Cheese Cookies for Benji & Petey

CHEESE COOKIES
FOR BENJI AND PETEY 
Mouse Brothers Series 

Once upon a time, there were two little brown mice named Benji and Petey. Although almost exactly the same, Benji was a bit taller and Petey had a round white spot between his ears.

Benji and Petey lived in a tiny little yellow house. Some might say it was the distinct color of Swiss cheese. It had a few small windows and a little brown door just big enough for them to fit through.

The mouse brothers' favorite food in the whole world was cheese! They never got tired of eating it. It was cheese for breakfast, cheese for lunch, cheese for dinner and cheese for their bed-time snack. They liked Swiss Cheese best of all.

One day, Benji got an idea. "Hey Petey, would you like to help me make some special cookies?"

"Well, what exactly do you mean by special?" Petey asked. "They aren't those healthy ones that Grandma tried to get us to eat last week are they? They tasted like cardboard!!" Petey wrinkled up his little nose.

Benji laughed, "No, Petey, I thought we could try to make Swiss Cheese cookies!"

Petey jumped up and ran for the kitchen, "Yaaayyyyy," he yelled, "What are we waiting for?"

In their tiny kitchen, they put on their little white aprons, and went to work. They cut pieces of Swiss cheese into little chunks and dropped them into their cookie dough.

"Hey I saw that!" yelled Benji. "Petey, if you keep eating all of the Swiss Cheese, there won't be any left for the cookies!!"

Petey didn't think Benji saw him stuffing the cheese into his mouth. "Sorry Benji," Petey said with a smile and very puffy cheeks, "but this cheese is just so good, I can't help myself!"

The brothers baked hundreds of cheese cookies. In fact, they made cheese cookies all day and into the night. When the last cookie was made, they cleaned up their mess and put all of the cookies away. Since baking was hard work, Benji and Petey went straight to the tiny little bedroom they shared, jumped into their mini-bunk beds and fell fast asleep.

The next day, when Benji and Petey woke up, they were very excited. They couldn't wait eat some of their cheese cookies. But, when they went into the kitchen, the cookies were all gone! The only thing left was a bunch of cheese cookie crumbs.

Benji looked at Petey. "Hey Petey, did you eat all those cheese cookies?"

Petey looked at Benji "No, I didn't eat all of the cheese cookies, did you?"

"Well of course not!" cried Benji.

Together they began to search the house to try and figure out who did eat all of their cheese cookies.

Just when they were about to give up, someone knocked on their front door. It was their stout little gray cousin, Penelope! She lived right next door in a house just like Benji and Petey's.

Penelope looked like she didn't feel so good. She was holding her tummy and she was groaning.

"What's wrong with you Penelope?" asked Benji.

"Well...last night...I smelled something really yummy coming from your house. I came over to see what the delicious smell was, but you guys were asleep. I sniffed around and found tons of cheese cookies! They smelled so wonderful! I just wanted to try one, but they were so good. I ate all of them! Ohhhhh!" Penelope groaned, "Now, I have such a tummy ache!"

Benji and Petey stared at each other. Then they stared at Penelope.

"Penelope," Benji said. "We worked very hard all day yesterday baking those cookies. If you wanted some, all you had to do was ask us. We would have shared them with you, but instead you just came over and..." Benji was so upset, tears formed in his eyes.

Petey, who was just as angry, continued, "Penelope, please go home. We just don't want to play with you right now."

After Penelope left, Benji and Petey sat down in their little living room on their little blue couch and sulked. "How could she do that?" asked Petey. "How could she just come over and eat all of our cookies? I know they smelled great and looked very tasty, but she could have asked us! Why, I don't know if I'll ever speak to her again."

At home Penelope had such a terrible tummy ache from eating all those cookies that all she could do was sit down in her favorite, soft comfy recliner, and fall fast asleep. She slept for quite a while. When she woke up, her tummy was better, but she still felt really badly about having been so selfish. She knew what had to be done.

Penelope spent the rest of the day in her little kitchen.

That night, Benji and Petey heard a knock on their door. It was Penelope again, but this time she had boxes and boxes with her. "Hi guys, may I come in? I have something for you."

"I guess," Benji said.

Penelope walked into the boy's kitchen and set the boxes down on their small round table. "I'm really sorry for eating all of your cookies," she apologized quietly. "I should have asked first. Here are some Swiss Cheese cookies to replace the ones I ate. I hope they are as good as yours were."

Penelope turned to leave, but Benji and Petey shouted "Wait!"

"We forgive you," Benji said. "And we're sorry for being so angry with you."

"Won't you stay for a while?" asked Petey. "We have plenty of cookies."

Penelope smiled. "I'm glad you're not mad anymore. I'd love to stay for a while, but I don't think I'll have any cookies. In fact, I think I've had enough cookies to last me for the rest of my life!"

The three little mice laughed, and Benji and Petey nibbled on the delicious Swiss Cheese cookies.

THE END

Cheese Cookies for Benji and Petey - By Valerie L. Busic - Copyright 1998 

The Mouse Brothers stories are for Chelsie, with love.