[he] Had The Soul Of A Poet,

In Luggage Claim At The Minneapolis Airport, The Guy Came Up To Me And Said, "maybe You're Wrong, Maybe Stories Do Matter." I Wrote That On A Scrap Of Paper And Put It Above My Desk. That Was The Thing That Pushed Me Through To The End Of Telling Despereaux, That Comment, "maybe They Do...maybe Stories Matter."

Mercy Watson Was A Character That Had Been In My Head For A Long Time.

Reader, You May Ask This Queston. In Fact, You Must Ask This Question. Is It Ridiculous For A Very Small, Sickly, Big-eared Mouse To Fall In Love With A Beautiful Princess Named Pea? The Answer Is... Yes. Of Course It's Ridiculous. Love Is Ridiculous. But Love Is Also Wonderful. And Powerful.

Take This Squirrel, For Instance. Ulysses. Do I Believe He Can Type Poetry? Sure, I Do Believe It. There Is Much More Beauty In The World If I Believe Such A Thing Is Possible.

But Still, Here Are The Words Despereaux Tilling Spoke To His Father. He Said, "i Forgive You, Pa!" And He Said Those Words Because He Sensed That It Was The Only Way To Save His Heart, To Stop It From Breaking In Two. Despereaux, Reader, Spoke Those Words To Save Himself.