Chapter 4: It's a Small World After All
Disclaimer: read chapter 1
"That was a close one," Small Kelsey said. She and Jiminy were walking through the grass. They now have three things on their "To Do" list. One: Find a way for Kelsey to grow back. Two: Find Kailey before she does something stupid. Finally: Get back home.
Kelsey didn't like the new size at all, but knew a way to grow big, "Okay, all we have to do is find a mushroom, then I'll grow back to my normal size."
"You know, Kelsey, being small isn't bad at all," Jiminy said, "You just need to get use to it."
"I don't want to get use to it!" Kelsey snapped, "I want to grow five feet and three inches tall! And I know you liked to have a ride too."
Jiminy let out a sigh, "You made your point."
Then, a strange-looking butterfly with wings made of bread flew passed them. "Weird butterflies," Jiminy said.
"You mean bread butterflies," a woman voice corrected Jiminy.
"Oh yes, of course..." Jiminy paused and looked around seeing who said that. "Who was that?"
"I think the-" Kelsey stopped talking when a bug flew past her making neighing sounds.
"A horsefly- I mean a rocking horsefly," Jiminy said looking at the rocking horsefly curiously.
"Naturally," the voice said again.
"Wait..." Kelsey looked behind her and saw a rose, "I know that voice. You!" She pointed at the rose accusingly, "You can talk, can you?"
"What?!" Jiminy chuckled at Kelsey, "That's absurd! Flowers don't talk!"
"But of course, we can talk my dears," the rose started speaking. Jiminy hung his mouth wide open being flabbergasted. Kelsey smiled at him and closed his mouth for him.
"Humph," Kelsey and Jiminy looked beside them and saw an iris talking, "If anything worth talking to."
"Or about!" a daisy started giggled, "HA! HA! HA!"
"And we sing to!" a group of pansies added with a childish, well-mannered voice.
"You do?" Jiminy asked.
"Oh yes!" A tulip nodded agreeing with him, "Would you like to hear Tell it to the Tulips?"
"No!" a group of larkspurs disagreed, "Let's sing about us!"
"Um... guys-" Kelsey was trying to say something, but somebody interrupted her.
"We know one about the shy, little violets," a violet said shyly.
"Oh No! Not that old thing!" a lily cried with disgust.
Kelsey was trying to say something, "Uh, excuse me, but-"
"Let's do Lovely lily at the valley!" another lily cried.
"Oh, they wouldn't like that!" a lilac disagreed.
All the flowers argue, until Rose hit her stem getting their attention. "Girls! We shall sing 'Golden Afternoon'." Then, Rose was whispering to Kelsey and Jiminy, "That's about all of us."
"Thanks," Kelsey said politely, "We would love to hear it, but we don't have time."
"Oh? And why's that?" Rose asked curiously.
"You see, Miss Rose," Jiminy began, "we're kinda in a hurry. We would love to hear your song."
"You got time to breathe, don't you?" Iris asked.
Kelsey nodded, "Yes."
"Then, you got time for music."
"But-"
"No buts!" Iris interrupted, "Now sit down and enjoy this musical number." Iris was narrowing her eyes at them. Her look was making them nervous.
"Uh... On second thought," Jiminy was pulling down a leaf making a seat for him and Kelsey. "We would love to hear your song."
"But-" Kelsey looked at Iris, who was giving her a stern glare. Kelsey grew nervous and sat down next to Jiminy, "I couldn't agree more with you, Jiminy."
Lily: Laaa...
Pansies: Mememe,
Daisy: Lalalala,
Iris: Hahahaha,
Dandelions: Poem, poem poem
All the butterflies flew away, and all the flowers started singing.
"Little bread-and-butterflies kiss the tulips, and the sun is like a toy balloon. There are get up in the morning glories! In the golden afternoon! There are ditzy daffodils on the hillside! Strings of violets are all in tune
Jiminy was sitting down smiling at the flowers' performance. Kelsey, however, formed a fake smile, but already heard this song dozen of times. A tiger lily gave a dandelion a kiss on the cheek and was smiling at the dandelion. The dandelion was smiling at the tiger lily back while blushing.
"Tiger lilies love the dandelions! In the golden afternoon! The golden afternoon! There is a dog and caterpillar and a copper centipede. Where the lazy daisies love the very peaceful life..."
Kelsey, Jiminy, and the other flowers were yawning.
"They lead… You can learn a lot of things from the flowers For especially in the month of June."
"Ohhh!" White Rose started singing her solo performance, "There's a wealth of happiness and romance. All in the golden afternoon!"
The bread butterflies grabbed Kelsey's T-Shirt and dragged her to the peonies. Kelsey knew what was going to happen. So she was shaking her head protesting, "No! No way! I don't sing! I can't sing!" Kelsey stood in front of the peonies still refusing to sing along.
Jiminy moved his lips mouthing out to Kelsey, 'Go on, Kelsey.'
"All in the golden afternoon!
The golden afternoon!"
Kelsey was shaking her head. 'No!' She mouthed back, 'I told ya, I don't sing!" She looked at the iris, who was giving her a glare. Kelsey let out a sigh and started singing quietly. "You can learn a lot of things from the flowers... on especially on the month of June... There's a wealth of happiness and romance!"
Jiminy and Rose were smiling at her delighted with her singing. However, Iris was shaking her head in disgust.
"ALL-" Kelsey sang off-key and covered her mouth, embarrassed about her performance. The rose just smiled at her, giving her the confidence. Kelsey smiled back but didn't sing along with everybody.
Everyone except for Kelsey began singing, "The golden afternoon..."
A flower was banging the drums, ending the song.
"Bravo!" Jiminy said while clapping, "Bravo! That was wonderful! Just wonderful!"
"Thank you, sir," Rose said with a smile.
"Yes, lovely performance really," Kelsey said, "But we really have to go!"
"What kind a garden do you come from?" Daisy asked Kelsey.
Kelsey was about to leave but turned to face Daisy. "Who me?" Kelsey asked by pointing at herself.
"Yes," Daisy nodded, "What kind of garden do you come from?"
"Um, actually, I'm not from any garden. I'm not-"
Daisy turned to Iris asking her, "Do you suppose she's a wildflower?!"
Kelsey shook her head, "No, you don't understand. I'm not a wild flower."
Rose leaned forward towards Kelsey. "Just what species or shall we say genus are you, my dear?" Rose asked sweetly.
Kelsey liked Rose, because she was nice, polite, and didn't interrupt her when she was talking, "Um... I'm a... Kelsey."
"Ever seen a Kelsey with a blossom like that?" Daisy asked Iris.
"Come to think of it… have you ever seen a Kelsey?"
"Yes!" Daisy began examining Kelsey once more, "And did you notice her petals?!" She was referring to Kelsey's grey, tennis shoes. "What a peculiar color!"
"Listen, I'm trying to tell you that I'm-" Kelsey stopped talking when she felt Iris sniffing her hair.
Iris looked at her flower group and said bluntly, "And she doesn't have any fragrance at all."
Daisy began laughing, "Hahaha! Just look at those stems!" She was referring to Kelsey's black sweatpants.
"Rather scrawny, I'd say," Iris commented.
"I think she's pretty!" a rose bud below rose said sweetly.
Rose covered the rose bud's mouth, "Quiet, bud!"
Kelsey glared at Bud with small smile, "You think I'm pretty?"
Rose bud nodded answering her question without talking.
"That's sweet." Kelsey realized that she's way off subject, "Look, this is ridicules! I'm not a flower! I'm-"
"AHA!" Iris cried in realization, "Just as I suspected!" Iris began whispering to Rose, "She is nothing, but a common mobile vulgaris."
All the flowers leaned forward trying to hear what Iris said, but they heard her clearly. They all looked at Kelsey in horror, "OH NO!"
"I'm sorry. What did you say, ma'am?" Jiminy asked Iris, "A common what?"
"To put it bluntly..." Iris glared at Kelsey angrily, "A WEED!"
Kelsey's eyes grew wide in shock, "Excuse me?"
"You heard me! You are the ugliest weed, I've ever met! I mean look at you! You're ugly! Just plain ugly!"
Kelsey stared at Iris and was dumbfounded. She couldn't believe what she's hearing, "I never said anything mean to you! Why are you saying those mean things to me?"
Jiminy was pulling Kelsey away from Iris. He didn't want the confrontation taken to the next level, "Kelsey, let's just go."
Kelsey pulled her arm out of Jiminy's grip and glared at Iris angrily, "I'll won't leave, until THAT plant answers my question!"
"I'm just telling my flower friends the truth!" Iris answered simply, "You're ugly!"
"Oh dear," Jiminy covered his face, trying not to look at the confrontation. Kelsey's heart felt like somebody stabbed it thoroughly, being hurt from those words.
"Who do you think you're talking to?!" Kelsey cried angrily, "I was nice at first! What did I ever do to you?!"
"You're here! That's what you did!" Iris answered her. "You don't belong here!"
"SHUT UP!" Kelsey cried, as she felt tears threatening to fall from her eyes, "JUST SHUT UP!"
Jiminy was trying to leave the flower garden with Kelsey. "Kelsey, please calm down and let's go." Jiminy grabbed Kelsey's arms pulling her away.
Kelsey struggled against his grip, "I'll go, but let me do say something first."
Jiminy shook his head, "I don't think it's a good idea."
Kelsey let out a sigh and whispering, "Don't worry. I won't hit her." Kelsey pulled herself from Jiminy's grip and was facing Iris, "Just to give you a warning. If you keep up with the snooty attitude, you'll have another thing coming. It's called KARMA! If you be mean and rude to somebody, something bad will happen to you VERY SOON!" Iris was staring down at her but didn't say a word. Kelsey continued, "Take it as a tip and learn from it! GOOD DAY!"
Iris was looking at Kelsey with a straight face, not saying a word. Kelsey thought that Iris was thinking about her words. Suddenly, Kelsey felt cold water on her. Water poured on Kelsey and Jiminy, who were now soaked from head to toe. All the flowers were laughing at them.
Kelsey stared at the flowers in shock, "Oh, you think that was funny? Wait till you see me NEXT TIME!"
"Okay!" Jiminy pulled Kelsey away from the flowers, "Let's go!"
"Mark my words!" Kelsey cried to the flowers, "KARMA! Do you hear me?! KARMA! Karma will come to you! YOU'LL SEE!"
Jiminy carried Kelsey to a safe distance away from the flowers.
"Let go!" Kelsey ordered.
"Not until you calm yourself!"
Kelsey let out a sigh, "Fine. I'm calm. I'm calm."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
Jiminy released Kelsey, who was now screaming angrily, "What is their problem?! What did I do to them?!"
"Nothing, Kelsey," Jiminy answered, "They shouldn't be rude to you."
"I hope somebody pluck them and burn them to the ground," Kelsey mumbled.
"Kelsey!" Jiminy cried in shock, "What a horrible thing to say!"
"What?! I mean it!"
"But you shouldn't stooped to their-"
"Hey! Look at that!" Kelsey said pointing at the sky.
Jiminy looked at the sky not sure what he's supposed to see, "Look at where?"
"There! Don't you see it?!" They looked up the sky and saw colored smoke forming letters that were vowels: A-E-I-O-U.
"What is that?" Jiminy asked.
"I know who's making them! He can help me get my size back!" Kelsey grabbed Jiminy and followed their way towards the smoke, "Come on!"
~MDA~
Kelsey and Jiminy were after the colored smoke, until they started hearing faint singing. They knew they were getting closer. Kelsey and saw a blue caterpillar smoking and singing.
"Well, would you look at that?" Jiminy whispered. "I've never seen a smoking caterpillar before."
"Come on," Kelsey whispered, "He's the only one, who can help me get my size back." Kelsey and Jiminy walked closer to the caterpillar.
The caterpillar was singing the vowels while blowing letters with smoke
"A-E-I-O-U
A-E-I-O-U
A-E-I-O-U..."
Kelsey and Jiminy stepped on a smaller mushroom and put their elbows on the bigger mushroom, where the caterpillar was sitting at.
"Oh...
U-E-I-O-A
U-E-I-A
A-E-I-O-U..."
The caterpillar stopped singing and continued smoking. Until he noticed he have visitors. He glared at Kelsey and Jiminy curiously, "Who are you?" He asked as he blew the letter smoke: O, R, and U at them.
"Absalom?" Kelsey didn't know if the caterpillar name was either Absalom or just Mr. Caterpillar. She watched Disney's different versions of the story: the original, 1951 animated film and the Tim Burton live-action film.
"You're not Absalom. I'm Absalom. The question is..." Absalom puffed his hookah and blew a smoke ring at Kelsey's face, "Who are you?"
Kelsey was gagging and coughing the smoke before she managed to speak again," K-Kelsey."
"Explain yourself," Absalom ordered.
Jiminy raised his eye confused about what Absalom meant, "Beg your pardon?"
Absalom faced at Jiminy, "You? Who are you?" He blew the letters: u, o, r, and u again. Kelsey ducked down and covering her face to keep smoke away from her lungs. Jiminy didn't so he was suffering the colored smoke. He was now fanning the colored smoke away before he started speaking again, "C-Cricket's the name... J-Jiminy Cricket."
"The king's loyal advisor?"
Jiminy nodded, "Yes sir."
"Hmm... Ex-acked-ed-ly what brings you here?"
"Well, exacta-exacted-" Kelsey was stammering the word 'exactly' because of the way Absalom said it. She let out a sigh and continued, "Here's the thing, we're here because-"
"Recite," Absalom ordered.
Kelsey glared at him in confusion, "What?"
"Did you not hear me? I said 'Recite'."
"Recite to what?" Jiminy asked.
Kelsey finally realized what Absalom meant, "Oh-oh! I know what you meant... I just don't remember the whole thing... Umm... How does the little crocodile improve his shining tail... and... and... something to do with Nile and-"
"Stop!" Absalom ordered Kelsey. "That was not spoken correct-tic-ally. It goes: How.." He stopped when he realized that no smoke was coming out of his mouth. He looked at his hookah and saw that his hands were holding the tube. Absalom patted his hands away from the tube. Kelsey and Jiminy were trying to hold back the laughter. Absalom looked at them sternly before he continued, "How doth the little crocodile improve his shining tail." Absalom was smoking out a pink crocodile. Then, it dissolved back to smoke. "And pour the waters of the Nile, on every golden scale. How cheer... how cheer..." Absalom stopped when he felt his bottom half falling out of the leaf. He pulled himself back up in frustration. "Ahem!" Kelsey and Jiminy were holding back the laughter when they saw Absalom glared at them coldly. He continued, "How cheerfully he seems to grin," He smoked out a yellow crocodile's mouth, "how neatly spreads his claws." He also smoked out a blue claw and three different colored fishes. "And welcomes little fishes in, with gently smiling jaws." Once the fishes reached to the crocodile's mouth, it closed and dissolved into smoke.
"I've never head anything like that before," Jiminy said.
"I know," Absalom agreed, "I have improved it." He blew out a pink and green smoke ring at their faces. Luckily, they ducked avoiding the smoke again.
"I heard of it," Kelsey said, "I watched this scene dozen of times."
Absalom glared at her in confusion, "You? Explain yourself."
"How?" Kelsey asked, "I already told you my name!"
"I said..." Absalom huffed. "Explain yourself!" He blew a dozen smoke rings at them. Kelsey and Jiminy were coughing and gagging through the colored smoke.
Kelsey fanned the smoke away and faced Absalom angrily, "What are you trying to do? Kill us with your smoke?"
Absalom shook his head, "No. I want answers from you. Ex-acked-ed-ly what brings you here?"
"Well, sir," Jiminy coughed out a pink smoke ring, "My friend here wanted to grow larger."
"Why?" Absalom blew out a pink question mark.
"Well," Kelsey began, "three inches isn't a normal height-"
"I AM EX-ACKED-ED-LY THREE INCHES HIGH!" Absalom cried angrily as his skin turned bright red, "AND IT'S A VERY GOOD HEIGHT INDEED!" The caterpillar went back to smoking his hookah and blew out grey smoke. It was spiraling around Absalom covering his whole body.
"Absalom, please!" Jiminy tried to calm Absalom down, "Kelsey didn't mean to offend you! Did you Kelsey?"
"Of course not!" Kelsey agreed, "I didn't mean your height! I meant mine! I'm not used to it! And there's no need to SHOUT!" The smoke disappeared and Absalom disappeared. All was left from was his skin, golden shoes, and hands. Kelsey and Jiminy looked at it in horror.
Jiminy faced Kelsey nervously, "What did you do?"
Kelsey looked at Jiminy in shock, "Me?! I didn't do anything! He shouted! He made the smoke! It's not my fault!"
"But he's dead! Dead I tell you!" Jiminy began crying on the mushroom. Kelsey secretly took a piece of mushroom and put it in her pocket.
"By the way, I have few more helpful hints!" a voice cried. Kelsey and Jiminy looked up saw that Absalom wasn't dead but transformed. He turned himself into a blue butterfly skipping the cocoon stage. "One side will make you grow taller!"
"One side of what?" Jiminy asked.
"And the other side will make you grow shorter!"
"The other side of what?"
Absalom flew towards Jiminy's face turning bright red. "THE MUSHROOM OF COURSE!" Absalom screamed, and he flew away.
Jiminy stared ahead in shock, "Well... that was rude."
Kelsey got out the piece of mushroom from her pocket and looked at it, "At least he was nice enough to give us a mushroom."
"But he didn't have to yell at us!"
Kelsey sighed, "I know." She licked the mushroom instead of eating it. She knew what would happen if she ate it. Kelsey grew back to normal size and let out a happy sigh, "I'm so glad that my size is back. I can't wait to find my sister and leave this place." Kelsey picked up Jiminy and placed him on her shoulder.
"Disneyworld?" Jiminy assumed.
Kelsey shook her head, "No, Wonderland. I never realize this place gives you low self-esteem." She looked at the mushroom, she's holding, "Hm..." Kelsey put them inside her pocket, "I better save these."
"Why?" Jiminy asked.
"You said that we'll meet some villains along the way, right?"
Jiminy nodded in agreement, "Yes."
"So in case we do, I'll just eat the mushroom, grow big, and then squash them."
Jiminy gasped, "Kelsey, that's murder!"
"No, it's not! It's self-defense!"
Jiminy face palmed, "Alright, where do we go next?"
"Um..." Kelsey paused to think, "You know something?"
"What?" Jiminy asked curiously.
"We went through Mr. Rabbit's house, the flowers, and the caterpillar. All this time, we've never seen Alice or Kailey."
"What's your point?"
"My point is that I'm starting to think that they never were there. In the movie, Alice went through the same thing I've been through. If they've went to those places, then White Rabbit's house would already been destroyed, and Absalom would already been a butterfly by the time we showed up."
"So... Are you saying that Kailey is meddling the story?!"
Kelsey closed her eyes and nodded, "I'm afraid so."
"Well, we got to find her before she causes enough damage. If she changes the story, then she might changed the fate of Disney!"
"And that's a bad thing?"
"YES!" Jiminy climbed up on her hand all the way to her shoulder, "We better find her now!"
"Couldn't agree with you more," Kelsey said as she began walking down to the path of Wonderland.
~MDA~
Kelsey and Jiminy followed the path in the woods. Signs and paths were everywhere in random directions. Kelsey read most of the signs saying: Left, Right, This Way, That Way, Go Back before it's too late. "Great," Kelsey sighed, "Now where do we go?"
Then, she heard strange, faint laughter that was giving her the creeps.
"Uh… Jiminy," Kelsey said nervously, "Did you hear that?"
"What are you talking about, Kelsey?" Jiminy asked. "Hear what?"
Kelsey looked at Jiminy in confusion, "Did you hear that laugh?"
Jiminy shook his head, "No. What laugh?"
They heard more laughter echoed through the trees. "That laugh!" Kelsey cried anxiously.
"A Twas brilling and the slithy toves did the grye and grimble in the wabe..." A voice sang while Kelsey and Jiminy saw colored spotlights through the forest. "All the mimsy were the borogroves, and the momraths outgrabe..."
"What is that?!" Jiminy asked Kelsey nervously.
Instead of panicking, Kelsey smiled, because she knew who was singing that song. "Alright," She said to herself while looking around the tress, "Where could he be?"
"What?" Jiminy asked in confusion, "What are you talking about, Kelsey?"
"Lose something?" a mysterious voice asked Kelsey.
"HOLY CRAP!" Kelsey gasped and faced the voice where it was coming from. She saw a huge smile appeared in the dark. Kelsey knew all too well who that smile belonged to. "Um..." Kelsey smiled at the mysterious figure, "You could say that..."
"Oh really?" the figured asked.
"Um... beg your pardon, but who are you?" Jiminy asked.
"Oh, one moment please..." The figure's yellow eyes appeared still keeping that smile on his face. "Second chorus..." The figured revealed himself to be a cat with purple and pink stripes. 'Twas brilllig and the slithy toves, did gyre and gimble in the wabe..."
Kelsey smiled and pointed at him accusingly, "I knew it. You're the Cheshire Cat!" The Cheshire Cat was Kelsey's favorite character from the Alice in Wonderland movie. She always liked the cunning smile and his voice, that belonged to Sterling Holloway.
"That is correct, my dear," The Cheshire Cat said as he began disappearing and singing, "All mimsy were the borogoves..."
"Wait!" Jiminy cried, "Don't go please!"
The Cheshire Cat peered through this tail, "There you are. Third chorus-"
"No! No! No!" Kelsey said while shaking her head, "No thank you, but can you help us?"
"Well... It depends. What can I do for you, Miss Kelsey?"
"Well, you see..." Kelsey glared at him in suspicious, "Wait a minute! How did you know my name?"
Cheshire Cat chuckled, "Let's just say that I hear things and see things."
"So you're clearly the eyes and ears of the place, right?" Kelsey asked giving a small smile to Cheshire Cat.
"You could say that..." Cheshire Cat chuckled and disappeared.
"Wait! I need to ask you something!" Kelsey cried desperately.
Jiminy tapped Kelsey with his umbrella for her attention. "Kelsey, look," he ordered while pointing his umbrella at the ground. Kelsey and Jiminy looked down and saw paw prints appeared on the ground.
The Cheshire Cat wasn't really gone. He was walking around them still invisible and muttering the song. "Ah-hmm... and the momeraths outgrabe..." Then, he reappeared back on the same tree. "Oh, by the way... if you'd really like to know... he went that way," he said pointing left.
Kelsey raised a brow in confusion, "Who did?"
"The White Rabbit," The Cheshire Cat said simply.
"The White Rabbit?" Kelsey shook her head, "Oh! No. No. We're not looking for him."
"No?"
"No."
"You're not looking for the White Rabbit like the other girls were doing?"
"No, I'm looking for- whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Back up! Girls? Did you say 'girls'?"
"What girls?" The Cheshire Cat asked.
"The ones who are looking for the White Rabbit!"
"What rabbit?"
"But you said that there are girls looking for a white rabbit!" Jiminy cried, "What girls?!"
The Cheshire Cat took his head off and stood on it, "Can you stand on your head?"
Kelsey groaned in frustration. "Look! Do you where they are?! I know you know!" Kelsey now didn't care if she lost her temper, because the cat was obviously testing her patience.
"Well, Kelsey..." The Cheshire Cat lifted his head up and put it back on his body. "If I'm looking for a little girl, I'd ask the Mad Hatter," he said pointing right.
"The Mad Hatter?" Jiminy asked nervously. He looked over and saw a sign that said: Mad Hatter.
"Or! There's a March Hare in that direction," the Cheshire Cat pointed left.
"Really?" Jiminy asked, "Well, we better visit him-"
"Of course..." the Cheshire Cat added, "He's mad too."
Jiminy glared at Kelsey, "Tell me, Kelsey. Is he serious?"
"Did you forget where we're at, Jiminy?" Kelsey said, "We're in Wonderland: home of the mad and insane."
The Cheshire Cat started laughing merrily, "That's right, Kelsey! HA! HA! We're all mad here!" He sighed happily, "You may have noticed... that I'm not all there myself." His body began disappearing while laughing. "... and the momeraths outgrabe..." The Cheshire Cat faded into the darkness.
Jiminy stood on Kelsey's shoulder feeling crept out by the Cheshire Cat.
However, Kelsey shrugged didn't feel afraid, "Well, we're off to see the Mad Hatter."
"W-wait! Kelsey!" Jiminy cried anxiously.
Kelsey stopped and faced Jiminy in concern, "What is it, Jiminy?"
"A-are you sure we can trust the cat? Something tells me, he's up to no good!"
"What choice do we have? I'm going to find Kailey! If the cat says they're at Mad Hatter's place, then I believe him. Besides he's very helpful, why would he lie?"
"O-okay. But please don't upset the mad people!"
"Upset them? Don't worry, I watched the movie. They're nuts but nice. Now let's go find Kailey," Kelsey said as she began walking down another Wonderland path.
