Posh Mice is the 32nd episode of the series The Country Mouse and the City Mouse Adventures that aired on March 26, 1999. The setting in this episode is the Atlantic Ocean.
Summary[]
A captain announces the beginning of the S.S. Mauritania's voyage, a magnificent traveler that will go from England to New York City in under four days. Emily and Alexander are also invited on board, invited by their cousin Lucy. Once the porter arrives with Alexander's "few essentials" of luggage, they get up to a mouse-sized boat. They meet Lucy who welcomes them, and the Mauritania leaves. Alexander can't wait to relax, but Lucy wants to give him a grand tour of the cruise.
They discuss how things on a big ship have all kinds of different names, such as a "porthole" for windows, and the "bow" for the front of the board. Suddenly, they get in the way of the captain's American Shorthair cat, named Barnacle. Like most cats do, this one chases the rodents as well. After a brief chase, Lucy ziplines on hanging rope flags, and so do Emily and Alexander, to the rope pile. A door opens, but it is just Lucy's pal, Vito. Vito came up to see the ocean, and can't wait to go to America as he comes from Italy, and his father wants to open a tailor shop in America. Suddenly though, a steward tells him to get back below as he came up to the first class deck. He goes down the stairs sad, although, he does mention that the steward is their friend, and keeps their money and papers safe for the time being. He goes back to his cabin, and the mice decide to follow after him.
They go down another level, where Emily says it is "like a dungeon". Alexander finds it unfair that people have to live down there, but Lucy says that the more money paid, the more better the environment is. In the crate room, they hear noises. It happens to be a stowaway rat named Katzman and his family: wife Hilda, and sons Avram, Haim, Yosef, Reuben, and Shealtiel. Alexander wants to leave as he has a bad feeling about this family, but Emily says not to judge a rat by his clothes. He attempts to tell them that they go back to change for dinner, but when Katzman's only daughter Ava arrives, Alexander is infatuated. Katzman invites them to share their cheese for a picnic, and Alexander is happy to go because Ava, forgetting all about Vito (who did make it back to his cabin.) Emily and Lucy sit on the deck with Katzman and Hilda, while Alexander walks around with Ava. He climbs up a rope in reach of a ventilation shaft, when he hears a laugh echo.
In there, he finds a vent connected to the steward's room. The steward tells Barnacle a diabolical plan where he plots to steal Vito's family's money and then he'll tell the captain that stowaways have done it, as without their immigration papers, no one will have proof that it was really stolen by him. Alexander calls over Lucy and Emily and tells them the unfolding action, and then they fall down the pipe after waves hit the boat, causing them to fall in the engine room with rotating gears. After getting in way of them, they get out of way. Lucy says that the steward's cabin is in the back of the boat, but they can get there in no time. The trio travels around each room of the boat, and Lucy explains what they are, one of these rooms are the main captain's area where he drives the ship, and right then, learns that bad weather is coming. Finally, they get to the cabin which is currently empty. Alexander gets the papers which are under a pillow, but Barnacle is snoozing right next to it. Alexander tries to taunt the shorthair, but he just sleeps. However, he gets up right when Alexander gets the paper. The mice get out and get in another room with a desk, where Barnacle follows them. Alexander gets an ink pen and shoots ink at the cat. They make their escape and ride on a waiter's wagon to a room, but they run out when a lady shrieks.
Nevertheless, they make it to Vito's cabin and tell him the situation in the halls, the steward isn't their friend and have stolen his money, but at least they recovered the papers. The steward nabs them back, and also takes Vito into a small room with crates and sacks. Vito gets hopeless, as the door is locked shut and the only window leads to sea. Fortunately, Alexander comes to his rescue with a rope, telling him to tie it to a knot and climb out as the rope is tied to a ladder. He climbs to the top as the dark storm begins and gets to the deck. Emily says he must tell the captain what the steward is trying to do, but Vito says that most have bad thoughts about immigrants like him, and his only evidence is the papers. He and the mice look in the room but there is no papers anywhere. Emily mentions that the "biggest hiding place in the world" would be the bottom of the ocean. And right at the moment, the steward attempts to toss the papers but Vito yells to bring his papers back or else he won't tell anyone. The steward calls him a liar and then he falls, thanks to Emily and Alexander who tied his shoelaces together. The paper is caught on rope, so Vito tries to get it. He jumps on the little boat which the rope is supporting but the steward tampers with the switch, until he falls in the water. Vito throws an inflatable ring down below, while Lucy says to sign the emergency flare. Alexander tries to get to it but Barnacle returns, however Katzman and his family gives it a beating. Vito shoots the flare pistol, and the boat stops. The steward is saved, and the captain says to Vito's dad that his son is a hero. Vito tries to explain that the steward stole their savings, although, their papers had ended up getting lost in the storm. Nonetheless, it appears that the captain had believed him after all, and Vito and his father stay on board. Not to mention, his father and sister are first class on the next ship. Both Katzman's family and Vito's family are welcomed to America.
Trivia[]
- Alexander introduces himself to Ava Katzman as "Alexander Xavier Reginald Mouse"