A Tale of Two Critters

Later that week, Evangeline was getting ready to go out to the annual Mortician's Assistant's Gala Dinner, which was conveniently being held at Ipswich Grand Hotel that year.  She was, of course, going alone.  Still, as she did every year, she made herself a smashing new gown.

As she finished getting ready, Valentine and Mouette watched from an old rocking chair, holding hands and looking very innocent.

"I know that look, you two.  I've seen that innocent look on your faces before and the last time I did I came home to find half the skunks in Ipswich Wood and seventeen stray cats dancing in the rafters of my attic!  It took nearly three weeks to get the smell out.  Tonight I'm going out to the Mortician's Assistant's Gala Dinner and I don't want any trouble."

As Evangeline turned to leave, Valentine jumped off the rocking chair and climbed up a stack of shoe boxes so she would be tall enough to get Evangeline's attention.  She presented Evangeline with a corsage that she and Mouette had made for her earlier that day with the last rose of summer from the gardens at Barkley Manor.

It almost made Evangeline cry.  Who needed Mortimer when she had friends like Mouette and Valentine?  Evangeline showed off her corsage before heading off to the gala.

As soon as the door closed Valentine was walking the rafters:

and Mouette was going through Evangeline's desk:

At last!  The keys to the curio!

They immediately set about stacking up hat boxes and shoe boxes and storage boxes from all over the attic until they had a stack tall enough for Mouette to climb and unlock the curio door:

Valentine stood on the sidelines, cheering him on!  At last the curio was open but Mouette lost his balance and...

...all you could see was his tail and his tiny hand.  Once they had cleaned up the mess they stood in awe of Evangeline's hats and jewelry:

and then the fun began...

But for every hat and pair of shoes they tried on, there was another even more beautiful:

and another:

until finally, exhausted, they fell asleep in a most impressive mountain of borrowed hats, shoes, and jewelry:

Just before dawn Evangeline returned from the gala:

and stifled a laugh:

and realized she better hide her curio keys in a better place.  The End.


Making this entry was seriously fun.  What we all wouldn't give to go into Evangeline's attic, find the keys to her curio, and try on her hats and jewelry.  And if you don't have the critters yet, let me just say they are so unbelievably cute I don't know how or why I thought I could do without them.