As the trio began to make their way to Mrs. Brisby's place, they ended up in a deep forest. "This is beyond freaky..." Maika muttered about the atmosphere. "I'm not sure if I like it here." "Just follow me." Mrs. Brisby replied, leading them into a hollow log. But as they were making their way through the hollow log...they soon heard some grunting and struggling. "You okay, Maika?" Ema asked. "I know it's a long way, but we gotta keep up." "That wasn't me." Maika replied. They looked on the way out before finding a crow that was struggling and seemed to be tied with some red string. "Why is that crow tied with some red string?" Maika asked. "I don't know, but he looks like he could use a-Um... Paw." Ema suggested. Mrs. Brisby brought them out one hole in the log and came to see the stringy mess as the crow was trapped. "Is everything all right here?" she smiled patiently to the trapped bird. "What the-?!" The crow yelped before seeing the mice. "Oh! Lady, don't sneak up on me like that!" "Do you need some help?" Maika asked. "Oh, uh, it's okay, heh, I'm just working out." The crow smiled sheepishly. "Right... I forgot about the old 'Tangled-Up Mess' warm-up." Maika smirked. "Er, yeah, I guess that's enough exercise for one day," The crow said sheepishly before pulling himself up to the top of the log and sat down. "Besides, I'm really after this terrific string! I'm working on a love nest for two. You know what I mean?" "Ohh, you're looking for a girl." Ema smiled. "Well, not really, I mean... I haven't found Miss Right yet, but when I do, the whole world will hear us singing..." The crow sighed before he soon began to sing, but he leaned back too far which made him lose his balance and fall off of the log. "Oh! Mr. Crow!" Ema cried out. The crow came back out the water, dripping wet as he had landed with a splash. "Excuse me, pardon me." "Well, you keep making all that noise and Dragon will hear you," Mrs. Brisby warned the crow. "If he hasn't already." "Let's hope he hasn't heard him." Ema said as she bit down on one of parts of the string. "Wouldn't you sing too? I mean, if you felt... If you felt the call of the wild, but-" The crow chuckled sheepishly. "I would-" Mrs. Brisby said before lowering her voice as she helped Ema. "I would not, if I knew there was a cat nearby." "But... But SHE'S out there... Somewhere," The crow replied. "And when I find her I'll feel it, way down in my wishbone! I-What cat?" he then asked. "Dragon!" Mrs. Brisby replied. "He belongs to Farmer Fitzgibbons. Look towards the house. See if you can see him."
The crow spread his wings and flew up while the girls and Mrs. Brisby, holding onto the strings entangling the crow, were pulled along after him. Mrs. Brisby swung at the end of the string down at the bottom of the branch. "Come back down here!" Mo told the crow, pulling on the strings with Mrs. Brisby. "He'll see you for sure up there!" "Hey, there's a cat out there!" The crow noticed. "Can he see you?" Maika asked him. "No," The crow replied before pausing. "Yes!" "Stand perfectly still." Mrs. Brisby warned. "Everything's fine," The crow said at first. "He's headed right for us." "Don't panic!" Maika said. "Fast or slow?" "Medium. Make that fast. Very f-" The crow replied before panicking as he tried to flap away, but was getting more and more tangled with the string. "I have to go now! Excuse me, I really-!" "Would you stop?" Maika asked the crow. Mrs. Brisby and Ema were caught up in the flailing string, and ended up swinging upside down by one foot. Finally, the crow pulled with all his might. "Break!" Mrs. Brisby jumped up and bit through the cord he was straining against, and he went flying backward, nearly falling over the edge of the log again, then pulled himself up. "Are you alright, dear?" she asked Ema. "Yes, ma'am, I think so." Mo replied. "Oh, my goodness." The crow said. "Shh!" Maika told him as she felt a little nervous. The crow screamed and tried to take off again, but was pulled up short by the string. He fell back down and ended up swinging in front of the entrance to the log, barely missing a rabbit that ran out of the opening. "It's a rabbit!" Maika said in relief. The crow laughed a bit as he realized he was worried over nothing. "Well of all the silly nincompoops!" Mrs. Brisby laughed to the crow. "You got yourself all worked up over a rabbit!" Then she bit through the string, holding up the male crow which made him fall to the bottom of the log. "You should've seen yourself!" The crow soon laughed. "Will you keep quiet?" Mrs. Brisby then asked warily. "You were scared stiff!" The crow continued to laugh. "A rabbit! I knew it all along!" "Oh, sure you did." Maika smirked.
Unseen by everyone, a certain cat was creeping up to the log. "Will you hush up?" Mrs. Brisby warned the crow. "Admit it!" The crow teased the mice. "You were scared!" "Oh, fiddlesticks. Hold still." Mrs. Brisby told him. "If I had actually been near a cat, I'd be sneezing my brains out." The crow replied. "See, I'm allergic to ca-... I'm allergic to caaaaa-... I'm allergic to-" He breathed, unable to finish before he suddenly sneezed on someone's face. "ACHOO! Excuse me, pardon me." "Uh-oh..." Maika and Ema gulped. The cat was shown and roared at them like an actual dragon would from his namesake. The crow panicked and tried to take off, but was brought up short for the string. "Careful, girls!" Mrs. Brisby gasped to the two girls. Maika bit down on the string to free the crow so he wouldn't get caught and possibly eaten by Dragon. "I never thought I'd need to be afraid of a cat." Ema said nervously. The crow flew off and the girls ran to Mrs. Brisby as she grabbed the medicine. Dragon charged towards them, but they ducked under him as he pounced, smashing against the dead branches. But then Mrs. Brisby tripped on the string, causing her to drop the medicine into the water. Dragon pounced and the trio jumped into the water and tried to escape. The crow used his claws to pull on Dragon's tail. The girls and Mrs. Brisby used this opportunity to climb up a tree with Dragon still in pursuit. They eventually stopped running when they got to a branch. Below them was a waterfall. Dragon hissed as he got closer and closer to them, though the branch began to creak a bit from the cat's weight. "Uh-oh..." Mrs. Brisby frowned. Dragon crept closer and closer, about to swat at the trio with his paw, though the branch snapped. Then the trio jumped out of the way in time as Dragon began to fall with the branch to go down the waterfall. The water was not deep, but Dragon hit the bottom hard, and decided he had enough and went back home, leaving them to live another day.
The girls and Mrs. Brisby ended up going up a waterwheel which took them to a mill. They gasped for breath once they got out of the water. "That was too close." said Ema. "But we lost the medicine." Maika pointed out. "Wait, you mean this?" The crow as he showed the envelope that held Timmy's medicine. Mrs. Brisby gasped happily as she took the envelope with glee. "Nobody messes with ol' Jeremy, boy," The crow then said proudly. "Nobody!" "That's it! Timmy's medicine!" Mrs. Brisby beamed. "Oh, thank you! Thank you so much!" "Huh? It, I-what? It is? I mean, it is," The crow said bashfully before he remembered his manners. "Well, I saw it lying there, and I said, uh-My name is Jeremy." "I'm Mrs. Brisby. Thanks again!" Mrs. Brisby replied. "I have to go home now." "I'm Maika and this is Ema" Maika told Jeremy before leaving with Mrs. Brisby. "Oh, good to meet you all," Jeremy said to them as they all became friends. "Uh, where's home?" "In the garden patch by the stone." Mrs. Brisby replied. "Well, do you like me?" Jeremy soon asked. "Of course we like you! Bye now." Mrs. Brisby replied before tugging on a rope to be sure it was secure, then slid down it into an old lobster trap lying on the ground with the girls. "No! I mean... I mean, um... I mean, you don't think I'm clumsy or anything?" Jeremy asked before losing his balance and fell through the hole that the mice had just descended through into the trap, but then got tangled in the old netting. "Oh... Sorry. Excuse me, pardon me." "You're very nice." Ema told Jeremy. "Oh. Well, if you're going to feather a nest, you've got a lot to learn about how to treat a lady!" Mrs. Brisby advised the crow. "Right. When you're right, you're right. And you're right," Jeremy replied. "None of the girls I meet want to get serious!" "I doubt they'd survive." Maika muttered sarcastically. "Maybe it's my approach," Jeremy said before looking to Mrs. Brisby. "Say! You were a girl once! You could teach me how to... You know, how to-" "Behave yourself?" Mrs. Brisby guessed. "I'm not that bad! I just need a few pointers to polish my style." Jeremy replied before he struck a pose and fell flat on his face. Ema chuckled, unable to laugh to that, but not in a bullying way.
"Jeremy, we have to go." Maika said. "She's right," Mrs. Brisby added. "I have to go home." Jeremy followed Mrs. Brisby and the girls out of the mill, trying to shake a piece of netting off his foot. "Well, let me-Let me fly you home!" he suggested. "We can talk on the way!" "Oh, no thank you." Mrs. Brisby replied. "I'm afraid of heights." "Okay, then we'll walk." Jeremy suggested. "Bye, now," Mrs. Brisby said, crossing to the other side of the millpond, leaping nimbly on one lily pad to the girls. "Girls, stay close to me." Maika and Ema nodded as they followed her home since they had nowhere else to go. Jeremy began to follow after them. But the lily pads couldn't support his weight as easily, and he splashed across noisily. "I think I got real potential," he said. "I mean, girls go for the athletic type, don't they?" "Jeremy, you're stepping on my tail." Mrs. Brisby complained. "Oh! Oh, yeah! Excuse me, pardon me..." Jeremy said nervously. "Just be yourself." Ema said. "That might cost him a bit." Maika sighed as they began to follow Mrs. Brisby home. "Oh, I hope the children will be alright until I get back." Mrs. Brisby said. "How many children do you have?" Maika asked. "Let's see... Four," Mrs. Brisby replied. "Two sons and two daughters." "They must be wonderful." Ema smiled. "Oh, but they can be a pawful." Mrs. Brisby gave a small smile back. "Um, if you want, can Maika and I babysit?" Ema offered. "We're pretty good with kids." "Oh, that's alright, I already have someone for that." Mrs. Brisby replied. "Can't wait to meet him or her and your children." Maika said. Mrs. Brisby gave a small smile as she grew fond of the two girls as she led them to her home.
Maika and Ema took a shortcut to Mrs. Brisby's home. As they made their way inside, they heard some voices. "Maybe I should go look for Mom." A young male voice said. "I don't think so, Martin." A young female voice replied. "Those must be her children." Maika said. They came a bit closer and they saw three young mice together, two girls and a boy. "Brisby! Briiiiiisby!" Another voice yelled out. "Who's that then?" Ema wondered. "Maybe the babysitter?" Maika guessed. "Oh! Auntie Shrew!" The girl mouse gasped. "Oh, Auntie!" The other girl mouse added. "Oh, no..." The boy mouse muttered. "Brisby!" The voice continued to call out. "She'll wake up Timothy!" The first girl mouse yelped. "We better quiet down that shrew." Ema whispered to her friend. "Gladly." Maika said as she seemed annoyed with Auntie Shrew already. Then the young mice spotted the girls. "Trespassers!" Martin glared. "Wait! Hang on, kid, we know your mom!" Maika said. "A likely story!" Martin glared threateningly. "No, really!" Ema told him. "Uh-huh... How do we know to trust you?" Martin glared. "Kid, please! Uh.. You must be Martin, right?" Maika replied. "Um... We know that your brother Timmy's very sick." "Yeah, that's right." One of Martin's sisters replied. "And your mother is coming with medicine for him." Ema said. Martin glanced at them and backed off.
"Hello Martin" Ema smiled innocently. "Hello" Martin replied, gesturing to the other young mice. "These are my sisters: Teresa and Cynthia." "It's very nice to meet you, kids." Maika smiled. "Brisby!" Auntie Shrew's voice called out again. "She's not here!" Teresa called back. "Brisby!" Auntie Shrew's voice continued anyway. "Why is she always coming around here, poking her nose in where she's not wanted?" Martin complained. "Martin." Teresa scolded her brother quietly. "You must be the oldest..." Maika guessed based on Martin's behavior. "I'm man of the house." Martin replied sharply. Then he stormed out of the main room into the bedroom, and swiped the cloth partition aside angrily. If there had been a door, he would had slammed it. Auntie Shrew soon came at the top of the stairs, showing to be an actual adult female shrew. "Well, I see why they call her Auntie Shrew." Ema remarked to herself. Teresa met the adult female shrew and helped with her shawl. "Thank you child," Auntie Shrew said to Teresa, dumping her large shawl on Teresa, almost burying the young mouse as she stared to go down the stairs. "I must speak with your mother." Teresa shrugged, bundling up the shawl as best she could, and followed down the stairs after her. "Your Auntie is exhausted!" Auntie Shrew groaned to herself as she continued to call out for the widowed mouse as the girls followed after her. "Why me? That I alone should be responsible for the welfare of the entire field is monstrous! Brisby!" "I'm afraid she isn't here." Maika told her. "Mm-mm." Teresa added, shaking her head. "Auntie Shrew, Timmy's sick!" Cynthia spoke up, tugging on the shrew. "Cynthia dearest, don't pull me." Auntie Shrew replied before looking overwhelmed. "She's not here? She left you children alone then?" "I'm old enough." Martin huffed from the bedroom. "Rats in the field up to Heaven know what sort of mischief." Auntie Shrew muttered. "Cynthia dear, don't fidget! You're so like your mother!" "I ain't scared of nuthin!" Martin huffed.
"Ma'am, Timmy is sick." Maika told her. "So she went to Mr. Ages to get him some medicine." "To Ages? That old flim-flam!" Auntie Shrew huffed. "Whatever for? "Auntie Shrew, we just told you that Timmy's sick!" Cynthia replied. "Patience, my pet," Auntie Shrew told her before looking to Teresa. "Why to Ages?" "Timmy is sick! Are you deaf?!" Maika snapped. "Maika..." Ema sighed as that was a bit blunt and rude. "Timmy ill? How dreadful!" Auntie Shrew gasped. "I'm not afraid of the dark!" Martin glared, emerging from the bedroom as he swung a stick. "I'm not afraid of the farmer!" "Being brave doesn't mean you go looking for trouble." Ema said. "I'm not even scared of Dragon," Martin continued anyway. "I'm not even afraid of... Of... Of the Great Owl!" "Will you hush up?" Auntie Shrew scolded the young mouse. "Aw, you hush up!" Martin retorted. "Martin Brisby!" Ema gasped sharply like a mother. "Young mouse, you shouldn't talk that way to her." Maika told him. "You're not my mother!" Martin huffed. "Precocious monster!" Auntie Shrew told him. "Bossing bullfrog!" Martin retorted. "Spoiled brat!" "Loudmouth!" "Oh! Well! That will be quite enough, thank you!" Auntie Shrew snapped as she decided to leave. Then Teresa gave Auntie Shrew her scarf. Auntie Shrew headed for the exit, pausing halfway up the stairs. She didn't notice that her shawl has caught on a projection. "Cast not pearls before swine, I always say, and that includes impudent piglets! Good day!" she then said, heading up the stairs again, but was pulled up short and fell back down the stairs. Teresa and Cynthia couldn't help but laugh at what happened to their babysitter. "Oh! You impertinent little-" Auntie Shrew snapped at the young mice. "Here, let me help you up." Maika told her. Auntie Shrew looked to her and soon stood up with Della's help. "Are you okay, Ma'am?" Maika smiled sweetly. "Hmph... Hardly." Auntie Shrew grumbled.
"Martin!" Mrs. Brisby called out as she arrived home. "Auntie Shrew, what's going on?!" "Indeed!" Auntie Shrew huffed as she then pushed past Mrs. Brisby. "Mind telling her what's going on before storming out?" Maika asked Auntie Shrew. "Not for a king's ransom!" Auntie Shrew snapped about Martin's behavior. "I have just one thing to say: That child is a brat!" "Yes, I will speak to him." Mrs. Brisby replied. "I came here to inform you that the frost is off the ground and Moving Day is at hand," Auntie Shrew told the widowed mouse before she continued to storm off. "Prepare to move your very very odd family. Good day," Then she began to mutter to herself. "You never know what might be lurking about out here, what with rats..." "Well, children," Mrs. Brisby sighed to her little ones. "Now you've done it." "It was Martin." Teresa spoke up. "Auntie Shrew means well. She only wants to help." Mrs. Brisby continued, taking a kettle from over the fireplace, and filled a bowl with soup and poured the contents of the envelope into the bowl and moved into the bedroom. "Also, we have some guests who will be staying with us for a while: Maika and Ema. I want you to be nice to them, they're very sweet folks." Maika and Ema decided to try and help with Timmy's fever as they got a mouse-sized rag and soaked it into cold water. "Oh, thank you, dears." Mrs. Brisby said, appreciating the help. "This should help soothe the heat." Ema smiled softly. "Gosh, I'm sorry, Mom." Martin soon said as his mother was leading the way to Timmy's room. Timmy was shown to be in bed, looking quite sick and miserable. "Oh... Poor baby..." Ema cooed sadly for the young mouse. Mrs. Brisby began to spoon-feed the soup to Timmy as Ema gently and carefully placed the rag on the mouse boy's forehead. One-by-one, the other children gathered around the bed. When the soup was gone, Timmy yawned, falling asleep, and he looked very thin. "Is Timmy gonna die?" Cynthia asked. "No, he isn't." Ema told her. "He's just very sick, sweetheart." Mrs. Brisby added. "What's the matter with him, Mother?" Teresa asked. "Mr. Ages called it... Pneumonia." Mrs. Brisby said. "Pneumonia..." Teresa repeated in slight horror. "When will he get better?" Cynthia asked. "Soon... I hope." Mrs. Brisby said. "It's getting rather late." Maika said. "It is." Mrs. Brisby replied. "Off to bed with you now." she told her children. With that said, Teresa, Cynthia, and Martin went to bed. "I'll show you a guest room... It used to be Jonathan's private study, hopefully there's enough room for you two" Mrs. Brisby softly told the girls. "Oh, I'm sure there is plenty of room." Maika smiled. "Very well... Good night to you all." Mrs. Brisby gave a small smile back. "Good night, Mrs. Brisby." Maika and Ema replied with small smiles to her as they went to a new room. Then the girls soon fell asleep.