Hello, hello and welcome to Story Noori. You're listening to Jana and I'm back with our first story of the new year 2025.

I had a very good Christmas with family and friends and I hope you did too. I can tell you that the mice at the seaside cafe had a very nibble some Christmas.

They stuffed themselves with leftovers from the bin in the kitchen, including Brussels sprouts, Christmas pudding and roast potatoes.

Nothing goes to waste in a cafe when you have a family of mice living under the floorboards.

Ew, perish the thought.

But the pickings in January are not so rich.

Most of the humans have had enough of celebrating and overeating,

and would just like to spend the evenings indoors with hot cocoa

and a hot water bottle, especially as the heating is so expensive these days.

"'Wain't the next party?' asked Henry Mouse, just a week after New Year.

"'You don't have to wait long, Henry, Judith Mouse told him.

The Chinese will be celebrating their own New Year soon.

It's going to be the Year of the Dragon.

This part of the story happened at the start of 2024, by the way,

but I'll bring it up to date soon. Year of the story happened at the start of 2024, by the way, but I'll bring it up to date soon.

"'Year of the dragon!' exclaimed Henry.

"'We'll all have to hide, because dragons are really scary.'

"'Not so,' Judith said firmly.

"'The Chinese believe that dragons bring good luck.

That's why they dress up as dragons do dragon dances in the street

and make lots of noise banging drums and shouting.

They are always very happy when it's Chinese New Year,

...