Meet the Taylors (for Cochrane-A)

''All this has happened before, and it will all happen again. But this time, it happened in London. It happened on a quiet street in Bloomsbury. That corner house over there is the home of the Taylor family, and Fievel Mousekewitz chose this particular house because there were people and animals who believed in him. There was Mrs. Taylor.''

In the bathroom of the corner house, there was an Atlantican-Canadian with bright red hair and bluish green eyes, wearing a light bluish purple gown and matching shoes. Her name was Ariel. And she was busy fixing her hair in front of the mirror for a ball.

"Eric dear, do hurry," Ariel called out. "We mustn't be late for the party, you know."

''Mrs. Taylor believed that Fievel Mousekewitz was the spirit of youth. But Mr. Taylor...''

In the bedroom, there was a Swiss-Canadian man with black and bright blue eyes, wearing a light gray long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up, navy blue pants, and black boots. His name was Eric, Ariel's husband. And he was looking for his gold cuff links through some drawers.

"Ariel, unless I find my cuff links, we don't go to the party," Eric called back. "And if we don't go to the party, I can never show my face in the kingdom again. And if I can never--"

Unfortunately, he got cut off by bumping his head on the open top drawer.

"OUCH!!" cried Eric, as he hopped around, holding his head.

''Well, Mr. Taylor was a practical man. The animal boys, however, Buster Bunny and Skippy Squirrel, who were Eric and Ariel's adopted sons, believed Fievel Mousekewitz was a real animal, and made him the hero of all their nursery games.''

In the nursery, we see two shadows fighting each other with toy swords. One has one in its left hand and a hanger in its right while the other has another in its right hand.

One of the shadows belonged to an 8-year-old bright blue rabbit with a light gray muzzle, underbelly, soles, toes, and underside of his pointy little tail, light gray eyes with black pupils and no visible irises, light pink ear innards and paw pads, a pinkish red nose, and a light gray bucktooth, wearing a bright blue nightshirt, bright blue pants, jade blue slippers, a scarlet red top hat, light gray gloves, and bright red glasses. His name was Buster Bunny, Eric and Ariel's adopted son. And he was the one with the hanger in his right hand and the toy sword in his left.

The other shadow belonged to a 4½-year-old brown squirrel with a light brown muzzle and underbelly, a pinkish red nose, light gray eyes with black pupils and no visible irises, and a light gray bucktooth, wearing greenish blue footie pajamas. His name was Skippy Squirrel, Eric and Ariel's other adopted son and Buster's liittle brother. And he was the one with the sword in his right hand.

"Blast you, Fievel Mousekewitz!" Buster said in a scary voice.

Skippy bonked Buster on the head twice with his sword. "Take that!" he cried. Then he and Buster blocked their toy swords together. "Give up, Captain Cat R. Waul?" he smirked, "Give up?"

"Never!" called Buster. Then he opened a drawer that was underneath Skippy's pajama-clad feet with the hanger, and he fell in as Buster yelled, "I'll teach you to cut off me paw!"

Just about then, a 5-year-old mouse with light brown fur, a small light gray bucktooth, curvy light pink ear innards, chocolate brown eyes, a dark red heart-shaped nose, and little hands and feet walked in. She was wearing bright blue footie pajamas and a sky blue hair-bow behind her left ear. Her name was Olivia Flaversham, Buster's little sister, Skippy's big sister, and Eric and Ariel's adopted daughter. She was also carrying a jug.

"Oh no, Buster," Olivia giggled. "It was the left paw."

"Oh, yes. Thank you, Olivia." said Buster, as he switched the hanger from his right hand to his left and the sword from his left hand to his right.

''Olivia Flaversham, the middle child and adopted daughter of Eric and Ariel, not only believed. She was the supreme authority on Fievel Mousekewitz and all his marvelous adventures.''

While Olivia was in the hallway, she sighed as she talked to two figures, "Oh, Pooka, Flower. Must we always take that nasty tonic?"

"Yes, you have to." said a voice. The figures walked out to reveal a puppy named Pooka and a skunk named Flower. Pooka was carrying a tray of three spoons and a bottle of tonic for Olivia, Buster, and Skippy.

Pooka and Flower the nursemaid and butler, being a dog and a skunk, kept their opinions to themselves.

"We do not!" Flower insisted after Pooka walked over a pillow.

And they viewed the whole affair with a certain tolerance.

Pooka put the tray on a small table. Then she went over to the pillow to pick it up while Buster and Skippy were still playing.

"Take that!" Skippy called.

Buster and Skippy played around, hopping around the beds. "Insolent mouse, I'll slash you to ribbons!" Buster yelled.

Pooka went to the bed, placed the pillow there, and fixed up the sheets and blanket up. "And I'll cut you to pieces! Aha!" Skippy called.

As he hit Buster, the bunny yelped in pain. "Ouch! Careful, Skippy, my glasses!"

"I'm sorry, Buster." Skippy said.

Then Flower picked up two blocks and went to the other blocks. Buster and Skippy hopped back to the bed, messing it up again. "Ah! You'll never leave this ship alive!" Buster shouted.

So both of them bounced up and down as the pillow fell off again. "Oh yes, I will," Skippy shouted back. "Take that!"

When Flower placed the ABC on the top, he and Pooka quickly turned as they realized that Flower had made a mistake. He got them to BAC. "Oops," said Flower. "I got A and B backwards." So he took the A block, moved the B block, and placed it to the first. He and Pooka smiled and walked to the tonic for the kids.

"Scuttle me bones, boy! I'll slit your gizzard!" Buster yelled, as he stabbed as his wooden sword. It ripped through the sheets.

Then Flower poured on the spoons. "Oh, no, you won't," Skippy cried. "Back! Back! Back, you villain!" As they moved through the sheets, he pushed his wooden sword against Buster's.

"Insolent pup!" Buster snarled.

Flower heard that as he turned, only to get the tonic on his paw. He put it down. "Wicked cat pirate!" Skippy cried.

"Aha! I got you!" Buster shouted.

"You didn't either. You never touched me!" Skippy smirked. When Flower licked it off, he was grossed out by the taste. "Oooh!" Flower grimaced, "This tonic does taste nasty." "Take that! And that! And that!" When Skippy thrust his sword at Buster, he got it under his arm as if he made it look like he got him.

Pretending he was dead, Buster placed a hand over his chest, groaned a fake death groan, and collapsed to the floor. That's when Eric came into the nursery.

"Boys, boys. Less noise, please." Eric said, without looking where he was going. He knocked the blocks down as Pooka and Flower heard that, and they had to get them back together as they frowned in annoyance.

Buster saw him. "Oh, hello, dad." he said in a normal voice. But Skippy was still playing.

"You old bilge rat!" Skippy cried out.

Then Eric heard that and was insulted. "Wha- wha-what? Now see here, Skippy!"

"Oh, not you, dad. You see, he's Fievel Mousekewitz." Buster told him.

"And Buster's Captain Cat R. Waul!" Skippy added.

"Yes, yes, of course. Er, have you seen my cuff links?" Eric asked before he bumped Pooka and Flower, knocking the blocks down again. "Oh, Pooka, Flower, for goodness' sake!" Eric shouted, walking past the annoyed puppy and skunk, "Where are those cuff links?" Pooka smashed the last blocks that were standing with her paw. "Here we go again!" said Flower, rolling his eyes.

"Cuff links, dad?" asked Buster.

"Yes. The gold ones." Eric answered, still looking around.

"Skippy, the buried treasure," Buster whispered to his brother. "Where is it?"

"I don't know, Buster." Skippy said in an innocent way.

"The map then… Where's the treasure map?" Buster whispered.

"It got lost." Skippy said.

While Eric was looking around the bed, he then spotted something under the covers, he was shocked as he shouted, "Good heavens! My shirt front!" He grabbed his shirt front.

"All right! You found it! You found it!" Skippy cheered.

Eric put it on, as he turned. He didn't know that it got chalk all over his shirt front, the one that looked like the lost map. "Yes, so I have. And hereafter..." As then, Skippy came and pulled his shirt front "Don't paw me, Skippy! This is my last clean..." It was loose as he has saw something shocking and horrifying. He saw a lost map. "No..." He can't say something, only he covered his shirt front shouting, "NO!"

Ariel, who now had her hair in an up-do, was wearing a yellowish orange tiara, necklace, and earrings decorated with bright green and light gray gems. She came in and said, "Eric dear, we really must hurry or we'll be late."

"Ariel! Look!" Eric said, showing Ariel his shirt front.

Ariel saw that and was shocked. "Eric!"

"It's only chalk, papa." Skippy said.

"Why, Skippy..." Ariel was about to say something when Buster cut in.

"It's not his fault," said Buster. "It's in the story. And Olivia said..."

When Eric heard what Buster said, he now knew what was up. "Olivia? Story? I might have known." He walked to the door as he called out, "OLIVIA?" He crossed his arms and called out even louder. "OLIVIA!"

Olivia heard him, walked in, and asked, "Yes, daddy?"

"Would you kindly expl-" Eric was about to say something. But Olivia walked by him when she saw the radiance of Ariel's dress.

"Oh, mommy! You look simply lovely!" Olivia said.

"Thank you, dear." Ariel smiled.

Eric turned to her in annoyance and said, "Olivia..."

"Just my old gown made over but it did turn out right. And I-" Ariel was about to say.

"Ariel, if you don't mind, I'd..." Eric said, as Olivia turned and saw his shirt front.

"Why, daddy! What have you done to your shirt?" Olivia asked.

Eric couldn't believe what she was saying. "What have I...?" He then turned and screamed in shame. "AAAAAOOOOOOOHHHHHH!"

Ariel walked to him with a damp washcloth "Now, Eric, really. It comes right off." She washed off the chalk on his shirt front.

"That's no excuse!" He frowned while Olivia, Buster, and Skippy were putting the toys away. "Olivia, haven't I warned you? Stuffing the boys' heads with a lot of silly stories."

"Oh, but they aren't!" Olivia protested.

"I say they are! Captain Cat R. Wretch! Fievel Catskewitz!" Eric said.

"Fievel Mousekewitz, daddy." Olivia told him.

"Mouse, cat," Eric shouted, trying to put on collar around his neck. "Poppycock!"

"Oh no, daddy."

"Dad, have you ever-"

"You don't understand." The children tried to tell him.

"ABSOLUTE POPPYCOCK!" Eric shouted, finally getting the collar together. "And let me tell you, this ridiculous..."

"Now, Eric..." Ariel said, about to do his bright red obi.

"Now, Eric! Now, Eric!" He repeated of what Ariel said, while Flower was almost done helping Pooka put the blocks back up. But they stopped to listen. "WELL, 'NOW, ERIC' WILL HAVE HIS SAY!" He put the obi on himself, but he made a furious tangle.

"Please, dear." Ariel said, fixing his obi neatly.

"Ariel, when we adopted Buster to part of our family when he was orphaned, he's growing up," As when Pooka picked up two more blocks, she listened very carefully. "It's high time she had a room of her own!" He pointed at the hall as it shocked them all.

"Daddy!" Olivia gasped.

"Eric!" Ariel gasped.

"What?!" Buster gasped.

"No!" Skippy gasped.

Pooka dropped all the blocks while she and Flower gasped in shock and couldn't believe what they were hearing and what Eric was doing. "I mean it! Young man, this is your last night in the nursery!" he said, as Buster lowered his head in sadness. "And that's my last word on the matter!" He walked away, only to nearly stomp on Pooka and Flower and tried to get out of the way. Eric couldn't move around and was ready to fall. And he was losing his steps!

Pooka and Flower moved away, as they fully stopped. But they nearly knocked the blocks again because Eric bumped into them and knocked them down. Now they must move away before it happens. But Pooka stepped the wagon, rolled back, and fell as Eric stepped on it and rolled around here. "NO!" And when Pooka and Flower were rolling by, the wagon made a tear in the rug, and Eric was sent flying as he yelled, "NO!" And with a large crash, he fell into the dresser, knocking the toys down. Olivia, Buster, Skippy, and Ariel were shocked that Pooka and Flower were against the wall.

As for Eric, he was on the floor in pain, and last of the toys fell on his head, the last was the jack-in-the-box, and up popped the jack, as it stood on his head, which made Eric mad and annoyed.

"Oh!" Olivia, Buster, Skippy, and Ariel all said together. Eric heard them, and knew that they saw him get hurt, and caring of him. So he closed his eyes and waited for them. But suddenly, they ran past him, which made Eric open his widened eyes in shock. As they ran to Pooka and Flower, but Eric.

"Poor Pooka and Flower." They said together again.

Eric couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Poor Pooka and Flower?" Now he was very angry as he hopped up on his feet when he stomped up and shouted, "This is the last straw!" He pointed his finger out the door shouting, "OUT! OUT, I SAY!"

Pooka was hugging Flower while Skippy was hugging Pooka. "No, papa, no!" Skippy pleaded.

Eric grabbed Flower by the tail while he and Pooka were still hugging each other and shouted, "YES! There'll be no more dogs for nursemaids or skunks for butlers in this house!" Skippy grabbed Pooka's tail. But Ariel stopped him by picking him up as Eric was dragging Pooka and Flower out the room.

Skippy started to cry as he waved to his friends. "Goodbye, Pooka. Goodbye, Flower."

"Goodbye, Skippy!" Flower said cheerfully, as he and Pooka waved goodbye back. As Eric walked out to the back, he muttered to himself, "Poor Pooka and Flower. Oh yes, poor Pooka and Flower. But poor father? Oh, no." He let go of Pooka and Flower and looked for some ropes, and couldn't find any. "Blast it! Where are those ropes?" He turned as he saw Pooka holding one rope in her mouth and Flower holding another in his paw. Eric walked to them and said, "Oh, thank you." As he was tying the ropes to Pooka's collar and Flower's waist, Pooka and Flower gave him sad looks. "Oh, boy!" sighed Flower. Eric saw that and couldn't bear the sight. "Oh, dash it all, you two. D-Don't look at me like that."

He walked to the fountain and filled up Pooka and Flower's dishes. He picked them up and filled them more. "It's nothing personal. It's just that- Well, you're not really a nurse or a butler at all You're… Well, a dog and a skunk. And the children aren't puppies or baby skunks, they're a bunny, a mouse, and a squirrel." He placed the water dishes near Pooka and Flower. "And sooner or later, Pooka and Flower, these animals have to grow up." He pet Pooka and Flower's heads.

Inside the house, the kids are in their beds, as Ariel knew that Eric didn't mean to do that to Pooka and Flower.

Olivia was using a person's shoe as a bed. "But mommy, I don't want to grow up." she pleaded.

"Now dear," Ariel said, as she kissed her on the forehead and covered her up with a dark red blanket. "Don't worry about it anymore tonight."

As for Buster, he uses a wagon as a bed. "He called Fievel Mousekewitz 'absolute poppycock'." Buster said to himself after what his dad had said.

"I'm sure he didn't mean it, Buster," Ariel said, as she took off his glasses and the top hat. "Father was just upset."

As for Skippy, he was using a hammock as a bed. He had tears running down his cheeks. "Poor Pooka and Flower," Skippy sniffled. "out there all alone."

"No more tears, Skippy. It's a warm night. They'll be all right." Ariel said, as she covered him up with a bright blue blanket, kissed his forehead, and left.

Then Skippy remembered something. "Mama?" he asked.

Ariel turned around and asked, "What is it, dear?"

"Buried treasure." Skippy had the cuff links that Eric was looking for, and he gave them to Ariel.

"Now, children, don't judge your father too harshly. After all, he really loves you very much." She walked to the window door, and was about to lock it up.

But Olivia stopped her as she said, "Oh don't lock it, mommy. He might come back."

"He?" Ariel asked in a puzzled way.

"Yes, Fievel Mousekewitz. You see, I found something that belongs to him." Olivia said, as she lay down.

"Oh, and what's that?" asked Ariel.

She yawned and said, "His shadow."

"Shadow?" Ariel asked, very surprised.

"Mm-hmm. Pooka and Flower had it, but I-I took it away." Olivia said, as she drifted off to sleep.

"Oh? Yes, of course. Good night, dear." Ariel said, as she turned off the light, walked out, and left for the party.