Shirley is questing! Episode 1/25

On a fine spring afternoon, Shirley joined Mouse in Trousers (aka MIT) and Alexander Mus (aka AM) at Rodent Farm for a family reunion (with Shirley an "honorary" or "ornery" rodent family member?). Shirley's ears were twitching, when MIT told them that he'd be retiring from being an NPC soon, as he had someone very near and dear in mind to take over from him. Shirley smoothed her fur down, and wondered who MIT had in mind?

Shirley is questing! Episode 2/25

MIT took Shirley and AM on a tour of Rodent Farm, informing AM that the whole farm would be his one day, but before he handed the farm over to AM, MIT asked Shirley and AM to accompany him on a special journey. A farewell journey along Memory Lane...

Shirley is questing! Episode 3/25

MIT introduced his story and advised it had all begun when Alias Al installed a giant satellite dish at Rodent Farm, to help MIT access the internet with lightning speed. MIT needed this functionality, because his job in PnF was to make sure official PnF competitions were honest. MIT always worried that mice like himself (quiet, gentle pets who did not complain a lot and had no power) would be dominated by greedy Fat Cats who didn't care about anyone but themselves. So PnF put MIT in charge of competitions, where his role had been to look after the little pets!

Shirley is questing! Episode 4/25

The travellers had set off on foot, as MIT was wont to do, with MIT recalling a faraway and long ago place that would be eminently suitable for him to retire to! Now where was that place again???

Shirley is questing! Episode 5/25

Shirley and the rodents' journey had begun with an overnight stop at blade's place. blade had been MIT's neighbour for many many moons, so they had plenty of memories to rehash, and they laughed about MIT's antics in the 2016 PnF Election!
Shirley and blade agree that this was probably the first time MIT's personality had really shone through! Ah, the good ol' days! And as he listened, AM came to realise just how important friendships were. After all, a stranger really IS just a friend you haven't met yet!

Shirley is questing! Episode 6/25

Shirley and the rodents were served a humungous plate of technicolour beans for breakfast by Schnupfen. Feeling replete after breakfast, they had thanked Schnupfen profusely, when she gave AM a whole sack of farm grown beans as a parting gift, to aid them in their travels. AM thought they would drop them along the way, Hansel and Gretel style. MIT thought they would use them to make fair trades. But Shirley was sure she would eat them all up, before either AM or MIT had a chance to give them away!

Shirley is questing! Episode 7/25

The rodents headed off into the sunrise, impatiently waiting for Shirley to finish her bean business in the thunder box (outhouse). Never had a little room been so aptly named, thought the rodents!

Shirley is questing! Episode 8/25

Shirley and the rodents had left the farming country well behind them, and had met up with Sam at J&P's Cocktail Bar, where the old friends bade one another farewell. MIT had become like a mentor to Sam, so their mutual retirements from the NPC team were so bittersweet it made them both teary-eyed. As a token of their friendship, MIT gave Sam a toxic bean to perfectly match his fine green hide! AM vowed to Shirley that when he grew up, he would have the same kind of enduring friendships his Uncle MIT had had with everypet!

Shirley is questing! Episode 9/25

No trip down memory lane would have been complete without looking back on old photos, like the one hanging in pride of place inside J&P's Cocktail Bar! AM was fascinated to see a whole group of NPCs together! MIT introduced all the NPCs to AM (even though it was only through a picture), telling AM how each and every one of them had played such vital roles in The Land of PnF! Shirley was tempted to mention an earlier group of NPCs, some of which had also retired, but kept her mouth shut instead, so as not to detract from MIT's own story!

Shirley is questing! Episode 10/25

Shirley and the rodents had met The Raven, an old friend of MIT's, in a unique looking village. MIT had told The Raven of his impending retirement and that he dreamed of finding a place to settle. The Raven gave MIT a clue, "always to follow the flying ducks in your travels!" So MIT had given The Raven a rainbow bean to thank him for his sage advice, and they bade The Raven goodbye.

Shirley is questing! Episode 11/25

Shirley, MIT and AM followed the flying ducks across the countryside to the mountain tops. "It's near," thought MIT, "I can feel it in my guts." Shirley was dubious about that, because all she could feel in her guts was the flatulence, caused by snacking on too many of those those darned beans!

AM was the only team member that took any notice of the strange vines and mysterious lights beyond the mountains. Clever little rodent!

Shirley is questing! Episode 12/25

After a long and tiring day, Shirley, MIT and AM had decided to stop at an inn for the night. When MIT saw an indignant goose creating quite a cacophony outside the Inn, he just assumed Shirley had slipped around the back and discretely released some more of the air pressure caused by constant snacking on the beans. What MIT didn't realise was a baby ogre was playing peekaboo behind the tree! Meanwhile, AM had missed all of it, as he had kept his eyes on the flying ducks, to get their bearings for the morning...

Shirley is questing! Episode 13/25

When Shirley, MIT and AM had relaxed inside the Inn after dinner, MIT had asked Ms Goose where she came from?

"Castle in The Sky. A faraway land. Well beyond those mountains, and high up in the sky." Ms Goose had reminisced. "But when I saw the flying ducks, I longed to come down and visit the Land of PnF for just one day, but I'm a nanny, you see," Ms Goose explained, and pointed at the sleeping baby ogre, "so I must return to the Castle tomorrow!"

MIT finally realised where he had wanted to retire to - Castle in the Sky! Just like in his dream... Grateful for the info Ms Goose had shared, MIT had given her a cosmic bean, wondering if she would also share her secret means of travel, which she had documented in her magic book?

Shirley is questing! Episode 14/25

The following morning Ms Goose had risen with the sun and departed, leaving a message for the rodents to "follow the flying ducks till you meet the double rainbow with a grass monolith at the centre." It was quite a long walk for the rodents, so MIT had taken the opportunity to regale Shirley and AM with more stories from his illustrious career as an NPC. AM had listened with rapt attention, although Shirley had frequently covered her mouth, with a muffled, "excuse me". Was Shirley stifling her yawns, or releasing yet more gas created by those cursed beans? You decide!

Shirley is questing! Episode 15/25

Following the ducks had led Shirley and the rodents to an interesting place, where MIT had never been before, even in his dreams, or so he had thought... A quaint and quirky little village! Certainly worth checking out more thoroughly!
But they had all wondered what that monolith at the centre of the village was? It was wide enough to be a tree trunk, and the flying ducks had all landed in the small moat around it... Hmmmm, interesting!

Shirley is questing! Episode 16/25

When they explored the village, Shirley and the rodents had come across Hubert, Missy and Jack. "What are you guys doing here?" Asked MIT. To which they had responded in unison, "they were following the flying ducks." Hubert had given Shirley and the rodents a tip to reach the castle in the sky, and in return, MIT had given each of his NPC old friends a bean. A fair trade, for sure, felt MIT!

Shirley is questing! Episode 17/25

Hubert had directed Shirley and the rodents to the edge of the village, where the rainbow began. Shirley thought it was fair to really start their adventure at the beginning of something, even if MIT thought this was the beginning of the end for him!
Lo and behold, who had they met at the rainbow's beginning? None other than Scaredy Cat, that loveable rascally old founding member of the NPCs! After all the hellos and pleasantries were done, Scaredy Cat had suggested they all climb aboard, to ride the dragon up the vine trunk in the village, which would lead them to the castle in the sky. As a purveyor of daily goodies, Scaredy Cat had given MIT a magic wand to light his way. MIT had been so grateful, he had given Scaredy Cat the coveted golden bean in return, as his thank you! Another fair trade, no doubt!

Shirley is questing! Episode 18/25

Riding the dragon, Shirley and the rodents had caught a bird's eye view of the land below, which had in turn caused MIT to think of the Rodent Farm he had left far behind. Naturally, this had led into the sort of lectures on landcare that older relatives all over the Land of PnF had given to the next generation, regardless of whether the new generation had needed to hear said lectures or not! AM had been tempted to stick one of MIT's jellybeans in MIT's gob, just to shut him up, but AM had had second and third thoughts, because enduring one travelling companion with bean given flatulence was all AM's delicate little sensibilities could have handled on this journey!!!

Shirley is questing! Episode 19/25

Midway up the vine, Shirley and the rodents had run into (not literally, thank goodness) MIT's NPC friends Joy, Boris and Aera. That had been a wonderful surprise! Aera had told MIT that the NPCs he had met along the way to castle in the sky were there to bid him farewell on his final journey. They all remembered how MIT had always been so kind and generous, in the Forum, and in his care of pets throughout the land, so they had always felt grateful to him. AM was so proud of his uncle! What strong friendships he had developed and sustained! MIT was also touched, so he had given each of his NPC friends a colour coordinated bean, to remember him by.

Shirley is questing! Episode 20/25

When Shirley and the rodents had arrived on the cloud, RP, Storia, Billy and Flounder (who looked confused as to how he got there) had all been there to greet MIT. After introducing Shirley and AM to the other NPCs, RP had said they just had to walk a little further to the castle. Then the Prince had wished them the all the best and had bade them farewell and safe journeys. MIT had been so happy to see his buddies, he had given them all his remaining beans (to prevent Shirley from consuming any more, and ruining the ambiance of the castle for them all!). Even their dragon friend had received a bean, which was sure to be a blast!

Shirley is questing! Episode 21/25

When Shirley and the rodents approached the castle, they had been greeted by the Sky Troll, the keeper of the castle.
Sky Troll had recognised the magic wand MIT was holding (since he had given it to Scaredy Cat himself), and had welcomed them gracefully. Sky Troll said that Ms Goose had also mentioned them when she had returned. MIT and AM were delighted, and had felt mousily welcomed!

Shirley is questing! Episode 22/25

Shirley and the rodents had been taken to the nursery, to see Ms Goose, and who else were there? The remaining NPCs Skeezle, Bob and N2P2C2! "What are you guys doing here?" MIT had asked. "We knew you were coming, and wanted to say our goodbyes too", Bob had said. "Plus we all looked a lot like toys ourselves, so we hadn't minded playing with the baby ogres for a while!"
Shirley had thought it mightily suspicious that MIT had also given magic beans to them, as the bean sack had appeared to be empty when Shirley had checked it herself!

Shirley is questing! Episode 23/25

When Shirley and the rodents had sat down in the living room, partaking of high tea, the Sky Troll, who had known MIT was retiring, had conveyed his wishes for MIT to become his children's morals teacher? This had required MIT's agreement to living in the castle grounds, of course! MIT had accepted whole heartedly! It had been a dream come true for the ageing rodent! Not only was he retiring to his dream place, he would get to impart all of his knowledge and wisdom to more of the hapless new generation, which thought had made AM turn his head and snicker just the teeniest bit!

Shirley is questing! Episode 24/25

Sky Troll had shown Shirley and the rodents MIT's brand new house up in the sky next to the castle. When they had said their goodbyes, MIT had said he had put something special into AM's pouch, but only to open it when they got home. The extra beans were also AM's to keep, which again confused Shirley!
AM was very content wtih the outcome of this journey. It might well have been a journey down memory lane for his uncle, but to AM it was the first step towards a very promising future in PnF, with its community of kind hearted and generous pets! Without further ado, MIT had used the magic wand to send Shirley and AM home in lightning speed!

Shirley is questing! Episode 25/25

When Shirley and AM had opened their eyes, AM was sitting on MIT's chair, back at Rodent Farm. It felt like only yesterday when AM had sat next to his uncle listening to him talk about taking a trip down memory lane! But AM felt sad when Shirley also announced her intention to return home. The surprise MIT had put into AM's bean sack was GMs, to fund Shirley's journey home. So with a sigh, AM had thought about MIT's big shoes he would be expected to fill, and AM sincerely hoped that the other pets in the Land of PnF would consider him worthy?
Shirley has completed the quest! Please select another pet as visitor, so it can also take part!