The Journey

If I Only Had the Nerve

As for Mirabel and her friends, it was another long walk. The next thing they knew, they found themselves in a dark, scary, musty forest.

"I don't like this forest," Mirabel said nervously. "It's dark and creepy."

"Sí, I have a feeling it'll get darker before it gets lighter," Espantapájaros said.

"Do you think we'll meet any wild animals?" Mirabel asked Estaño.

"Es posible, mostly lions and tigers and bears," Estaño replied.

"Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!" Mirabel gulped. She continued to chant this as she and her friends skipped down the road until they heard a roar.

"¿Qué fue eso?" Espantapájaros asked.

"It sounded like a lion, but I don't see any," Estaño said.

"Me neither," Mirabel said. "Let's just hurry out of this forest before we do."

But it was too late—coming towards the trio was a big ferocious-looking lion. Estaño and Espantapájaros were scared out of their heads, but Mirabel had dealt with worse. She could help her friends.

"Stand back," Mirabel said bravely. "I can handle this."

Estaño and Espantapájaros were surprised at how brave Mirabel was. The lion came down in front of the trio before standing up on his hind legs.

"Now you listen here, león," Mirabel sneered. "We don't want any trouble out of you, especially not me."

"Guau, Mirabel is tougher than she looks," Espantapájaros gaped.

"How does she do it?" Estaño asked.

"Because for the past four years, I've dealt with worse than a ferocious lion," Mirabel said, looking back. She turned back to the lion and asked angrily, "So, León, what's it going to be?"

León couldn't believe Mirabel was brave enough to stand up to him like that. "Your friends are right," he admitted. "You really are tougher than you look, tougher than me. I haven't any courage at all."

Mirabel dropped her tough-as-nails exterior and softened up.

"Oh, that's too bad," Estaño said. "Mira, do you think el Mago could help him, too?"

"I don't see why not," Mirabel smiled. She turned to León and asked, "Why don't you go with us? We're on our way to see el Mago now, to get Estaño a heart and Espantapájaros a brain. I'm sure he can get you some courage."

León smiled and said, "That's awfully nice of you folks. I just have to tell you how I feel."

"Bueno, vamos," Mirabel smiled.

As the trio walked down the road, León began to sing.

LEÓN: Sí, it's sad—believe me, missy

When you're born to be a sissy

Without the fim and verve

But I could show my prowess

Be a lion, not a mouse

If I only had the nerve

I'm afraid there's no denyin'

I'm just a dandy lion

A fate I don't deserve

I'd be brave as a blizzard

ESPANTAPÁJAROS: I'd be clever as a gizzard

ESTAÑO: I'd be gentle as a lizard

MIRABEL: If el Mago is a wizard who will serve

ESPANTAPÁJAROS: Then I'm sure to get a brain

ESTAÑO: A heart

MIRABEL: My home

LEÓN: The nerve

Then the four friends skipped down the Yellow Brick Road arm in arm as they sang their travel song.

We're off to see the Wizard

The wonderful Wizard of Oz

We hear that he is a whiz of a whiz if ever a whiz there was

If ever oh ever a whiz there was

The Wizard of Oz is one because, because, because, because, because, because, because of the wonderful things he does

We're off to see the Wizard

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz!

Mirabel and her friends continued down the road, unaware that la Bruja Malvada was watching them with her crystal ball.

"So, Mirabel has been able to charm another pendejo," la Bruja sneered. "Well, when I have her ruby chanclas, my power will the greatest and most powerful in all of Oz—and I know just how to do it."

Mirabel and her friends continued walking, and when they came to a few benches, she couldn't help talking to them.

"You know, I have the feeling this is just what I needed," Mirabel said. "This week has been pretty hard for me."

"¿Por qué, mija?" León asked. "What's wrong?"

"You see, during my high school years, I was an outcast, and the popular muchachos gave me a hard time for being different," Mirabel explained as she sat down. "That was already bad enough, and those days were supposed to be behind me now. But I started college on Monday, and they decided to follow me to Universidad de Mariposa, so they could keep pretending they're better than everyone, especially me."

"Que patéticos," Estaño scoffed. "Have they no heart?"

Little did anyone know that a nearby bush was coming towards Mirabel.

"You'd think they'd know enough is enough—que cobardes," León frowned.

"Sí, how they even graduated from high school is beyond me," Mirabel said. "Their grades were just as bad as their attitudes, if not worse."

"Sounds like they need brains, a heart, and courage more than we do," Espantapájaros scoffed.

Everyone laughed at that remark, but then León noticed the bush coming up to Mirabel. He knew very well that bushes don't move on their own even if they were living things. When he saw a hand emerge from the bush, he knew Mirabel was in danger, so he roared and picked up the bush, revealing la Bruja Malvada, to Mirabel's horror.

"¡Aha! ¡Aléjete de mi florecita preciosa!" León roared.

La Bruja was furious that someone had stopped her. "You haven't seen the last of me," she glared before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Mirabel couldn't believe what had just happened. "Gracias, León," she said, trying to calm down.

"What was that Bruja going to do with you anyway?" Espantapájaros asked.

"She wants these ruby chanclas, and I can tell she'll do anything to get them," Mirabel replied.

"Then let's hightail it to el Mago before we run into her again," Estaño said.

"Buena idea," Mirabel said. She and her friends continued down the road again.