Cinderfella, Chapter 3: More Chores
#4 of Cinderfella
Chapter 3: More Chores
Suddenly, Pepito heard the servant bell ringing from Antonio's bedroom and a loud "PEPITO!" following after. "I'm coming," replied Pepito, "Morning, noon and night it's-" PEPITO!" called Antonio along with the ringing bell which was followed by two other bells and two more voices called out, "PEPITO!" "In a minute," Pepito said and he got the breakfast trays ready to be carried to his stepfamily up stairs. But what he hadn't noticed was that Jerry had spotted Tom and the little mouse scurried up the table and hid under Cecilia's teacup. The cat trailed the trays to their destination. Once Pepito delivered the right trays to their destinations, he was always given the day's work. Tom waited and waited for a sound, any kind of a sound that could mean mouse. Just then, he heard a scream from Cecilia's room. "PAPA! PAPA! PAPA!" she screamed as she ran out of the room. She pointed her finger at Pepito. "You... You did that on purpose!" she snapped and ran into her father's room to tell him what happened. Tom dashed into the bedroom, snatched Jerry into his paws and padded out into the hallway making sure that his prize was not seen. Just as Tom was about to eat the poor little mouse, which should approach him but Pepito; the Dalmatian tapped his foot and looked sternly at Tom. "Alright, Tom. What did you do with him?" he said sternly to the cat. Tom just shrugged his shoulders like he had nothing to do with it. "Oh you're not fooling anybody," Pepito said grabbing the scruff of Tom's neck, "Come on. Let him go." Tom reluctantly opened his paws and there was Jerry. As soon as he was free, he scampered away into a mouse hole. "Oh, Tom. Won't you ever learn," Pepito sighed and suddenly there was a "Pepito!" from the stepfather. Tom smiled and pranced into the room. Antonio, Felicia and Cecilia stood outside the door and grinned. "Are you gonna get it now," Cecilia said smugly. "Close the door, Pepito," the stepfather said. Pepito did so and he walked forward to his stepfather. Pepito said, "Please, you don't think that I had-" "Hold your tongue," barked the stepfather sternly and then he sighed with a chuckle, "Now... it seems we have time on our hands." Pepito tried to explain but he was cut off. "But I was only trying to-" "SILENCE!" snapped the stepfather and he continued, "Time for vicious, practical jokes. Perhaps we can put it to better use." Tom lay there grinning smugly at Pepito as his stepfather began the list of chores. "Now let me see... There's the large carpet in the main hall... CLEAN it! And the windows, upstairs and down... WASH them!" he said and continued on, "Oh yes, and the tapestries and the draperies." Pepito had to say something quick. "But I just did them-" "DO THEM AGAIN!" declared the stepfather and then went on in his calm demeanor, "And don't forget the garden, scrub the terrace, sweep the halls and the stairs, clean the chimneys, and of course there's the sewing, the mending and the laundry." Pepito's stepfather sipped his tea and Tom looked over with a smirk. "Oh yes, and one more thing," the stepfather said, "See that Tom gets his bath." Tom smirked and then looked shocked before going sour. Pepito sighed and he agreed.
Later, he was doing the laundry when Speedy and the other mice came up to him. "We're sorry," Speedy said. "It's not your doing," Pepito said with a small smile, "Besides, this isn't so bad." Jerry came up too ashamed to face Pepito. "I'm the one to blame," he squeaked, "I never should have hid under that teacup. If I weren't there in the first place, you wouldn't be working so hard." "It's okay, I forgive you," Pepito said smiling at Jerry as he folded a bed sheet hanging from the clothes line. "Don't worry, Señor Pepito. Our luck will change," Speedy said giving a thumbs up to the Dalmatian. "Vayamos amigos," Speedy said to the other mice, "Let's help Pepito get all this laundry done." At that, all the mice and some of the birds were helping Pepito hang up wet laundry and neatly fold up dry laundry. And in no time at all, the laundry was done. And then with the help of his animal friends, Pepito managed to get all his chores done by nightfall. Pepito walked up to his room exhausted but happy and lucky to have friends to help him out of a jam.