A/N: A short follow-up to the 2012 animated movie "Ernest & Celestine".

Ernest and Celestine's Big Adventure for Small Things

"Ernest, we have to do it."

"Why, Celestine?"

It was a good question. After some adventures that have been recounted elsewhere, Celestine the mouse had left her home under the city and met a country bear by the name of Ernest while he was visiting the bear city in an attempt to feed himself. Ostracized for becoming friends across species ("It simply isn't natural!"), the two were now living in Ernest's house in the country as a family. Things were very calm and peaceful, with nary a problem as long as you didn't count the hole in the roof.

"It's only right. My people need their front teeth to live - our whole world would fall apart if we didn't have them and when they wear out they just have to be replaced. That's why they wanted me to be a dentist and not an artist."

"But they ran you out of the sewers. And me out of town."

Celestine put her hands on her hips. "That was before we saved the judges from the fire. We could go back anytime we wanted. It's the same way in the city; they may think it a little strange for us to be friends, but they said we're free and maybe mice and bears aren't so scary after all. Besides, I don't want to live there; I just want to help them."

"But what can you do? We probably shouldn't take things anymore." Ernest was so hungry after waking up from a long sleep that he had broken into the "King of Sugar" candy store basement and eaten much of Georges' supply - particularly the marshmallows. Ernest loved marshmallows. Meanwhile, Celestine tried to impress the Head Dentist by having Ernest help her steal replacement teeth from the shop across the street, owned by the candy king's wife Lucienne. It had caused a huge outcry from within and below the city as the police forces of both cast a dragnet over the area until they were found.

"No, you're right. But I read a book once that said that sharks have lots of teeth; we could get some from them that they don't need anymore. That way, we don't have to steal and we get to help. Just like you helped Georges find honey for his store." Ernest, in an act of contrition, had gathered some wild honey and taken it to the candy store to make up for the trouble he had caused.

"Where do we find sharks? Do they live in trees or maybe in caves?"

"No, silly! They live in the ocean. Here, let me show you..." Celestine said as she ran to get her art supplies. Biting her lip, she concentrated and filled half her page up by drawing water, then added some fish in it. She put big teeth on the fish and showed it to Ernest.

"Is that what they look like?"

"Pretty much, I think. I've never seen one but they must have big teeth."

"I bet they get hungry."

"Maybe. But they have lots of teeth. Let's go see; maybe Georges will let you use his van if you bring back something special for his shop."

So Ernest and Celestine went to the city, and Georges agreed to let them use the van. The two drove and drove toward the west.

"How do you know the ocean is this way?" Ernest asked.

"The ocean is so big that if you go any direction far enough you'll find it; I just like the colors of the sky in this direction." The two drove for a long time, until they came to a forest that was different than any they had seen before. The bark on the trees was red and the leaves were near the top, but they were so tall you couldn't see the top if you stood underneath. In fact, Celestine thought, it almost looked like the trees were slowly bending over her to grab her as she let her imagination run wild. Truthfully, the idea scared her a little.

"I like these trees," Ernest said. "They're so big I can hug them and my arms won't go around. They make me feel small."

"I feel like that all the time. Being small isn't bad." Celestine drew the trees in her book; they were huge on the bottom and receded into the sky until you couldn't see them; since Ernest liked them, they weren't so scary now.

"I wonder if there's a beehive up there?" Ernest asked. He extended his bear claws and began to climb the tree, slipping a little as he moved up...and up...and up. Ten feet. Twenty feet. Fifty feet in the air before he got to the lowest branch.

"Ernest!" Celestine called. "Come down!"

Resting on the branch, Ernest looked down and got dizzy for a moment. He closed his eyes and tried to forget about everything except keeping his balance, then opened them again before yelling down "I'm going up one more branch - I think I see something there." Facing upward again, he adjusted his feet and began climbing.

Celestine could barely see him by the time he got to the second branch; it was much too far away to call to her friend, and she watched while he carefully moved around the side of the branch, now at least eighty feet in the air.

Ernest had no idea how high he was - he was only concentrating on his hold of the tree and what was on the branch. It was shaped a little funny for a beehive, but he inched closer and further out. It wasn't made out of mud - it was made out of sticks. Ernest peeked over the edge when he got close enough and saw two eggs inside.

Normally, Ernest liked eggs but found them too small to make a very good meal. But these eggs were the largest he had ever seen; two of them would make a great breakfast. He started drooling at the thought and slowly brought his hand around to try and reach them. He froze when he heard flapping noises and then the largest bird he had ever seen landed on the other side of the nest and angrily looked at him.

Ernest smiled and said "I was just going to...ah...take a picture. Forgot my camera, heh heh." The bird opened it's large, sharp beak and screamed. The bear, startled, lost his grip on the branch and swung over the side, dangling upside down. Feeling his grip loosening, he tried to swing back over to the trunk under the branch; on the last try his feet came away from the branch and he grabbed the tree backwards. Without the grip of his claws, the best he could do was slide down the trunk, spraying bark, until he crashed onto the top of the lowest branch. He spun around and slid down the last portion of the trunk upside down until he landed in a heap at the base, just after Celestine was able to jump out of the way.

"Ernest, did you find any honey?"

"Nope."

"Then why were you in a hurry getting down?"

Ernest picked himself up and pulled a few bark slinters out of his stomach, going "OOOoo" with each extraction. "Because we got to get to the ocean, Celestine. I don't have all day to climb a silly tree." He trudged back towards the van. "Come on, let's get moving. Ouch!" he said, as he pulled a splinter out of his bottom after sitting down.

They continued driving, until Ernest stopped the van. "What's the matter?" Celestine asked.

He stuck his head out of the window and sniffed. "The air smells different." He got out of the van and sniffed some more. "Definitely different."

"What does it smell like?"

Ernest thought. It reminded him of something...a little bit like...like...

"Fish!" he announced. "I smell fish!"

"Hurray, the ocean must be nearby. Let's go!" Celestine started bouncing up and down in the seat in excitement; Ernest licked his lips and got back behind the wheel.

They drove on, until they came over the top of a little hill and there, spread out across the whole horizon, was the ocean. More water than either had ever dreamed could be in one place, from this distance they could see waves lined up along the beach - as they stared, the lines slowly moved and washed up on the shore. The water stretched away from them until it met the sky, where the two blended together in a mixture of water and air in the distant clouds. With a whoop, they drove down the low hills; as they got closer, the ocean seemed to get bigger until at last the road ended at the sand of the shoreline. With a stunned reverence, they got out of the van and stood hand in hand on the beach, watching the small waves coming in, washing ashore in a line of water and foam before retreating to the ocean again.

"Wow, and I thought those trees looked big..." Ernest said before trailing off in awe.

"It's the biggest thing in the whole world," Celestine whispered, as though it were a secret. Lost in the immensity of it all, they stood and watched as smaller details slowly came to their attention. The ocean wasn't perfectly smooth - there were swells off the shore, and some sort of rock that surfaced and went under as the water level varied. Much, much further out, a ship of some sort was sailing past very slowly. A few birds skimmed the surface of the water as they flew along before winging to another part of the shore.

The beach wasn't perfectly smooth, either - there were things that were washed up on the sand. Celestine scurried to look at some of the nearest objects and picked up a stick to poke at them. There were more little bits of wood, some seaweed, an empty floating bottle and a half-eaten fish. Ernest joined her, and picked up the fish after seeing it. He sniffed it and was about to toss it into his mouth when Celestine stopped him.

"Ernest! Look at the fish."

"Somebody didn't finish their dinner."

"No, look at where it was bitten - there's a tooth there!" Ernest looked at what he was about to eat and saw the tooth. He took the tip of one of his claws and wiggled the tooth until it fell out; Celestine caught it before it his the ground. She polished it on her skirt and held it up for her friend to see. "We need to get more of these!"

"Can I eat the fish now?"

"We have to search it for any more teeth."

"But I'm HUNGRY."

"Then get something to eat!" a voice called from behind them. Both turned as saw a small stand set up against the low cliff they had walked past; in their awe of the ocean they had missed seeing it. Behind the counter was a a creature with a lot of arms. A hand-lettered sign below the counter said "Ed's Seafood". Ernest and Celestine stared at the creature as it wiped the counter, folded a towel, waved them over, and straightened a pile of menus at the same time. "What's the matter, ain't never seen an octopus before?"

"An octopus? Where?" Ernest asked, looking around behind him.

The creature smacked its face in disbelief. "I am. Ed's the name, and hungry folk are my game. Whatcha hungry for?"

Ernest ran up to the counter. "Do you have any marshmallows?"

"No."

"Oh, okay. Honey?"

"No."

"Cheese?" Celestine asked, joining them.

"Ah...no."

"Berries?"

"No."

"Bread? Fish?"

"No. Fish? Are you kidding me?"

"What do ya have, then?" the bear asked, growing impatient as his stomach growled.

"Can't ya read the sign? It's seafood. Food you find in the sea. What do you think fish eat?" Ernest and Celestine looked at each other. They didn't know any fish. They simply shrugged in response.

"You aren't from around here are you...okay, let me give you a sample." He reached below the counter with a couple of his arms and drew out two paper plates. With a pair of tongs, he plopped some green stuff on the plates. "Specialty of the house - Sea Sir Salad."

Celeste nibbled on her seaweed, while Ernest sniffed it and then folded the plate in half and ate the whole thing. "Tacos...I've heard of these..." he said, chewing. "I always thought they had meat in them - maybe if you put some fish in it..."

"Would you stop with the fish jokes? Some of my best customers are fish! I've got seaweed, I've got sponges, I've got algae, I've got sea cucumbers, I've got anena...ananem...just a moment, I'll get it...anemones, and more salt than you can shake a stick at. BUT NO FISH."

"What about sharks?" Celeste asked.

"No sharks, either. Bruce would never forgive me."

"Who's Bruce?"

"One of my best customers. He's a vegetarian shark - he swears never to eat meat."

"Does he have lots of teeth?"

"Does he? He's got a mouth full of 'em. Mind you, that's the best place to have 'em" Ed said, giving a tentacle up.

"Can we meet him?"

"Sure. You see where that big rock comes out to the water? He'll be hanging out over there for a few hours like he does every day."

"Hurry Ernest, I want to talk to him. Maybe he can help us." The bear picked up Celestine and ambled over to the indicated area. They climbed over the rock to get close to the water, but when Ernest leaned over to get a better look at the water his friend slipped off his shoulder and fell into the water with a splash. She bobbed to the surface and began swimming to the side while Ernest moved frantically about, but she was quickly lifted out of the water on the snout of a great fish.

"Better watch it there, little one. I won't eat ya, but I can't say the same for the rest of my kind. The name's Bruce," he said as he brought her close to the rock where she could scramble up near Ernest. Bruce looked up at Celestine as she climbed onto Ernest, and then looked at Ernest in awe. "Sweet Neptune, you're the biggest thing I've see on land. I'm Bruce."

"Ernest. You're the biggest thing I've ever seen in the water."

"Glad to meet you two. How do you move around without the water holding you up? Mind you, I know a few sea lions that like to sun themselves but they can't move on land without flopping around. You move pretty fast."

"You should see him when he first gets up in the morning," Celestine said. "He moves really slow then, if you can wake him up that is."

"Sound sleeper - I like that. Rest does a body wonders, along with a good diet."

"You don't eat fish?" Ernest asked.

"Noooooooo," Bruce said, shaking his head. "Fish are friends - not food. You don't eat friends. Mind you, I knew this mako one time that was having a nightmare and...ahem...well, let's not go into that."

"Can I see your teeth?" Celestine asked.

"My teeth? Sure thing!" Bruce open his mouth and rows of teeth greeting the two. Dozens. Scores. Maybe even hundreds! Bruce closed his mouth. "They're our pride and joy. Even though I don't eat meat, I still need 'em."

"I know - I saw the seaweed stuck between them," Ernest remarked.

Bruce frowned and ducked below the water for a moment, then came up rinsing and spitting. "Sorry - I didn't floss after lunch today. Say, why are you looking so sad, Celestine?"

"I was hoping to get some shark teeth to take back home for my people. But you said you need them."

"Now don't worry yourself none, little one. Us sharks lose teeth all the time."

"We found one in a fish."

"It wasn't me!" Bruce said, waving a fin. "Had to be one of the other blokes out there. But see, we lose 'em and just grow 'em back. No worries."

"But I can go searching the bottom of the ocean for teeth," Celestine said.

"Searching the sea? Why would you do that? Just go ask Ed for some."

"Ed?" Ernest asked. "The seafood guy?"

"Exactly. Ask him for a couple - he'll help you out. Wait a minute..." Bruce said as he ducked under the water again. He came back up and announced "I gotta go - I forgot that I've got a meeting I have to attend with some mates. Nice talking to you two; good luck with Ed!" The shark disappeared under the water again and the two were left alone; with no great hope they slogged back to the seafood counter to talk to Ed.

"Teeth? Shark teeth? Why would you want those?" Ed asked.

"It's a long story. We need teeth back home. I thought you might have some," Celestine said glumly.

"I don't have some," Ed announced. "I've got...A LOT!" He reached down with a couple of legs and pulled up a big basket overflowing with loose shark teeth. "I find these all the time - in the food, in the sand, on the rocks...I pick 'em up because they hurt when you walk on them, and nobody wants to find them in their lunch. Take as many as you want - take the whole basket!"

Celestine looked at Ernest. "Am I dreaming?"

"I don't know about you, but if I was dreaming it would have food in it," Ernest answered.

...

Back at home, Ernest and Celestine sat at the table and looked at the wall. Hanging there was a certificate from the Head Dentist, proclaiming Celestine and Ernest the heroes of the town - it was even co-signed by the Mayor himself! Ernest had put it in an old frame he found, and not only did it look good but it covered up a small hole in the wall too.

"See Ernest? Now the town REALLY likes you. You've given a good name to bears."

"That's nice. And Georges is happy too; that big piece of driftwood looks just like a lollipop. I almost took a bit out of it after he painted it."

"It makes a nice decoration in his window. But I'm worried."

"Why?"

"That was a lot of fun; I don't know if we'll have that much fun ever again."

"Celestine, of course we will! I told you before that there would a lot more stories."

"Do you really think so?"

Ernest held his paw over his chest. "Bear's Honor. But I think before we have another one, you have to make a book about the one we just had."

Celestine got a little smile on her face. "Okay. But what will it be about?"

"How about something like this: You can draw pictures that tell how we went on our trip and found the big trees and then the even bigger ocean and then..."

"Wait...wait...let me get my things," she said as she scurried around getting her art supplies. She sat down and pondered. "But what do we call it?"

"How about - Ernest and Celestine Go Out and Search for Little Things and Find Big Things Too - how does that sound? We were looking for small teeth and we found some of the biggest things we had ever seen."

"Too long; How about 'Ernest and Celestine's Big Adventure for Small Things'? That's shorter."

"I was just trying to help with a suggestion. It's your story; you can call it whatever you want."

And so she did.

Fin

A/N: A cute little animated movie of a mouse and bear that become friends, the animation style of film was done in soft pastel/watercolor hues and had a kind, child-like tone. Originally in French, the English dub is pretty good - and I love the song Ernest sings trying to get money for food near the beginning of the film.

Coastal redwoods are big. REALLY big.