June 2021
Tuesday, June 1, 2021 - Edition #276
Disco DJ
Have you heard the name Trevor Pink-Snout?
Trevor Pink-Snout is the new skunk disco DJ in Ratstown. Trevor has been a DJ in Ratstown since February 2021.
“I have different music for different occasions.” He told reporters, “I don’t play the same disco music for a roller skating party and an ice skating party.”
When he was asked how he got into DJing he answered, “I love music. Pop, rock, disco. Particularly disco. I wanted to share my favorite music with other rodents. Then I saw an ad that Ratstown needed a community DJ and I tried out for the position.”
Trevor is actually from New Guinea Pig City and his standard baseball cap says NGPC.
Tevor is the DJ every Monday and Tuesday at the Roller Skating Rink in Ratstown from 3:00-6:30 every week!
Wednesday, June 2, 2021 - Edition #277
Panic in HedgeRow City!
All rodents in HedgeRow City have evacuated after a hawk was spotted in the area. The rodents have now retreated into their underground burrows for the next few weeks (at least until June 11). Thankfully, some of the winter food supplies weren’t used this past winter so there are still some food supplies in cellars. This means that rodents won’t have to go shopping and won’t go hungry.
Elliana Lavender is the hedgehog that first spotted the hawk. That was on May 29. The second and third sightings were on May 31.
The city of HedgeRow has a policy that if a threat (hawk, coyote, owl) is seen three (or more) times within three days the city goes into evacuation and disappears into their underground burrows.
Thursday, June 3, 2021 - Edition #278
Summer Vacation: 1 more day of School! (Part 1)
Schools in Hamstington end this Friday (June 4)!!! A lot of rodents travel during the summer school break. The Daily Squeaker has created a list of the best vacation spots this summer!
NGPC. New Guinea Pig City is one of the main cities in Hamstington. It’s by the coast and has a lot of becahses. This may not be the best option for rodents that don’t like to party, hear pop music, and/or be on a beach.
Squirrel Village/Lake Ember. Squirrel Village is a quiet village of all kinds of rodents. The village is built in and on the trees. So, not the best idea if you have a fear of heights. However, not far from Squirrel Village is Lake Ember. Lake Ember is a quiet place and not many rodents live there. However, you can rent some excellent cabins.
Little Lemming. Little Lemming is a city surrounding Paw-Print Lake. While a third is roped off for fishermice, the other areas have calm water and deserted beaches. Perfect for a picnic! Little Lemming is perfect for a picnic or you can rent a houseboat and live on the lake.
Friday, June 4, 2021 - Edition #279
Summer Vacation: Last day of School! (Part 2)
Schools in Hamstington ended today for all rodents!!! A lot of rodents travel during the summer school break. The Daily Squeaker has created a list of the best vacation spots this summer!
4. Lemmingvill. Rodents that prefer the mountains to the beach will enjoy Lemmingvill. The city is small and right by the Rodenti Mountain Range. Rodents can hike, backpack, and explore!
5. Downtown Hamsterville. Some rodents prefer shopping to the beach or mountains. Rodents that love shopping for books or clothing should stop by downtown Hamsterville. Downtown Hamsterville has multiple cafes, bookstores, and other stores.
6. Hamsterville Museum Tour. The Hamsterville Museum Tour can be done in one day or two. Basically, you buy tickets ($20 per rodent) and get access to the 5 “National” Museums in Hamsterville: The National Art Gallery, National History Museum, Hamsterville Botanical Garden, and the National Fine Arts Museum. You can go in and out of the museums (free of charge) as often as you like for 2 days (during normal business hours).
Monday, June 7, 2021 - Edition #280
Rodent version of Aladdin?
Hamsterville Film Studios announced that they will be making a “rodent, live-action” remake of the human film ‘Aladdin’.
Many rodents love the human movies Aladdin (cartoon style, 1992) and Aladdin (live-action, 2019). However, both movies are created by humans and therefore starr humans in the roles.
The Hamsterville Film Studios version will be written, directed, and starring rodents.
According to the studio, a script has already been written. That means that casting will begin within the next months and then filming. The Hamsterville Film Studio thinks that the movie may be finished and ready for audiences by the fall of 2022.
Official casting starts June 30, 2021 and rodents can start to sign up on June 26, 2021. However, the studio has already said that rodents auditioning must be 20 or older (rodent years).
The studio hasn’t released who will be directing the movie, though many fans think that they’ve already chosen one.
The Daily Squeaker will be reporting any new news about the rodent live-action movie Aladdin over the next few months!
Tuesday, June 8, 2021 - Edition #281
HeroRat Magawa Retires!!!
Magawa the famous rat who got an “animals George Cross” medal for his work. When we interviewed Magawa in October 2020 (October 8 - to be exact) he mentioned he might be retiring soon.
Magawa finally retired after 5 (human) years of working as a HeroRat.
Though he is retiring, Magawa is not planning on taking a year-long vacation. Magawa is going back to the HeroRat training center to help train new rats. He will, however, still be enjoying a life of bananas and peanuts.
During his career, Magawa found 71 landmines and 38 unexploded items. He helped clear 2.4 million square feet of land.
Magawa has agreed to do another interview with The Daily Squeaker, this time not in-person, but over the rodent video calling platform “PawChat”. The interview will be done with reporter, Edward Leaf tomorrow and posted later in the day!
Wednesday, June 9, 2021 - Edition #282
HeroRat Magawa Retires!
Interview with Magawa
A second interview with Magawa via online video platform PawChat was done today with Edward Leaf.
Reporter: Good morning, Magawa! It’s 9:30am here in Hamsterville, so it’s June 10 1:30pm in Cambodia?
Magawa: Correct. Cambodia is 14 hours ahead of Hamstington time.
Reporter: How does it feel to retire after 5 years on Earth?
Magawa: Well, I’m going to miss the excitement of finding another landmine and being able to help the people in Cambodia by finding one. I’m going to miss my friends who are still going to be looking for landmines. I’m also excited to be able to help train new rats to find landmines.
Reporter: Would you have liked to retire in Hamstington, or do you prefer to help train other rats?
Magawa: I hope I can visit my family in Hamstington, but I’m happy to still be able to help.
Reporter: In our last interview, you mentioned that some of the other rats were treating you differently, could you go into more detail?
Magwa: Obviously, some of the mice were jealous of my Animal George Cross and that ended up in some rivalry. Luckily, the leader of the jealous rats retired and the excitement died down.
Reporter: Do you have any plans for retirement, other than visiting family and helping train new rats?
Magawa: Yes, I’m planning on writing a book of my experiences as a HeroRat. I think it could benefit rats entering the program for the first time.
Reporter: Thank you for this interview, Magawa! Good luck!
Thursday, June 10, 2021 - Edition #283
Interview: Ellianna Lavender
Elliana Lavender was the rodent who first spotted the hawk near HedgeRow City. Today we interview her in her underground emergency burrow in HedgeRow City.
Reporter: Good afternoon, Ms. Lavender! Nice typewriter!
Elliana: My name is Elliana. Thanks, the typewriter was my grandmothers.
Reporter: When, and how, did you first spot the hawk near HedgeRow City?
Elliana: I was in the HedgeRow community garden, checking on how the cherry trees were doing. I was the only rodent there and it was nearing evening. Suddenly, I saw the hawk. He was silhouetted against the setting sun. I saw him land in a tree not far from the outskirts of town. I immediately called the mayor's office and reported the incident.
Reporter: How often does HedgeRow City usually go into evacuation every year?
Elliana: Usually at least once a year, sometimes up to four times. Because it happens regularly, we’re always very well prepared.
Reporter: Thanks for giving us the inside scoop on what happened to HedgeRow City!
Friday, June 11, 2021 - Edition #284
Marcus Pine: Owner of Pine Inn
Marcus Pine is the owner of the Pine Inn on one of the Capybara Islands. Recently, the Pine Inn gained fame after it won the ‘Inn of the Year’ last year.
We talked with Marcus Pine about his inn, when it was built, and why he got the ‘Inn of the Year’ award.
The Pine Inn was built in 1987. It was originally a cabin for Duchess Dora of WestPaw (1950-1995). In 2003, it was purchased by Marcus Pine. He renovated it and by 2004, the Pine Inn was open for business. Because the Pine Inn was one of the only four hotels on the Capybara Islands, business was booming.
Plus, the Inn only had 12 rooms, good prices, and breakfast and dinner was included.
Breakfast and dinners are cooked/baked/created by Luna Grassi. He has been working at the Pine Inn since it’s opening in 2004. Her dishes are always vegetarian and use mostly home-grown ingredients.
If you're on the Capybaras Island overnight, stop by the Pine Inn.
Monday, June 14, 2021 - Edition #285
Professor Leo Whisker retires!
Professor Leo Whisker is a 78 year old woodmouse. Until recently, he worked at the New Guinea Pig University as the Journalism teacher.
He retired last Friday after 52 years working at the New Guinea Pig City University (NGPCU).
Some notable projects that Professor Leo did with his students are:
Students had to write to the local New Guinea Pig city newspaper about something they disagreed about.
Students wrote to a newspaper/news station about why they should be hired.
The journalism teacher position will be filled by Sara Spots, a bunny from Gerbil Town. Sara, or Professor Spots, is 38 years old and has 15 years of experience working for the Gerbil Town radio station.
Tuesday, June 15, 2021 - Edition #286
Guinea Pig Day at Nail Salons!
Nail Salons were booked out this past week (June 7 - June 11) as guinea pigs all got their nails trimmed. Every month, guinea pigs need to get their nails trimmed.
Most months, guinea pigs schedule their appointments for different weeks. However, this month, it seems guinea pigs all wanted their nails trimmed in the exact same week.
All over Hamstington, nail salons were fully booked out.
Leslie Wild, a nail salon owner in Hamsterville, told reporters, “I do not ever want to see a pair of guinea pig nail clippers ever again.”
Maribell Pair, another nail salon owner, told reporters, “We were fully booked out. By the end of the week, all of us were in a really grouchy mood. We started counting down customers. 25 more to go, 8 more, then 6, then 2, and finally we would close for the day.”
Emily Cherry explained to reporters, “It’s not that we don’t like our job. However, after clipping, what feels like, 200 nails, it gets tiring. And it doesn’t help that some guinea pigs will start squealing and squeaking, and complaining, if you clip too much - or not enough….”
Rodents can be relieved to hear that the guinea pig nail crisis is, for now, over. Let us see what happens next month!
Wednesday, June 16, 2021 - Edition #287
Ice Cream Stand on Ocean Beach brings fame!
Not many rodents know about Ocean Beach. It’s a small beach in a cove near New Guinea Pig City.
Ocean Beach recently gained fame after Ivy Brown set up an ice cream stand there.
Ivy Brown is a student at the New Guinea Pig University and she studies fashion journalism there. She started the ice cream stand to spend some time in the summer with her little sister, May
What made the ice cream stand popular and famous was it’s bold and unusual ice cream flavors. For example, mango-lime sorbet, strawberry-coconut ice ice cream, and hazelnut-raspberry ice cream were also very popular.
Since the ice cream stand opened the number of rodents visiting the beach has nearly tripled!
Thursday, June 17, 2021 - Edition #288
Heat Wave in Hamsterville!
The first heat wave of the summer approaches Hamsterville. Rodents are advised to stay inside for the next 3 days. The air conditioning company in Hamstington is scared that there will be a power failure.
The Hamsterville community has banded together and created an emergency heatwave plan. The Hamsterville General Store has supplied rodents with 10 free paper cups. Rodents will freeze home-made popsicles at home. Then, when the heat wave strikes, the popsicles can be passed out to those who need them most.
The Hamsterville indoor pool (built 2018) has also been chilled down to lower-than-normal temperatures, so that rodents can take cool down (free of charge).
The cafes, coffee houses, and restaurants have also transitioned to their summer menus. Coffees become iced coffees, and espressos become lemonade.
Overall, health officials recommend staying inside, keeping windows closed during the day, and keeping them open during the night (when the temperatures drop). Rodents should also remember to drink a lot of water!
Friday, June 18, 2021 - Edition #289
Jessie Will, original rock star, dies at 103
Jessie Will, the original rodent rock star, died yesterday in her sleep. She was 103.
Jessie Will was a rock star in Hamstington from 1935-2001. She was born in 1918. Her birthday was on September 3.
Though she retired in 2001, you can still hear her music on the music radio stations in Hamstington.
In her hometown of Hamsterville, and all of the country, as well as in FroggyWorld and Lake of Hope, residents shut off their lights for a full minute last night at 10:30.
Though her career ended in 2001, at age 83, Jessie still attended rock concerts and gave out autographs.
During her career, Jessie Will published over 30 albums and wrote 392 songs and did one “cover” album. Her “cover” album had 25 songs that she selected and did covers for.
Jessie Will’s typical style were her hot-pink tinted glasses. She also always had a light-pink spotlight during her concerts, instead of a normal, white one.
Fans have already arranged for a statue of Jessie Will to be in Central Park in Hamsterville. Complete with her hot-pink sunglasses!
Jessie Will
Monday, June 21, 2021 - Edition #290
Butterfly Color Festival!
Every year around the beginning of summer (2021’s officially summer began on June 20) the butterfly’s hold a Color Festival. The Color Festival marks the beginning of summer for the butterflies. It is a symbol for them about new opportunities, new flowers, and the passing of spring.
This year, the Butterfly Color Festival was held at Castle Gloria (where a royal ball was hosted not too long ago -- see March 23, 2021).
The Color Festival is not only a fair but also a competition. Butterflies compete to win different prizes. Butterflies can spray paint their wings, and the competition looks for the most chic, colorful, and unique designs.
The judges are the 3 Meadow sisters (bunnies). There are 4 different categories that butterflies can win prizes in: classic design (wings are spray painted in a classic way), colorful (the most colorful wings), unique (a new and unexpected way to paint wings), and modern (painted with a more modern design).
The Butterfly Color Festival Wing Design Competition winners will be published on July 1.
At the festival, butterflies can also take painting classes, model for paintings, and enjoy the food buffet. Nectar, drinks, and food will be available.
Rodents will be allowed to attend the festival. Ask your local butterfly for more details!
Tuesday, June 22, 2021 - Edition #291
Rodent saved off Hamsterville Coast!
The Hamstington Coast Guard and the Hamsterville Area Water Police had to make an emergency rescue off the coast of Hamsterville.
Henry Gold-Leaf, a hamster and professional swim trainer, was caught in a current and dragged out to sea.
There are a number of currents near the Hamsterville and New Guinea Pig City Coast. The strongest and most famous is the Lost Lemming Strait Current. The current pulls rodents out to the Lost Lemming Straight (the area of water between Hamstington and Froggy-World).
Unluckily, Henry was stuck in the Lost Lemming Strait. Unlike all the other currents, the Lost Lemming Strait Current does not “loop back” to another beach. It just pulls you out to sea.
Henry was able to grab ahold of some rocks peaking through the top of the water and hold on until the coast guard arrived in a rescue boat and with a helicopter. Henry is currently in the Hamsterville Hospital recovering.
Wednesday, June 23, 2021 - Edition #292
Hamsterville Film Studios Announces ‘Aladdin’ Director
Hamsterville Film Studios recently announced that they were making a rodent version of the human films ‘Aladdin”. The studio did not announce a director until yesterday evening when they were interviewed by the Rodent Evening News.
The studio picked Jade Blackberry to be the director. Jade Blackberry is a 32 year old guinea pig. She already directed two movies, Captain Earth: Willow Tree and Great Aunt Anne. Both were a huge success.
While casting and auditions begin on June 30, Jade Blackberry said she guessed that the official cast list wouldn’t be done till September 2021.
An interview with Jade Blackberry has been scheduled for June 29, 2021.
Thursday, June 24, 2020 - Edition #293
Mrs. Strong-Paw starts a new knitting club!
Mrs. Strong-Paw, who is most well known for being a judge for the Beaver Lodge Building Competition, has started a new knitting club in Gerbil Town with a special goal in mind….
Mrs. Strong-Paw wants to knit a hat for every student (first through eighth) for the winter months. All the hats will be the same and will feature the school's colors (ice blue and light purple). The hat itself will be ice blue and the puffball on top will be purple.
To actually be able to complete the project, Mrs. Strong-Paw gathered together a group of 5 hedgehogs to help. Not all hedgehogs in the group are pro knitters so Mrs. Strong-Paw is also giving them lessons.
There are 20 students in each grade so the knitting group (nick-named ‘The Hat Knitters”) will need to knit 160 hats. Their goal is to finish by November 1st and pass them out that day.
The Hat Knitters meet every week on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday at The Happy Reader, a bookstore in Gerbil Town. If you would like to join contact Mrs. Strong-Paw at strongpaw@rodentmail.com or write a letter to:
Mrs. Strong-Paw, knitting club
1344 Gerbil Town Watestrongpaw@rodentmail.comrfront, Gerbil Town
Friday, June 25, 2021 - Edition #294
Big Waves on NGPC Beaches!
Storm Aria off the coast of Froggy-World has been “sending over” nice, large waves over to Hamstington.
The waves come in “sets” of 3-5 waves, after the set there can be up to 10 minutes of no waves and then comes the next set. The nice thing about this is that it gives surfers a chance to paddle back out before the next set hits.
Surfers think that the waves will be like this for the next two weeks. And with the nice sunny weather, this seems to be the perfect time to surf this summer. Surf instructors recommend that beginners schedule classes as long as the waves last.
Coral Beach Surf’s is one of the best surf shops that also does lessons, around NGPC. Lessons are between 20-40 minutes and cost around $20. The surf instructors are friendly and give helpful tips and tricks. Coral Beach Surf’s also has wetsuit rentals, surfboard rentals, and boogie board rentals, as well as all equipment needed for stand up paddle boarding!
Remember: don’t forget sunscreen and enjoy these waves while they last!
Monday, June 28, 2020 - Edition #295
Watermelon Sisters start new podcast!
Most people haven’t heard of the Watermelon sisters, unless they bake a lot. The Watermelon sisters are 3 sisters from Hamsterville. They have their own PawTube channel where they explain things about baking, show how to bake, the basics of baking, why sometimes things don’t end up like they were planned, and the most common errors in baking.
Now they have their own podcast as well called Baking with Melons. On the podcast, they will do interviews with famous bakers/recipe book authors, as well as with contestants of the British Baking Show: Rodent Edition. They will still have the PawTube channel and will continue to create videos.
Baking with Melons will be a weekly podcast and new episodes will be posted every Thursday at 5:00pm. Baking with Melons can be heard wherever podcasts can be heard and at the end of the year a CD of all the episodes will be released.
Tuesday, June 29, 2021 - Edition #296
Interview: Jade Blackberry
We interviewed Jade Blackberry, the director of the new movie ‘Aladdin’.
Reporter: Good morning, Ms. Blackberry! How are you?
Jade Blackberry: Good.
Reporter: How does it feel to be the director of Aladdin?
Jade Blackberry: It’s interesting, in a way, it doesn’t feel real yet.
Reporter: For you, is Aladdin different from the other movies you’ve directed?
Jade Blackberry: Yes. Great Aunt Anne was more of a “classic” movie, and Captain Earth: Willow Tree was directed more to younger audiences. Aladdin should appeal to a wider range of rodents than just “younger” or “older”.
Reporter: Can you reveal anything about the auditions that start tomorrow?
Jade Blackberry: No really, but I will say that over 500 rodents signed up.
Reporter: Yikes! How many rodents audition every day?
Jade Blackberry: In my experience, it doesn’t make sense to listen to more than 30 rodents. Your brain gets tired and you don’t pay attention anymore.
Reporter: There was a fan theory that Hamsterville Film Studios had picked a director before announcing that they were making this movie. Could you confirm this theory?
Jade Blackberry: The theory is half correct. The studio had contacted me before releasing the information that the movie was to be created, however I hadn't said yes yet.
Reporter: Thank you for this interview, Ms. Blackberry!
Wednesday, June 30, 2021 - Edition #297
RodentReads.org releases new “Summer 2021: Human Reads”
RodentReads.org now has a seasonal book recommendation list - of human books. The list includes 10 “must read” human books that rodents can enjoy over the summer. Here we list the top 3 books.
#1. The Farmboy, the Princess, and the Scoundrel by Alexandra Bracken
A retelling of the classic film Star Wars: A New Hope.
#2 Harry Potter (series) by JK Rowling
Who doesn’t love magic and wizards? These books can get pretty thick and some parts aren’t as interesting as others.
#3 Just Beyond the Very, Very Far North by Dan Bar-el
All the characters in this book have very different personalities and problems. A great book to read when it’s raining outside.
Check out the complete Summer 2021: Human Reads: RodentReads.org/summer2021human
