Ben's Big Adventure
AUTHOR'S NOTES: This is a story dedicated to my friend Dancing Mouse, who gave me the idea for this story. You see, not too long ago, she asked me if I could do a story with her character Ben in it. I couldn't say "no" to an offer like that! And so, this is what came out. Hope you enjoy the story, D.M.!
Ben is © by Dancing Mouse & is used with her permission. Constable McBrusque belongs to Universal Studios. Hiram & Olivia Flaversham belong to Disney. Floyd & Muriel belong to MGM.
The following characters are © by me:
Old Mouse Porter
Sophocles Braveheart & Platterson
Old Lester
Jack Daniels
Percy, Lars, & Phil ("The Terrible Three")
Adrienne Ratburn
Please ask me for my permission before using these characters. Thank you.
Hope you other guys enjoy the story, too!
Chapter 1: The Journey Begins
The spring of 1897 was a busy one, indeed. On every hansom-filled street & every corner, people alike were going about their lives, heedless of the world below their feet. Mouse London, however, was taking the day all in slowly, enjoying the fresh spring air & taking the time to chat during their work & play. Ben the mouse, however, had no one to talk to. Nor did she want to talk—she wasn't one for making conversation, plus she was attempting to concentrate on what fruits & vegetables she wanted to swipe from Old Mouse Porter's carts. But how could she decide? There were so many delicious treats, so many to choose from...besides, there was the nagging little voice in her head that told her what she was doing was wrong. Indeed, Ben knew it was wrong to pilfer from the carts, but she hadn't had a thing to eat all day, & her stomach was beginning to growl.
"Oh, to heck with it!" Ben finally sighed in exasperation. With that, she began to pluck produce from the cart. But no sooner had she put her snacks in her handbag, than a sharp Scottish voice called out: "What do ye think ye're doin'!" Ben gasped, as she saw a gruff-looking, red-haired mouse with glasses rush towards her with a broom as he snarled, "Get away from mah produce!" Immediately, Ben dropped the apple she was about to pack, then took to her heels & ran as fast as she could, as the angry costermonger ran after her, swinging his broom wildly.
"Ye won't get away with this, ye thievin' bilge rat!" Old Mouse Porter cried, anger blazing in his bespectacled eyes. Ben raced even faster upon hearing his words, then abruptly stopped, just in time to keep from falling onto the busy road & getting crushed by the massive wheels of the human's carriages. Ben looked around worriedly, praying that she would escape with her food—& more importantly, not get caught by Old Mouse Porter or the constables.
Suddenly, Ben gasped in delight, as she saw a hansom passing by. Now was her chance to escape! Ben took a minute to steady herself, then jumped onto the footrest of the cab, never looking back at the peddler who was shouting curses at her.
As soon as she thought she was a safe distance away, Ben jumped off the cab, then calmly strolled down the avenue, whistling innocently. Her heart, however, soon started pumping again, & she gasped as a gloved paw appeared in her face. Once she calmed down, Ben took a look at the mouse who had kept her from going any further. He was rather hefty, with auburn-red sideburns & a mousetache, a black nose, & a bucktooth. He was dressed in blue clothing, & he carried a nightstick in his other hand.
"Oh, hello, Constable McBrusque," Ben said with a nervous grin, trying not to panic. "What brings you here?"
"Ah've come ta stop ye...from goin' any further," the Scottish bobby replied. "The Yard is investigatin' a robbery at the London Mouseum a few steps away, & Ah don't want ye causin' trouble. I've known ye to do that."
"A robbery?" Ben questioned. "What happened?"
"Didn't ye hear, Ben?" McBrusque blurted, looking quite shocked. "It was all over the news this mornin'! There's seven very important items stolen from the Mouseum, & whoever did it has hidden them all throughout the city!"
"Aren't the police going to look for the missing things?" Ben asked.
Constable McBrusque shook his head sadly. "Afraid not, bonny lass," he lamented. "They've got too much on their paws, plus we wouldn't know where ta start lookin'!" With a heavy sigh, the bobby continued, "Ah suppose those items will remain lost forever, never to be seen by the eyes of mouse again."
Ben looked almost as sad as McBrusque for a short while, then suddenly, she smiled & snapped her fingers. "I've got an idea!" she said. "Why don't I find the missing treasures?"
Constable McBrusque stared in shock at Ben for a few seconds...then burst into hysterical laughter. "Young miss," the bobby said, wiping tears from his eyes & suppressing his giggles, "do ye realize what ye're sayin'? There's no way ye can retrieve all those things, much less by yerself! Even with all your experience & being around the town so many times, Ah don't think it'll help ye much!"
Ben glowered. "Laugh all you want, Constable McBrusque!" she shouted angrily, taking her handbag & storming off. "I'll show you! I'm going to look for those items & bring them back to the Mouseum! And you'll be sorry when they put my picture in the newspapers!" Ben was so wrapped up in her rage, she never heard McBrusque call out between laughs, "Best o' luck to ye, then!"
The morning sun was shining a bit brighter than it did when it first came up. Darkness was beginning to clear, allowing Ben to see a little better as she made her way through the dark alleys of the East End. As she walked around, Ben looked warily in every direction, for the East End was very dangerous; not only because there were many villains & merciless brutes, but also because there were lots of vicious alley cats in these kinds of places…vicious alley cats that would give their whiskers & tails to have mice like Ben for a mid-morning snack.
Cautiously, Ben tiptoed through the alley she now occupied, as she quietly made her way to a group of giant garbage cans. Ben scaled the silver walls of one of them like a mountainside, then crawled into the bin, coughing upon taking a whiff of the noxious odors inside.
"P.U.!" Ben gagged, holding her nose. "I hope I can find the first thing that was missing in just one try, 'cause I can't stand this awful smell!" Ben then proceeded to dig through the garbage, trying not to vomit. After a while of digging, Ben suddenly yelped & clutched her foot, hopping up & down on her other one with a grimace on her face. When the pain had finally subsided, Ben looked at what her foot had hit. A peach-colored piece of fabric was peeking out of the filth.
Muttering in curiosity, Ben scraped the dirt & grime away, & gasped in surprise as she saw the first item missing from the Mouseum. It was a fan with ornate Oriental designs on it. Being careful not to tear the fragile fan, Ben gingerly picked it up, swept the dirt off it, & placed it in her handbag. Then she took out a notepad, & looked at the things on the list:
Japanese fan
Statuette of Queen Mousetoria
Jade Elotana
Copy of the first written King James Bible
Chest of medieval toys
Ancient Bedouin tapestry
The Hope Diamond
Crossing off the fan, Ben put the notepad back in her bag, then scampered out of the trash can, & made her way over to the east bank of the Thames River. The statuette of Queen Mousetoria could be anywhere, & she felt the river was the best place to start looking. But suddenly, Ben's ears perked up to the sound of hungry meowing.
"Oh, no," the girl moaned in dismay, as she saw two cats coming towards her. One of them, a female like her, was gray-furred; she had a mop of red hair & wore a shirt with a picture of the American flag on it. The second cat, a boy, had striped greenish-gray fur with glasses perched upon his nose, & he looked as though he had gotten in a few scrapes of late.
"Well, well, well, Floyd," the girl cat said with a devilish smirk, "looks like we got ourselves a nice bit of breakfast!"
"Indeed, Muriel," Floyd replied, also smiling wickedly. "In fact, since you were the first to spot it, I'll let you have the first bite!"
Ben knew this was no time to stand & stare. Immediately, she took her bag & ran for the Thames River, with the cats following close behind. When she got to the east riverbank, she jumped onto a raft, grabbed a paddle, & swam as far down the river as she could, but not before blowing a raspberry at the two cats, who growled & headed back for the alley.
As she slowly paddled down the river, Ben smiled triumphantly, gazing at the fan inside her bag. If I found the fan in the first garbage can, then finding the Queen Mousetoria statuette should be a cinch!