The ffitch and Ramouse

[Palustris]

This is the ffitch.

His job is to sit against the wall and stop the door handle from banging into the wall when someone opens the door too roughly. He gets his name from the noise he makes when the door hits him. He does not mind being hit as he is asleep during the day.
This is Ramouse

Ramouse is a child's right hand glove. He is shaped like a mouse. He has a twin sister, Lamouse. She disappeared a long time ago. He hangs on the back of the Door. He wakes up when the ffitch comes to life when all the pole in the house have gone to sleep.
During the day the Door opens out into the Hall, but at night it opens to somewhere completely different every night. Ramouse can open the Door easily. He and the ffitch go through into the other places where they have fantastic adventures. Ramouse firmly believes that one day he will find his sister in one of these different places.


That is the beginning of a new set of stories. Now I just need some ideas of what adventures they can have.

[hilberry]

Hummm.... they need transport, maybe a red dragon as ffitch sounds Welsh.

[Palustris]

This is the Door into the Hall.

[Butternut]

Perhaps at night a spiral staircase appears behind that very secure door, with landings, and more doors, each from a different period in history going down, and into a future time going up. That would offer you more scope for stories perhaps.

[Palustris]

Have to be careful that it does not become like Bagpuss or Mr.Ben or the Enid Blyton one where the top of a tree leads to different places.

[Miss Piggin]

Ah, the Faraway Tree. That was my favourite Enid Blyton series. Takes me back...

[Butternut]

Your tales could lead to the lands of lost, stolen or abandoned toys. A bit of history for each one perhaps, the children who played nicely (or not so nicely) with them, some toys who escaped a horrid child, others dropped by accident or thrown away by parents because they were in need of repair or a wash. The toys could be reunited with the original owners, or adopted, or just left where they are found. Lots of people had favourite toys they still remember. My son had a bendy Pluto, which fell to bits eventually (he's 52 on Tuesday & still has a Pluto collection). My daughter loved her Weeble family, especially the tree house. Mine was a 'golly' not PC these days but he went into hospital with me when I had my tonsils out (aged 5) and they lost him! I did get a replacement but it wasn't the same.

[Palustris]

Thanks, nice idea, but a bit like Bagpuss in a way. He came to life while the mice repaired what ever was put in the shop window.

[peonymad]

Perhaps the other doors or steps lead to a variety of other dimensions, not a new idea I guess. Gives an opportunity to be outside earth time for longer tales in different environments. Helping children or toys perhaps matching a toy in one dimension to a child in a different one.

[Palustris]

Trouble at the moment is that everything I think of comes out too much like something already done. Anything with lots of doors is like Monsters Inc film.

[Butternut]

Perhaps a rethink is required on how you set the scene for Ramouse & Ffitch to begin their adventures - as going through the door to the hall makes it difficult to come up with an original idea. Rabbit holes and mirrors should also be avoided. Could Lamouse be trying to contact her brother with the help of 'others' who leave weird clues that they have to make sense of to find her, encountering lots of other interesting things as they search El Losterado (no-one appears to have used that name before btw)?

[magstar]

A river with a boat? Someone comes in and kidnaps them?

[Palustris]

Leave it with me for the moment. At the moment I am struggling with a shoulder strain which makes typing for any length of time very painful so not writing anything much (except bits on here).

[hilberry]

Jan 11, 2024 17:36:37 GMT 1 Palustris said:

Leave it with me for the moment. At the moment I am struggling with a shoulder strain which makes typing for any length of time very painful so not writing anything much (except bits on here).

I hope with some rest, it eases, Pal. It at least gives you thinking time.

[Palustris]

This is the first 'person' I had thought about them meeting.

He thinks he is a toy, but when they take him to Lost Toy Land, he cannot get in as he is actually a Door Keeper like the ffitch. His name comes from the human who owns him. She said Oopiggy on first meeting. Got no further than that.

[Mommydoos]

I've got an idea...the ffitch and ramouse sounds like a couple of policemen to me....as in starsky & hutch. Send them out there hunting down their criminals....could be exciting & more appealing to youngsters 😉 Just a thought.

[Miss Piggin]

Jan 11, 2024 17:55:26 GMT 1 Palustris said:

This is the first 'person' I had thought about them meeting.

He thinks he is a toy, but when they take him to Lost Toy Land, he cannot get in as he is actually a Door Keeper like the ffitch. His name comes from the human who owns him. She said Oopiggy on first meeting. Got no further than that.

Is that one of my cousins? 

[Palustris]

The ffitch and Ramose met this chap when they go through the Door. He is in tears as he is lost. He tells them his name is Ooopiggy as this was what his human said when she first saw him. They take him to Lost Toy land. At the entrance the guard will not let him or them in as they are not toys and only toys are allowed in. Ooopiggy may be lost be he is not a toy. He is actually a Door keeper like the ffitch. The guard says that he may well be treated like a toy by his owner, but that only makes him a companion not a toy. The guard uses the phrase "Don't play with that, it is not a toy!"
The ffitch argues, but it does not matter. The guard calls over a Mr. Plod the policeman type figure to back him up. He explains that Lost Toy land is where people look for toys which have been misplaced. The toys in there all know where they were originally lost and wait for the magic words. "So, that is where you have got to!" or "We have looked all over the place for you!" Then they disappear. Some toys never get to hear those words and stay in Lost Toy land forever. Further along the path, he explains is another land which is where thrown away toys go.
Sadly the three walk away. The ffitch decides that they must help Ooopiggy and decide to find a way to brak into Lost Toy land so that Ooopiggy's owner will know where to look.
That is as far as I got before I fell asleep.

The guard. He explains that he knows where he got lost.

[Palustris]

The policeman
He will never be found as he was made from metal and lost outside so by now he has rusted away. He is not in the Thrown away Toyland because he was lost rather than discarded.

[Palustris]

The mention of the Thrown away toyland gives the ffitch an idea. He takes Ooopiggy there and they find a key and a pair of cymbals from a long since rusted away toy. They put the key in Ooopiggy's side and give him the cymbals to hold. Next the ffitch finds something to cover himself with so that he looks like a toy rather than a Door stop (Not sure what yet).
They go back to Lost Toyland. The guard laughs at them and says that they still cannot go in as they are not toys. However he does casually say with a wink that the rear entrance to Lost Toyland is not guarded. The ffitch, Ramouse and Ooopiggy find the back entrance and go in. Almost straight away they hear a voice say "There you are, I have looked everywhere for you." A hand comes down and picks up Ooopiggy. The key and the cymbals fall off and he has just got enough time to say thank-you and good bye before disappearing. Obviously written properly there will be more details.

Ooopiggy as a toy.

[Palustris]

So, do I write this properly or not bother?

[peonymad]

I like it Pal, for me it's continue. Please.

[Palustris]

Will do, once the RSI goes away and I can sit and tripe.
Need to come up with another chapter for next time they go through the door though.

[Palustris]

Thought of something .
Concerns this sad Teddy.

[Palustris]

The next time The ffitch and Ramouse go through the door, they find themselves next to the Thrown away toyland. Here they meet a sad looking Teddy bear called Tubby. He has been thrown away because his growl has stopped working. They ask if there is any way he can be repaired. He does not know, but an Owl money box tells them that there is a Toy mender who can help. BUT there is a problem in that thrown away toys cannot leave this part of Toyland.

The Owl money box
The Owl shows them the cymbals and key which they took to help Ooopiggy pretend to be a toy. When he was found the cymbals and key returned to the broken toys area. The ffitch wondered if Tubby was mended if he would go to the Lost toys area, but the Owl said not. So, even if Tubby was mended he would return to the thrown away toys place. Also the Owl showed them that broken toys could not leave the area. Tubby tried and failed. Lamouse pointed out that the cymbals and the key had got out and that he and the ffitch could come and go with no problem.
"You are not toys," said the Owl. The ffitch wondered if they could carry Tubby out. They tried to lift him but he was too heavy.

[Palustris]

After some experimenting they find that as long as they are touching Tubby he does not return to the Thrown away area. To move him, they load him onto an old roller skate.

Tubby on the skate.

[Palustris]

The ffitch and Ramouse push Tubby on the skate across to where the Toy mender is sitting. He has all sorts of tools and sewing equipment ready. He tells Tubby that it will not hurt anmd he opens up the bears chest. The growl is removed, mended and replaced. The ffitch keeps hold of the bear while it is being done. The skate gently slides back to the Thrown toyland.

The Toy mender.

[Palustris]

I have made a start writing out this story.Chapter 1 done.

[Palustris]

The story is the same as the summary, but expanded. Want to read it? Not bothered if folks say No thanks.

[hilberry]

I'd like to read it, Pal.