Chapter 4 - The Red Star Comes to Dodge
The Long Branch Saloon, Dodge City, Kansas, 1875:
Pinocchio, Lampwick, Honest John and Jiminy spent most of their time in the protected upstairs room of the Long Branch Saloon trying to figure out what kept attracting the red star to the Coachman.
It was Jiminy who came up with the idea. It seamed that it was not necessarily the Coachman that was attracting the red star. But the Coachman together with Pleasure Island.
"Think about this," Jiminy said standing upright on a chest of drawers. "Where did the red star originally fall in 1875. On Pleasure Island. Where was it making bad boys into donkeys for the Coachman originally, On Pleasure Island. Where was it used to attempt to bring anthropomorphic animal boys from the Duckburg world into our original world, on a revival of Pleasure Island of the Duckburg coast. Where did it deposit The Coachman, Honest John and Gideon when they escaped from Duckburg through one of its wormholes, On Pleasure Island in a future where it became SPECTRE Island. Finally where is it going to come to the Coachman now. In a town that will become an adult version of PLEASURE ISLAND when this trail drive season reaches its peak."
"Just what are you getting at?" Honest John asked.
"I'm getting to the idea that Pleasure Island or at least the IDEA of Pleasure Island connects all these worlds together just as much as the red star and the Wishing Star do. We do seem to see ALL THREE together in one form or another in all the places and times we went on this journey to stop the Coachman."
"And," Lampwick returned.
"What this all comes down to is I thing I have the way to stop the Coachman cold this time. You know his line that all bad boys make jackasses out of themselves at the end. Well, we are going to turn HIM into a donkey."
"And just how do you propose to do that?" Lampwick asked.
"Simple we will arrange things so that it is the Coachman and not us that is exposed to the red star when it comes. This involves Pinocchio's nose."
"If you are thinking of using its growing ability that only works when I lie." Pinocchio said.
"No, you won't really be lying Pinocchio." Jiminy returned. "There is one truth that I believe will make your nose grow. It is the one thing that did not play out in all the places we have been, your origin as a living puppet. That is the truth in 1881 in our original world but it is not the truth six years earlier in 1875 before even the fairy tale about our history was written in this Dodge City's world. Therefore announcing it in 1875 should make your nose grow even though you are not actually lying."
"But how are you proposing that we bring Pinokey and the Coachman together when he has that red star without Pinokey being turned into a donkey." Lampwick asked.
"I think I know how to handle that department." Honest John said. "Remember that song Stromboli and I taught you when I sold you to him as an "actor". We'll I propose that you entertain the drovers here at the long branch with it. Its theme will even provide the excuse to tell your "lie" and get that nose of yours growing."
"Yes, I remember the song," Pinocchio returned, "but I still don't see how my growing nose is going to stop the Coachman and turn him into a donkey."
"Because," said Jiminy. "That nose of yours is the one thing about you that the Coachman does not know about. It is the one thing that can disarm him of the containment box he is probably going to capture the red star in."
"Now I get it." Pinocchio said to Jiminy. "You want my nose to grow and knock the box out of his hands."
"Good, Pinocchio." Jiminy returned.
"Well now I think I'll do my part for this little group of yours and see Miss Kitty about setting up a show for Pinocchio tonight." Honest John said.
"And remember it must be tonight." Jiminy said. According to all my calculations this is when the red star falls and for everything to be correct it has to fall in the most Pleasure Island like environment available and in this world it is this saloon at the height of the trail drive season."
"And I think I'm the one to propose just such a little show to Miss Kitty." Honest John took Kitty's shotgun in hand. "And to make sure things go all right I'll just make sure that Gideon is attending the show with this. A far more effective weapon that that big mallet he likes to carry around."
With that Honest John left the room and descended the stairs.
"Miss Kitty," he said to the female owner of the saloon. "I think it's time we did a little to earn our keep around here. You see Pinocchio is the best little song and dance man west of the Mississippi and he has volunteered to put on a little show for the Drovers tonight."
"I don't know bout the idea of children entertaining drunks and saloons." Miss Kitty said. "It does not sound like a good idea to me.
"Oh, but he wants to do this show." Honest John returned. "Especially since this will be our last night here in Dodge. Actually I think the reason we were put here is happening tonight in this saloon and Pinocchio must be a part of it."
"What exactly is going on in my saloon tonight?" snapped Kitty. "And I want the truth out of you. All of you including that Faro bank Coachman seem to come from a reality different from ours that is somehow interfering with ours."
"Well I can't tell you very much because quite frankly all this is over my head too." Honest John returned. "But I can tell you that ending our involvement with this world does involve Pinocchio's show and the presence of Mr. Coachman in this saloon."
"Go ahead with what you are planning but you can be sure that I'm going to have the Marshal, Chester, and Festus here ARMED to make sure nothing happens to that boy." Kitty said.
"And I'm just as concerned for him as you are." Honest john said. "I will add my associate Gideon armed with your shotgun to your little posse to protect him while he was performing."
After Miss Kitty gave Honest John Permission for the show she summoned her bartender. "Sam," she said,
"WHISKEY."
Of all the people in the Long Branch saloon Sam and the long branch piano player were the most colorfully dressed until the Arrival of Pinocchio and Lampwick. Both of the wore clean white shirts with a combination bow and hanging tie with black pants and pointed toed boots covered by red flower and leaf patterned vests covering the shirt. Both also had black arm garters on their sleeves.
Around four o'clock in the afternoon Honest John returned to the main saloon floor to give the piano player a rather hastily written musical score.
"You think that you'll be able to play this tonight." Honest John asked the Piano player.
"I certainly can play this despite its being rather hastily written." The piano player said. "However it does seem rather childish and I don't think the drover's will be very interested in hearing it."
"That is because a child is going to be singing the lyrical parts of this." Honest John returned.
"You mean one of those boys upstairs is going to perform on the saloon floor tonight." The piano player shouted. "How did you ever get Miss Kitty to go along with that."
"I just told her the truth." Honest John said "This will definitely be our last night here and one of the boys, Pinocchio wants to give this performance here to pay for his protection."
"Well he fancies himself the little song and dance man, huh." the piano player said. "Well, we'll see how the drovers like this, I sure hope the Marshal will be here to sort things out.
The drovers coming into the Long Branch that night were wondering why the area near the piano was made up to look like a marionette theatre. The wondered also why the area was guarded by the Marshal Dillon and his immediate associates with guns drawn. They also wondered about the extra large chair that seemed to be the closest to the large puppet show like assembly. Several well known Long Branch saloon girls were also present in the show area with longer more dignified dresses than the frilly saloon attire they usually wore representing those of other nations of the world.
The first answer was soon in coming as a British accented man with an ample gut came into the saloon and plopped himself in the large chair. In his hand he carried a wooden box with arcane symbols on it.
Soon the whole puppet show theme became obvious as the star performer of the night came down in the form of a colorfully dressed Tuscan Tyrolean Italian boy. Of all the people there only the Marshal Dillon saw that the man was pointing what liked to be a door in his box in Pinocchio's direction and keeping it pointed that way. Other well known Dodge City personalities like Doc Adams were there too. Even Louie Pheeters was present even though Miss Kitty made it quite plane to everyone including Louie that no alcohol would be served during the show because a child was involved.
At first this whole thing seemed rather childish to the drovers present but as soon as it got started even they were becoming very fascinated by the colorful little bundle of energy that danced and sang amongst the girls in tune to the piano.
I've got no strings - to hold me down!
To make me fret or make me frown!
I had strings, but now I'm Free!
There are no Strings on me!
Hi-ho the marry-o - I'm as happy as can be!
I want the world to know - Nothing ever worries me!
I've got no strings, So I have fun!
I'm not tied up - to anyone!
How I love my liberty!
There are no Strings on me!
The song was followed by more dancing to the same melody albeit with a western saloon piano sound to it with the various foreign dressed saloon girls. The whole thing finally ended in with a Russian dance musical style and while all this was going on a red laser like light only the fat man in the large chair, the Coachman could see came down to the box that the Coachman was holding. He had recaptured the red star!
The coachman waited for a point in the dance where Pinocchio would not be around any of the saloon girls.
Then he would open the door in the box that would expose Pinocchio to the red star's light. In this way he would have his perfect record of having NO boy ever enter Pleasure Island without eventually becoming a donkey.
As the Russian part of the show continued even the drovers who thought this whole thing childish were clapping their hands in unison and getting involved with the performance.
Suddenly the piano music stopped and Pinocchio concluded the act. "There are no strings on me."
Pinocchio was in an exposed position now. The Coachman prepared to open the red star's box on him when Doc. Adams asked the exact Question Pinocchio needed.
"Just where did that song come from." Doc asked "I've never heard it before, even when I was a kid in school."
Pinocchio aimed his nose directly at the red star's box and gave the answer. "I learned it in my home town when I was a living puppet."
Suddenly his nose grew with the speed of a chameleon's tongue knocking the red star's box out of the Coachman's hands and into the air as if it was hit by a bullet. As it came down Lampwick who was also attending Pinocchio's show at close quarters caught it."
"Well Mr. Coachman." Lampwick said, "It is time for one of your favorite self making prophesies to come true. All bad little boys no matter how old they may get make jackasses out of themselves."
The Coachman replied by producing a pocket revolver he purchased just as Lampwick opened the box on him.
"Well, now I'm through HE HAWW! With this donkey business HE HAWW!" The coachman said with the red star taking full effect on him. "Now I'm HE HAWW! Just plain HE HAWW HE HAWW! going to kill HE HAWW! HE HAW! you Lampwick and Pinocchio. However the Coachman dropped the revolver as his hands and feet started their change into hooves. Within minutes the fate that the Coachman had given so many boys was now his. He was a completely changed into a donkey and the power of the red star was at an end. Pinocchio and Lampwick had finally accomplished their mission. They and Gepetto, and the newly minted truly Honest John and Gideon could now go home. The only choice remaining was where exactly home would be. The Tuscan village of their original world or Duckburg. There was no doubt they would have to return to Duckburg for at least one thing. Pinocchio and Geppetto left their pets Cleo the Goldfish and Figgero the kitten there so at least a temporary return to Duckburg was in order to get them back. Also the felt they should take the donkey Coachman with them back to wherever home was going to be because he was certainly not a natural part of the world they were in.
Front Street, Dodge City, Kansas, 1875:
All of the strangers met in the middle of front street. Present were the now donkey Coachman, Honest John and Gideon, Pinocchio with Jiminy Cricket under his hat as usual for transport bubble travel, Lampwick and Geppetto. Also out there were Miss Kitty, Dock Adams, Louie Pheeters, Chester Goode, and Festus Haggen.
The were soon subject to another magnificent vision surrounding these strangers. A translucent blue bubble surrounded them and lifted them into the air toward the brightest blue star in the sky.
"Now are you going to open up the bar so we can have a drink?" Louie Pheeters said.
"No, I'm closing for the night." Miss Kitty said. "There has been enough REAL strange visions around here this week without adding the false ones of whiskey to it all."
Next - While the mission is over its dangers continue as the Coachman is restored to normal by Magica De Spell as the Wishing Star - Wormhole saga concludes with the story, Wishing Star Wormhole Saga - Return To Duckburg.
Find this new Fan Fic under regular Disney stories.