| Mail Order Mayhem | |
|---|---|
| Season 1, Episode 10 | |
| |
| Written by | J. Larry Carroll and David Carren |
| Directed by | Larry Jacobs |
| Episode guide | |
| Previous A Mouse Known as Zorrowitz |
Next Aunt Sophie's Visit |
Mail Order Mayhem is the tenth episode of the animated series Fievel's American Tails.
Plot[]
Sweet William's gang have been terrorizing Green River even more than usual, and because of this Fievel gets scolded when coming home late from a day of his usual running around rescuing people and hanging out with that "big dopey friend of his" as Tanya puts it. Mama and Papa tell everyone to stay indoors and try to think about more pleasant subjects. As it turns out Tanya is reading a catalog and sees a hair ribbon she likes. Papa takes it and sees a violin he likes, Mama takes it and sees some pots and pans for the kitchen she likes, and Fievel sees a "real" sheriffs badge he likes. Meanwhile, Sweet William is planning on buying something from a catalog too, a "mouse slapper", and it arrives just as he's talking about it. William opens it and scraps of metal fall out, which need to be assembled, much to his irritation.
Elsewhere, the streets of Green River are in panic as mice run and hide from the cats. Fievel and Tiger are patrolling the streets once again when they see a mouse running from Sweet William, wearing the mouse slapper. The mouse slapper is a metallic arm canon that shoots nets out and catches mice. He catches two more mice with it and stuffs them into a bag, walking away and chuckling. That night there is a town meeting where the mice discuss what is to be done about Sweet William and his new mouse slapper. They decide to send for a lawmouse to help them. Three days later, William still terrorizes Green River with his mouse slapper. Just when Fievel wonders when the lawmouse is going to show up, he does. His name is Clint Mousewood. Just as the whole town greets him, a scream echos across town. Tanya's being chased by one of William's minions! Mousewood hops upon his trusty prairie dog and rushes to the rescue. When Tanya trips over a horseshoe Clint catches her, and brings her safely to her father. But he's not through yet, he goes back over to the cat with a whip in his hand, chasing him down with it. We don't get to see what Clint does but one can presume it isn't pretty, probably nothing that could be shown on a kids show. He comes back shortly afterwards, and asks Tanya if she's okay. She blushes and nervously says she's just fine. Clint tells everyone to stay in their homes until he takes care of Sweet William, and with a tip of his hat to Tanya he rides off. She nearly swoons.
That night as Tanya is serving the mashed potatos to the family she mis-aims every time, as she goes on and on about how wonderful Clint Mousewood is, even dropping mashed potatos on Yasha's head, with little hearts for pupils as she does so. But Tanya isn't the only one 'impressed' with him, Fievel also is going on about how awesome he thinks Clint is. Papa is quick to remind them both that Clint told them they should stay inside, to both their disappointment. Meanwhile we are shown the aftermath of Clint's attack on the cat, who is now heavily bandaged with broken limbs. Sweet William isn't intimidated, and sets out to capture Clint with his mouse slapper. But at that same time, we see that the two siblings aren't that different after all, because both Fievel and Tanya sneak out of the house through a window after being told several times to stay inside. Fievel hops on Tiger and follows Clint from behind. Of course it doesn't take long at all for Clint to notice he's being followed. Fievel explains that he wants to be a lawmouse too when he grows up, and all he wanted to do was help. Clint tells Fievel that the best way to help would be to go home, and then grow up to be a lawmouse. Later on as Clint is riding down the street, Tanya runs up to him. Clint tells her she should go home, but Tanya tells him it's awfully far. So Clint offers to give her a ride home. Elsewhere, Tiger and Fievel are on their way home when they're ambushed by William and his mouse slapper. Tiger runs off to get Clint while Fievel keeps William distracted, interrupting Tanya and Clint's romantic ride home. Clint rushes off to the rescue. Fievel continues to taunt William and dodge the nets until William manages to sneak up on him. But Fievel is able to force his way free from the net, because he's Fievel. Just then Clint arrives, dodging the shooting nets and managing to pull the mouse slapper off with his whip. He then challenges William to a duel at sundown.
Fievel and Tiger secure a good seat in the loft of a barn to watch the showdown when they realize William brought his goons with him, who are hiding behind a barrel, and they rush off to warn Clint. William shoots some nets at Clint, who dodges and hides behind a wooden crate. As he does one of the cats sneaks up behind with a frying pan, yelling "Say goodbye!!" Fievel swings from a rope and kicks him into the water-filled crate. The other cat comes at Clint with a bucket but foolishly trips and falls into the crate as well. When William tries to shoot at Clint again, he removes the mouse slapper with his whip once more and it flies through the air, landing on Tiger's arm. Tiger shoots it in all directions until Clint wraps his whip around it and helps Tiger aim. He nets all of the cats to a wall. Clint thanks Fievel and goes to release the captured mice, and Tiger takes off the mouse slapper. Clint's prairie dog kicks the mouse slapper into the street, where a wagon runs over it. The mice in town then gather around to thank Clint for saving them. Clint thanks Fievel once again, and hands him a badge, making Fievel his special deputy. And he then says adios, giving a tip of his hat to his 'little lady' Tanya, who blushes. Fievel and Tanya watch him ride off into the sunset, both proclaiming Clint Mousewood to be their hero.
Notes[]
- During the town meeting, Mr. Schimmel calls Papa "Bernard". This marks the actual first time Papa's first name is used.
- This episode is one of the rare instances where Cat R. Waul is not the main villain, and doesn't even appear.
- This episode marks the first time in the series that Tanya gets a crush on someone, the second time being on Reed Daley (though chronologically that happens before this episode, except she was a lot younger in that timeline). And no, Cat R. Waul does not canonically count. Though it would seem that Tanya prefers older men, which would be more canonically correct in this timeline because she is at an age of consent here.
- Though it may sound out of place, mail order catalogs did exist in the 1890's, put out mainly by Sears and Montgomery Ward.