The Aristopups

Chapter 3

[the pups, running from outside towards the door]

Ace: Wait for me, wait for me!

Lani: Me first! Me first!

[All three get stuck in the small door for the cats cut in below of the front door of the house]

Blitz: Why should you be first?

Lani: Because I am a lady, that's why.

[she jumps on the floor]

Blitz: Huh. You are not a lady.

[Ace catches Lani by the tail]

Ace: You're nothing but a sister!

Lani: Oh! I'll show you if I'm a lady or not.

[Ace runs after Lani, Blitz hides under a chair Ace gets Lani and starts tickling her]

Lani: Stop tickling!

Blitz: Get her, Ace! Het her!

[Now Lani chases Ace, Blitz climbs on the table Lani pulls Ace by the ribbon he has around the neck]

Ace: Fight fair, Lani!

Blitz: Females never fight fair.

[Blitz occasionally makes a candle fall off the table, it hits Lani's head]

Lani: Ow! Now that hurt! Mama! Mama!

[Skye enters]

Skye: Lani, darling. Lani, you must stop that. This is really not ladylike.[Lani lets Ace go] And Ace, well, such behaviour is most unbecoming to a lovely gentleman.

Ace: Well, she started it.

Lani: Ladies do not start fights, but they can finish them.

[Ace sticks tongue at Lani]

Skye: Ace, now, don't be rude.

Ace: We were just practicing biting and clawing.

Skye (fixing Lani's bowtie): Aristopups do not practice biting and clawing and things like that -- it's just horrible!

Blitz (from the table): But someday, we might meet a tough alley cat.

[he jumps on the floor, snarling and hissing, and then licks his lips]

Skye laughs: Now that will do. It's time we concerned ourselves with self-improvement. Now, you want to grow up to be lovely, charming ladies and gentlemen. Now Blitz, you go and start on with your painting.

Blitz (standing up): Yes, Mama.

[He then walks to his painting place, hissing along the way]

Lani: Mama, may we watch Blitz paint before we start our music lesson? Please?

Skye: Well, yes my love, but you must be very quiet.

[Blitz is mixing the oils, dripping some on the floor so that Ace has to jump aside]

Blitz: Oops! Uh-oh..[Then Blitz clears throat, mutters something and starts painting] Aha... Yeah!

Lani giggles: It's Humdinger!

Ace: Yeah. Old picklepuss Humdinger!

Skye laughs: "Old Picklepuss"? Now, now, Ace, that is not kind. You know Humdinger is so fond of all of us and takes very good care of us.

[to Humdinger holding a jar of "Sleeping Tablets"] Humdinger sings: Rock-a-bye, puppies, bye-bye you go La la la la, and I'm in the dough Oh Humdinger, you sly old fox.[He prepares some food, after emptying into it all of those tablets, humming rock-a-bye baby along the way. After it's ready he takes a spoonful and almost tastes it] Oops! Oh, dear! A slip of a hand and it's off to dreamland. I say, that's not at all bad. "Slip of the hand, dreamland" 

[to Skye and pups] 

Skye: Now, let's leave Blitz to his painting. Now dear, you go to the piano and run along. Both of you, go ahead.

Lani: Yes, Mama.

Ace: Yes, Mama.

[Ace jumps at Lani while they walk there]

Skye: It's time to practice your scales and your arpeggios.

[Ace runs to the keys, but Lani pulls him down by the tail]

Ace: Ow!

[Lani quickly runs up, hitting keys, and takes place on the edge of the piano to sing. Ace, seeing that she is ready, sits down and starts demonstratively cracking knuckles on each finger on both forepaws and then hindpaws]

Lani: I am ready, maestro.

[Ace runs the keys so that Lani's tail which was hanging inside the piano gets hit]

Lani: Oh! Mama! He did it again!

Ace whispers: Tattletale!

Skye: Now, Ace. Now, please, darling, settle down, and play me your pretty little song.

Ace: Yes, Mama.

[He starts playing]

Lani sings: Doe me so doe doe so me doe Every truly cultured music student knows You must learn your scales and your arpeggios(catching breath) And the music ringing from your chest and not your nose While you sing your scales and your arpeggios

Ace: If you're faithful to your daily practicing You will find your progress is encouraging Doe me so me doe me so me fa la so it goes When you sing your scales and your arpeggios

Lani: Doe me so doe--

[Ace plays out of rythm so she has to wait Blaitz with his paws in paint, joins Ace on the piano]

Skye and Lani: Doe me so doe doe so me doe Doe me so doe doe so me doe Though at first it seems as though it doesn't show Like a tree, ability will root and grow

Skye, Lani, Blitz: If you're smart you'll learn by heart what every artist knows

Skye, Lani: You must sing your scales

Skye, Lani, Blitz: And your arpe-e-e-gios!

[Ace and Blitz are duelling on piano, making ending for the song, untill they bump into each other and fall on the keys. Humdinger enters]

Humdinger: Ah, good evening, my littles ones.[He walks in, humming 'rock-a-bye-baby', carrying dishes with the sleep drug he made] Your favorite dish, prepared a very special way. It's creme de la creme a la humdinger (A/N: I know dogs don't eat that stuff but plz just go along with it). Sleep well. I-I mean, eat, eat well, of course.

[He departs, dogs are eating the Creme in silence, enjoying the meal. Rubble comes out of his mouse-hole, sniffs, and appears with a cracker]

Rubble: Ahem! Good evening, Skye. Hello pups.

Lani: Hello, Rubble.

Blitz: Hi, Rubble.

Skye: Good eveving, monsieur Rubble.

Rubble (sniffing): Mmm! Something smells awfully good. What is that appetizing smell?

Lani: It's creme de la creme a la Humdinger.

Skye: Won't you join us, monsieur Rubble?

Rubble: Well, yes. I-I mean-- well, I don't mean to interrupt, but-- but it so happens that... I haevv a cracker with me.

Ace: Come on, Rubble, have some

Rubble: Oh, thank you. Don't mind if I do[He dips his cracker in Ace's dish] Just a few dunks.[He eats half of the cracker] Mm. Ooh. Very good. My compliments to the chef.

Lani: Mm! This is yummy!

Rubble: Mm.. Delicious![He finishes the cracker] Double delicious! This calls for another cracker. I'll be right back.

[Ace yawns, Rubble goes slower, yawns, and falls asleep]

Rubble: So, that's... creme... de la creme... a la Humdinger.