holmes_minor | Fic: Well Dressed Puppets

Title: Well Dressed Puppets
Form/Word Count: 354
Characters/Pairing: Mouselet, Aemelia Vole
Rating: G
Warning/Content: Mouselet and Aemelia are discussing their latest project
The next part of More Ferret Tales, but can stand alone.

“Are you sure about it?” Mouselet asked Aemelia Vole. “I thought the Ferret said he needed a peacock outfit.”

“No,” Aemelia replied. “Dr Watson explained what they wanted, and Mr Holmes drew a sketch. The Ferret needs an Indian style robe, I believe it’s called an achkan, in a peacock blue colour. That’s the material there.” She pointed to a square of material on the table.

“Oh, is that peacock blue?” Mouselet said. “I thought it was turquoise.”

“I think it is. But the actual peacock blue material was real silk, and therefore not suited to the Ferret.”

Mouselet nodded. “Quite impractical,” she agreed.

“Then on the back I shall embroider a peacock.”

“Oh, that sounds nice. Isn’t he supposed to be wearing a turban as well? I saw him trying to tie one, he nearly managed to strangle himself.”

“Dr Watson is going to make the turban and then hopefully you can stitch it in place and add some elastic to go under his chin. It won’t be very authentic, but with any luck it will stay on his head.”

“Yes, I can do that,” Mouselet replied. “So, if the Ferret isn’t going as a peacock, what exactly is he going to be?”

“He’s a string puppet. He’ll have little strings round his legs and he’ll do a dance. Dr Watson will look as though he’s operating the strings, but all he will have to do is move the handle around a bit and the Ferret will do the rest.”

“Well, I suppose it won’t be any worse than the barrel organ and the monkey,” Mouselet said.

Aemelia looked doubtful. “I’m not so sure about that. Mr Holmes has also bought a proper puppet, a camel, which the doctor is going to operate with his other hand. If we have time they’d like us to make a saddle cloth and hat for the camel.”

Mouselet rolled her eyes. “Somehow I can’t see this being a roaring success. But at least the doctor should start out with some beautifully dressed puppets.”

Aemelia laughed. “In which case, we had better get on with our task.”