s right, that would mean that the
resort is in grave danger! And that
Ekana lied to us,” Nicky put in.
“What if he was just too trusting?” Pamela
asked thoughtfully. “He doesn’t seem like the
type of mouse who would put anyone in
danger on purpose. . . .” She zipped up her
skirt and twirled . around “Wow, Colette,
these costumes are a dream! You really
have a passion for fashion.”
Colette giggled and waved her paw at Pam
dismissively. But her friends knew she was
beaming with
pride
.
“Let’s try to concentrate on the hula
competition for now,” said Violet as they
headed out. “Maybe we can investigate
during our free time this afternoon.”
The mouselets scurried toward the hotel’s
main lobby, which was already swarming with
young rodents from around the world. It
looked like a field of colorful flowers!
Everyone was wearing Hawaiian costumes
designed specifically for the occasion.
The contestants boarded a bus and
headed toward Hilo’s Edith Kanaka’ole
Stadium. When they arrived, musicians were
already positioned around the stage, ready
to play. The bleachers were packed and
buzzing with excitement.
The local team, a group of mouselets from
Hilo, approached the Thea Sisters and
introduced themselves.
“Hi!” one of them said. “My name is
Apikalia, and these are my teammates. We
wanted to compliment you on your costumes:
They are really divine!”
Colette lit up. “Thanks so much!”
Ruby, who was OBSERVING the scene
from afar, elbowed Alicia. “I told you that
our costumes weren’t glitzy enough! We let
those Goody Two-paws beat us again. And
it’s all your fault!” She let out a big sigh
and flounced away.
Alicia looked down in the snout. She never
knew what to do when Ruby picked on her.
Just then, the judges
announced
the beginning of the competition. Then they
called the Ruby Crew up to the stage. They
would be the FIRST to perform.
The Ruby Crew’s
choreography
was solid, if not superb. Alicia stumbled over
a few steps, earning a scathing look from
Ruby.
Next, the team from Maui was called up:
Their performance was graceful and
energetic
. Nicky recognized the
ratling that she had noticed the evening
before. He was an agile and elegant dancer.
Then Apikalia’s group was called: The
movements of their paws
and hips were in
perfect
sync, and the mouselets
were as supple as
waves on the ocean.
They maintained perfect
THIS IS HULA!
balance as they put in a fluid and harmonious
performance. Now, this was hula! The
mouselets were very impressed.
After Apikalia’s group went, it was the
Thea Sisters’ turn. Colette, Nicky, Pam,
Paulina, and Violet had been practicing for
months with the help of their dance
instructor, Professor Plié. Their
hard
work
paid off — by the time they finished,
the five mouselets were tired but proud.
At the end of the morning, Apikalia’s team
was in
first place
, followed by the
Thea Sisters, and then the Ruby Crew.
Colette, Nicky, Pam, Paulina, and Violet
quickly changed out of their costumes.
They were about to exit through the stadium
gates
when some rodents from the Maui
team approached them. The team’s captain
was the
YOUNG
Hawaiian rat Nicky had
noticed the night before.
The ratling gazed at Nicky as he
said hello. Then he asked, “Do you like
surfing
?”
Nicky was struck squeakless, so Pam
jumped right in. “I’m sorry, but is that
a question or an invitation? And could you
tell us your name again? We didn’t quite
catch
it.”
The ratlet burst out laughing. “My
name is Renani, and it was an invitation.
Surfing
on the first afternoon of
the competition is kind of a
T
RADITION. Everyone gets
to know one another a
little better, and we get to
relax and catch a few
waves. Would you
like to join us?”
“Of course!” answered
SURF’S UP!
Nicky enthusiastically.
“But . . . don’t we need to start investigating
for Professor Van Kraken?” Paulina
murmured.
“I have an idea! Let’s mix business with
pleasure. If we go surfing, we’ll get to
check out the beach,” said Pam.
“Oh, all right,” Paulina relented. “We’ll hit
the surf. But keep your eyes open, okay?”
Nicky gave her a quick hug. “You know we
will, Paulina!”
Pam grinned. “Cowabunga, dude!”
An hour later, the Thea Sisters found
themselves down at the beach. It was
packed with young mice. All the hula
competitors were there, and they were all
surfing!
The Ruby Crew was part of the crowd. The
mouselets were scampering across the sand
and showing off their surfboards.
Nicky immediately jumped into the
water with Renani. When Ruby spotted
Nicky’s WILD surfing moves, it gave her a
sneaky idea!
“Nicky is really reckless,” she told her
friends. “And surfing is a
dangerous
sport. What if she had an accident? Then it’d
be, ‘good-bye, hula competition’ for the Thea
Sisters!”
water
Alicia, Connie, and Zoe immediately
caught her drift. They leaped into the
on their surfboards. Ruby wanted
to surround Nicky and push her into the
waves to make her lose her balance.
But Ruby and her friends severely
underestimated Nicky’s surfing skills. She
was practically an expert. She darted
away easily, and Ruby and her friends found
themselves on a collision course — with
one another! They all ended up underwater
as a GIANT wave washed over them!
“Uh-oh!” cried Renani. “Those mice
wiped
out
! I better give them a paw.” He
hurried over to help the Ruby Crew.
Without him, the mouselets would have been
cast adrift for a good long while.
smiling
Nicky returned to the beach with her
surfboard under her paw. Her friends were
as they ran to meet her.
“Great job!” said Pam, giving her a high
five. “You were really shredding waves
out there! I don’t know what Ruby was up to,
but Renani was nice enough to take her
and her buddies to the infirmary.”
But Nicky wasn’t paying attention — she’d
just noticed that someone was watching them.
“Look! It’s the old gentlemouse we saw
yesterday!” she exclaimed. “The one who
said the hotel was
dangerous
. . . .”
“Let’s go talk to him while he’s here!”
added Paulina.
THE LEGEND OF THE
FIRE FLOWERS
Just as they were about to reach the elderly
mouse, someone else marched up to him.
It was Ekana.
“You need to stop disturbing the resort guests
with your nonsense!” he said to the mouse,
shaking his paw. “This is the last time I’m
going to warn you, Grandpa Nahele!”
Paulina jumped. “What? This is your
grandfather?”
But the two mice were too busy arguing
to hear her.
“Ekana!” said Nahele fiercely. “You know
I’m not making up NONSENSE! I’m
telling you the truth! Why won’t you listen?”
Ekana looked ashamed.
Nahele took advantage of his silence. “The
resort was built in a very dangerous
location. Now you dare to ignore the signs
that nature is giving you just because
you want to make a quick buck?!”
Ekana crossed his paws skeptically. “What
signs, Grandfather?”
“The appearance of the white dog
in the city is one,” Nahele responded.
Ekana rolled his eyes. “Oh, yes, that’s
scientific proof for you!” Then he changed
his tone. “All you’re doing is discrediting
my business. The news hasn’t reported any
danger of an eruption, and neither has
the research observatory. So leave my guests
alone!”
With that, Ekana turned tail and stomped
off.
Nahele looked after him sadly. Then,
finally, he noticed the Thea Sisters. “My
grandson is a good, honest rodent,” he told
them. “The problems started when he let
that
sewer rat
Sammy Sharkfur
convince him to build the resort. I don’t like
Sammy. He is very powerful, and I’m afraid
his business is shadier than it seems. . . .”
Paulina helped the elderly gentlemouse
sit down. “Can you tell us about the white
dog?” she asked. “What does that have to do
with Mauna Loa erupting?”
“The white dog is part of an ancient
Hawaiian legend — the Legend of the Fire
Flowers,” explained Nahele. “It says that
every time a white dog appears in the city,
the volcano will shoot out fire flowers. In
other words, there will be an eruption.” The
elderly mouse suddenly stood up. “look!”
The mouselets followed his GAZE and
saw . . . the white dog! The animal
stopped for a moment, looked over, then
loped away.
The Thea Sisters
exchanged
a look of determination. Legend or not, the
moment had arrived for them to do some
serious investigating!
Colette, Nicky, Pam, Paulina, and Violet
hastily returned to the resort. They
wanted to ask around about Sammy Sharkfur.
First, the mouselets went to the reception
desk and explained that they were doing
some research for an in-
depth
article about the resort.
“Is it possible to see the surveyor’s report
on this area?” asked Paulina. “We were
told that an accurate survey of the land
was done. . . .”
“Extremely accurate!”
confirmed the young rodent at the reception
desk, showing them a pile of documents
filled with data and graphs. “The construction
EVERYTHING’S
UP TO CODE!
64
is up to code. There is absolutely zero
danger!”
It looked like she was right. Judging from
the row of stamps on the lower part of each
document, everything was official and
aboveboard.
Next the mouselets wandered around the
resort and approached staff members to ask
what they thought of Sammy. But everyone
had nothing but praise.
Not only that, the idea of Mauna Loa
erupting made everyone the Thea Sisters
interviewed smile. After all, if it wasn’t in
the news, why should they worry?
The mouselets didn’t give up. They decided
to continue their search for information in
HILO, the city nearest the resort.
“Let’s start with the closest news bureau,”
Violet said. “Everyone keeps mentioning the
news, saying no one has reported any risk of
ERUPTION
. So maybe a local
newspaper office can tell us something!”
FIRST STOP: THE
LOCAL PAPER!
The five mouselets headed for Hilo, planning
to contact the editor at one of the local
newspapers. They bought several papers and
settled onto a park bench to figure
out where to start.
Colette, Nicky, Pam, Paulina, and Violet
paused to enjoy the view of the Hawaiian
sunset: It was truly gorgeous! Then
they decided which paper to visit first and
climbed into a taxi that darted through
the streets of the
city. It left them in
front of the office
of the most famouse
local newspaper.
The mouselets
scurried inside and
introduced themselves as
young journalists. They were greeted by
Melika, the paper’s editorial director.
“Have you heard anything recently about
possible activity from Mauna Loa?”
asked Colette.
Melika shook her snout. “No. At least,
not in the last few years. You see, Mauna Loa
hasn’t erupted since 1984.”
Paulina was puzzled: It really seemed like
no one had any reason to worry about an
eruption.
Just as the Thea Sisters were about to
leave, Melika said, “If you want to learn
more, you could go straight to the
source.”
The mouselets didn’t understand,
so Melika explained, “You should visit the
research observatory. That’s where we get all
our information about the volcano’s
activity.”
