Mary Poppins 2010

[Wiseman]

okay it's a few days early but here it is:

Mary Poppins 2010​

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Chapter 1​

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An elderly man was performing a one-man band routine in Prospect Park of Brooklyn New York, when another performer came up to him.
“Move along, you old limey, this is my corner,” said the newcomer.
“First of all, you don’t own this corner, and secondly I ‘ave a name, it’s Burt,” said the first performer in a heavy Cockney British accent.
“Yeah, yeah I know and you’ve been singing about that Mary girl since you got off the boat from England back in 1920, and for 10 years before that in England itself. It’s 100 years later for Pete’s sake! Mary is dead, or if she is alive, she’s probably got a bad case of Alzheimer’s and has forgotten all about you”
“Now see ‘ere you, I’ve got ‘alf a mind to shove that trumpet of yours down your throat,” said Burt. “Mary is a grand lady, she probably is still alive and well, and even if she ‘as died, she ‘as probably earned a grand place in ‘eaven.”
“Which is where I’ll be sending you if you don’t move along, now take your drum and beat it!” said the other performer.
“How about you both move along before I run you in for performing in the park without a permit,” said a policeman coming on the scene.
The two performers looked at the policeman and decided to take his advice. The trumpeter put his instrument in his case and ran off. Burt, on the other hand, due to his rather cumbersome collection of instruments, and his advanced age, moved a little slower and more noisily but he did vacate the area.
A little later he settled down under a bridge and counted his day’s earnings.
“Hmm, twenty dollars and 49 cents not bad for a day’s work,” he said to no one in particular. He double-checked his figures and his counting and noticed that two of the coins in his take were not American.
“Well, will you look at that? Tuppence, and it’s dated 1910, now who do you suppose dropped that in me hat?” he exclaimed. He thought back to all the people who had dropped money in his hat that day. It wasn’t hard, not many people contributed to begin with most people thought of him as free entertainment, and then there were the regulars who frequented his area all the time. Suddenly he remembered an elderly woman in a wheelchair with a nurse, he judged her to be about 108, she had an accent not unlike his own, but a little bit more uppercrust.
“She couldn’t be,” he said. “Jane Banks still alive, but that’s impossible, why she was only 8 years old when Mary took care of her. But, hey I was 30, when it all happened and I’m still around, a little worse for wear, but still around.” He looked carefully at the two copper coins. “Considering their age and condition these coins would probably fetch quite a bit of money from a coin dealer.”
He set the coins aside and recounted the American money. It came to twenty dollars and forty-seven cents. “I think I’ll hold on to these,” he said, “If that was Jane Banks she’s liable to show up again and then I’ll ask her who she is, and how she came to America. If she is indeed Jane Banks, she should also be able to catch me up on the family and the bank itself; I do remember hearing that the Dawes, Masters, Crumley, Fidelity, Fiduciary Bank had set up a branch here in the states. What’s more, if she’s still alive then maybe Mary is too.” He put the money in his pocket and headed out of the park toward his home.

 

[Wiseman]

editing note

I was reviewing the first chapter of this story and decided to do an accuracy check on the name of the bank where George Banks used to work. I went to youtube and found a karaoke version of the "Fidelity Fiduciary Bank" song and found out that the name is indeed the "Dawes, Tomes, Mousely, Grubbs, Fidelity, Fiduciary Bank" Unfortunately I can't make an erditing at this late date so I will just insert this note here and make the changes in future chapters where the bank is mentioned.

 

[Super Scooter]

Will this be... Muppety?

 

[Wiseman]

yes

As I mentioned in another thread I am planning on introducing the muppets first as toys belonging to this generation of the Banks children, who will be just as unruly as the generation of 100 years earlier, and then when the celebrated Miss Poppins arrives they will magically come to life as so many other things did in her presence. I am presently working on the second chapter wherein the older Miss Jane Banks will talk with Burt and catch him up on the occurrences of the last 100 years.

 

[Wiseman]

chapter 2

Chapter 2​

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The next day, Burt set up again at the same location. However, this time after placing his hat on the ground, he dropped in the same two English coins that he had found in his gatherings at the end of the previous day’s work.
“Now then,” he said, thinking out loud again, “I think today, I’ll try a little comical poetry mixed in with my usual band routine.” He started banging his drum and playing his trumpet and his bells on his knees. He even squeezed his accordion and made the cymbals on top of his drum clang a few times. As he began to play a crowd began to gather. Mostly it was his regulars who had seen him before, in fact, he even knew some of their names and habits, so he could create the poems on the spot just as he did 100 years ago and rely on them being reasonably accurate. He was going along very well when an old lady in a wheelchair with an Africa-American nurse showed up. He spotted the pair right away; however he pretended not to notice and continued to create his poems and songs. Then he focused on the woman.
“Now then Miss, what might be your name?” he said.
“Banks, Jane Banks,” said the old lady.
“Why, it is you,” he said
“Excuse me,” said Miss Banks.
“Don’t you recognize me,” said Burt
“Should I?” said Miss Banks.
“Does the name Burt mean anything to you?” asked Burt.
“Why it is you,” said Miss Banks.
“Excuse me,” said the nurse, “do you and Miss Banks know each other?”
“We most certainly do,” said Burt, “in fact, how does this sound: Miss Banks, to be quite frank had a father who was a bit of a crank. Till he met with Miss Poppins who showed him there was more to the world than just tuppence and gave him his come-uppance.”
“That’s father alright, in fact, even after Mary left us he still sometimes reverted to his old ways,” said Miss Banks.
“You were at my show yesterday,” said Burt, “but I didn’t recognize you. You dropped this in my hat.” He fished around in the hat and found the two old British coins. He pressed them into Miss Banks’ hand. “Now then, suppose you tell me what’s happened in the past hundred years, since I left England?”
“Well, father and mother have died of course, but as for my brother Michael and me, Michael had kids, and his kids had kids and his kids had kids. In fact if he were alive today, he would be a great-grandfather,” said Jane. By this time the crowd had dispersed, as it was becoming obvious that the free poetry and music concert had ended and that Burt had decided to put aside the accumulation of small change, for the slightly less profitable, but far more worthy pursuit of the accumulation of big memories.
“Let me get this straight,” said the nurse, “Mary Poppins was a real woman.”
“Yes, she was,” said Burt. “Why wouldn’t you think so?”
“The fact that many of the stories she tells of her a little bit outlandish, not to mention that ridiculous fourteen syllable word she uses to describe her,” said the nurse.
“You mean supercalifragilisticexpialidocious?” said Burt.
“Ok, now that someone else has used the word, I might want to speak to the doctors about revising our earlier diagnosis regarding Miss Banks’ state of mind,” said the nurse.
“Don’t tell me you thought this old lady had gone daft in her old age,” said Burt.
“We prefer the term mentally impaired” said the nurse.
“Madam, if you ask me it is you who are mentally impaired” said Burt, “but I can assure you that Miss Banks and myself are 100 percent sane and sound.” He turned back to Miss Banks, “Now then, you said that your brother had given you some indirect descendants.”
“That’s correct,” said Miss Banks, “a great-great nephew and a great-great niece to be exact.”
“And how are the two representatives of the Bank family in question?” asked Burt.
“Unfortunately, just like their great grandfather and great-great aunt,” said Miss Banks.
“A little high-spirited” said Burt.
“You could say that,” said Miss Banks. “They’ve been expelled from 3 schools and ran out 3 babysitters and 3 in-home tutors,” said Miss Banks. “Their father is at his wit’s end.”
“Sounds like they need a new nanny” said Burt.
“Actually I think what they need is to spend time with their actual parents” said Miss Banks, “but Howard fails to see that. He’s too busy with the American branch of the Dawes, Tomes Mousely Grubbs, Fidelity, Fiduciary Bank to spend time with his family.”
“And their mother, does she have any interest in raising her children?” asked Burt.
“She’s too busy running a book publishing firm to do it,” said Miss Banks. “Pity too, considering that Martha’s main asset is children’s books.”
“Maybe it’s time for Mary to make a trip across the pond,” said Burt.
“Maybe, but how do we contact her?” said Miss Banks.
“The same way you did last time,” said Burt.
“I do still have the original advertisement that Daddy tore up and threw in the fireplace,” said Miss Banks. “Although I’m still a bit mystified as to how she got a hold of it the first time and put it back together.”
“Give it to me and give me the address of your great-great nephew and niece,” said Burt. “I’ll see that Mary gets wind of this situation.”
Miss Banks made arrangements with Burt to meet him at her room in the nursing home on the morrow to exchange all the information.

 

[Wiseman]

chapter 3

Chapter 3​

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The next morning Burt woke up in his small 3 room apartment in Queens, and put on his best suit and headed over to the nursing home where Jane Banks lived. He had gotten the apartment with his G.I. bill money from having served in both world wars. First in WWI with the British Army then in WWII with the American Army. The money from his various street jobs kept the rent paid too, but the majority of the money was his veteran’s benefits.
To tell the truth, Burt wasn’t sure how he was going to get the information to his old friend Mary about the current situation in the Banks’ household. He had often speculated that Mary had indeed gone to her eternal reward as the trumpet player who had tried to steal his spot two days ago had insinuated. Even if Mary was still alive, she wasn’t the easiest person to reach. In spite of all this, by the time he arrived at Miss Banks nursing home he had settled upon a plan.
“Here’s the information you asked for,” said Miss Banks, handing Burt two pieces of paper. The first was an old piece of paper obviously written in a child’s handwriting that had been ripped into several pieces and then somehow taped back together. The second was a more recently typed up piece of paper with an address in Brooklyn on it.
“Thank you,” said Burt.
“Tell me, Burt, do you really think Mary can handle this assignment at her advanced age?” said Miss Banks.
“Well, you and I are no spring chickens ourselves,” said Burt, “but if Mary is alive, she can most certainly handle it”
“How are you going to contact her?” said Miss Banks.
“Just leave that to me,” said Burt. He said his goodbyes to his old friend and left the nursing home.
Later back in his apartment, he took out the two pices of paper and laid them on a table. He then opened a window that led to an air shaft.
“Hmm” he said to himself, “not quite the same as the old chimneys back home in London, but it’ll do in a pinch.” He wet a finger and held it out to the air. “Wind from the east, like something is brewin’ about to begin. What’s gonna happen and what lies in store is the same as what happened a hundred years before.” He stuck both papers out the window, instantly the wind picked up and the paper flew up into the air and disappeared from site.

 

[Wiseman]

I'm noticing a lack of responses from the public other than the question from Super Scooter about whether the Muppet will get involved in this Oh well, maybe if I speak with the Count or one of the other moderators I can get a response from them. Maybe they can also enlarge the font of this fan-fic. Anyway for anyone out there this is chapter 4 of this tale

Chapter 4​

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At the same time on a cloud about a hundred miles above the earth an elderly lady sat on top of a strange carpet bag and repeatedly pulled up a parrot-handled umbrella in a vain attempt to keep it from sinking through the cloud and back to earth. Noticing the pieces of paper fluttering through the air she grabbed them in mid flight.
“This is strange,” she said, “This is the very same advertisement that I received from Jane Banks 100 years ago, but this address is not 17 Cherry Tree Lane in London, it’s in the states” As she was still speaking another piece of paper flew into the air. “Better go here first” she read out loud and noticed two more American addresses, the first being that of her old friend Burt and the second was the address of the nursing home where Jane Banks resided.
“Well, this certainly bears looking into, don’t you think” she said addressing her umbrella.
“The apple doesn’t fall very far from the tree” said the parrot-head on top of the umbrella
“It seems to me that it has fallen very far” said Mary, pointing out the address.
“Yes,” said the umbrella, “but you wouldn’t be looking into this if you didn’t have a special- liking for those children. It seems to me that—.” Mary clamped her hand over the ornamental bird’s beak and said, “That will be quite enough of that.”
She then stood up grabbed her bag, popped her umbrella open and slowly glided down to earth. As she fell various things came into view, first she saw the sights of London, then the vast Atlantic Ocean, then as she flew over the ocean the sights of New York City came into view. Eventually she arrived at the home of her old friend Burt.

 

[dwmckim]

In all fairness, since you're posting on a Muppet forum, you could be writing the Great American Novel but until the Muppet content starts to appear, you probably shouldn't expect much response.

If someone went to a Muppet movie and it took 20 minutes for a Muppet to appear onscreen, people would demand their money back.

 

[Wiseman]

In all fairness, since you're posting on a Muppet forum, you could be writing the Great American Novel but until the Muppet content starts to appear, you probably shouldn't expect much response.

If someone went to a Muppet movie and it took 20 minutes for a Muppet to appear onscreen, people would demand their money back.

Point taken, actually the idea to bring Miss Poppins and the Banks family into the modern world and the U.S. has been on my mind for a long time now, however the Disney website doesn't have a fan-fiction section in it. Since the Muppets and Disney have merged in a way. I figured it was fitting that I try it here but add the Muppets in as characters. Actually if this were to be turned into a movie, (which I highly doubt would happen) Disney would probably not advertise it as a Mupppet movie,but merely as a regular movie, but would probably mention that the Muppets would be featured in it, and show their scenes in the trailers. Anyway, at least now I know that several people have looked at this thread, and that they are probably holding their comments until the Muppets make their appearance, which they soon will.

 

[Wiseman]

chapter 5

Chapter 5​

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“So Jane is still alive,” said Mary after being admitted into Burt’s home.
“Yes, she is,” said Burt, “unfortunately I can’t say the same for Michael. He did, however, leave behind some descendants, great-grandchildren in fact.”
“I see, and how are the children in question?” asked Mary
“According to their great-great aunt a bit high-spirited,” said Burt.
“How high-spirited,” asked Mary.
Burt told Mary the details of William and Sarah Banks’ rap sheets.
“Expelled from 3 schools! Ran out 3 nannies and 4 live-in private tutors!” exclaimed Mary.
“Yes,” said Burt.
“Well, then in that case, I had better meet with the great-great aunt first and let her know that I’m back and ready to handle them.”
Later, at the nursing home, Burt and Mary met with Jane Banks.
“So you would definitely be willing to attempt this case,” said Jane.
“Yes, but only if I am announced first,” said Mary. “I would like for you to take me to the home of your great-great nephew and niece, and introduce me to their parents. Based on what Burt has told me and that until your nurse met Burt, she doubted that he or I even existed, I feel that your great-nephew and his wife also have their doubts. In fact, since I have arrived at this nursing home I have been given the most odd looks, almost as if they feel that I would be better off as a patient here than merely a visitor.”
Jane laughed, “You are right of course,” she said, “In fact it was my great-niece Howard who had me committed to this wretched place when I first started talking to him of you and hoping that the children would find someone like you. But then again, there is no one quite like you, is there Mary?”
“I should certainly hope not, why the very idea of there being two of me, would be incomprehensible and somewhat astounding,” said Mary.
“Well then, if you are to approach the Banks family, Mary, you had better get on with it, there’s definitely an ill wind a-blowing in that place if you ask me,” said Burt.
“Well then, let’s get on with it shall we,” said Mary and stood up. She then walked over to the call button and rang for the nurse.
Soon the same woman who had earlier attended Miss Banks on her trip to the park, arrived.
“Miss Banks, would like to accompany myself and Burt on a trip to the home of her great-nephew Howard,” said Mary.
“An excursion of that great an undertaking, why they live clear across town, I shall have to get the van and the driver and everything,” said the nurse.
“Well then I guess, you had better get it done,” said Mary.
“Miss Poppins,” said the nurse, “with all due respect, I don’t think it is wise that you do what I think it is that you are about to do at your advanced age.”
“And just what is it that you think I am about to do?” said Mary.
“Well, if I didn’t know better, I would say that you are contemplating becoming a nanny again only this time to the most recent generation of the Banks family,” said the nurse.
“I am not merely contemplating it, I am going to do it,” said Mary, “Now if you would be so kind as to fetch me those things that you spoke of, then we will be on our way.”
“There’s a lot of paperwork involved in this thing,” said the nurse.
“Oh really,” said Miss Poppins, “I don’t see what all the fuss is over a woman merely going to see her great-great niece and nephew.”
“Miss Poppins,” said the nurse, “Miss Banks is 108 years old, why if I were to approve of such a trip and anything were to happen to her as a result, I would be considered to have been seriously amiss in my duties.”
“Madam,” said Mary, “I am 130, my friend Burt here is of similar advanced age, and yet as you have seen in the short time since you have met us we are more than capable of handling ourselves, now are you going to get us those things you have mentioned or am I going to wheel Miss Banks out of this wretched place myself and proceed to make my own way to the home of the latest generation of the Banks family.”
“Well, I never,” exclaimed the nurse.
“And trust me with an attitude like that you never will,” said Burt.
“I’ll see what I can do,” said the nurse, leaving the room.
About an hour later she returned with a wheelchair.
“I had a bit of a problem getting it done on such short notice, but I think you’ll find the arrangements I have made quite satisfactory,” she said and indicated that Miss Banks was to get in the chair.
Jane got up and got in the chair and was wheeled out of the room and into the elevator with Burt and Mary following close behind.
“Unfortunately,” said the nurse, as they were riding down. “the nursing home’s van is out at the moment. Another patient is using it, one who arranged her trip 3 weeks in advance. However, I talked to one the doctors and he managed to get us a car service that can accommodate this trip.”
“Good,” said Miss Banks.
As the trio of elderly people emerged from the nursing home a large bright green van drove up. The driver got out, helped the passengers board the truck and then drove off for the address.