LOGLINE
Some people just don’t know
how to be nice, even when you save their lives . . . but maybe one day.
PITCH
Mr. Ferret relentlessly
pokes fun at Mr. Porcupine, who has given up trying to be nice and now just
ignores the smelly weasel. Threatened by a pack of wolves, Mr. Ferret does a
ridiculous weasel war dance, but Mr. Porcupine sacrifices his full body of
quills to drive the wolves away. Mr. Ferret begrudgingly admits Mr. Porcupine
might have saved him, but the quill-less Mr. Porcupine is already back up in
his tree, sleeping.
SYNOPSIS
Mr. Ferret is a nosy
know-it-all weasel that likes to tell Mr. Porcupine that he is the most
preposterous creature he has ever met. Every morning he hurls insults up the
tree, but Mr. Porcupine pretends not to hear. Every ounce of Mr. Porcupine’s
flesh wants to throw his quills at the ferret, but he’s afraid Mr. Ferret might
get hurt. Or at the very least someone around him might lose an eye. When the
kindly-offered leaves and herbs do not calm the weasel, Mr. Porcupine just stays
up in his tree, especially when Mr. Ferret leaves behind his potent body odor
of rotten eggs.
One morning Mr. Ferret slinks
by the porcupine’s tree and calls out all sorts of taunting insults. Mr.
Porcupine calls back, warning him of a nearby pack of wolves he can see from
his higher perspective. Mr. Ferret laughs at him, so Mr. Porcupine sighs and
decides to fall back to sleep. All of a sudden, the growling wolves lope over
the bank. Every quill on Mr. Porcupine’s body rises in defense. The wolves don’t
see him high up in the tree, but they do charge right for the smelly weasel. Instead
of running away Mr. Ferret starts a little dance—the weasel war dance. He hops
and bumps sideways, clicking and hissing. He squeaks this way and that, showing
his teeth, and leaving hairballs at his feet.
Although he can’t stand Mr.
Ferret, Mr. Porcupine would miss their morning routine. He often wonders if Mr.
Ferret really wants to be friends, but just doesn’t know how to express it.
As the wolves get closer,
Mr. Porcupine sends his quills spinning down. He secretly hopes the sharp
spines will poke out the eyes of the fierce wolves, and Mr. Ferret will have
enough time to run. Before the wolves know what is happening, the quills strike
the pack like daggers. They moan, cry, and whimper away. Mr. Ferret keeps on dancing.
Mr. Porcupine climbs down the tree with not one quill intact, explaining that he saved the ferret’s life. When he does not get a positive response, he climbs back up his tree, and shuts his eyes. Then Mr. Ferret takes a step backward and lands on a single porcupine quill. He angrily admits it might have been the porcupine that saved his life and not his dancing. Mr. Porcupine is already snoring, dreaming that his quills grow back very soon. He decides to ignore Mr. Ferret, like he does most mornings, and maybe one day the weasel will save his preposterous porcupine life in return.
Mr. Porcupine climbs down the tree with not one quill intact, explaining that he saved the ferret’s life. When he does not get a positive response, he climbs back up his tree, and shuts his eyes. Then Mr. Ferret takes a step backward and lands on a single porcupine quill. He angrily admits it might have been the porcupine that saved his life and not his dancing. Mr. Porcupine is already snoring, dreaming that his quills grow back very soon. He decides to ignore Mr. Ferret, like he does most mornings, and maybe one day the weasel will save his preposterous porcupine life in return.
Copyright 2022 Jennifer Waters
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