Down Under Plunder

## Stats

**Down Under Plunder** is the 47th episode of the series *The Country Mouse and the City Mouse Adventures* that aired on October 22, 1999. The setting in this episode is New Zealand.

## Summary

Emily and Alexander arrive in New Zealand. Emily says that they arrived on the day they find out that women get to vote, which Alexander is reminded of when their cousin Amanda visited them in New York, that was all she talked to them about and he got tired it. Emily teases him that it happened after he lost the arm wrestling match he and Amanda did, but Alexander says that it was unfair and he was just getting over a cold, and isn't scared of doing a rematch. Though, he is scared by the sight of a ferocious dog in a cage. He runs along and bumps into two Australian rats who asks him to do a favor. He signs their petition which attempts to get politcians to not give women a right to vote, but they actually lie and say it is a petition to make cricket their national sport.

Amanda, who has a petition of her own that is the opposite, catches them and tells Alexander that he actually signed a petition that is against women voting. The second rat decides to open the dog cage but it chases the rat as opposed to the mice. But nonetheless, it chases Emily, Alexander, and Amanda and then Emily herself. Amanda votes that she will swoop in and save Emily and Alexander will defeat the dog, but Alexander wants vise versa. Though they both swoop in and rescue Emily from the dog. A girl named Kim sends the dog off, and it runs back to it's owner. Amanda, Kim's friend, introduces her to her cousins. Kim tells Amanda that it will be said soon if women can vote, so they hurry along to see for themselves. Unfortunately, the bill hadn't passed, but that's because the votes were a tie, and it is announced there will be another vote tomorrow. Amanda brings up the chiefs of the four Maori tribes, the native people of New Zealand. Alexander isn't sure that the Maori would interesting in voting for women, but Kim is sure that it's worth a shot.

The mice begin their journey to the Maori Village at the break of dawn the next day. Alexander complains like usual, so Amanda tells him that they can just continue on without him if he's too tired. Alexander keeps moving on, saying that it wouldn't b right for a gentleman to allow three ladies going into the jungle all alone. Alexander and Amanda begin racing each other, until Emily whistles for them to stop. Kim pulls out the map and reads that they have to get through a volcano and get to the Maori village. They continue on straight, and get through thick vines. The three mice, and even Kim, are afraid of a tree with a face on it, but it is just a carving which is really a totem pole. The wind blows the map away, so Kim runs along to get it. Alexander doesn't see the whole point in women needing to vote as they're good at a lot of things. Amanda brings up the arm wrestling match and the two start a rematch, while talking about how such of a big deal women's voting rights are, and she wins. Suddenly, something big begins shaking the place, and a giant weta bug appears and it nabs Emily with its tusks. Alexander tells Amanda to distract the bug while he jumps on the bug's back, but Amanda wants to do that. Emily asks them to stop arguing, when suddenly a bird creature attacks, freeing Emily.

Kim comes running up, and so does a wild boy. His name is Tiki, and his pet creature is named Kiwi. He says he is from the Maori Village of Rotorua, which is exactly where they are heading. Kim asks if he can take them, but Tiki runs off as he plans to climb The Great Fire, a volcano, to prove he is a warrior. Suddenly, his guardian appears. Kim asks if she can talk to the chief of Rotorua, and the guardian takes them. There, the chief throws a bushel of leaves at Kim's feet, which is a greeting. If she doesn't pick the leaves up, it could be trouble according to Amanda, but she does. Kim asks the chief if he could vote for woman's voting rights in New Zealand, as he could be the tiebreaker. However, the chief doesn't have time to vote and has to go find Tiki. Kim tells him where Tiki is headed to, and they worry. The active volcano starts cracking, which could imply that the volcano could erupt any time now, or later. Alexander sees Kiwi, but doesn't see Tiki. Kim gathers up the mice and runs over to Kiwi, who shows them that his owner is in a crack in the ground, stuck down under. The volcano shakes violently, so they don't have time to run back to the village to get rope. However, Emily has an idea and they run back to the rainforest to get vines instead.

Kim tries to pull the vine but it is stuck, so Emily climbs up to try and pull it herself, wishing she had something to cut it with. A weta comes and actually grants her wish, cutting the vine with its tusks despite scaring Emily. Back at the crack, Kim pulls down the vine with Alexander and Amanda and they put it around Tiki, but the ground shakes again and Kim loses hold of the vine. Amanda and Alexander begin climbing up the pit with their vine, working together to send the vine up. A shake makes Alexander hold on the ledge of a rock, and Amanda says Alexander is too heavy, although Alexander knows she can do it, and she does. Tiki is now saved and brought back to the chief. The chief is astounded at how brave this woman was, and decides to go to The House of Parliament to vote. But when he gets there, it is too late and the guard doesn't let both Kim or the chief in. The mice pitch in and Alexander ties the guard's shoelaces together, while Emily and Amanda knock on the door from the other side. The guard trips and Chief Kupe and Kim run inside. Because the chief had voted, the bill that women can vote is now passed. As Emily and Alexander get ready to board on a ship back home, Amanda explains that because the people's parliament has given women the right to vote, the rodent's parliament should follow. The two rats from in the beginning try to get a rodent to vote that women shouldn't be able to vote, however, Alexander makes him sign Amanda's petition instead. Back home, as Alexander finishes his chocolate cake, Emily mentions that because now American women and mice are fighting for their rights, she must go to Washington Square. Though upset that he just made his cake, Alexander decides to come with her, saying that she always has his vote. Emily mentions that it could take years, so Alexander agrees that he should bring his cake along as the demonstrators will be hungry, and Emily votes that he should as well.