Sinbad apologizes to Alice

It was almost 11 o'clock. Gideon and his friends dropped off Alice, Cody, and Edmond at the Liddells' home. Alice got back in her nightgown while Cody and Edmond got back in their footy pajamas. Alice stopped by the window while Cody and Edmond said good bye and went back to bed. The Lost Forest Animals stayed with Gideon, because they were not ready to grow up.

"Gideon, thank you, for everything. Promise me you won't forget me, all right?" Alice asked.

"I will not forget." Gideon said, as Alice smiled. Then Gideon sailed the ship away, and he waved his hat. "Goodbye, Alice!" he called, as he and his friends flew away.

"Goodbye, Gideon!" Alice called back, "And thank you very much!" And with that, she was overcome by sleep and slept at the window. It was 11 o'clock now, and Sinbad and Cinderella had just returned home. They freed Dinah, Snipes, Peepers, and Patou from the ropes, and they led them to the children's room. Dinah meowed with happiness.

Cinderella smiled as she turned to Sinbad. "Sinbad, I'm so glad you changed your mind about Alice. After all, she's still a child." At the party, Sinbad and Cinderella had a chat, and Sinbad agreed to let Alice stay with Cody and Edmond in the nursery for a while.

Sinbad yawned and said, "Pshaw, Cinderella. You know I never mean those things. Do I, Snipes?"

"Oh, of course you do." said Snipes. Then he turned to Peepers, saying, "Don't you agree, Peepers?"

"Of course." answered Peepers. She turned to Patou and asked, "Don't you agree, Patou?"

"Why yes," Patou answered. "Isn't she right, Dinah?"

Dinah smiled and nodded. Cinderella opened the door and gasped. Alice was not in her bed. "Alice?" She saw her by the window. Dinah, Snipes, Peepers, and Patou ran to her. "Alice, what on earth are you doing there?"

Alice woke up and yawned. She saw Cinderella, smiled and hugged her. "Oh, mother, we're back." she cried.

"Back?" Sinbad repeated.

"All except the Lost Forest Animals. They weren't quite ready." Alice said.

"Lost Forest Animals? Ready?" asked Sinbad.

"To grow up. That's why they went back to Neverland."

"Neverland?" asked Sinbad.

"Yes. But I am."

"Am?" Now, Sinbad was confused.

"Ready to grow up. Alice reminded him.

Patou ran to a sleeping Cody and nuzzled his cheek, happy to see him again. Snipes pulled the covers over his torso.

"Oh, oh! Well, my dear, all in good time." said Sinbad, "After all, perhaps I was a little too harsh on you, and I…"

Alice ran to Cinderella, who was tucking Cody in.

"Oh, but, mother. It was such a wonderful adventure!" Alice said, "Marie and the mermaids and Gideon the Cat! Oh, he was the most wonderful of all! Why, why, even when we were kidnapped, I…"

"Kidnapped?" Sinbad gasped.

Dinah ran over to a sleeping Edmond. She was happy to see him, too. She put his leg in the basket and stopped to listen what was going on. When it was over, Peepers put the blanket over Edmond's leg and tucked him in.

"Mmm-hmm. I knew Gideon would save us, and he did! And we all called him the lionfish!" Alice laughed, "Err… Prince John, I mean. And then we sailed away on a ship in the sky."

"Oh," Sinbad sighed, as he was getting tired. "Cinderella, I am going to bed."

Alice stopped by the window one last time.

"Oh, mother, he really is wonderful, isn't he? See how well he sails the ship?" said Alice, as she looked out the window.

Cinderella turned to the window saw and saw something unusual. "Sinbad? Sinbad?"

"Now what, Cinderella?" Sinbad said. Then he gasped. There was a ship flying across the moon. "Dinah, Snipes, Peepers, Patou, did you see…?"

"Yes, I did see that!" Snipes beamed, as he ran to the window to see.

"And so did I!" echoed Peepers. And she ran to the window to also see.

"Me too, guys!" added Patou, as he also ran to the window to see with the others.

Dinah meowed happily as she ran to the window to also see.

Sinbad looked at the window and somehow smiled. "You know, I have the strangest feeling that I've seen that ship before," he said. "a long time ago when I was very young."

Cinderella smiled and hugged her husband and kissed him on the cheek. "Sinbad, dear."

"Papa." Alice smiled and hugged her father as they watched the ship in the sky.

Chorus: When there's a smile in your heart

There's no better time to start

And so our story ends, but the story of Gideon and the Lost Forest Animals still lives on. You see, all children grow up, all except one crimson cat named Gideon the Cat.

Chorus: Think of all the joy you'll find

When you leave the world behind

And bid your cares good-bye

You can fly!

You can fly!

You can fly!

THE END