MEET OUR SPECIAL NEW FRIENDS - esure.com

We have an exciting new friend to help Dot – esure.com, the Internet insurance company. They’re going to help us with our projects to make children safer on the net and out in the world. But it didn’t just happen – it’s all down to Mr Mouse having the right family and knowing the right people – and a very special computer mouse called Cousin Esure!

And this is how it all came about…

 

MISTER MOUSE TO THE RESCUE

 

Dot thumped her money box down on the desk with such a bump that it woke Wizard up and made him start barking. A pound coin fell out and pinged right onto Mr Mouse’s chest.

“Ouch!” shrieked the mouse. “Have you gone nuts? Could’a killed me!” He was rubbing his generously-sized tummy with his paw.

Dot felt terrible. “I’m so sorry,” she said, trying to get close to him, so she could rub his tummy too - but he backed away. “Oh no you don’t,” he said, “That’s enough damage for one day – you keep those monster human hands to yourself!”

He sat down on the edge of the laptop keyboard and glared at Dot. “What’s with you anyway, all that thumping and banging with the money box and the coins?”

“Look I’m sorry I was so grumpy and hurt you… it was an accident… but I’m really worried and fed up and I don’t know WHAT to do!” said Dot.

Wizard was concerned. He went to stand by Dot’s side and rubbed his silky spaniel head reassuringly against her leg.

“Yeah, yeah,” said Mr Mouse, “we all know super dog’s here, but what’s the problem? Maybe I can help.”

Wizard looked a bit hurt - but before he could get into another argument with Mr Mouse, Dot jumped in. “Well… I’m upset because I keep getting e-mails from children who are my friends… they want to buy books about staying safe for school and they don’t have enough money.” She paused, tugging at one of her bunches the way she always does when she’s worried.

“They want me to help, but I’ve just counted up ALL my savings and it comes to five pounds and twelve pence. There’s NO WAY I can help at the moment, and I can’t think how to find the money they all need.”
She shrugged, feeling helpless. “There’s just… no way!”

“Well I can’t see how Mr Mouse could help with that problem Dot - don’t think I can either,” said Wizard. “No wonder you’re upset!”

But Mr Mouse had jumped up on his feet and puffed out his chest. He was looking very pleased with himself. (Again!) “Well that’s where you’re wrong Wizard my man – ‘cos I reckon I might just be able to help… and I think we better go talk to someone I know - right now!”

Dot and Wizard were really amazed – who did Mr Mouse know with enough money to help? But they did know him well enough to see that they were all going on a net-voyage – like now! He was already tapping his feet impatiently on the keyboard.

So Dot grabbed Wizard’s lead – but only just managed to clip it on and grab Mr Mouse’s hand in time before she felt her feet lifting off the ground, and the familiar pull of being sucked into the internet.

WHOOSH! They were off - flying down the fibre optic cables, lights gleaming on every side, data packets whizzing by their heads. (Dot knew by now that they were never going to hit her but it always freaked her out.)

“It would be kind of nice to know where we’re going” said Wizard (he was a little cross that Mr Mouse was stealing the limelight!) “We really shouldn’t leave without a plan.”

“Oh I’ve gotta plan,” said Mr Mouse, “You just wait. You ain’t the only animal with family in high places!” Wizard’s pedigree relatives really got under Mr Mouse’s skin sometimes!

Wiz was just about to reply, when they suddenly arrived. They fell through the screen of a computer in an office that looked like a space ship. There were rows and rows of gleaming computers and shiny windows and glass everywhere.

Dot and Wizard gasped. “Wow!” said Dot. “This place is so posh. It’s nothing like Dad’s office at Doggydo’s Biscuits – but… where are we?”

Mr Mouse opened his mouth to reply – but all of a sudden there was a kind of explosion and a small round blue creature burst out of a nearby computer screen.

“Hey - heard you guys were here!” yelled the small blue animal excitedly, in a really loud American accent. Then he lifted his paw to give Mr Mouse a High 5. “What’s up, kiddo?” he grinned.

Mr Mouse High 5’d back – but before he could reply, Wizard said in his poshest accent: “What’s up is a very good question INDEED, we do have quite a problem as a matter of fact… but I really think we need to make introductions before we can move on. It would be most helpful to know who you are and if you don’t mind we British prefer shaking hands.”

Dot thought Wizard was becoming just a bit too British – so she stepped in and said politely: “Yes High 5’s are fun, but I’d love to know who you are… my name’s Dorothy Com, but all my friends call me Dot.”

“Oh I’m Mister Mouse,” said the newcomer, grinning and showing two very crooked teeth, “and I already know all about you, Miss Dot Com! You gotta lotta friends – hey, I already been to ya web site and there’s loadsa kids there all the time. Cool stuff, lady!”

Now Dot and Wizard were really confused. “Well… thanks for coming to my site… but you can’t be Mr Mouse, because he’s Mr Mouse,” she said looking at her familiar old friend in his Canadian baseball cap.

“Oh yeah, sure thing” said the blue mouse with the flip-flops. “It’s the family name… Mouse… so I guess we are both Mr Mouse, but you can call me Cousin Esure if you like. Everyone in the family does. It’s my job you see, I‘m the business brain in the family, y’understand?” He did a big chuckle, nodding his head.

Before Dot could reply the blue Mr Mouse, or Cousin Esure, as he liked to be called, lifted a paw to his mouth and in a big whisper said to Mr Mouse: “She’s cute… can see why you like her… must be a real pain having the dog in tow all the time though!”

Wizard looked furious, but before he could say anything, Mr Mouse said: “Yeah well he can be a bit too much of a Brit sometimes - but he ain’t so bad for a big hairy thing - and the kid likes him, so what can I do?

He laughed. “And compared to the dog you got on your tail at the moment he’s a peach. I said to Ma the other day, what’s with the bulldog on the web selling insurance? And now there’s even an elephant. Come on! Like, everybody knows the computer is a mouse’s natural habitat.”

Cousin Esure nodded, “Too right! There’s only one animal can lead you to the right place for everything on a computer - no wonder people get confused with all that wrong information. Bulldogs! Elephants! I mean, come on!”

“OK OK” said Dot “could we just hold the family reunion for a minute because now I am confused. What on earth are you two talking about?”

“Well it’s like this,” said Mr Mouse settling down on a computer space bar with Cousin Esure… it went down rather a long way. “Oho!” he said with a grin. “See you ain’t lost no weight then Cousin Esure!”

“Oh yeah, like you’ve been wasting away since I last saw ya,” Cousin Esure replied.

“A… hem,” said Dot loudly, clearing her throat and demanding attention.

“Oh yeah,” said Mr Mouse “Sorry Dot, we always have a little diet thing going on.”

Wizard, looking from one very round tummy to the other, thought they were both a long way from winning their weight loss contest, but before he could say anything, Mr Mouse went on.

“So like I was saying Dot - I’ve bought you here to see Cousin Esure because you said you needed some money to help buy get some books for schools. Cousin Esure works in TV, making adverts for a big business… an insurance company. It’s a big company all right, but they still care about young people. They do stuff to help kids stay safe on the roads already -so I thought maybe Cousin Esure could ask them to help you out.”

“Really?” said Dot - still not sure, but beginning to feel quite excited. This mad adventure was typical of Mr Mouse. “And where do the… the bulldog and the elephant come into this?”

“Oh just a little competition, they do commercials too, but who can beat a mouse on the net?” Cousin Esure boomed. “Anyways, we’re doin’ pretty good here. Now - I can’t promise nothing, but I can nip up and see the big cheeses and get a handle on what they think about helping you guys. I know what you do on that web site of yours and I’m gonna put in the good word. Leave it with me.”

And with that he was gone. Dot just saw a blue tail disappear into the computer and then she was left staring at her Mr Mouse, who was bouncing up and down on the space bar and looking very pleased with himself.

“TOLD you I could help!” he beamed.

“Well I think you could at least explain yourself a bit” said Wizard sternly. “We still haven’t got a clue what’s going on!

“Yeah well - long story, but Cousin Esure and I’ve been close family for years, and then he got offered a big break on the box, and they asked him to go corporate, make TV adverts for this big insurance company. esure.com they’re called. He helps people by doing the right thing in business now, and I help you, but we’re still family.”

“Wow!” said Dot. “I think it’s amazing you know someone on TV and he’s going to ask his bosses to help us. Can’t believe it!” Her eyes were glowing with excitement.

Just at that moment, the blue Mr Mouse, or Cousin Esure as Dot told herself she must remember to call him, burst out of the computer screen again. He was looking VERY pleased with himself, too!

“Well whaddya know,” he said, “Went upstairs just as they were havin’ themselves a board meeting. All the top guns were there. Gave them the story, told them you guys were friends with loads of kids who needed your help and they said – yes!”

“What - just like that?” said Wizard. “No business plans, or projections or big presentations from us?” Wizard was showing off now, trying to pretend he know what happened in boardrooms. He’d heard Dot’s Dad talking about these things. He didn’t really know what they meant though!

“No business plan – no projections – no pre-sentations,” grinned Cousin Esure. “Just me asking them to do a good thing.”

He High 5’d his cousin again, and the two mice did a funny little jig with their feet.

And Dot couldn’t stop herself – she jumped up and down too, and shrieked with delight!

Wizard, who felt rather left out, wanted to be grumpy - but even he had to admit that this time Mr Mouse really had saved the day.

“Very good Mr Mouse” he said grudgingly. “Er… nice work!”

“Nice work?” said Dot. “It’s FANTASTIC, I can’t believe it!” She put her head beside her friend Mr Mouse and said: “I really could give you a kiss - you’re an angel.”

“Yeah yeah yeah,” he said, blushing and moving to one side. “Don’t get carried away! Just remember, insurance is worth it - it sure pays for a family to be esured!“

Cousin Esure slapped his back and roared with laughter and Dot and Wizard joined in. Dot couldn’t wait to tell everyone about her new business friends.

But one thing was still puzzling her. “Mr Mouse… why didn’t you introduce us to your cousin before, specially as he’s on TV and everything? It’s so exciting.”

Mr Mouse looked embarrassed. “Yeah… well… there’s a time and a place for everything,” he said. Cousin Esure smiled – a kind of secret smile – but he said nothing.

There’s something behind all this thought Dot… but that’s a story for another day!

And the story is:

MR MOUSE – SUPERSTAR…?

Read all about it in
DOT’S ADVENTURES