How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
"Where are they going, Louise?"
"Europe," Louise said. Just that one word like the crack of doom.
"Where's that?" Beatrice was agog.
Louise said, "Europe is across the—"
"Never mind where it is," I said before Louise could tell Beatrice that Europe is across the ocean. Water is not a happy subject with us, and I wouldn't have Beatrice worried. (1.24-28)
Helena and her siblings have just heard that the Upstairs Cranstons are in for an adventure and are heading to Europe. This will require some serious exploration and major changes, and it sounds to us like Helena isn't happy about what lies ahead. In fact, she seems downright scared.
Quote #2
But I saw change coming, and that's always a worry, especially if you are the oldest. (1.43)
We know that Helena is a huge worrywart, and when it comes to big changes, she can worry with the best of them. Moving to England is one seriously huge change, plus Helena puts a lot of pressure on herself as the oldest sibling. How do you think being the oldest affects Helena's sense of adventure? Is she a more cautious explorer as a result? Or does she become a more daring explorer instead?
Quote #3
The doorbell rang again.
"I'll go," said Louise, out of her chair, and her skirt. She could never wait to stick her nose into whatever might be happening.
"Curiosity killed the cat," I called out to her. This is one of my favorite sayings. Beatrice would have scurried after her if I hadn't given her one of my looks. (2.21-23)
While they live in America, Helena is cautious as can be—she doesn't even want to go exploring in her own house. But that doesn't mean her sisters lack curiosity. In fact, Louise likes to go exploring all over the house—especially if it concerns Camilla. And Beatrice sounds like a pretty curious mouse, too. Do you think Helena's favorite saying turns out to be right? Does curiosity kill the cat?
Quote #4
Lamont exploded out of the front passage and was all over us. Lamont—flinging himself on the floor, right there on the rag rug. His eyes rolled like a mad horse. His underbelly showed pale as paper through his fur.
We were all on our feet. A chair fell over. A valuable chair.
Beatrice stifled a scream and pointed. "Oh, Lamont, where is the rest of your tail?" (2.59-61)
Lamont loves exploring, and if that means he ends up in the scary barn, so be it. But when he loses part of his tail to a snake, he sees that there are definitely risks to being so curious. Check out how each sibling reacts. Do their reactions make exploration seem like a risk worth taking? Or should Lamont have stayed out of the barn in the first place?
Quote #5
"There is nothing I wouldn't do to keep the family together," I said in a voice gone weak as… water. "Nothing. After all, I am Helena, the—"
"Then you will have to go to great lengths." Aunt Fannie fingered a final whisker. "Great lengths indeed. Across land and sea, water and the world!" She shook a fist at the heavens. "A world of steam and humans and long, long distance!" (5.101-102)
Aunt Fannie has some advice for Helena: if she wants to keep her family together, then they're going to have to go on a big adventure together. In fact, it sounds like Aunt Fannie thinks going exploring together might be the only hope for the Cranston mice. Sure there'll probably be some rough times ahead, but this big adventure still might be a good thing in the long run.
Quote #6
We sailed away to London, England, Louise and Beatrice, Lamont and I. We began our journey by steamer trunk—that biggest trunk that had stood open for days in Camilla's bedroom, filling up with her new finery. It had drawers inside.
We packed a morsel of food, for we little knew where our next meal was coming from. But we took not a stitch of clothes, as we had no luggage. (6.1-2)
Helena and her siblings are some prepared little mice. Sure they don't have mini backpacks to bring with them on their adventures, but they're still thinking ahead about food. Plus they've found a decent place to hideout as they travel. Go team.
Quote #7
We couldn't see a moment ahead. We couldn't see anything. Louise whimpered. Beatrice clung. I'd have taken my chances back home. Gladly. But you can't go back, not in this life. You have to go forward. (6.11)
Helena, Beatrice, and Louise are having a rough time on their first adventure—so far traveling across the Atlantic isn't their cup of tea. Helena is even so upset about the trip that she wants to go back home. Check out each of the sisters' reactions to their new adventure. Do their reactions seem similar to one another?
Quote #8
But luck was not with me. He was through that door and on my tail. Now I ran at random. My feet went faster than my thoughts. I might have been headed anywhere, even onto the ballroom floor beneath the heedless feet of all those milling humans.
Instead, I seemed to skim over the carpet of a corridor. It was a deck nearly as grand as the Princess's Royal Suite. Maids bustled from door to door, carrying bed linens. I fled too fast to be seen. But they couldn't miss the snarling cat. With any luck, a maid would fetch him a good swift kick in the other direction.
It wasn't to be. I picked the first closed door, and was under it in a furry flash. Without a second to spare. (11.26-28)
If you're looking for a good chase scene in this book, well here it is. In this game of cat and mouse, Helena is on the run and the ship cat is raring to snatch her. Eek, right? But in the end, this cat chase also leads Helena to discover little Lord Sandown's room… so maybe all this exploring has an upside after all.
Quote #9
"Lamont, you don't mean—"
"I'll be pursuing a career as Assistant Cabin Steward, with prospects." He drew himself up, as much as he could. "It's me destiny."
Destiny. Where did he even learn that word?
We gazed at our brother, trying to think. You know how mice are about water. And Lamont meant to spend his life at sea. You can't make these things up.
"Oh, Lamont." I worked my hands. The bothersome boy! "What if something happens to your tail? Who will sew it back?"
But he thrust his patchy tail well out of sight and turned his little pointy chinless face to the future. (13.63-68)
When it comes to being adventurous, Helena can be very cautious and Lamont is super daring. He wastes no time starting a new adventure on the ship, and he's ready to explore the world, with or without his tail.
Quote #10
Three small figures, gray as the dawn, gathered on the carpet of Camilla's cabin, nose to nose to nose. You know who. We were nearly tuckered out from the gala dinner with dancing to follow. It had gone on far into the night.
Now we had only moments to scale the trunk, up to Camilla's handkerchief drawer, for the journey on to London. The time had come once more to pack ourselves for shipping. (15.2-3)
Now that they've reached England, Helena is in for a whole new set of adventures exploring Buckingham Palace and meeting British mice. What do you think about Helena's attitude toward these new adventures here? Does she sound excited? Or scared? Do you think Helena has become more adventurous throughout the book? Or is she as cautious as ever?