Otherworldy Circumstances (Continued)

THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE 2: A NEW BEGINNING

A "Great Mouse Detective" Fanfiction By The Mouse Avenger

Chapter 1: Otherworldly Circumstances

Part 2

Saturday, August 22, 1898

Meanwhile, unaware of the strange & sudden events that were taking place in London, the rest of the mouse world carried on normally. The countryside of the Scottish Highlands remained peaceful & undisturbed on this pleasant August afternoon, as golden rays of sunshine bathed the verdant pastures & rolling hills in their wonderful, warm glow. Bubbling brooks & roaring rivers flowed through the grassy meadows, & puffy white clouds drifted lazily across the bright blue skies. Beautiful blossoms of variously-colored flowers decorated the lush landscape, & birds nested in the branches of tall, towering trees, some of which bore delicious fruits & nuts. One of these trees in particular—a large apple tree—loomed over the land of the vast yard outside a pair of wooden farmhouses (both built for mice) that were resting not too far away from each other. The bigger of the two buildings had a height of two stories, with large square windows (flanked on either side by tartan-plaid curtains), a black shingled roof, a brickwork chimney, & red paint covering the exterior. Inside the farmhouse, all appeared to be quiet; one would think that nobody was home...that is, until the front door swung open, & two little mouselings stepped into the threshold.

The first mouseling—a young girl of 4—was of average height & weight for her age, with tan fur covering her body. Her features were, for the most part, delicate, with a small pink heart-shaped nose poking out from between her bright blue eyes that sparkled with a youthful gleam. Her cheeks were wide & curvy, & a pair of large, round ears perked up on either side of her head. Tucked behind the "right" ear was a big fuchsia hair-bow that complemented her outfit—a white blouse with short, puffy sleeves, a sleeveless blue dress that went down to her knees, & a pair of white bloomers, which went well with the white socks & black Mary Jane shoes covering her feet. A small white bucktooth could be seen jutting out from her upper lip. She was Olivia Flaversham.

The second mouseling—another young girl the same age as her sister, yet the oldest by 2 minutes—also was of average height and weight for her age, with tan fur covering her body. Her features were, for the most part, also delicate, with a small pink heart-shaped nose poking out from between her bright blue eyes that sparkled with a youthful gleam. Her cheeks were wide & curvy, & a pair of large, round ears perked up on either side of her head. Tucked behind the "left" ear was a big fuchsia hair-bow that complemented her outfit—a light blue shirt with long sleeves, a blue miniskirt (decorated with a red plaid pattern) that went down to her knees, & a white collar with a big black bow in the front, which went well with the white socks & black Mary Jane shoes covering her feet. A small white bucktooth could also be seen jutting out from her upper lip. She was Arden Flaversham, Olivia's twin sister.

The twins deeply inhaled & exhaled the fresh, summery scent of the flowers & grass growing on the grounds of her family's farm. Olivia and Arden Flaversham smiled widely from ear to ear, as they looked around at the pastoral scenery of Scotland, savoring every single sight, sound, & smell that they took in...

It was a wonderful day today, & Olivia and Arden couldn't wait to take that first step outside onto the front lawn of the farmhouse! There were only a few minutes to spare before lunchtime, & there was so much she wanted to do before she sat down to eat...Oh, why did it seem to Olivia and Arden that there were never enough hours in the day? Summer was whizzing by in a blur, & before Olivia even knew it, she, Arden, & her friends from the nearby farmhouse would be starting school at Basil of Baker Street Preschool! My, oh, my, how time does fly, thought Olivia, as she and her twin sister scampered out into the front yard, wondering what she would do in the last few moments of the late morning...

For all of August (& the last two days of June), Olivia, Arden & their father Hiram had been lodging with their relatives (Grandpa Malcolm & Grandma Kayley) at their Highland home, right next door to the family that had been friends of the Flavershams for as long as Olivia could remember—a woman named Miss Leesha, her husband Gordon, & their four mouselings. [5] Whenever Olivia & Hiram took vacations to the grandparents' farm, they would spend as much time with Leesha & her loved ones as they did with Grandpa Malcolm & Grandma Kayley. Unfortunately, since Hiram was so busy with his work at the toy shop, those father-&-daughter holidays didn't happen as often as they would have liked them to...but now that Hiram was taking time off from his job, he & his two daughters could stay & visit their relatives & friends in Scotland all day, every day!

Ever since the events that took place on June 21 & 22 of 1898 (& the week afterward), Arden and Olivia's lives had largely returned back to normal...aside from the recent move to the Flaversham family farm, & the closing of their father's toy shop. [6] Hiram had told Olivia and Arden that the move from Mouse London probably wouldn't be permanent (unless she wanted it to be!), but it would be nice for them to take a break from their usual routines, & have a change of pace...not to mention a much-needed change of scenery, after all they had gone through in the last month. And, when you think about it, the Flavershams needed to "get away from it all" for a good period of time, in order to heal from the traumas associated with working for a wicked villain, being captured & held hostage by said villain, being forced to participate in an assassination plot, nearly getting killed, & having their lives threatened...more than once.

Perhaps, one day, Olivia, Arden, & their father would return to their old home in Mouse London...but, until then, Arden Olivia were content to live their days out in Scotland, enjoying the time they spent with their grandparents & friends. Yet, no matter where they went or what they did, the twins would never, ever forget the mouse who had saved Olivia's life (& that of her father's, as well)—Basil Of Baker Street, the Great Mouse Detective. I wonder what Basil's doing now, Arden couldn't help but think to herself as she walked across the front yard. Is he still working with Dr. Dawson...?

Arden's thoughts were suddenly interrupted when Olivia's ears perked up to the sound of whistling, followed by a dull thud. The mouseling's gaze darted over to a red apple that had just fallen from the big tree that stood a few mouse feet away from her. Mmmm, that apple sure looked delicious...Maybe, Arden and Olivia could have a little appetizer before lunch! With that in mind, Olivia walked over to the apple, leaving Arden behind, then picked it up in her paws, & sunk her teeth into its shiny surface, savoring the taste of the fruit's juicy insides with every morsel she took into her mouth...

After finishing half of the apple, Olivia was thinking about whether she should put the partially-eaten food back down on the ground, in case a neighboring animal would like the leftovers...but before she could make a decision, Arden ears perked up again—this time, to the sound of footsteps—& Arden and Olivia turned their heads around in the direction that the noise was coming from. One of the mouselings from next door had joined her by the tree! He was a sprightly, 11-year-old boy with tan fur (which was of a lighter shade on the areas of his muzzle & underbelly), blue eyes, & short red hair that covered his crown & scalp (with several small bangs hanging down over his forehead); he was dressed in a long-sleeved blue shirt, a pair of ankle-length trousers that were in a darker shade of blue, a forest-green vest (which he wore open), a dull pair of dark-gray shoes, & a forest-green English cap that was a bit too big for his head. The mouseling (whose name was Doug) stared curiously at Olivia, as he pointed to the half-eaten fruit she was holding in her hands. "Where did you get the apple, Livvy?" Doug asked his younger friend.

"Up in the tree," Olivia replied, as she looked up & pointed to the branches of the mighty plant, while Doug followed her gesture with an upward gaze of his eyes. Sure enough, the top of the tree was filled with hundreds of green leaves...& what must have been dozens of shiny red apples! Oh, they looked so delectable...so delicious...Doug simply had to get his paws on at least one of them! But there was just one problem..."I want to get an apple from the tree," Doug said as he lowered his head back down to look at Arden and Olivia, "but it's too high for me to reach."

It didn't take long for Olivia to take notice of the layers of fungi that grew on the trunk of the apple tree. Dropping the half-eaten apple, Olivia and Arden leaped swiftly onto the tree trunk, & began scaling the side of it, planting their paws & feet on the fungi rungs as though they were on a rock-climbing wall. "Who said you had to reach from the ground?" Arden asked Doug coyly, as she and Olivia started climbing up the tree, making their way up into the highest boughs. Not wanting to be left behind, Doug quickly followed after the plucky little mouselings, ascending the side of the tree trunk with them until they all reached the top.

When Olivia, Arden, & Doug had gotten up into the higher part of the tree, they both sat down together on one of the bare branches. "So, where's the apples, Ardie?" Doug asked, looking at Arden quizzically.

Almost immediately, Arden pointed to the branch with the most number of apples, hanging just above their heads. "The only question now," Arden told Doug with a mischievous smile, "is, 'Who gets the most apples?'" With playful glares, Olivia and Arden jumped up, & grabbed two of the apples from the branch into each of their paws, before landing down on the spot where they were earlier. Then, Arden and Olivia began digging into their apples heartily, as they leisurely dangled their legs & feet over the side of the branch.

Man, how on Earth did Livvy and Ardie do that? Doug pondered to himself, amazed as to how she caught the apple with such deft dexterity. They can sure make a neat catch! Maybe, I could try something like that, too...Wanting to imitate his friend, Doug attempted to repeat the twins' move...but instead of landing on the branch when he caught the apple, he fell down, down, down, as Olivia and Arden watched him with a concerned gaze. Then, Olivia and Arden shut their eyes with a wince, as they heard Doug hit the ground with a thud...before opening their peepers again, & looking down at the place where Doug had fallen. Much to their relief, although the older mouseling was in an uncomfortable position (not to mention that he had a bruise on his head), he appeared to be fine. "I'm OK, girls!" he shouted to his pal, waving about the apple he now held in his paw.

Suddenly, Olivia, Arden, & Doug all froze when they heard a voice cry out worriedly, "Olivia, what are you doing in that tree? Get down immediately, dear, or you'll fall & break your neck!" Before long, the three mouselings were being joined by a third rodent—an adult female mouse in her early 30's. Covered in gray fur, she had dark-gray hair (tied into a bun), a slightly-prominent pink nose, & a pair of blue eyes that couldn't hide the anxiety she felt. She wore a scarlet dress with a white plaid pattern & matching lace trimmings, along with a navy-blue apron, a light-yellow ladies' hat (which had a scarlet ribbon-stripe with a daisy on it), a small pair of glasses (perched delicately upon her nose), & a pair of scarlet shoes with small heels.

The mouse woman looked down at Doug with a panicked expression on her face, before looking up in the direction of the tree branches when she heard Olivia call out in response, "Look at me, Miss Leesha! I'm on top of the mouse world!"

Up in the boughs of the apple tree, Miss Leesha could see little Olivia smiling down at her, still holding the apple in one paw, as she gave a friendly wave at her with the other. Upon seeing that Olivia was indeed all right, Miss Leesha's earlier expression eased as she sighed in relief, before looking up at Olivia with a nervous smile, as she called out anxiously, "That's fine, dear...Now, why don't you come down from there? Lunch is almost ready!"

"OK, Miss Leesha!" Olivia replied, before looking at a big rope that had been tied to the branch in front of her. A few years ago, during a visit to the farm, Olivia had helped Hiram, Miss Leesha, Mr. Gordon, Grandma Kayley, & Grandpa Malcolm fasten the rope to the tree, so Olivia & her friends could have a swing to play on during sunny days like this one. And, now, it was time to put that rope-swing to good use! Sporting broad, adventurous smiles on their faces, Olivia and Arden grabbed tightly onto the rope, & swung down towards the ground, letting out a merry cry of "Wheeeeee!!!!" Then, when they made their way to the bottom of the tree trunk, Olivia and Arden let go of the rope, & jumped onto the grass, which crunched a little under the soles of their shoes as they landed. Then the twins took a moment to smile & pose sweetly at Miss Leesha, who went over to pick the two mouselings up into her arms.

Hugging her little friends tightly, Miss Leesha exclaimed joyfully, "Oh, Arden, Olivia, thank heavens you're all right!" Then, when she had set the twins back down onto the ground, the mother mouse added in a troubled tone-of-voice, "Goodness Gouda, child, what on Earth were you and your sister thinking? Don't you know you could have hurt yourself?"

Just then, a fourth mouse arrived onto the scene, joining Olivia, Doug, & Miss Leesha. Like the former three, he had tan fur, but no markings covered his muzzle or underbelly. The back & sides of his head were adorned with bushy red hair & sideburns, while a thick red moustache spanned across the length of his face. A large, slightly-prominent brown nose jutted out from between a pair of kindly chocolate-brown eyes, topped with red eyebrows that were as thick & bushy as the rest of his facial hair. He was of a slender, well-built figure, with rough carpenter's hands, thin wrists, & knees that were continually bent from stooping over so much when he worked. He was dressed in a fancy blue jacket with matching trousers, a crisp white shirt, a pinstriped red cravat, a shiny pair of black shoes, & a blue bowler hat with a red ribbon-stripe, along with an oversized pair of glasses that were perched upon his nose. The mouse—none other than Olivia and Arden's father, Hiram Flaversham—gave an assuring smile at his parents' neighbors, as he placed a paw on their shoulder, & said, "Leesha, don't worry. Olivia and Arden are very careful mouselings."

"Well, what about the time they nearly drowned in the swimming hole?" Aunt Leesha retorted, turning to face Hiram with a glare.

"That was my fault, Ma, remember?" Doug said as he pushed himself up off the ground & rose to his feet, before sweeping the dust off his clothes as he continued, "I pulled down Livvy's ankle, and she pulled down Ardie's ankle when we were playing 'shark hunt', & I accidentally brought them under the water."

"And it's a wonder you didn't kill the girls!" Miss Leesha said scoldingly, glaring at Doug with her arms akimbo. Then, when she had said that, another incident came to mind: "Oh, & don't forget the time when the twins nearly slipped on a rock in the stream near the woods! Had the poor things fallen, they could have cracked their heads open!"

Hiram listened to Miss Leesha's ramblings with polite attentiveness, knowing how deeply she cared about Olivia, Arden, & her own children...but at the same time, the toymaker couldn't help but think that his parents' next-door neighbor worried a little too much about his daughters' safety. Of course, Hiram was very protective of his little mouselings, as any good parent would be, & he would do anything to keep them safe from harm...yet he didn't want to be overprotective, & not allow Olivia or Arden the chance to be kids—to fully enjoy the freedoms that came with youth, without having their father looking over their shoulders every second! No matter how many times Olivia and her twin sister had gotten into trouble of some sort, they had always made it out OK, & their doting daddy could thank his lucky stars for that. To Hiram, it was perfectly all right for his daughters to climb trees, explore uncharted territory, ride the backs of flying birds, or go on an exciting adventure, just as long as his wee bairns were careful, & did their best to keep their wits about them. And, so far, Olivia and Arden had never failed to do that! But, hoping to ease Miss Leesha's fears, Hiram made sure to assure her about the additional asset that aided his little angels in getting out of dire straits: "Well, Leesha, just be thankful that Olivia and Arden have my lightning-quick reflexes."

Miss Leesha, Hiram, & Doug all watched, as Olivia and Arden demonstrated a display of martial-arts moves for their father & friends—roundhouse kicks, paw-chops, foot-jabs, & the like. For someone who had never taken karate lessons, the mouselings appeared to be very good at it! Hiram couldn't help but witness his daughters' performance with a loving smile & an impressed gaze, while Doug watched with a wide-eyed look of wonderment, his jaw literally hanging open in astonishment. Miss Leesha, however, just rolled her eyes, & turned to walk away from Hiram, as she said in a semi-sardonic tone, "Yes, my dear pal certainly was fortunate enough to inherit your traits, Hiram..." Then, she called out to her oldest son, "Dougie, come on! Lunch is on the table!"

Doug immediately scampered after his mother, following her into their farmhouse. He couldn't wait to eat the food that Miss Leesha had prepared for him, his dad, & his siblings, along with the Flavershams (who they had invited over for the midday meal)! And neither could Hiram; he could already feel his stomach rumbling, as he walked off in the same direction, only turning back for a moment to cup his paw over his mouth, as he called out to his daughters, "Olivia, Arden, it's time to eat!"

"Coming, Daddy!" Arden replied, as she and her sister were abruptly finishing their impromptu karate exercises, & dashing over to join her father at his side. After taking Hiram by the paw, the two twin girl mice followed him into Miss Leesha's farmhouse. As soon as they stepped inside the humbly-decorated dining room, the mouselings' mouths instantly began watering when their noses picked up on the heavenly aromas of herbal tea with cheese crumpets, cheese soufflé, cheese tarts, cheese soup, mashed cheese potatoes, cheddar cheese-cake, & other delightful dairy-based dishes! As soon as the twins and their father sat down at the large wooden table, Olivia and Arden each tied a napkin around each of their necks, & grabbed their silverware, ready for their first serving of scrumptious food!

The same could be said for Leesha's husband, Mr. Gordon, who sat right between Olivia & the empty chair that his wife would soon be sitting in. Mr. Gordon was short for a mouse his age, & his body (covered in auburn fur) boasted a plump, portly figure. Short, straight dark-red hair covered the top of his head, with a thick, bushy dark-red moustache spanning across the entire length of his face. His small pink nose jutted out from between a pair of jolly green eyes, topped with curved dark-red eyebrows that were as thick & bushy as his moustache. A big white bucktooth jutted out from his upper lip, & average-sized ears flanked either side of his head. His arms & legs were of stout build, with large paws & feet attached to the end of each limb. He was dressed in a sea-green jacket with matching trousers that both fit his figure very well, & underneath the first article of clothing, a light-sea-green waistcoat & a set of spring-green shirt-sleeves adorned his upper half. A light-sea-green bow-tie (which matched the waistcoat) fastened the folded-down flaps of his shirt collar together, while a pair of shiny dark-gray shoes completely covered his feet. And, just like Olivia and her sister, a napkin was tied around the nape of his neck, & pieces of silverware were held in his hands. He, too, couldn't wait to help himself to the luscious lunch that awaited him & his loved ones!

"You're going to love what Leesha's cooked for us today," Mr. Gordon told Olivia, Arden, & Hiram, who was sitting in the chair on his daughter's "right" side. "She's fixed an entire feast for everyone!"

"I noticed," Hiram replied with a smile & a nod of his head, before donning his dinner napkin, & taking up his silverware. Looking around the room, he noticed that Grandma Kayley & Grandpa Malcolm (sitting in chairs at both ends of the table) had done the same thing, along with Miss Leesha & Mr. Gordon's four mouselings—Doug, Fran, Russell, & Wendy—who were sitting opposite from Olivia, Arden, their dad, & their own father.

Grandma Kayley & Grandpa Malcolm (both aged in their mid-to-late 60's) were of lean, slender build, with tan fur covering their bodies, wrinkles & signs of aging adorning their faces, & straight hair that was once a fiery shade of red, but had turned silver with their passage into the golden years. Being a much taller mouse than Malcolm, Grandma Kayley constantly towered over her husband, & whenever one saw the two together, it was easy to see which parent had passed on the genes of short stature to Hiram. Like Miss Leesha, Grandma Kayley's hair was tied into a neat bun, & her kindly blue eyes hid behind a pair of small spectacles (perched upon the bridge of her small pink nose); her limbs were slim, & the adjoining appendages, delicate. Her clothes were colored in different shades of the same hue; her long-sleeved, ankle-length lavender dress was decorated with light-lavender lace trimmings, & its tall light-lavender collar (adorned with an elliptical emerald cameo) sported the same embellishments as the sleeve-cuffs & hem, while a row of three dark-lavender buttons went down along the front of the dress' top-piece. A pair of lavender shoes with small heels fit snugly upon her feet, & the lavender bead bracelet on her "right" wrist went perfectly well with her matching, orb-shaped earrings; an emerald ring (complementing the cameo on her dress-collar) was worn on her "right" hand, while a golden wedding band was worn on the other paw.

In contrast, Grandpa Malcolm looked a lot more like his son Hiram, with a similar height, hairstyle, moustache, & set of sideburns...but he also had a thick silver beard that went with the rest of his facial hair. He wore a buttonless light-golden shirt, with a big purple bow-tie fastening the upturned wings of its starched collar; a snug-fitting pair of golden trousers (held up by a dark-brown leather belt with a golden buckle) covered his lower half, & large dark-brown shoes sheltered his feet. Unlike his wife & son, however, he did not wear any glasses.

The 4 mouselings of Miss Leesha & Mr. Gordon all sat together on their side of the table, with 11-year-old Doug sitting on the northern end (closest to Grandpa Malcolm), followed by 10-year-old Fran, 7-year-old Russell, & 3-year-old Wendy (who sat on the southern end, closest to Grandma Kayley). The two girls both shared their mother's hair & fur color, but their eyes were the same shade of green as their father's; in contrast, Russell had the same hair & fur color as Mr. Gordon, but he'd inherited his mother Leesha's blue eyes (not to mention he stood apart from his siblings with his stocky, athletic figure). Out of all four children, Doug looked the most different, with his tan fur, light body markings, & short red hair; the only noticeable thing he seemed to have in common with any of his relatives was his blue eyes. [7]

The mouselings were all dressed in different sets of clothes, each as unique as their appearance & fursonality. Wendy wore a short-sleeved mint-green dress that went all the way down to her feet, with a small turquoise hair-bow tucked behind her "right" ear; she usually didn't wear any shoes—nor did she care to—but she could usually be seen with her favorite ragdoll (in fact, Wendy had "invited" her friend over to lunch, & the doll was seated in the toddler's lap right now). Russell wore a white T-shirt with a sky-blue stripe around the midsection, a pair of long blue trousers (reaching down to his ankles), & dull dark-gray shoes that were scuffed in several places—no doubt, as a result of the rough horseplay that Russell would sometimes get into in the middle of one of his favorite games or sports. Fran dressed in the "proper attire" of a growing Mousetorian girl, wearing a lavender turtleneck sweater, a deep-green skirt (reaching down to her knees), white socks, & black shoes that she always kept clean & shiny; a lavender ladies' hat (decorated with a deep-green ribbon-stripe & a yellow flower with an orange center) was worn on top of her shoulder-length hair, which had been neatly combed with her favorite fur-brush. And Doug was still wearing his forest-green & blue ensemble, which was a little wrinkled & disheveled after his earlier fall from the apple tree.

It seemed that Fran was the only mouseling who was even making an attempt to wait patiently for her food, for Doug, Russell, & Wendy's excited expressions betrayed their hidden feelings of gnawing hunger. "Oh, boy, I can't wait for lunch!" Russell exclaimed eagerly, "gently" padding his silverware-laden fists against the surface of the table (not aware that the empty plates & bowls were shaking & shimmying from the force of his movements). "When do we eat? When do we eat? When do we eat?!"

"If you could just chill down for a few seconds," Fran calmly chastised Russell with a reprimanding glower, "Mom will be bringing the food out! You really need to learn how to be more patient, Russell...Patience is a virtue & a value that all Mousetorian mouselings should learn & take to heart."

"If you're gonna blab about 'Mousetorian virtues' again," Russell complained, "why not save your speech for when I'm actually in the mood to hear it?"

"And while we're on the subject," Fran suggested (with some irritation in her voice), "I think we should also take the time to discuss the importance of being polite!"

"That's a good idea," Russell retorted. "You can start as soon as we're done eating..."

"Lunch!" Wendy cheered, smiling broadly from ear to ear. She was practically bouncing up & down in her seat, unable to contain her inner elation...that is, until a stern look from Fran forced the toddler to end her ecstatic display, & sit back down in her booster chair. The merry expression did not leave Wendy's face, however, as she saw her mother come in with all the delicious food she'd been preparing for the last couple of hours—from the cheese soup, to the cheese soufflé, & everything in between. And, of course, there were plenty of herbal tea & cheese crumpets for everyone! Once she had finished serving everyone their midday meal, Miss Leesha sat down to eat at the table beside her husband Gordon, & as the feasting continued, the Flavershams & their friends partook in all sorts of engaging & entertaining conversations with one another.

At one point, after taking a bite of his cheddar cheese-cake, Mr. Gordon turned to face Olivia, who had been delicately taking spoonfuls of her cheese soup into her mouth. "So, Olivia, your father tells me that you and your sister swung down on a rope...all the way from the branches of a tree!" Mr. Gordon said, looking down & smiling at Olivia as he made a reference to one of their recent table-talks. Olivia briefly looked up from her bowl of cheese soup to face Mr. Gordon with a return of his smile, nodding her head to confirm Hiram's earlier claims, before going back to eating her food. "I think we have a little Furzan in our family," Mr. Gordon said playfully, as he reached out a paw to tousle Olivia's fur-hair. "Next thing you know, they'll be talking to jungle animals!"

Miss Leesha was not too pleased at the prospect of that! "Jungle animals?!" she echoed, her tone-of-voice & expression taking on their usual air of anxiety. "Oh, dear me..." She looked about ready to faint (& would have indulged the urge to do so, were she not at the table).

"Don't worry, Mom," Fran assured Miss Leesha with an optimistic smile. "If a big leopard tries to chase Olivia or Arden, either one can poke it with a spear!"

"Yea!" Wendy cheered, launching into her excited mode once again. The little mouse girl grabbed her fork off of her placemat, & waved her arms about wildly in the air as she added, "Livvy poke mean 'leper' with junga spear!" By this point, Wendy could no longer contain her restlessness. She began stabbing her fork against the table with mighty blows, accidentally making all the glasses, dishes, & silverware jump up & down every time her fist hit the wooden surface. As she was doing all this, Wendy made a series of nonsensical noises: "Pshoo! Pow!  Pshoo!  Bam-bam!  Pokey!" With that final cry, Wendy gave the table her hardest hit ever, & the impact caused her plate of mashed cheese potatoes to fly off her placemat, into the air, over the table...& right into Miss Leesha's face!

Just a second or two after the mashed cheese potatoes came into contact with Miss Leesha, the plate fell onto the table with a loud clatter, & the others got a good glance at the golden-colored goop that was now covering the mouse mother's head. Glaring in irritation, Miss Leesha took out a hankie, & tried her best to clean off the sticky mess from the food (though she had a feeling she would probably need to give her face & hair a good wash after lunch was over...if not several soaks in the sink!). As they were watching this, Mr. Gordon, Olivia, Arden, & Hiram tried as hard as they could not to laugh...but their attempts ultimately proved to be fruitless. Soon, the three mice were giggling their tails off—much to Miss Leesha's displeasure, which soon became apparent to the others as she wiped off the last of the cheese potatoes, & disposed of the newly-soiled hankie. "Oh, you're all just impossible!" Miss Leesha exclaimed irritatedly when she saw her husband & two friends laughing.

The chortles & chuckles being emitted by Mr. Gordon, Olivia, Arden, & Hiram eventually subsided, & as he tried to calm himself down from his earlier state of merriment, the former wiped a tear from his eye with his forefinger, & said with a sheepish smile, "Sorry, Leesha...I'm afraid we couldn't help it."

When Miss Leesha turned her head away from Mr. Gordon to glare across the table at Wendy, the only response she got was an innocent stare from her youngest daughter, as her other three children tried to hold back their own laughter. "Wendy make cheese taters go sploosh?" the tiny toddler inquired, still sporting that ingenuous smile on her face.

By this point, the rest of the mouselings could no longer contain themselves. Doug, Fran, & Russell burst into hysterical giggles, &, before she even knew it, Wendy was joining her siblings in their jollity. (Russell could barely control his laughter enough to tell his little sister in reply, "Yep, Wendy, you sure did!") When Mr. Gordon, Hiram, & Olivia got caught up in the contagious mood of mirth—along with Grandpa Malcolm & Grandma Kayley!—Miss Leesha couldn't find it in herself to stay mad anymore. Soon, she, too, was joining her family & friends in the laughter that rang throughout the dining room of the farmhouse. The giggling continued for several moments, &, for a while, Olivia thought it would go on into the afternoon...but, in the end, the mice were all able to compose themselves, before finally returning to their lunch.



Not too long afterwards, Olivia, Arden, & the other four mouselings had all finished their midday meal, & they were now spending the afternoon in the upstairs nursery / playroom. Olivia was sitting on the floor, playing with a variety of brilliantly-colored Rainbow Toys, while Arden played with a set of Rainbow Blocks & a Rainbow Xylophone. Wendy was playing with a multicolored toy train & (of course) her favorite rag-dolly. Russell was bouncing a Rainbow Beach Ball up & down like a basketball dribbler, while Fran contented herself to playing games with her set of jacks. Doug was seated at a desk in the corner of the playroom, coloring different pictures on pieces of paper with wax crayons. The children were having oodles of fun as they played together, & their peaceful, pleasant activities progressed through the afternoon without any interruptions...for the most part.

At one point, while dribbling his Rainbow Beach Ball, Russell gave the toy a particularly-hard push...&, as the athletic lad often tended to do, he overestimated his own strength. The Rainbow Beach Ball bounced off the floor at an angle, flew up towards Fran, & accidentally hit her on the head, causing her to drop the jacks in her paws as she let out a startled cry. Within seconds, the Rainbow Beach Ball fell back down onto the floor, & after Fran had regained her bearings (& subsequently realized what happened), she turned to glare at Russell, who smiled sheepishly at his sister as he posed coyly, & apologized, "Oops...Sorry, Fran."

Wendy couldn't help but giggle & point at an irritated Fran (still holding one of her Rainbow Blocks in the hand she was gesturing with), as she remarked, "Russa make ball bonk Fran on the head!" Fran glared indignantly at Wendy for a few seconds, then went back to her jacks game, trying to start all over again; at the same time, Wendy went back to playing with her own toys.

Meanwhile, Olivia was still busily playing with her Rainbow Toys. The little Scotsmouse juggled a Rainbow Slinky back & forth in her paws, watching the iridescent colors rush in front of her eyes in a beautiful blur, as she hummed the bars of her favorite tune—the same song played by the music box built into the dancing doll that she had received for her 10th birthday only a month ago... [8] As an ocean of past memories began to sweep through her mind, Olivia and her sister wondered how much everyone in Mouse London longed to be back in the company of them and their father. No doubt, all their neighbors & chums from the city were missing them terribly, & Olivia and Arden were sure their teacher & classmates at Sherringford Preschool felt the same way (even if she didn't have too many friends there). [9] And, now that Olivia and Arden thought about it, Basil & Dr. Dawson were probably missing the Flavershams, too...

Before Olivia and Arden could muse about how lonely her two pals might have been feeling without them and their daddy coming to visit them, they suddenly looked up from the Rainbow Slinky Olivia was still absentmindedly playing with, & noticed Doug doodling pictures at his little "work-station" in the corner. Curious as to what her older friend was doing, Olivia put down the Rainbow Slinky, while Arden got up onto her feet, & went over to approach Doug; she soon saw that he was coloring in a picture of an apple. Once Doug was done with that picture, he turned it over, revealing the blank piece of paper that was hidden underneath; on this sheet, he began to color a picture of a smiling honeybee. After finishing his work on that image, he flipped over to a new page, where he colored in a picture of a big birthday cake, topped with candles & frosting.

"What are you doing, Doug?" Arden asked as she stood up on her tiptoes, gazing curiously at the picture of the cake when Doug had finished it.

"Coloring in pictures," Doug replied, still concentrating on his work (& not turning to face Arden). As he turned over the completed image of the cake, before working on a new picture of a daisy flower, he added, "I'm making an alphabet book for Wendy."

"I already told you, Doug," Fran commented, "Wendy's not old enough to read yet! She, Olivia, & Arden have to finish preschool first!"

Upon hearing this, Doug paused his work on the daisy drawing, then turned to face Fran with an irritated, indignant glare. "Well, when they goes to kindergarten, Frannie," he retorted, "Wendy's gonna thank her big brother for being nice enough to make this lovingly-crafted, beautifully-illustrated book for her!"

With that, Doug turned back around to finish his latest picture, but before he could turn it over when he was done, he heard Fran pipe up, "The books the teachers keep at school are better, Doug!"

"Are not!" Doug challenged.

"Are too!" Fran countered.

"Are NOT!"

"Are too, times a hundred!"

"Are not, times a million!"

"Are too, times infinity!"

"Are not, times infinity plus..."—Doug strained for the words—"...a gazillion...jillion...bamillion!"

Once again, Wendy couldn't help but let out a giggle of gleeful amusement. "Doug say REAL big numba!" she marveled, astonished by her brother's ability to top Fran's "infinity".

Doug simply smiled at Wendy in a smug manner, before going back to his work & flipping over the finished picture of the daisy, as he replied, "Why, thank you, Wendy. I'm glad someone is appreciative of my efforts to improve your education!" (When she heard Doug say this, Fran gave out an impatient sigh, but did not choose to comment.)

With that, Olivia went back over to her earlier spot on the floor, where she continued to play with her Rainbow Toys, while Doug worked on coloring a picture of a big-eared elephant. At one point, Doug's labor was suddenly interrupted when he became distracted by the sound of Arden playing a rough version of "God Save The Queen" on her Rainbow Xylophone, followed by Fran's advice to Olivia's twin sister: "Arden, dear, you're not on key. That should be an F-sharp...No, wait, I think that's an F-flat." Doug couldn't help but roll his eyes in annoyance, as he went back to his coloring. You know another thing good Mousetorian mouselings should learn, Fran? he thought. How to describe musical notes properly!



Later that afternoon, Olivia, Arden, Doug, Fran, Russell, & Wendy were finished playing in the nursery, &, now, the 6 mouselings were out in the front yard, playing a game of "Hide-&-Seek". Having decided to start the first round—as he usually did whenever he played a game—Russell leaned against the trunk of the big apple tree, covering his eyes as he counted down from 15 to zero, while his friend & siblings went to hide. As soon as Russell started on "15", Olivia and Arden scampered off to hide in two bushes, while Fran hid in the hollow of a small log, Doug hid behind a cluster of large heather plants, & Wendy hid under a big leaf. All 5 mouselings made sure they were hidden well enough, before Russell finally uncovered his eyes, & shouted, "Zero! Ready or not, here I come!"

With that, Russell began to run all about the front yard, looking around for Olivia & the others...but to no avail. He checked under every rock, in every patch of grass, & everywhere else he expected to make good hiding places, but he couldn't see any of them! Darn! Russell pouted inwardly. Where the heck could everybody be? Just as Russell was about to give up, he looked down at the ground...& spotted a pair of stuffed legs poking out from underneath a large leaf. Well, what do you know? Just my luck! Russell thought, sporting a smug smile as he lifted the leaf up to reveal...none other than Wendy & her ragdoll!

Wendy wasn't too pleased that Russell had managed to find her. "No fair!" the tot complained with an annoyed glower, huffily crossing her arms over her chest. "Wendy wanted to win!"

"You did win, Wendy," Russell corrected his sister. "I found you first, so that means you get to find everybody else now."

As soon as she heard this, Wendy's pouty countenance switched to a broad smile; already, she was taking great delight in her new role in the game! Still clutching her rag-dolly, Wendy scampered off, eagerly engaging in her search for Olivia & her older siblings. The little lass was so caught up in the enthralling enthusiasm of her quest, that she didn't take notice of Russell chasing after her, as he shouted, "Wait! You didn't count & wait for me to hide yet!"

Not too far away, Olivia and her twin were still hidden inside the bushes they had chosen to conceal themselves in; the small Scotsmice parted the leaves of said bush, before peeking out through the foliage with a mischievous, sly smile on her face. Russell will never find me here! she thought to herself smugly. But before Olivia and Arden could duck back into their shelter, they were soon surprised to see Wendy toddling up to her. Poking Olivia in the nose with her forefinger, the scrawny child launched into a triumphant victory dance, her doll & dark-gray ponytail jostling about in the air, as she chimed proudly, "I found you, Livvy! I found you, Ardie!"

With "defeated" looks, Olivia and Arden crawled out of their hiding places, revealing themselves to Wendy & Russell (who had just joined the former at her side). Fran soon came onto the scene, as well, sweeping the moss off of her clothes as she said with a sheepish smile, "I didn't want to stay in that log. Too much moss & slime in there...ick."

After the arrival of her oldest sister, Wendy went off to look for Doug, as the others followed her...but by the time their search came to an end near the cluster of heather plants, he was nowhere to be found! "Where Doug?" Wendy asked in puzzlement, as she turned her head to face Russell & Fran, who were both looking around for any sign of their eldest sibling.

Olivia and Arden quickly saw where the heather had been disturbed, & they knew this was where Doug had made his earlier entrance. Pointing to the parted heather, Olivia told her friends, "He probably went to hide in those flowers." With that, Olivia and Arden dashed into the forest of purple plants—which was more of a jungle, really—& began searching all around the wild foliage, hoping to find Doug...or, at least, any clues that could tell her where he had gone; Russell & Fran (carrying Wendy & her doll in her arms) followed their comrade close behind.

"Where could Doug be?" Fran asked worriedly, looking around in vain for her older brother. "I thought you said he was right here, Livvy."

Olivia took a moment to pause & ponder to herself, trying to think of a way to figure out where Doug had gone, before she finally looked down...& saw repeating pairs of shoe-sole patterns padded into the grass, leading into another part of the thicket. "Follow me!" Olivia told Arden, Fran, Russell, & Wendy. "I think if we follow these footprints, they'll lead us straight to him!"

And, so, the mouselings all went along the trail of shoe imprints, continuing their search for Doug as they wandered through the forest of heather plants. They looked & looked for the next several minutes, until their investigation ultimately led them into an open clearing on the heather moors near their home. As soon as they emerged from the flowery thicket, & stepped out into the meadow, Olivia, Arden, Russell, Fran, & Wendy could see a small tree, planted not too far away from where they were standing...&, to their great surprise, they found Doug hiding in the branches! The children's looks of relief soon became wide-eyed, worried expressions, however, when they saw Doug struggling to free himself from a group of vines that were hanging from the tree (Olivia guessed that Doug was using said vines to climb up into the boughs, but had accidentally gotten himself tangled in the rope-like cords).

Grunting & groaning with effort, Doug tried desperately—but vainly—to wiggle out of his restraints, & Olivia, Arden, Russell, & Fran (still carrying Wendy & her doll) immediately went over to approach the tree in which he was so terribly trapped. "Doug, what happened?" Fran asked in alarm, as she & the others looked up at the entangled mouseling.

"Help me, you guys!" Doug shouted with a groan, as he continued to try & get himself loose from the vines (but to no avail). "I'm...stuck!"

Upon seeing how dire their brother's predicament was, Fran, Russell, & Wendy all looked down at each other with anxious gazes, not sure how they could help Doug. "What'll we do?" Russell questioned his sisters. "We gotta get Doug out of those vines!"

"But Dougie too high up in the tree," Wendy replied matter-of-factly. "We can't reach him."

At this point, Wendy & her older siblings were beginning to feel discouraged, but Arden wasn't going to allow herself to feel the same way. She just knew there had to be a way to help her friend...&, after thinking for a few moments, she soon came up with an ingenious idea! "We can't reach Doug," Arden told the other mouselings, "but we can still get him down!"

"How?" asked Fran, wondering how they would be able to accomplish that.

"Trust me, Fran," Olivia said with a crafty smile & a coy twinkle in her eyes. "I have a plan..."

And, oh, what a plan Olivia had! But, first, a few preliminary preparations had to be made, before the Scotsmouse could fully disclose the details of her plot to her friends. She wandered around the heather moors, gathering anything that would be of use to them—some pebbles, a small wooden plank, a fresh walnut, & a piece of flint rock. After bringing the makeshift tools over, Olivia enlisted the help of Arden in carefully prying the walnut open, & once the twins had given Wendy the edible parts of the nut to nibble on, they proceeded to carve out the hollow of one half with a small knife. After that, Russell helped Olivia & Fran whet the piece of flint until it had sharpened to a point. When that was done, Olivia took a stick off of the ground, & used it to draw a diagram in a nearby patch of dirt; the paw-made picture demonstrated how Olivia, her sister, & their pals would use their collected items in the effort to free Doug from the vines.

First, Olivia explained, the mouselings would make a seesaw with the wooden plank (which would serve as the plane) & the largest of the three pebbles (which would serve as the fulcrum). On one end of the plane, one of the smaller pebbles would be placed on the plank surface, & in order to make it launch into the air, Wendy needed to drop the third pebble on the other end of the seesaw. Said seesaw would have to be positioned at a certain spot on the heather moors, so that when the second pebble was launched, it would fly up, & hit one of the tree branches, before falling into the half of the walnut shell that would serve as a makeshift bucket. The walnut-half would be suspended from the branch by one of the vines, which would be tied around the shell at one end; the vine's opposite end (hanging on the other side of the bough) would be tied around the wider half of the sharpened flint rock.

After the launching pebble fell into the walnut-bucket, it would cause the container to descend from the tree branch, as a result of the additional weight. While the walnut-bucket went down towards the ground, it would tug on the vine-pulley, causing the flint rock attached to the other end to ascend higher & higher...& when the walnut-bucket got low enough, the piece of flint would slide over the branch, & fall against the tangled vines—thus cutting Doug free!

With that process in mind, Olivia, Arden, Russell, Fran, & Wendy all worked together to make the necessary arrangements, & in no time at all, they had successfully set up their elaborate "Rube Goldberg" device; now, they were ready to put their plan into action! As her dolly lay on the ground by her side, Wendy stood at the back end of the seesaw, ready to drop the pebble that would send the other one flying. Up in the tree, Olivia was kneeling on top of the branch that the homemade pulley was suspended from. After securing the vine that made up part of the device, & making sure that the front end was tied snugly enough around the walnut-bucket, Arden looked down towards Wendy, &, with a paw cupped to her mouth, she shouted, "Are you ready, Wendy?"

Still holding the pebble in her arms, Wendy nodded, & replied with her usual smile, "Ready, Ardie!"

With that, Arden began counting: "One...two...three...FOUR!" When she heard Arden give the signal, Wendy dropped the pebble onto her end of the seesaw, launching the pebble on the opposite side, & setting off the rest of the device. And, just as Olivia had predicted, the flint rock went over the branch, & fell down onto the tangle of vines, cutting through them on impact. When the cables that had once imprisoned him finally broke apart, Doug let out a yelp of startlement, as he felt himself falling towards the ground...& into Fran's arms.

"Gotcha!" Fran cried out when Doug made a safe landing. She had caught him just in time!

After his sister had set him down onto his feet, Doug looked at Fran with a wide smile; though a little shaken, he was glad to be OK & in one piece. "Thanks, you guys!" Doug told the other mouselings, unable to contain his gratitude to them for helping him out of his earlier pickle.

"You should be thanking the twins," Fran said, gesturing to the younger mouse as she planted a paw on her shoulder (truth be told, Olivia and Arden couldn't hide the proud smile on her face when she heard Fran's comment!). "It was her idea to come up with that wacky device."

"Say, where did you get the idea for that device anyway, Ardie?" asked Russell, now curious to learn more about the source of her inspiration.

"Yeah!" Wendy exclaimed excitedly, staring up at Arden with bright, shining eyes. "How you make it?"

"Well, Olivia and I knew someone who made a big device just like that one," Arden answered, "back in London!" I guess you could say I knew him...though we weren't really friends, or anything. Far from it, actually...

"What was his name, Arden?" asked Russell.

The Glaswegian girl winced when she heard the question; she had hoped that no one would bring up the dreaded topic of the furson who'd truly inspired her to make the Goldbergian device in the first place...the very villain who had not only tried to bring harm to her & her father, but also to her friends Basil & Dr. Dawson, & even the Queen herself! "I'd...rather not discuss it right now," Arden replied hesitantly, still wincing a little. Besides, she thought, it's best that you don't know his name, anyway.

"Well, Ardie, at least tell us who taught you how to look for Doug!" Fran begged. "How did you know where his footprints would lead to?"

"And how did you know he went to hide in the heather?" Russell inquired.

Now, the memories filling Olivia's head were of a pleasant variety, & she was eager to satisfy her sister and friends' curiosity by answering their questions. "I just did what any detective would do—look for clues, & follow their trail," Olivia responded. Doug, Fran, Russell, & Wendy all "oohed", "aahed", & muttered in fascination, & Olivia couldn't help but smile & beam proudly, as she continued, "I learned everything about investigating from my friend Basil!"

The other four mouselings gasped in shock & surprise, amazed at what they were hearing. "You mean Basil Of Baker Street?" Russell ejaculated in astonishment. "No way!"

"I can't believe you actually know the Great Mouse Detective!" Fran exclaimed, unable to hide her awe.

"When'd you meet him, Livvy?" Doug asked, bubbling over with excitement incited by interest & inquisitiveness. "What happened when you first met?"

"What does he look like?" Fran wondered with a dreamy look in her emerald eyes. "Is he cute?"

"It's a long story, you guys," Olivia replied. "But Daddy & I can tell you about it after dinner." And speaking of the proverbial Devil, Olivia & her pals could hear their parents calling out their names; no doubt, Hiram, Miss Leesha, & Mr. Gordon were looking for their wee ones out on the front lawn, & Olivia didn't want to keep them waiting & worrying for a second longer! "Come on, everyone, let's go!" Olivia directed Doug & his siblings, beckoning for them to follow her as she ran towards the forest of heather flowers. "Our parents are looking for us!" As soon as Wendy had picked up her doll, & Fran had gathered her into her arms, the 5 mouselings rushed off in the direction of the front yard, leaving the clearing on the heather moors empty & quiet once again.

To be continued...

-

[5] Unlike in the original movie, Olivia has a twin sister named Arden.

[6] In the film version of the sequel, Leesha, Gordon, & their four mouselings are the middle daughter, son-in-law, & other grandchildren of Grandma & Grandpa Flaversham, as opposed to their next-door neighbors.

[7] My personal choice for the dates that are different from the original movie are June 21 & 22 of 1898 (along with the week following the 22nd), which are very close to the dates Irene Relda suggested in the first version of her "Dating The Disney Film" essay. As for the date seen on the newspaper at the end of the film...I'd call that a flub on the part of the animators. XD (Or a vision of an alternate universe...Ehh, whatever.)

[8] As to why Doug doesn't look like any of his siblings...I have no explanation, other than 'Aristocats Syndrome'.

[9] The song holds additional significance for Olivia, but this will be explained further in Chapter 3.

[10] Olivia doesn't know it yet, but by this time, Sherringford Preschool has changed its name to Basil Of Baker Street Preschool.