(Applause
as Mickey Mouse runs out onto the stage.)
Mickey: (sweating profusely)
Welcome back to the show, everyone. Once
again, this is the Mickey Mouse show, and I am your host, Mickey Mouse.
We have another guest who was willing to come out and talk to us
today. If you haven't noticed, I am a little nervous. This is the first
time I've had a very large cat as a guest on my show. Cats eat mice
like me. Luckily, we made sure there was plenty of food in his dressing
room so he wouldn't get hungry while talking to us. I am sure he is a
very nice fellow, and my producers have assured me of that as well.
He's been through a tough time. So, please be supportive as he shares
his story. (Mickey's hands visibly begin to shake.) Please welcome to
the stage, Leon Leopard.
(Leon sleeks onto the stage
and flashes a very sharp toothy smile at
Mickey.)
Leon: Thank you for asking me
onto the show. Don't be scared, Mickey.
Cats prefer meals that are more proportional to their size. If you had
a house cat on your show, then you would need to be scared. I, on the
other
paw, don't eat mice. They don't satisfy me.
Mickey: (looking very
relieved) Well, I am very happy to hear that,
Leon. And since we have gotten the introductions out of the way, would
you mind explaining to our audience why you are here today?
Leon: Not at all. If you
didn't notice, I have spots. Lots of them.
They are everywhere. I hate them so much.
Mickey: Why do you hate your
spots, Leon? I think they're beautiful.
Leon: I know they are
beautiful. They also make me a better hunter than
I ever was before. But I have lost everything because of these spots.
Mickey: Please tell us about
it.
Leon: Before I received my
spots, I had a man who used to hunt with
me. He was my best friend. We did everything together. But, one day, we
were chasing a zebra and a giraffe and lost them in the forest. We
prayed that something might happen so that we would be able to find
them. A magic man came and painted my friend's skin a darker color so
he could camouflage himself in the woods. He had a little bit of extra
paint left so he used it to give me spots. With spots, I could blend in
too.
Mickey: That sounds great.
But why is it a bad thing?
Leon: Well, while we were in
the woods, we blended in so well that we
couldn't even see each other. I was able to catch the animals that we
were chasing and took them back to my home. But I was so excited that I
forgot that my friend was still in the woods. When he finally got out,
he was so angry that he hasn't spoken to me since.
Mickey: That's really sad.
I'm sorry that happened to you. Maybe he
will forgive you some day.
Leon: I hope so. But that is
not all that happened to me. My wife,
Lily, left me and took our cubs with her. You see, she didn't have
spots like me. She thought they were so beautiful, but she was very
jealous.
She couldn't stand me anymore. I miss her and my children so much. I
wish I didn't have spots so I could see them again.
Mickey: Maybe we could help
you.
(Just then, a beautiful
female leopard walks out onto the stage. Leon
glances over at her but is so sad that he doesn't look very closely.
All of a sudden, his head snaps back towards her and he jumps up.)
Leon: Lily!! I can't believe
it's you!!
(They run toward each other
and lovingly embrace.)
Leon: You have spots! How did
that happen?
Lily: Mickey came to see me
before you came on the show. I almost ate
him, but then he mentioned you and I wanted to hear more. I told him
how I felt. Mickey said that if I was willing, his show would pay for
me to have a little cosmetic makeup done. Basically, they just tattooed
spots all over my body. Now, I look like you! Now, we look like we
belong together.
Leon: (with tears in his
eyes) I'm so glad you're here. We've always
belonged together. (He looks over at Mickey.) I don't know how I can
thank you.
Mickey: The smiles on both of
your faces are thanks enough. (Mickey
turns towards the audience.) I sure do love a good happily-ever-after.
We'll
be back after this next break.
(Awwwws and applause)
Author's note: I love a good
happily-ever-after too. This was definitely a warm fuzzy feelings type
of story and I had a lot of fun writing it. I ended up adding tons of
little fun details that weren't in the original story. In the original
story, at first the giraffe and zebra that the leopard was chasing
didn't have splotches and stripes. These features didn't appear until
they ran into the woods. Eventually, after being in the woods for a
long period of time, their appearances adapted so they could blend in
better. There also wasn't technically a magic man. The leopard and his
hunter friend came upon this baboon-headed creature who pointed them in
the right direction. Once they were in the forest, it was the hunter's
idea to change the color of his skin and then he shared a little of the
color with the leopard. To add a little of my own drama, I had Leon
lose his wife and kids and then his hunter friend stopped speaking to
him. I also figured that, as a mouse in the presence of a cat, Mickey
would feel a little uneasy around Leon. As long as we keep Leon fed,
there shouldn't be any issues. Leon sure did have a rough time after
getting his spots. But I'm glad everything turned out right in the end.
(Applause
as Mickey Mouse runs out onto the stage.)