It was a mouse. A little brown mouse, with bright eyes and inquisitive whiskers, dressed in a blue woollen jacket and a scarf, scampering through the passageways of Saint Michel Metro station. It peeked out round a corner and then beckoned. From behind a dusty fire extinguisher set into the wall, another mouse appeared, wearing a bright red coat and a matching soft beret.

“Come on, Beth, it’s not busy at all!” whispered the first mouse. “Let’s be quick!”

“Wait, Renoir!” said Beth, darting across to him. “You’re always in a rush! It will be much safer if we stick together.”

“Slowcoach! We need to get back before anyone realises we’ve been gone.”

“Who are you calling ‘slowcoach’?” Beth said indignantly. “If you hadn’t been in such a hurry, you might not have gotten your tail jammed up with chewing gum. It took forever to unstick, and you still smell minty.”

Renoir had been poking around a discarded foil wrapper in the (vain) hope it might contain something sweet. Trying to free himself from its sticky contents had been like wrestling with sellotape.

“Well, there’s still time. But we’d better get moving. It might be harder to sneak back into the Mousehole than it was to sneak out. Let’s go!”

“Together,” hissed Beth. But Renoir was already gone. Rolling her eyes, she hurried after him.

Although the hour was late, many people still waited on the long, curved platform for a train to arrive. Some talked and laughed in little groups, while others were peering into their phones, so the mice stayed as close as possible to the wall where nobody was looking. They passed below a bench on which four Big People were sitting. Their legs and feet were so enormous, thought Beth, trying not to think about what might happen if she found herself right in their path.

Suddenly, there was a shout from the platform. The mice froze and tried to press themselves into the deepest shadow. Had they been spotted?

To find out what happens next, and carry on the adventure, buy the paperback or Kindle version from the web store or listen to the audiobook preview below!

The Metro Mice comes alive!