Monday Interview Series: Peter Rabbit

This week, we were able to sit down and talk with everyone's favorite naughty bunny, Peter Rabbit. He visited The Deliverers Publishing Headquarters with the assurance that there would be some nice, fresh vegetables available, and that Mr. McGregor had not been invited.

So, without further ado, here's our conversation with an older, wiser Peter Rabbit.

Greg:  Welcome, Peter. It's nice to have you here.

Peter:  Thank you, it's very nice to be here. Are, um, those nice cabbages for you, or can anyone have some?

Greg:  No, no, I had them brought in especially for you. Please, help yourself.

Peter:  Well, well, since you've gone to all this trouble, I believe I'll have a little nibble. Mmmm, delicious. Oh, I say, are those carrots? I must tell you that I have a weak spot for carrots. Mr. McGregor grows the best carrots in the district, but these are quite good.

Greg:  Well, don't be bashful. Tuck in. That's quite a smart looking blue coat you've got there.

Peter:  Do you like it? My mother made it. It is rather a favorite of mine, but I almost lost it for good in Mr. McGregor's garden.

Greg:  Really? What happened?

Peter:  Well, it's really all rather embarrassing when I look back on it. I was quite a bit younger then, you see. When I was a young rabbit, I had a passion for vegetables. Still do, I suppose, but back then I was positively mad for them--especially those grown by Mr. McGregor. I was so enamored of them, that I was willing to risk life and limb for a taste.

My poor father, bless him, had the same weakness. Unfortunately, he was not very lucky, even though he possessed four rabbits feet! Mr. McGregor managed to catch my father, and he wound up being baked in one of Mrs. McGregor's horrible pies. Nasty business, really. Um, where was I?

Greg:  You were telling us about your coat.

Peter:  Ah yes. Well, I followed in my father's footsteps, so to speak, and made my way into Mr. McGregor's garden. My mother had warned me of the danger, and told me never to go in there, but I, young scallywag that I was, did not listen to her.

I made it in by slipping under the gate. That was easy enough. I was able to eat  Mr. McGregor's vegetables to my heat's content. That is, until the old geezer spotted me. I led him on a merry chase, I can tell you. However, it was touch and go. I barely made it out under that gate with my skin. I had to leave my coat and shoes behind. Mr. McGregor used them to dress his scarecrow.

Greg:  Oh dear, what did your mother have to say when you returned home, um, naked?

Peter:  She was none too pleased, but she didn't ask any questions--just gave me some tea and sent me to bed. Luckily, my cousin, Benjamin Bunny, helped me to retrieve them.

Greg:  Yes, but isn't it true that you both had to be rescued by your uncle?

Peter:  Er, um, well that may be true, yes. To be totally honest, I can still feel the sting on my backside from his punishment. Back then corporal punishment was quite in vogue. My Uncle Benjamin applied his switch to both of us quite liberally. It was a most painful learning experience.

Greg:  Sometimes those are the most effective. Anyway, thank you for taking some time to visit with us, Peter.

Peter:  It was my pleasure. Thank you for your hospitality. Would you mind terribly if I took some of these carrots home? They really are quite excellent.

Monday Interview Series: Buck from The Call of the Wild

Hello, hello. Welcome back from spring break, everyone. My schedule was thrown off a little last week, and I didn't follow my usual schedule, so I apologize for that. This week, I should be back on track.

It's Monday, so that means the Monday Interview. This time around, I'm in the frozen north--Alaska to be exact. I've traveled here to talk to Buck, the dog gone wild from The Call of the Wild. 

Greg:  Hi Buck. Thanks for letting us visit with you. You've had quite a wild life. How did you wind up with a pack of wolves?

Buck:  Well, it's kind of a long story. My life was uneventful enough to start. I had a very happy early life with my first master, Judge Miller, in California. He treated me real well, and I had no problem with humans. As a matter of fact, I kind of liked them.

Then, the Judge's gardener, Manuel, stole me. That's when everything changed.

Greg:  What happened?

Buck:  I was shipped up north in a crate. Wound up in Seattle. They treated me bad. Didn't give me any food or water. There was this guy in this red sweater, he was the worst. When I got out of that crate, I was on him quick. I'd turned mean. But he taught me a lesson. He beat the tar out of me with his club. Taught me that a man with a club was someone to be careful of.

Greg:  Did you stay long in Seattle?

Buck:  No, thank goodness. A couple of nice people named Francois and Perrault bought me and took me up to Alaska. They trained me to be a sled dog. It was tough going at first. Alaska was cold--a lot colder than anything I was used to. Plus, I had a hard time fitting in.

Spitz, the lead sled dog, saw me as some kind of a threat or something. Finally, he challenged me to a fight. Luckily, I won, and the rest of the sled team accepted me as the lead dog. After that, things were easier, but it didn't last.

Greg:  Oh my, why not?

Buck:  Because people can be cruel and greedy. When they get the gold frenzy, they don't care how they treat anyone, man or beast. It doesn't matter, they treat everyone like dogs. The sled team was sold to some guy who delivered the mail. The load we had to pull was terribly heavy. It was brutal, I can tell you.

Finally, it got to the point where we were just exhausted. We weren't any good for anything, so we all got sold.

Greg:  I hope they were decent. Who were they?

Buck:  Three of the tenderest greenhorns you ever want to see. They had gold fever, but didn't know the first thing about living out in the wild. It was awful. First they fed us too much. Then, the food starts getting short, so they don't feed us anything at all. I mean, make up your mind already. 

Well, we meet this guy, John Thornton, who tells the greenhorns not to cross the river. It's thawing out, and they're bound to fall through. I had to agree with him, but the greenhorns didn't want to hear it. So I decided that heck, I wasn't going to cross any thawing river. I lay down and didn't move.

Greg:  What happened then?

Buck:  This guy Thornton cuts me loose and takes me with him. The rest of the team and the three greenhorns die in the river, of course. Thornton--he was good to me. He takes care of me. I hadn't been so happy since I left the Judge. I saved his neck a couple of times.

Round about this time. I met a wolf. He gave me a strange feeling, one of a wild freedom that I wished I could share. Eventually, I found myself without a master again, and decided that I'd had enough of human society and would answer the call of the wild.

Greg:  Well, thanks for your time, Buck. It was interesting to hear your story.

Buck:  No problem, the woods are cold, and it was nice to sit by a fire again, if only for a little while. But I think I prefer my pack mates to you humans. Later.

Monday Interview Series: Captain Nemo

Today, we're leaving The Deliverers Publishing Headquarters to take to the seas. We're going under the sea--20,000 leagues under the sea--to talk to the mysterious Captain Nemo. We were lucky enough to be invited aboard his wonderful submarine, Nautilus, to spend a little time getting to know him better.

Greg:  Thanks for inviting us to spend a little time with you, Captain. I know that you don't like to talk much about yourself, but I was wondering what you did before taking to the seas.

Nemo:  I was once known as Prince Dakkar, the son of a Hindu Raja of the Indian Kingdom of Bundelkund. In my youth, I watched as the imperial forces of the British Empire conquered my beloved land. In the fighting, I lost both my kingdom and my family.

I decided to devote my life to scientific endeavors in order to put an end to imperialism and lead the world into a new era of peace. To that end, I and those loyal to me worked to devise a fantastic machine, capable of diving to great depths.

Greg:  Let me guess, we're in it, right?

Nemo:  Correct. This wondrous vessel, called Nautilus, is my masterpiece. It is a world unto itself, free of the greed and evil that thrives upon the land. With it I could liberate treasure from sunken ships. With that treasure, I have been able to create a Utopian society where man is free to evolve into a higher order without the mundane thirst for power that drives the surface dwellers. True freedom only exists beneath the sea, for it is the only place beyond the greedy grasp of mankind.

Greg:  Very impressive and admirable ideals, Captain. But isn't it true that you indulge in some of those very things yourself? For instance, haven't you been known to attack ships?

Nemo:  You are correct, up to a point. It is true that I, we--my crew and I--have attacked ships. However, I never attack unless attacked. The vessels that I have sunk were ships of war, those whose express purpose is to wreak havoc upon the weak and oppressed.

No sir, I do not indulge in violence, as you say. Rather, I protect the seas and all creatures in them from the marauding forces of man. Besides, the laws and conventions of the surface dwellers do not apply to those of us who live beneath the waves in tranquility and peace.

Greg:  Okay, okay, no need to get so uptight. I get it. Since we're down here under the waves as your guests we'll just go with it--when in Rome, and all that. It must be an exciting life, living beneath the sea. Can you tell us a little about your adventures?

Nemo:  Ah, yes, my adventures. Where to begin? There was our journey to the ice fields of Antarctica, in which we journeyed underneath the ice. The Nautilus was trapped there for a time, but I and my crew worked 'round the clock to free her. After that, I was able to claim Antarctica for my own.

We have been lucky enough to view most all of the marvels that the sea has to offer. But perhaps the most magnificent was the lost City of Atlantis. Magnificent and wonderful are its buildings and streets, but cold and lifeless. Wonders there are, but also memories of pain and suffering that the sea will never be able to expunge.

Then, there was the time we were under attack from a school of squid. It was difficult to fend them off, and I lost a member of my crew in the process--very disturbing. My crew are my family now. Losing one of them is heart wrenching, I must say. I have lost so many that have been close to me...

Greg:  It must get pretty lonely traveling through the sea, although I have to say the Nautilus is lovely.

Nemo:  She is magnificent, is she not? I have tried my best to make my crew as comfortable as possible, although I myself do not indulge in such things. This sitting room for instance, is finely appointed with works of fine art and sculpture. There are also pearls, coral and other rare and beautiful treasures of the sea that I have harvested.

My one indulgence is my organ, which I love to play. I must say that, with all modesty, I am quite skilled. It's notes are the only thing that can sooth my tortured soul.

Greg:  Well, Captain, I must say that this conversation has been very enlightening. Thank you so much for your hospitality. Uh, do you think you could drop us off now?

Nemo:  I'm afraid that I can't do that. You see, there's always the chance that you will alert the authorities to our whereabouts. You will be spending the rest of your life with us. Gotcha! just kidding! I really had you going, didn't I? I could see you getting worried. No really, we'll drop you off. Is Mystic Seaport okay?

Mon...er...Tuesday Interview Series: Huckleberry Finn

Hello. The schedule's a little out of whack this week, so I'll be posting Monday's interview today instead. Way back in January, our first interview was with Tom Sawyer. This week, we were able to catch up to his cohort, Huckleberry Finn.

Greg:  Welcome, Huckleberry. I'm really glad you could take some time away from the Mississippi to come up north.

Huckleberry:  Thank 'ee very much fer invitin' me. I aint never had no call t' come up this ways before. Mighty purty country ya got here. By the way, ya kin call me Huck, all m' friends does.

Greg:  Well, thanks, Huck. That leads nicely into my first question. Can you tell us a little bit about your friends?

Huck:   Why sure. Prob'ly m' best friend'd be Tom Sawyer. Him 'n' me is thick as thieves. We've had all sorts of adventures. M' favorite was when we out skunked Injun Joe an' got a whole passel of money that set us up real nice. That's when I saved the Widder Douglas.

Greg:  Yes, Tom told me a lot about that when I spoke with him. She adopted you, right?

Huck:  Yeah, she did. She tried t' sivilize me, and made me go t' school. She said she was tryin' t' pay me back, but I shore could think of better ways t' do it. Anyways, m' pap weren't too pleased by it all. It's funny, but when I were poor he didn't pay me no mind, but as soon as I wuz rich he tried t' take me away.

He drug me way out t' the woods, which weren't too bad, as a matter o' fact, compared with school. But Pap wuz powerful taken with drink most ever night, an' he'd get real mean an' dangerous. So, I fooled ever one inta thinkin' I was murdered, an' I snuck away t' Jackson's Island, where I was gonna live like a king.

Greg:  Why didn't you stay there?

Huck:  I met up with ol' Miss Watson's slave, Jim, who was escapin' t' Ohia. We decided t' team up an' lit out on a raft t' see some o' the mighty Mississip. At first, I looked at Jim as just a slave. I thought he might be useful. But, by an' by, I come t' realise he were a person same as me, an' we become good friends. Funny how floatin' on a river just settin' an' talkin' with a body can teach ya a whole lot more than any book learnin'.

Greg:  Did you and Jim have many adventures?

Huck:  Oh my, yes. We was stuck in the middle of a feud 'tween the Grangerfords and the Shephersons which made the Hatfields and McCoys look like blood kin. 'Most all the Grangerford menfolk were killed. It weren't pretty.

Then we met up with two fellers who said they was a Duke an' a King. We took them along an' we put in t' towns along the river puttin' on shows. Jim got all painted up in blue an' pretended t' be a Arab--don't know what bein' blue had t' do with it. Anyhow, this duke an' this king got us involved in some scheme t' steal money from the dead. I took the money away from 'em an' hid it in a coffin.

Jim an' me got away, but the duke an' the king found us an' escaped with us. They wound up sellin' Jim an' then I had t' rescue him.

Greg:  It all sounds like a wild adventure. How did it come to be written down?

Huck:  Oh, well there's an interestin' story 'bout that. Ya see, me 'n' Tom met up with this ol' feller by the name o' Mark Twain, an' Mr. Twain was powerful interested in hearin' 'bout our adventures. So, first he had Tom tell his story--in his own words mind--an' he wrote 'em down. Then, it was my turn. I told him all 'bout the Widder an' ol' Jim an' the Duke an' the King. Mr. Twain, he sat there a scribblin' away with an ol' lead pencil just as fast as I could talk. Now that's sommethin', 'cuz I kin talk like the wind.

Anyways, he sat there a scribblin' an' when I was done, he give both of us a couple licorice whips an' a chaw of tobacca each, an' then took off without so much as a thank'ee. Then 'fore I knows it, these here books show up at the gen'ral store. They's all 'bout me 'n' Tom. Made a powerful amount o' money for ol' Mr. Twain, I hear, but I aint seen none of it.

Greg:  Umm, I see. Well, I suppose there are two sides to every story, and that's a side that I've never heard before. Thank you very much for your time, Huck. It's been great settin' on the river and jawin' with you for a spell.

Huck:  Any time. Maybe next time y'all can come t' St. Petersburg an' have Sunday supper with me 'n'  the Widder Douglas. She cooks good, but she makes me wash m' hands say m' prayers before I eat. Then there's the bath I have t' take ever Saturday night, don't even get me started on that! I guess I'm gonna have t' get used t' bein' sivilized.

Monday Interview Series: Mowgli

A couple of months back, we interviewed Tarzan. This week, we'll be speaking with another son of the jungle, Mowgli from The Jungle Book. Luckily, Mowgli was in the area on a Disney movie tour, so we didn't have to hike on out to the Indian jungle. Let's check out what he had to say.

Greg:  Hi Mowgli, thanks for stopping by. So, you're on a publicity tour for Disney?

Mowgli:  Yes, they are re-releasing the movie, so I'm making some appearances to the 45th anniversary of the film.

Greg:  Really? That's not something that I would have thought you'd go for.

Mowgli:  Well, normally, you would be correct, but times are tough. The jungles in India are rapidly disappearing. There's not much room to roam, so I thought that if I'd have to return to the man village, I would do it on my own terms and see a little bit of the world.

Greg: Okay, fair enough. Now, I know your basic history, that your parents were killed in the jungle in a tiger attack, and that you were raised by wolves. What was it like to be raised in a wolf pack.

Mowgli:  It was a great way to grow up--definitely better than growing up in the man village. I got to run with the pack, and pull thorns from their paws. I could out stare any wolf in the pack, and I was a really good hunter.

Greg:  Didn't they give you a nickname?

Mowgli:  Uh huh. They called me Frog because I did not have any hair and I moved around a lot.

Greg:  It sounds like you had a great time in the jungle. Were there any drawbacks?

Mowgli:  There were not. Oh, except for Shere Khan, the tiger. He thought I belonged to him, but the wolf pack would not surrender me. After that, he was always plotting to kill me. He caused me a lot of trouble, but finally, I discovered a weapon that he could not withstand.

Greg:  And what was that?

Mowgli:  Fire. Shere Khan was deathly afraid of it. I used it to herd him into a ravine, then I stampeded some buffalo to trample him. That is--how do the manthings say--oh yes, that is how we roll in the jungle.

Greg:  Uh, yes, I guess that's how we'd say it. Shere Khan sounds like a formidable enemy. Did you have any friends?

Mowgli:  The wolves were my friends and pack mates, but I also made other friends. There was Baloo, for one. He was my teacher and friend. He was a very wise bear who taught me all about the law of the jungle.

Then there was Bagheera, the black panther. He was raised as a captive of the manthings, and knows a great deal about their ways. It was he who told me about the fire. He and Baloo saved me from the monkeys once.

Greg:  All in all, it sounds like a fun and interesting life in the jungle. Thank you for spending some time with us.  Hopefully, we'll be able to preserve some of it so that you won't have to travel around promoting movies all the time.

Mowgli:  I hope so. I much prefer the regular jungle. Here, there aren't any trees, and the concrete jungle hurts my feet.