Meet the Taylors

*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 woman with red hair and blue eyes, wearing a periwinkle gown and matching pumps. Her name was Ariel. And she was busy fixing her hair in front of the mirror for a ball.

"Naveen 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 an Italian man with tan skin, dark brown hair and amber eyes, wearing medium blue pants with green trimming, a matching belt with a daisy buckle, a green tunic with light green at his wrists, light green petal decorations on his shoulders, and three dark green ribbons tied in bows up the front, and matching shoes. His name was Naveen, 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," Naveen called back. "And if we don't go to the party, I can never show my face in the office again. And if I can never--"

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

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

*Well, Mr. Taylor was a practical man. The animal boys, however, Bambi and Thumper, who were Naveen 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 hoof and a hanger in its right while the other has another in its right paw.

One of the shadows belonged to a 10-year-old deer with brown fur, red hair, a black nose, white spots, and brown eyes, wearing a purple two-piece pajama set with blue stripes consisting of a jacket with snaps and pants, white socks, brown slippers, matching glasses, and a red top hat. His name was Bambi, Naveen and Ariel's adoptive son. And he was the one with the hanger in his right hoof and the toy sword in his left.

The other shadow belonged to a 4-year-old bunny with gray fur, a pink nose, and hazel eyes, wearing dark blue footy pajamas with a moon, stars, and planets on them. His name was Thumper, Bambi's little brother and Naveen and Ariel's other adoptive son. And he was the one with the sword in his right paw.

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

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

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

Just about then, a 5-year-old mouse with tan fur, a small white bucktooth, curvy pink ears, chocolate brown eyes, a dark red heart-shaped nose, a round head, and little hands and feet walked in. She was wearing white panties and baby blue footy pajamas over them. She also wears a matching hair-bow behind her left ear. Her name was Olivia Flaversham, Naveen and Ariel's adoptive daughter, Bambi's little sister, and Thumper's big sister. She was also carrying a jug.

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

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

*Olivia Flaversham, the middle child and adopted daughter of Naveen 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, Bambi, and Thumper.

*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 Bambi and Thumper were still playing.

"Take that!" Thumper called.

Bambi and Thumper played around, hopping around the beds. "Insolent mouse, I'll slash you to ribbons!" Bambi 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!" Thumper called.

As he hit Bambi, the deer yelped in pain. "Ouch! Careful, Thumper, my glasses!"

"I'm sorry, Bambi." Thumper said.

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

So both of them bounced up and down as the pillow fell off again. "Oh yes, I will," Thumper 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, mouse! I'll slit your gizzard!" Bambi yelled, as he stabbed as his wooden sword. It ripped through the sheets.

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

"Insolent pup!" Bambi snarled.

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

"Aha! I got you!" Bambi shouted.

"You didn't either. You never touched me!" Thumper 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 Thumper thrust his sword at Bambi, he got it under his arm as if he made it look like he got him.

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

"Boys, boys. Less noise, please." Naveen 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.

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

"You old bilge rat!" Thumper cried out.

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

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

"And Bambi's Captain Cat R. Waul." Thumper added.

"Yes, yes, of course. Er, have you seen my cuff links?" Naveen asked before he bumped Pooka and Flower, knocking the blocks down again. "Oh, Pooka and Flower, for goodness' sake!" Naveen 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 Bambi.

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

"Thumper, the buried treasure," Bambi whispered to his brother. "Where is it?"

"I don't know, Bambi." Thumper said in an innocent way.

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

"It got lost." Thumper said.

While Naveen 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.

"Hurray! You found it! You found it!" Thumper cheered.

Naveen 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, Thumper came and pulled his shirt front "Don't paw me, Thumper! 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 gold tiara, necklace, and earrings decorated with green and white gems. She came in and said, "Naveen dear, we really must hurry or we'll be late."

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

Ariel saw that and was shocked. "Naveen!"

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

"Why, Thumper..." Ariel was about to say something when Bambi cut in.

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

When Naveen heard what Bambi 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-" Naveen 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.

Naveen 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..." Naveen said, as Olivia turned and saw his shirt front.

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

Naveen 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, Naveen, really. It comes right off." She washed off the chalk on his shirt front.

"That's no excuse!" He frowned while Olivia, Bambi, and Thumper 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!" Naveen said.

"Fievel *Mouse*kewitz, daddy." Olivia told him.

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

"Oh no, daddy."

"Papa, have you ever-"

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

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

"Now, Naveen..." Ariel said, about to put on his light green cape with a leaf in the front.

"Now, Naveen! Now, Naveen!" 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, NAVEEN' WILL HAVE HIS SAY!" He put the cape on himself, but he put it on backwards.

"Please, dear." Ariel said, turning his cape around and adjusting it neatly.

"Ariel, when we adopted Bambi 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 he had a room of his own!" He pointed at the hall as it shocked them all.

"Daddy!" Olivia gasped.

"Naveen!" Ariel gasped.

"What?!" Bambi gasped.

"No!" Thumper gasped.

Pooka dropped all the blocks while she and Flower gasped in shock and couldn't believe what they were hearing and what Naveen was doing. "I mean it! Young man, this is your last night in the nursery!" he said, as Bambi 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. Naveen 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 Naveen 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 Naveen 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 Naveen was sent flying as he yelled, "NO!" And with a large crash, he fell into the dresser, knocking the toys down. Olivia, Bambi, Thumper, and Ariel were shocked that Pooka and Flower were against the wall.

As for Naveen, 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 Naveen mad and annoyed.

"Oh!" Olivia, Bambi, Thumper, and Ariel all said together. Naveen 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 Naveen open his widened eyes in shock. As they ran to Pooka and Flower, but Naveen.

"Poor Pooka and Flower!" they said together again.

Naveen 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 Thumper was hugging Pooka. "No, papa, no!" Thumper pleaded.

Naveen 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!" Thumper grabbed Pooka's tail. But Ariel stopped him by picking him up as Naveen was dragging Pooka and Flower out the room.

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

"Goodbye, Thumper!" Flower said cheerfully, as he and Pooka waved goodbye back. As Naveen 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. Naveen 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. Naveen 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 fawn, a mouse, and a bunny." 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 various objects for their beds, as Ariel knew that Naveen didn't mean to do that to Pooka and Flower.

Olivia uses a person's shoe as a bed. She looked depressed. "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 blue blanket. "Don't worry about it anymore tonight."

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

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

As for Thumper, he uses a dog basket as a bed. He had tears running down his cheeks. "Poor Pooka and Flower," Thumper sniffled. "out there all alone."

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

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

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

"Buried treasure." Thumper had the cuff links that Naveen 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.