The Mysterious Manuscript of Nostratopus is the first book of the Geronimo Stilton series. It was published in 2000.
Plot[]
I found a strange Manuscript by Nostratopus. Nostratopus had predicted everything, even the End of the World Date! I wanted to publish the manuscript, but in Topoforte, during the Book Fair, an incredible thing happened ...
Summary[]
2015 reprint cover in Italian.
Geronimo Stilton is quietly working on the accounting of his newspaper, the Rodent's Gazette, when Pinky Pick, his very young 13-year-old assistant, breaks into his office saying that they absolutely must attend the Topoforte Book Fair to update on the new trends. The trouble begins when Pinky introduces to Geronimo, her uncle Mousias van Raten, the one who intends to offer him as Cultural Consultant. In addition to drinking coffee continuously, he is also a very eccentric type, who says he believes only in "Culture with a capital C" and is convinced that Geronimo's publications are absolutely not cultural. To relieve the situation, Mousias suggests that he publish an ancient manuscript of the magician Nostratopus (parody of Nostradamus) in his possession, in which many ancient events were accurately predicted, which then actually happened, and in which the date of the End of the world. Geronimo is very interested, as his experience as a publisher tells him that it could be a great success, but before being able to talk with Mousias more, he is dragged by Pinky to an amusement park, from where he comes out with a bad mood and nausea for roller coasters he was dragged on. Geronimo hardly had any money left, because Pinky made him spend a lot on the roller coasters, and Mousias made him lose all his workers, sending away all the authors and publishers who had contracts with the Rodent's Gazette, judging them to be cultural nonsense writers. At a certain point, while Geronimo gives a lecture, Mousias asks him, pretending not to know him, so that nobody in publishing makes "Culture with a capital C": Geronimo loses his patience and shouts publicly that "Culture with a capital C", does not matter. Mousias is offended, and decides to propose the manuscript to Sally Ratmousen, Geronimo's rival. When he finds out, Geronimo manages to be forgiven and convinces Mousias to retract the deal with the Stilton publishing house, offering him a greater percentage of the copyright. At that point Sally steals the manuscript, but, exactly as it was predicted in one of the prophecies, a fire breaks out in the Daily Rat (Pinky and Sally fall while they fight with the manuscript in hand, and Sally dropped a candlestick that set fire to a curtain), the building burns with the manuscript inside. As if that were not enough, Mousias hits his head and forgets everything about Nostratopus and the manuscript. In the end, Geronimo writes a book on this story, while Sally, although Geronimo heroically saved her from the flames by ending up in all the newspapers, is not at all grateful, and has the same staff rebuild the building, to continue to compete with the Rodent's Gazette.
Trivia[]
- This is the first book in the Geronimo Stilton series.
- Geronimo Stilton, Pinky Pick, and Sally Ratmousen first appear in this book.
- This contains the only appearance of Mousias van Raten, Pinky Pick's uncle.
- This book has not yet been translated into English.
- Nostratopus is a pun of Nostradamus.