Everyone ready to tell a good story? ;) :D

Peter: I love telling stories!

Mike: Is this gonna hurt?

Davy: Mike, it's just a story! I'm ready. :)

Micky: I love stories! :D ;)

Mike: (Nods at the toddler on his lap) Katie's ready. (She claps her hands and makes word-like noises) She's gonna say "Da" someday, I just know it. ;)

Peter: How about the twins? Are you ready for the story? :)

Little Mick: I like stories. :)

Shelly: Me too! Stories fun! :D

(We begin at the Pad. The twins, Katie, and Micky's sisters Gina, Debbie, and Coco sit on a blanket in the middle of the living room playing with toys while the Monkees, their significant others, and Mr. Bennett bustle around, painting walls and fixing plaster and molding. Emma and Valerie emerge with trays of lemonade and sandwiches and a bowl of Chex Mix for the group.)

Emma: Break time! :)

Micky: Food! :D ;)

Mr. Bennett: (Puts down his paintbrush and stretches) Sounds good to me. I'm so hungry, I could eat a whole fleet of elephants.

Mike: (Cleans up around where he, Davy, and Micky were working on the plaster around the back door) You'd have to fight Mick to get to them, Mr. B. ;)

Micky: Nahhh, I'd share...a little. ;)

Valerie: (As she sits on the couch) I could use some grub myself. :)

Emma: Everyone go wash their hands before they touch the food, though. You're all covered in plaster and paint. :p

Lauren: Yech! You're not kidding, Em! *turns her hands palms up and makes a face* :P

Mike: Eeeeemmmm....

(Katie makes a similar noise.)

Emma: You too, Mike. You look like someone dumped a bucket of paint on you. :p

Mike: (Glares at Davy and Micky) They did. :p

Micky: I didn't do it! :P ;)

Davy: You 'elped me!

Micky: He did it! *points at Davy*

Davy: Not alone!

Micky: It was all his idea. ;)

Davy: It were your idea first! :p

Emma: I don't care whose idea it was, I just want all of you to go wash your hands before you touch food! :p

Valerie: Some of us don't like eating paint. :p

*Micky whistles innocently, then flops an arm around Lauren's shoulders as they head of to wash their hands.* ;)

(Mike rolls his eyes as the others join him. They wash their hands, then head back out to the living room. Emma and Valerie put the food on the blanket and lay down more old blankets and tarps for the others to sit on as they eat.)

Emma: (Takes Katie in her arms) Is Miss Katie ready for lunch?

(Miss Katie replies by reaching for a sandwich.)

Lauren: I'd say she is. ;)

Emma: Katherine Nesmith, you're not old enough yet! (Emma ties a bib around her neck that says "Daddy's Little Cowgirl" and starts feeding her a jar of purreed carrots. When they're finished, she gives Katie a bowl of Cheerios that Katie proceeds to throw all over the blanket before she finally stuffs a fistfull in her mouth. ;) You've got worse table manners than your father, Katie. :p

Mike: (As the others join them) I heard that. :p

Micky: *chuckles* The joys of feeding time. *waggles his eyebrows at Lauren*

Lauren: *dull glare at him* Mick, aren't the twins ENOUGH of a handful for now?

Micky: Weeeell... ;) *reaches and grabs for a sandwich that he proceeds to stuff in his mouth*

Mike: Yeah, you watch your manners too, Mick. ;) (He and Emma both grab roast beef.)

Peter: (Reaches for a watercress sandwich) Boy, am I hungry!

Valerie: (Smiles at the kids) How about you guys?

Little Mick: Hungry! *takes a smaller sandwich*

Mr. Bennett: You must be! (Laughs and takes a ham and cheese sandwich)

Coco: I love Chex Mix! *grabs a handful* :D

Valerie: Save some mix for the rest of us! ;) (Takes some Chex Mix and a ham sandwich on a plate)

(Everyone munches hungrily for a while. The adults talk; the kids watch Katie throw the Cheerios around. The twins finish their sandwiches and go over to their parents and tug on them.)

Micky: Alright, what are you two rugrats up to? ;)

Shelly: Bored. :p

Little Mick: Want TV! :)

Lauren: *shrugs* Okay. *gets up and goes over to the TV; tries to turn it on* Umm...

Lauren: *looks over the back of the TV, then gives it a smack* Well, I'm no TV repairman, but I'd say it's gone. :P

Micky: Lemme take a look... *joins Lauren at the TV; checks the back and finally nods* It's busted. *turns to the twins and puts his arms out* Sorry, kiddos, but the TV isn't working. :P

Mike: It's been acting weird for over a week. :p

Emma: I thought you were going to take it in to get it fixed! :p

Mike: With everything that's going on with the album and the pad and everything, I forgot. :p

Shelly: (Frowns) No TV? :(

Little Mick: TV go bye bye? :(

Micky: Afraid so, rugrats. :P

Peter: That's ok, though! We'll make up our own story!

Shelly: Stowy?

Debbie: How?

Emma: We could all tell it! :D

Lauren: Yeah. We could tell it in a round by taking turns telling little parts. :)

Gina: Who's gonna start?

Emma: I'll start. I'm the prose writer here, anyway. ;) (Leans back against a tarp-covered shape) Once upon a time...

(Fade out on the living room in the Pad; fade in on the beach as Emma's narration continues. The three Dolenz girls and the twins are playing catch with a beach ball on the beach.)

Emma: (Voice-over narration) Once upon a time, there were three little girls named Coco, Gina, and Debbie, who were playing ball on the beach with their niece Shelly and nephew Micky. The twins were getting a bit bored with the game and wandered off towards the water. (Which we see them do. As they head towards the water, we see a strange, purple-silver shape flicker out of the water...followed by a familiar face and auburn head.)

Shelly: Mommy?

Micky: *grins* Mommy! :)

(The girls run over the twins, wondering where they'd gone to. Shelly tugs on Coco's pants leg.)

Coco: What is it, Shelly?

Shelly: Auntie Coco (points to the water), Mommy! :D

Coco: I don't know. Your mom doesn't like the water. *looks out to the water and catches a glimpse of the same purple-silver shape and the auburn hair* Well... *scratches her head* :-/

Gina: (Frowns) It DOES kind of look like Lauren...

Shelly: (The shape moves away from the kids) There she go!

Micky: Come back!

Shelly: Mommy! :O

Debbie: Let's see where she goes! :)

Coco: I guess it couldn't hurt...

Gina: Maybe we should tell the grown-ups first. Remember what happened at the zoo?

Debbie: We'll only be gone for a few minutes, and besides, we know this beach! It isn't like the zoo! :)

Coco: Debbie's right. We'll be right back. :)

Shelly: (Points to the shape, which is now moving towards a large cave nearby) Mommy go there!

Micky: Over there! *also points*

Debbie: Oooh, she went into that big cave!

Gina: Looks spooky! :o

Coco: It's just a little dark, that’s all. Come on, we'll be okay. :)

(The twins tug the three girls down to the cave. They all peek in.)

Shelly: Mommy? Hello? (Her voice echoes in the cave.)

Micky: Mommy!

Gina: I don't like this. :(

Coco: Just a little look.

Debbie: Come on! (They all walk in. The cave becomes increasingly smaller and smaller, until they're all crawling on their hands and knees next to the water)

Gina: This is really uncomfortable! :p

Debbie: I'm sure we'll find Lauren soon...or whatever that was.

Shelly: Where's Mommy? :o :(

Micky: Want Mommy!

Coco: Okay, I'm starting to think this isn't such a good idea. :P

Debbie: Aw, Coco, don't be such a...ahhhh! (Debbie's hands suddenly reach the edge of the cave...and she almost goes over)

Gina: (Grabs her sister) Be careful! We almost lost you! :o

Shelly: (Looks in the large hole) Dark! :o

Coco: Careful! Don't move too quickly!

Debbie: I say we should jump.

Gina: Are you nuts? Who knows what's down there? What if we get killed?

Debbie: I didn't say it was a good idea. :p

Coco: *rolls her eyes* Oh Debbie. :P

Shelly: Mommy down (points down the hole) there!

Micky: Yeah, down there! Wanna go!

Gina: What if we get squashed or something?

Debbie: I wanna know what's down there. ;)

Coco: I'm kinda curious, too. ;)

Debbie: Well, what are we waiting for? (She inches down first) Geronimo! (She slides into the hole)

Gina: Debbie! Mom's gonna KILL us! :o

Coco: Okay kiddos, take my hands. *the twins do as told* Might as well come on, Gina. Mom may as well kill ALL of us. ;) :P

Gina: (Sighs) Ok. If anything happens to us, though, we tell Mom it was all Debbie's fault. ;) :p

Coco: Right. ;)

(Coco slides down the hole with the twins on either hand. Gina just shakes her head and follows them.)

(We see all five kids sliding down the hole, which becomes increasingly wetter...until they're falling from a bright blue sky and into a waterfall that leads to a stunning purple-and-pink lake. They all haul themselves out, helping the twins, and finally sit on the lemon-yellow beaches.)

Debbie: Wow. Look at this place!

Coco: This place is gorgeous! :D

Gina: It looks like a postcard crossed with a Dr. Seuss book! :D

(The trees are tall, with rainbow-colored tufts of pink, red, green, and orange soft, fluffy "leaves" and bunches of ripe fruit. White birds with yellow heads fly by. Orange fish plop around in the pink and purple lake.)

Debbie: Where ARE we?

Gina: Are we dead?

Shelly: Dead? :o

Debbie: Don't scare the little guys! :p

Coco: No! We're NOT dead. *glares at Gina* :P

Shelly: (Points to the lake) Mommy there?

Gina: We lost her! She could be anywhere in that lake! :p

Micky: Where Mommy?

Debbie: Darn it! (Kicks at the bright yellow sand)

Shelly: (Points to the grove of strange trees) Mommy there?

Debbie: Fish can't walk. :p

Coco: This is really weird.

(As the children stand and dust themselves off, something emerges from the grove of bright-colored trees. A huge black wolf limps as fast as it can along the shore, panting. It's huge brown eyes are half-closed. It finally collapses, whimpering.)

Wolf: (Barely discernable, but heard) Man...leg hurts... :(

Coco: Oh my goodness! :(

(There's the rush of the sound of lots of huge wings at once and noisy snorting and yelling and grunting. The kids scatter behind the trees as a group of pigs wearing leather jackets swoop down from the blue sky. The pigs look like Disney on psychadelic drugs; they have leathery wings and large, ugly snouts and carry nets and coils of rope. The largest - and the one with the biggest jacket and a pompadour - settles on the ground next to the breathless canine.)

Flying Pig 1: (Grabs the wolf's fur hard) Yeah, this is the one, boys. He's the one who escaped from Witch Grizelda. (Smirks) Ain't so brave now that he's got fur and whiskers, is he? ;)

Flying Pig 2: (This one has a buzz cut) Nahh, he's just a big ol' puppy dog! :p ;)

*The kids watch, wide-eyed.* :-O

Flying Pig 3: (Takes a bone from the pocket of his jacket and shoves it under the wolf’s muzzle) Here, puppy doggie, wanna bone? (Smirks) Oh, I forgot, brave, fearsome KNIGHTS don't chew on bones! (Laughs and throws the bone in the lake)

(The wolf tries to get to his feet, but falls again and whimpers.)

Flying Pig 4: What, the great knight can't even move himself? Gotta go use the tree? ;)

Flying Pig 1: (Snorts) Tie up the puppy doggie, boys! He ain't goin' anywhere! (The pigs surround the wolf, and rope and nets fly. When they move, the wolf is wrapped with netting and rope from head to claw. The head Pig winds rope around his muzzle.)

Flying Pig 4: What are we gonna do with him, Pigsly?

Pigsly: Witch Grizelda said she didn't care as long as we got rid of him. (Grins wickedly and nods at the lake) How 'about we dump him in there?

Flying Pig 2: Yeah! (Grabs the wolf's head) Hey, doggie-poo, wanna go for a swim? ;)

(Cut back to the kids behind the trees, all watching in horror.)

Shelly: Poor doggie! :(

Coco: They can't do that! :-O

(The kids don't notice movement behind the trees as they converse. ;) )

Gina: We've got to stop them! :o

Coco: What'll we do, though?

Debbie: Let's scare them! What would scare a pig?

Gina: Bacon. ;)

Debbie: Anyone have any bacon? ;)

Coco: *shakes her head* Oh Debbie... :P 8-|

Shelly: (Tugs at Coco) Ghosties! :D

Coco: Wha...

Debbie: (Looks at the twins) You want US to be ghosties and scare the piggies away? ;) :D

Shelly: (Nods and shivers) Ghosties scary. :p

(The noises behind the kids draw closer.)

Coco: Do you hear that?

Debbie: Hear what?

Coco: I heard some noises.

Debbie: Coco, I don't hear anything. :p

Coco: I KNOW I heard something...

Gina: I like the ghost idea! (Grabs branches with tufts of pink and orange fluff on them) Let's be ghosts and scare those nasty pigs away! :)

Shelly: (Grabs as big a tuft of green feathery leaves as she can) Make bad piggies go bye-bye! :) :p

(The kids all grab branches and tufts of leaves and sticks them in their hair and clothes.)

Micky: Scary ghostie! :D

(Cut to the pigs, which are just about to hoist the bound wolf when the kids emerge...followed by long, wide shadows.)

Debbie: Ooohhh, I'm scaring youuuuu... ;)

Pigsly: Yeah, right. :p

Flying Pig 2: (As the kids come closer, the second pig points to something behind them) Um, b..b...b...booooossss... :o

Pigsly: Yeah, what is it, Porker?

Porker: (Screams) M....M...M...MUTATIONSSSSS!!! :o

(The pigs all look up at once, let out a girly scream, drop the wolf, and take off as fast as their leather wings can carry them. The kids drop their branches and run to the wolf.)

Shelly: Doggie ok?

Micky: Poor doggie!

Gina: (Shaking tufts from her hair) Man, I hope the dog appreciates what we did for him! :p

Debbie: I think he'll be happier later, Gina. Poor guy is out cold. :p :(

Coco: *kneels by the wolf* He needs a good rest. *gently pets the wolf's head*

(The kids untie him as the shapes get closer.)

Shelly: Nice doggie. (Pets him, too.) :)

Gina: (Unties his leg; he winces) Coco, I think this is the one he hurt. I don't see any blood. He must have broke or twisted it. :p

Shelly: (Looks up hopefully) Keep doggie? :)

Coco: Just for a little while. Maybe we can find out what happened to him and why.

Debbie: (Eyes widen; taps Coco on the shoulder) Um, Coco?

Coco: *glances at her* What is it, Deb?

Debbie: I don't think we’re as good at scaring pigs away as we thought. (Points at the huge shapes over her shoulder) I think they did it for us. :p :o

Coco: Oh, my...

(The kids look over their shoulders and see huge, shaggy purple monsters with red hair and green spots lumbering towards them as "Shorty Blackwell" begins. They lift the dog as well as they can and run down the sand, but the monsters follow them.)

(One monster reaches for the wolf. Gina hits its nose. It rubs its nose and cries as Gina shakes her finger at it. :p :(( )

(Shelly throws her arms around the wolf, protecting it. :o :( )

*Coco tries to sit one of the monster's down to do it's nails. The monster glances in the bowls and shakes it's head. It stubbornly folds its arms over its chest. Coco picks up one of the bowls and mushes it in the monster's face. The monster yelps as Coco takes the bowl away, revealing a mousetrap on the monster's nose.* ;)

(Micky climbs on one monster and rides it rodeo-style. ;) )

(Gina hides from a wolf behind one of the branches.)

(Another monster chases Debbie. She climbs a tree, sticking her tongue out at the monster. She's half-way up the tree...until it starts bending. She finally ends up looking the monster straight in the eye. The monster has bent the tree down to his eye-level. Debbie squirts one of the large, lavender fruits in his eye. He lets the tree go, and she goes flying into the tufts of another tree. She emerges, a bit dazed but unharmed.)

(Shelly stamps on the foot of one monster who leans over her and the wolf.)

(Gina and two of the monsters laugh, chat, and share tea and cookies. ;) )

*Coco climbs in a tree and starts throwing fruit at the monsters.* ;)

(Two monsters stand under the tree where Debbie was, scratching their red-tufted heads. There's a yell over the music, and Debbie swings from tree to tree Tarzan-style, throwing fruit at them. ;) )

(Gina mixes a purple drink made from the fruits. She hands it to the two monsters and takes off while they drink it. A few seconds later, they gag and overdramatically put their claws around their necks. :p)

(Micky and Shelly are both guarding the wolf now. One of the monsters lumbers towards them, but he just goes flying over the kids and the wolf. :p)

*Coco grabs and branch and stands in front of the twins, holding the branch like a baseball bat.*

(The other girls do the same, joining Coco as the music winds down and the monsters come towards them.)

Debbie: Don't come any closer! :p

Gina: Oh boy. What do we do now? :o

Shelly: Save doggie!

Coco: Hope for a miracle? :P

Peter: (Sudden voice-over) Oh, man, no!

(Quick cut back to the Pad's living room. Emma frowns at Peter.)

Emma: What, Pete?

Peter: (Puts an arm around Shelly) That's too scary! Do you want to give the kids bad dreams? :p :o

Emma: Well, what would you suggest?

Shelly: (Nods at Peter) Help doggie! :)

Peter: I will, Shel! Just you listen! :)

Peter: (Voice over narration as we cut back to the kids holding branches and surrounded by monsters) The weird monsters were about to attack the kids, when all of a sudden, they heard these strange, soft, sweet voices.

Debbie: (Looks up) Do you hear that?

Gina: Sounds...girly.

Coco: Yeah...

(The Mutations all perk up, their eyes bright. They grin and run over to the trees. They lick their palms in an attempt to spruce themselves up, pull up flowers by their roots, and go running into the forest.)

Debbie: Guess they thought they heard their girlfriends. ;)

Coco: Wow. That was amazing. ;)

(Two shapes in heavy brown wool capes emerge. The girls hold up their sticks again in attack stances.)

Shape 1: Whoa, ladies! (Puts up a very human hand) No need for the weapons. We're quite unarmed. (He pulls down the hood of the cape to reveal a familiar older man. The smaller shape reveals what looks like Peter with longer hair and a thicker mustache) We wouldn't hurt you.

Peter: (Shakes his head) We're here to HELP you!

(The two men join the twins on the ground.)

Bennett: What do you have their, young lady and young genteman? :)

Micky: Doggie. :)

Shelly: Doggie hurt leg. :(

Bennett: He did, did he? Why don't you let us take a look at him?

Peter: (He moves the wolf's right front leg; he winces, even in his sleep) Bennett, I think it's his leg. He seems to have twisted it. :(

Debbie: Those nasty pigs were gonna tie him up and throw him in the lake!

Coco: They really don't like him. :( :P

Gina: They said some witch wanted them to drown him! :p :(

Peter: (Strokes the wolf's head) Poor, poor thing! :(

Bennett: (Looks around; the blue sky is darkening) We'd better get him to our cabin. The Mutations are reletively harmless, despite their appearance, and the sound of potential mates will distract them for days. It's the Flying Pigs I'm worried about. They may come back.

Peter: Right.

Bennett: (Nods at the tufts and the branches the girls discarded) Help me make a quick carrier for him.

Coco: *nods* Give me a hand, girls.

Shelly: (Holds the wolf tighter) No hurt doggie? :(

Bennett: (Puts a hand on the toddler's shoulder) We promise, little one, we would never hurt this wolf.

Peter: We're healers! We make things better! :)

Shelly: Make doggie better?

Bennett: But we can't do that if you're still attached to him. ;)

Peter: Come on, kids. (Gently takes the twins' hands and pulls them away from the wolf. He hands the kids off to Gina as Debbie and Coco help him and Bennett put together a makeshift stretcher for the unfortuante canine.)

Bennett: (He takes one side; Peter more clumsily takes the other) Follow us, ladies. Hold each other's hands, and keep a close eye on the smallest children.

(Coco takes Micky and Gina; Debbie takes Shelly. They follow Bennett and Peter into the thick of the forest.)

Coco: Um, may I ask what this place is? :-/

Bennett: You're at the Truffula Forest, on the edge of Truffula Lake.

Peter: You're not from around here, are you?

Debbie: Um, no.

(Cut to a clearing in the midst of the forest. A nice little cottage stands in the center of the clearing. It's made from yellow bricks and bright-colored thatch from the trees. A well is also made from the same brilliant bricks and thatch. The scene is completed by a large, lovely garden and a brick walkway leading to the front door.)

Peter: We're home! :D

Shelly: Pwetty. :)

Micky: Nice! :D

Coco: It's beautiful!

Debbie: You have a great place! :D

Bennett: It's not the Heart Palace, but we make do. :)

Peter: It's home. :)

Coco: Heart Palace?

Bennett: We'll explain further when we get inside. We need to get some poultice on the wolf's leg, and I'll bet your adventures have made you all quite hungry. :)

Micky: Hungry! :D

Shelly: Me hungry too! :)

(The wolf whimpers in his sleep. :( )

(Bennett leads them into the house. The main room is a combination kitchen/dining room/living room. It's dominated by a huge yellow-brick fireplace. A table with four chairs sits on one side; a couch and several recliners made of the same soft white wood sit on the other. Full bookcases dominate one wall. The wall around the fireplace is filled with cookware, utensils, cabinets, and baskets of fruits and vegetables.)

Bennett: Help me put the dog on the couch. (Peter does so. The kids all sit on the couch and chairs around him, petting the large canine.) Peter, get me the bandages. I'll start mixing the medicine.

Peter: Right. Which ones?

Bennett: The truffula silk ones. They're extra-strong and will hide the smell better.

(Peter nods and goes into another room. Bennett gathers strange herbs and jars and vegetables from various baskets and cabinets. He takes a pestal and grinds the herbs and the vegetables together, then adds something from the jars.)

Debbie: (Makes a face) That smells funny. :p

Gina: Like one of our brother's concoctions. :p

Shelly: Go boom? :o

Micky: Boom! :D ;)

Coco: I hope not. :P ;)

Bennett: (Smiles and shakes his head) Sorry, children, but this concoction will not explode. At least, it hasn't yet, as far as I know. ;)

(Bennett finally brings over the bowl and an orange silk cloth. He sits next to the wolf as Gina moves over.)

Bennett: You kids hold him while I put this on. It stings a bit.

Coco: Right. *nods*

(The kids take gentle hold of the wolf's fur as he rubs the greenish medicine on the wolf's right front leg. It whimpers and lets out a small howl, but it finally settles back into sleep. Peter emerges with a basket of soft pink and orange bandages. Bennett takes some of the bandages and gently wraps them around the wolf's leg.)

Bennett: How is he feeling, Peter?

Peter: (Strokes the wolf) His leg feels better, but he's terribly confused, sad, frightened, and ashamed. :(

Debbie: How did you know that?

Peter: (Shrugs) That's my power. I can tell how people - and animals - are feeling.

Coco: Amazing! :)

Bennett: I'm teaching him the art of healing as well. He's a fine apprentice and a good, hard worker.

Peter: It's slow going, though. I wish I wasn't such a dummy. :p

Bennett: Now, Peter, you're no more or less intelligent than anyone else. Some people just learn things faster than other people do.

Peter: (Shakes his head) It's been three years, Bennett, and I still haven't picked up many basic techniques yet! :p

Bennett: Not everyone learns everything at the same speed.

Peter: (Sighs) The people in my villiage were right about me. I'm just a dummy with no brains. :( :p

Debbie: That's not true!

Gina: You helped Bennett with the wolf, didn't you?

Coco: That's right! A dummy wouldn't have been able to do that!

Micky: You help! :)

Peter: I didn't do anything anyone else couldn't have done. :p

Bennett: Peter, why don't you bring out your guitar and play something for us? I know that always cheers you up, and maybe it'll cheer the children up, too. :)

Peter: (Grins) Yes! That's a great idea! :) (He goes into another room and emerges with an acoustic guitar trimmed with bright silk ribbons)

Debbie: You play music?

Peter: That's what I love to do most, besides healing poor creatures in need. :)

Bennett: Let the children hear that new song you were working on. :)

Peter: (Blushes) Aw, it's not done yet, and anyway, it's not that good... :">

Bennett: I think it sounded quite nice when you were working on it yesterday.

Shelly: Play! :)

Micky: Music! :)

Debbie: Please? :D

Peter: Well...(sees the kids' hopeful faces) ok. :) (He sits back in one of the soft, plump chairs and plays "Lady's Baby." The kids sit back and listen, too, stroking the sleeping wolf's silky black fur. Bennett sits in the largest chair, smoking a pipe. The kids all clap when Peter finishes.)

Peter: (Blushes again) You really liked it?

Shelly: Pwetty! :D

Coco: That was so lovely! :)

Peter: Thank you! :)

Bennett: You're really quite good with that guitar, Peter. We'll have to duet for the children while they're here. (Looks at the children) Which reminds me. Not to put it too bluntly, but why are you here, and where are you from?

Debbie: We're from Los Angelas, California. We just kinda dropped in. ;)

Shelly: We see Mommy! :)

Coco: Uh, yeah. We THOUGHT we were following someone that looked familiar and we sorta dropped in.

Bennett: You were following your mother?

Shelly: Mommy fishy!

Peter: Your mother is a fish?

Micky: Mommy swim! :D

Coco: No, no. We saw something in the water that looked like their mom and they wanted to follow it. Their mom doesn't even know how to swim! ;)

Bennett: How did you come here?

Debbie: We fell.

Gina: I don't know how to explain it. We fell through a hole in a cave, and we ended up in the lake.

Coco: Hard to believe, huh? ;)

Bennett: Not exactly. There are all kinds of doors into Storybook Land. Some known entrances are in animal holes, closets and wardrobes, and mirrors. There are probably others our scientists haven't found yet! ;)

Debbie: (Eyes widen) Storybook Land?

Bennett: That's where you are now, young lady. :)

Coco: Groovy! :)

Shelly: Story! Story! :D

Peter: (Sighs) We don't know how much longer it WILL be Storybook Land, though. :p :(

Gina: Why?

Bennett: (Puffs on his pipe) Our magic seems to be dying out. Good witches, warlocks, wizards, and sorceresses who have been conjuring for decades and come from good magic families are running completely dry, and magical creatures, such as unicorns and mermaids, are disappearing at a rapid rate. The Queen has tried her best to stop the magic loss, but the Witch Grizelda and her evil forces seem to be feeding off of it...and are rapidly usurping her power.

Debbie: Queen?

Peter: The Queen of Hearts! She lives in the Hearts Palace in the Center Square and commands the Card Guard! :D

Bennett: She is the supreme ruler of Storybook Land. The Wizard, her wisest and most magical advisor, lives in Emeralda Palace, five squares over from Hearts Palace. :)

Gina: Wizard? Wow!

Debbie: (Frowns) The pigs mentioned the Witch Grizelda before.

Gina: She's the one who wanted to drown the poor wolf! :(

Peter: She's terrible! She's the worst thing in Storybook Land! :o

Micky: Bad witch! :P

Bennett: Grizelda was another advisor to the Queen of Hearts, until she was banished for doing some rather nasty things behind the Queen's back. When the Queen's powers and that of her courtiers began to fade, she took control over as much as she could. She lives in the eighth square, in the Elbetha Palace and the Grickle Grass Plains.

Peter: She terriorizes everyone, kidnapping young girls who are prettier than her and putting them in her dungeon and turning people who don't do what she wants into animals! :O

Debbie: (Strokes the wolf) You know...the pigs called the wolf "knight."

Peter: (Eyes widen) What? :o

Shelly: "Knight?"

Coco: That's right! :( :P

Gina: Do you think the wolf used to be a knight? A HUMAN knight? :o

Shelly: Night? (Looks at the wolf strangly)

*Micky looks confused.* :-/

Bennett: (Shakes his head) Not "night" as in "nighttime," children. A knight in our kingdom is a person who works for the queen. They lead armies and rescue various citizens in distress, and generally keeps the kingdom safe from evil and invading hordes. :)

Gina: He must have gotten the witch mad, and she turned him into a wolf! :o :(

Bennett: That wouldn't surprise me. We've heard many stories of friends and relations who have been transformed into animals and killed or sold or taken prisoner because they disobeyed the Witch's commands. :p

Coco: That's just awful! :P

Peter: (Puts his guitar down and kneels down by the wolf as he begins to stir and whimper) Bennett, I think the wolf is waking up!

(The wolf, indeed, stirs. His eyes flutter open, and he tries to stand. Peter gently pushes him back down.)

Peter: Easy there, boy. The poultice probably just started working. You're not quite ready to move yet.

Wolf: (Whimpers and looks around; a familiar Texas accent emerges from his muzzle, but it's frightened and small) Where....where am I? What happened? (Gulps and pulls away from Peter) Who are you? (Winces) What happened to my leg?

Peter: That's ok, boy. I'm Peter. (Nods at Bennett) That's Bennett. We're healers. We're here to help you.

Debbie: I'm Debbie.

Gina: I'm Gina. We won't hurt you, either.

Coco: I'm Coco. *points at the twins* And this is Shelly and Micky. :)

Shelly: Hi, Mr. Wolfie! :)

Micky: Hi! *waves* :)

Wolf: Coco. Funny name. (Grins) Hi, kiddies. Thanks to you and all of your friends for savin' me from the Flyin' Pigs. I thought they were really gonna dunk me.

Peter: We found them and you on the beach. You were passed out, and they were trying to scare off a bunch of Mutations.

Wolf: (Nods and bows as well as a reclining wolf can) I am...or I was...Sir Michael Del Naysmythe of Houstonia in the Lone Star Square.

Peter: (Gasps) Sir Michael the Brave! You're one of our greatest warriors! :o

Sir Michael: (Gulps) Not anymore. I'm a coward. :(

Bennett: (Puffs on his pipe) Perhaps we should allow Sir Michael to tell us his side of the story.

Sir Michael: Thank you, Bennett.