How Duchess and Kittens Got into the Countryside

[Thunderclap wakes her up]

Duchess: Oh! Oh, where am I? I am not at home at all. Children, where are you? Answer me! Berlioz? Toulouse, Marie, where are you?

Marie: Here I am, mama.

Duchess: Marie, darling, are you all right?

Marie: Uh, I guess I had a nightmare and fell out of bed.

Duchess: Now Marie, darling, don't be frightened.

Berlioz (off-screen): Mama! Mama!

Marie: That's Berlioz.

Duchess: Over here, darling. Berlioz, here we are. And don't worry, everything is going to be all right.

Berlioz (wet and miserable): I'm coming, mama. Gee, I'm cold and I'm w-wet.

[Frog croaks]

Berlioz: Mama?

[Frog croaks loud]

Berlioz (frightened): Mama!

[He runs to Duchess]

Duchess (laughing) Oh, darling. That's only a little frog, my love.

Berlioz: But he had a mouth like a hippolotamus.

[Frog croaks and Berlioz snugs to Duchess. Marie giggles]

Berlioz: Oh, what's so funny?

Duchess: Now, now, darlings. Darlings, now you just stay here, and I'll go and I'll look for Toulouse. [she walks away from the basket and two kittens] Toulouse! Toulouse, where are you?

Marie: Toulouse!

Marie and Berlioz: Toulouse!

[Toulouse shows up from the basket]

Marie: Toulouse!

Toulouse: Hey, what's all the yellin' about. huh?

Berlioz: Why didn't you answer?

Marie: Mama! He's been here all the time.

Duchess: Oh, thank goodness. Oh, are you all right?

[Duchess grooms Toulouse]

Toulouse: I was having a funny dream. Edgar was in it. And we were all riding and bouncing along-- [Frogs croak] Frogs? Uh-oh, it wasn't a dream. Edgar did this to us.

Duchess: Edgar? Tsk! Oh, darling, but that-- why, that's ridiculous.

Berlioz: Yeah, maybe you fell on your head, Toulouse.

[Another thunder]

Marie: Mama, I'm afraid! I wanna go home.

Duchess: Now, now, my darling. Don't be frightened. [Loud thunder makes Duchess scream a little] Oh dear, oh dear! Let's get into the basket, all of us.

Toulouse: What's gonna happen to us?

Duchess: Well, darlings, I-- I just don't know. It does look hopeless, doesn't it?

Berlioz: I wish we were home with Madame right now.

Duchess: Oh. Poor Madame. She will be so worried when she finds us gone.

{cut to Madame at home, wakened by thunder}

Madame: Duchess? Kittens? Oh, my gracious! I had the most horrible dream about them. Thank goodness it was only a dream. Oh dear, what a terrible night. Now, now, my darlings. Don't be frightened. The storm will soon pass. [She opens a curtain to see the basket gone] Oh! Oh, no! They're gone! [She runs out the bedroom] Duchess? Kittens! Duchess! Where are you? [Roquefort shows up from his hole] They're gone! They're gone!

Roquefort: Duchess, kittens, gone? Why, that's terrible! But where? Why? Good heavens! Anything could happen to them on a night like this! Get- get washed down a storm drain, struck by lightning. Oh, they'll need help. I've just got to find them.

[He runs out of the house] Duchess! Kittens! Duchess! Kittens! Kittens!