The Girl Mice's Plan

"But King Hokey, still fearful of his niece's life, did then and there decree that every spinning wheel in the kingdom should on that very day be burnt. So it was done."

All of the spinning wheels were taken from their places and were piles in the castle courtyard and all were then put on fire as the massive smoke begins to tower above them as the wheels were burnt. As more spindles were piled, more fire was ignited on them.

Mrs. Brisby watched the entire scene from the window and felt disgraced. Burning the wheels won't be much helpful to Hokey and Aurelia. She knew that Mother Gothel wouldn't stop at nothing to see the death of his niece. "D'oh, silly fiddle faddle!" said Mrs. Brisby, feeling disgraced as she floated over to Olivia and Tanya. They were busy drinking tea from cups, just sitting alone in the room. It's true that they were mice, but these girls drink and eat like mortals do.

"Now, come have a nice cup of tea, dear. I'm sure it'll work out somehow." said Olivia, and, with a swirl of her wand, a teapot, and a cup on a saucer appeared in mid-air and floated as she grabbed the cup and saucer.

"Well, a bonfire won't stop Mother Gothel." said Tanya.

"Of course not. But what will?" said Mrs. Brisby, as she took the cup and saucer and took a sip from the cup.

"Well, perhaps if we reason with her..." said Olivia.

"Reason?" said Mrs. Brisby, feeling somewhat startled.

"With Mother Gothel?" said Tanya, feeling startled as well.

"Well, she can't be all bad." said Olivia.

"Oh, yes, she can!" said Mrs. Brisby.

"Ohhh, I'd like to turn her into a fat, old hoptoad!" snarled Tanya, feeling frustrated about Mother Gothel.

"Now, dear, that's not a very nice thing to say." Olivia scolded lightly.

"Besides, we can't." said Mrs. Brisby, "You know our magic doesn't work that way."

"It can only do good, dear, to bring joy and happiness." added Olivia.

"Well, that would make me happy." said Tanya between munches of cornbread.

"But there must be some way...There is!" said Mrs. Brisby when she thought of something.

"There is?" asked Tanya.

"What is it, Mrs. Brisby?" asked Olivia.

"I'm going to ... " said Mrs. Brisby, but she stopped for a moment and resumed talking in a quiet voice. "Shh, shh, shh! Even walls have ears." whispered Mrs. Brisby. Then she looked around the room, looking around the corners, under the tables, and outside the room.

Then she floated back to them and said, "Follow me!" Then, with a swirl of her wand, she minimized herself, and her friend and daughter did the same. Then Olivia and Tanya followed Mrs. Brisby into the closet. "I'll turn her into a flower!" said Mrs. Brisby.

"Mother Gothel?" asked Tanya.

"No, no, dear, the princess!" Mrs. Brisby said happily.

"Oh she'd make a lovely flower!" said Olivia.

"Don't you see? A flower can't prick its finger." said Mrs. Brisby.

"It hasn't any!" said Tanya, smiling.

"That's right." said Olivia.

"She'll be perfectly safe." said Mrs. Brisby.

Then Tanya's smile turned into a disappointed frown, and she said, "Until Mother Gothel sends a frost."

"Yes, a-" said Mrs. Brisby. But she suddenly stopped when she realized what Tanya said. She knew now what would happen if ice and a delicate plant meet. And it was not a pretty mix. Mrs. Brisby sadly slumped and said, "Oh dear."

"She always ruins your nicest flowers." said Olivia.

"You're right. And she'll be expecting us to do something like that." said Mrs. Brisby.

"Ohhh! Well what *won't* she expect? She *knows* everything." said Tanya.

"Oh but she doesn't, dear. Mother Gothel doesn't know anything about love, or kindness, or the joy of helping earnest. You know, sometimes I don't think she's really very happy." said Olivia.

Then an idea popped in Mrs. Brisby's mind when she got a splended idea listening to Olivia's comment. "That's it, of course! It's the only thing she can't understand, and won't expect!" said Mrs. Brisby, feeling excited. Then she paced around as she talked to herself. "Oh, oh, now, now ... We have to plan it carefully, let's see, woodcutters cottage, yes, yes, the abandoned one, of course the King and Queen will object, but when we explain it's the only way ..." said Mrs. Brisby to herself.

"Explain what?" asked Tanya. Mrs. Brisby turned to Olivia and Tanya and said, "About the beautiful valley girl mouse, the young Scottish girl mouse, and the teenage Russian girl mouse, raising a foundling child deep in the forest."

"Oh? That's very nice of them." said Olivia.

"Who are they?" asked Tanya.

"Turn around!" said Mrs. Brisby.

While Tanya and Olivia turned around to face a mirror, Mrs. Brisby changed them into run-of-the-mill girl mice, including herself.

Olivia and Tanya were very surprised when they only see themselves in run-of-the-mill forms.

Mrs. Brisby was now wearing a red dress with short, puffy sleeves, a white petticoat, and bloomers.

Olivia was now wearing a white collar with a forest green bow, a light blue long-sleeved shirt, and a blue miniskirt with a red plaid pattern. She was still wearing her hair-bow, panties, socks, and Mary Jane shoes, though.

Tanya was now wearing a purple hair bob and a pink dress with a lavender patch on the skirt, long baby pink sleeves, and a black bodice. She was missing her pantalettes, though.

"Why, it's ... us!" said Olivia, being surprised.

"Uh-huh." said Mrs. Brisby.

"You mean, *we*, us?" asked Tanya.

"Uh-huh." Mrs. Brisby repeated.

"Take care of the baby?" asked Olivia, who seemed excited about the idea.

"Why not?" said Mrs. Brisby.

"Oh, I'd like that!" said Olivia. Tanya then noticed that her dress was pink and her hair bob was purple and changed the sleeves on the dress, the patch, and the hair bob to yellow and the skirt of her dress to orange. After all, her favorite colors *are* yellow and orange, and she was obsessed with them. "Well, yes, yes, but will we have to feed it?" asked Tanya.

"And wash it and dress it and rock it to sleep. Oh I'd love it!" sighed Olivia.

"You really think we can?" asked Tanya.

"If normal girls can do it, so can we." said Mrs. Brisby.

"And we have our magic to help us." Tanya said.

"That's right." smiled Olivia.

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no magic!" said Mrs. Brisby, who denied it. "I'll take those wands right now." She took Olivia's wand, but Tanya was still holding onto hers. Then she got rid of Olivia's wings with her wand. "Oh! Better get rid of the wings, too."

"You mean, live and look like normal girls? For eighteen years?" asked Tanya, as she proceeded to fly away from Mrs. Brisby.

"Uh-huh." said Mrs. Brisby. She zapped away Tanya's wings with her wand, making her fall into a big spoon.

"Now, we-we-we don't know how. We've never done anything without magic." said Tanya, who was now concerned about the idea.

"And that's why Mother Gothel will never suspect!" said Mrs. Brisby.

"But who'll wash, and cook?" asked Tanya.

"Oh, we'll all pitch in." said Mrs. Brisby.

"I'll take care of the baby!" said Olivia.

"Let me have it, dear." said Mrs. Brisby, reaching for Tanya's wand. At last, Tanya got rid of Mrs. Brisby's wings with her own wand. Then she took the wand from Tanya.

"Come along now, We must tell their majesties at once!" said Mrs. Brisby. Then she changed herself to normal size, leaving Olivia and Tanya still inside the closet.

"Mrs. Brisby!" called Olivia.

"Mama!" called Tanya.

Mrs. Brisby forgot about her friend and daughter and changed them to their normal sizes. Then they left the room.

"As night fell, King Hokey and Queen Arianna then watched from their balcony with heavy hearts as their most precious possession, their only child, disappeared into the night."

When the girl mice reached the door in their disguised forms, they looked around to make sure they weren't being watched or followed. Then Mrs. Brisby motioned them to start moving into the forest, and they disappeared into the wilderness.