Author's Note:

Time for the next installment in the Meddling Kids origin arc. Next up is, none other than the Funky Phantom! Get ready to learn the origins of our favorite American patriot who talks like Snagglepuss.

But first...a little song!

Sing along if you know the words!

We were cold and soaking wet and lost out in a storm

We went inside a spooky house just hoping to get warm

The dusty clock said half past six,

We knew that it was wrong

When we set the hands to twelve the clock began to gong

We found a friend, friend, friend in the Funky Phantom

He'll pop right in just when you need him most

And Boo will too, and you can't do without 'em

That cat and that Funky Phantom ghost

IT'S FUNKY PHANTOM TIME!

So without further ado, on with the show.

Our story opens 200 years into the past where we see a nice mansion on a beautiful hill in a homestead called "Muddlemore Manor".

The manor was quiet as the sun starts to rise.

Inside, a man and his beautiful, Crimson haired wife were sound asleep on their bed.

Their sleeping was interrupted by the rooster cock-a-doodle-dooing.

Thanks to the rooster's crowing, the man started to wake up. He smiled over at his beautiful peacefully sleeping wife.

"Amelia" he whispered softly as he gently shook her "Amelia wake up, wake sideways even"

His wife stirred a bit before opening her eyes.

"Morning, Jonathan." She smiled as she looked up at her husband.

"Morning honey" he said as he kissed her forehead.

"Another day is waiting for us, dear." Amelia said as they got up.

"Come on, let's wake up the girls" said Jonathan "They can't spend their whole day snoozing, slumbering even"

"Right" Amelia nodded. "I'll go prepare breakfast while you wake the girls."

Jonathan nodded as they went their separate ways.

First, he walked over to Sarah's room. She was the oldest and the tomboy of the triplets. She always acted real tough and almost never showed any signs of softness, but her father knew better.

Jonathan walked into Sarah's room to wake her up.

"Come on, Sarah dear." Jonathan shook his eldest daughter. "Time to wake up, rise and shine!"

Sarah grunted in her sleep and scrunched her eyes.

"Come on honey" he gently shook her "Time to get up"

There was a groan before his daughter finally opened her eyes.

"Morning dad" she said groggily.

"Morning, Sarah." Her father said. "Time to wake up. You've got a full day ahead of you."

"Yes sir" Sarah said as she started to get out of bed.

Jonathan then went over to Maggie's bedroom. She was the valley girl of the group and the second born after Sarah by about twelve seconds. She was very vain about herself and would always consider her to be the most beautiful person in the world.

"Maggie" Jonathan said softly as he shook her gently "Wake up. Wake up, rise and shine even"

Maggie turned to the other side and kept sleeping.

"Now come on, dear." Jonathan kept shaking his daughter gently. "You got a whole day ahead of you, young lady."

"Daddy" she groaned "I need my beauty sleep if I want to stay pretty"

"Sorry, dear." Jonathan replied. "But you've got a full day ahead of you."

"Okay dad" said Sarah as she got up "But don't I look like the most beautiful girl in the whole world?"

"You are always beautiful in daddy's eyes, honey." Jonathan gave his daughter a kiss in the forehead before leaving to wake up the youngest.

He walked over to Jeanette's room. She was the shy one and the youngest by three minutes. Jeanette's time was spent reading, writing and painting. She was a very talented young woman though people rarely saw her work. The only person who ever saw her drawings was Jonathan and the only animal was the family cat, Boo. Jeanette loved Boo like her own. She'd tell him everything.

"Jeanette" Jonathan softly whispered as he shook her "Jeanette. Wake up baby doll. Wake up"

Jeanette groaned and stretched her arms and yawned before opening her eyes.

"Good morning daddy" said as she saw her father's smile.

"Morning, honey." Jonathan replied. "Time to wake up. You've got a full day ahead."

Jeanette jumped into her father's arms and hugged him.

"Yes daddy" she smiled.

"Aww" Jonathan said as he looked at her beautiful eyes "You're such a darling little cutie pie, Jeanette. I love you"

Jeanette and her father then hugged lovingly.

"I love you too, daddy" she said as she kissed her dad on the cheek.

Soon, the Muddledore family gathered in the dining room where Amelia had finished preparing breakfast.

"Isn't this such a wonderful day?" Amelia asked her relatives "Another sunny day in the colonies with my wonderful husband and my dear little girls"

"It is" Jonathan agreed "Wonderful, jubilant even"

"And it's such a nice day outside" said Jeanette "Why don't we all have a picnic outside?"

"That sounds like a good idea, sis." Maggie remarked.

"It does sound lovely dear" Amelia added "It is such a wonderful, sunny day and I would love to do an outdoor family activity"

"Heavens to Pocahontas" said Jonathan "That would be good, a pleasure even"

"Can Boo come along, too?" Jeanette asked her parents "Please"

"Now honey" said Jonathan "I don't think-"

"Please" Jeanette said as she batted her eyelashes and made puppy dog eyes.

Jonathan sighed and then nodded. "Fine."

"Yay!" Jeanette cheered "Boo, Boo, here kitty kitty"

There was a meow before the cat revealed itself.

"Hi baby!" Jeanette gushed as she held out her arms.

"Meow." Boo replied as he purred in Jeanette's arms.

"Guess what, Boo?" she asked him as she rubbed her nose against Boo's "We're going on a picnic today. Would you like to come?"

"Meow." Boo nodded.

Later that afternoon, the entire Muddlemore family walked onto their favorite hill to have their picnic.

"It sure is a nice day today." Amelia remarked as they walked towards the hill.

"It sure is" said Mudsy "It's so peaceful and nice. Nothing like spending the whole day with my lovely wife, Amelia and my three little girls"

Everyone else nodded in agreement.

"So come on" said Amelia "Let's all enjoy this lovely picnic"

The Muddlemore's had a lot of fun on their picnic together; they ate, they played games and went to skip stones over on the nearby river. One big happy family.

Later that night, they had just finished eating and had decided to go out on the porch and look at the stars together.

"This sure is a nice evening out." Amelia remarked as they looked at the stars above.

secs ago"Yeah" said Jonathan "It's beautiful, lovely even"

"And it's a nice, quiet night" Amelia added "Nothing could ruin this lovely family moment"

"I'd so myself, Amelia my love" Jonathan agreed.

"Look at all those beautiful stars" Jeanette sighed "How romantic"

Her sisters nodded and sighed in agreement as Boo purred in her arms. It was a peaceful night and the mood was relaxing.

Little did they realize that everything would soon change rapidly.

Author's Note:

Isn't it wonderful and romantic? We have met Jonathan Wellington Muddlemore and his wonderful family. However, there's more than to meets the eye. This is the colonial times, a seriously messed up and sad historical era, because as I said, the Muddlemore's don't know that their happy, peaceful life is about to be shattered...possibly forever.