Mario’s Time Machine

ALEXANDRIA, 47 BC
Mario: Hi, Ms. Cleopatra, ready for the big day?
Cleopatra: Greetings, plumber. Yes, I’m finally going to get my crown back. Please make yourself scarce. I must be bathed and bejeweled now!
Mario: Queen, were you looking for this?
Cleopatra: You mean my ancestors’ staff of royal power? A three-pound solid-gold symbol of absolute rule over one-third of the world? Why, yes, I was.
Mario: Well, Cleo, looks like everything is A-O.K.
Cleopatra: Yes, Mario, it’s been another dramatic moment in my life. Perhaps one day it’ll even be a play - - with Julius Caesar, Marc Anthony and me all living happily ever after!

Mario: Hi there! You look familiar.
Julius Caesar: Do you know me? I’m Julius Caesar, head of one of the greatest civilizations ever! Psst, does my bald spot show? I fear it is becoming more noticeable.
Mario: What’s a busy Roman ruler doing here?
Julius: I came in pursuit of an enemy, but, as I conquered Pompeii, so has Cleopatra conquered my heart. Please… take this cat away. I’m terribly allergic! [ITEM GET: cat]
Mario: Will you both rule from Alexandria?
Julius: No. I must do as the Romans do and return to my country’s capital. By the gods! This cursed bald spot! I really can’t meet Cleopatra this way.
Mario: Why did you help Cleopatra?
Julius: Enough, plebeian! I simply must know if this bald spot shows! As the leader of the most powerful nation on Earth, I must make myself irresistible to the much younger “Queen of the Nile”!
Mario: Here, hand mirror.
Julius: Ah! Your gift reflects both my power and goods looks! My bald spot doesn’t show at all! You have my gratitude, plumber. What else did you wish to know about me?
Mario: How did you get to decide who will rule Egypt?
Julius: Cleopatra’s father, Ptolemy XI, left a will leaving Rome as guardian of Egypt. As the Consul of Rome, it naturally became my job to act as guardian.
Mario: Can you tell me more about this staff?
Julius: What staff? I thought we were talking about me?
Mario: Here, grapes.
Julius: Mmm, the nectar of Bacchus! About the staff, it’s solid gold. They whoever possesses it is the true ruler of Egypt. Of course, my own power is recognized without such adornment.
Mario: Will the Romans accept Cleopatra?
Julius: It’s a delicate political question. The citizens of Rome distrust her. However, with that staff in her hands, Cleopatra becomes a very powerful ally.
Mario: Do you want this staff?
Julius: No thanks. I’m fully staffed as it is.

Mario: Excuse me, ma’am. Is this staff yours?
Cleopatra’s maid: Holy Isis, Mario! Be careful with that! It’s solid gold and very old. The Ptolemy line of kings have ruled with that staff for generations!
Mario: Cleopatra inherited the throne, then?
Maid: Her father, Ptolemy XI, named her to rule Egypt and Alexandria equally with her brother. But Ptolemy XII was selfish and wanted to rule Egypt by himself.
Mario: Is Caesar planning on taking Cleopatra away?
Maid: Oh, the Queen would jump at the chance! I have heard that she will soon go with Caesar to Rome. I fear the Romans may not like her, though. She can be difficult.
Mario: Your boss needs a lot of care, huh?
Maid: Very high maintenance. She’s known as a charmer, you know. We bathe her, massage her with scented oils, apply makeup and hairdos, tie her sandals. Have a hand mirror. She has hundreds. [ITEM GET: hand mirror]
Mario: What do Julius and Cleo have in common?
Maid: Well, they’re both smart and powerful. Both love strategy and politics. Plus, they’re each very vain and ambitious. A true match of the gods!
Mario: Are they really in love?
Maid: That’s hard to say. Cleopatra’s usually all business, but around Julius she recites poetry and blushes! It could be true love… or it could be the love of power.
Mario: Is Cleopatra the most beautiful woman alive?
Maid: Beautiful? Well, let’s just say she’s considered the most alluring. As for me, I can’t even seem to catch the eye of that handsome guard over there. He doesn’t even know I exist!
Mario: Here, wooden snake.
Maid: A serpent made of wood! A gift from HIM! So, he has noticed me! Ever since Caesar arrived last year in 48 B.C., we’ve all been bitten by the love scarab! But what else interests you?
Mario: How can I persuade Caesar to talk to me?
Maid: Grapes would please the Consul. Here, take these to him. I’m sure he’ll be grateful. Afterward, you better return that staff to Cleopatra, or she won’t be crowned!
Mario: Can you tell me anything more?
Maid: No! Go quickly to the Queen!
Mario: Here, staff.
Maid: I think only royalty may touch that!

Mario: Is the Queen in residence these days?
Cleopatra’s guard: Yes, ever since Caesar arrived and took her side in that nasty fight with her little brother. You must be Roman. You certainly don’t walk like an Egyptian.
Mario: Why does she need a second coronation?
Guard: Are you from another world?! With the help of Caesar, Cleopatra has regained the throne stolen by her brother, Ptolemy XII. By the crown of Osiris! Did you see that mouse?
Mario: How did she gain Caesar’s help?
Guard: She convinced Caesar that her brother didn’t obey their father’s wishes. Caesar ruled that she should reign again. More mice! I know how to battle armies of men, not rodents!
Mario: Here, cat.
Guard: A slayer of vermin! I shall worship this animal forever if it rids this place of those beady-eyed pests. Thanks, plumber. I am in your debt. What is your wish?
Mario: Tell me, who else is important around here?
Guard: I have heard the Romans speak highly of one named Marc Anthony, an officer of Caesar’s. Even Queen Cleopatra took noticed when he was mentioned. But then, she is always attracted to power. [ITEM GET: grapes](SNES)
Mario: Is Cleopatra a good ruler?
Guard: She is more beloved than Ptolemy XII by far. My beloved is the Queen’s maid, and I have carved this wooden asp for her. Please give it to her as a sign of my love. [ITEM GET: wooden snake]
Mario: Gee, uh - - how romantic. Tell me more.
Guard: I don’t even know her name yet. Oh, you must mean the QUEEN!! She was born in 69 B.C. and crowned in 52 B.C. They say she’s the most alluring woman in the world, but I prefer her maid.
Mario: Yes, well, anything else about Cleo?
Guard: She recently bore Caesar a son, naming him Caesarion. Could be trouble. Calpurnia, Caesar’s wife in Rome, has always been above suspicion. But I bet she suspects now!
Mario: Can you tell me anything more?
Guard: I’m sorry, but there is nothing more I can tell you.
Mario: Here, staff.
Guard: I’m not that close to the Queen.

Alexandria, 47 BC
Upon their father’s death, Cleopatra and her brother were named to rule the kingdom of Egypt. However, Cleopatra’s selfish brother, Ptolemy XII, didn’t wish to share the throne and banished her sister from the capital city of Alexandria! It was up to the Roman ruler Julius Caesar, who served as Egypt’s guardian, to restore Cleopatra to her throne. Thus, a second coronation was held for the Queen in the year 47 B.C.
Meanwhile, Caesar fell deeply in love with Cleopatra, and she eventually bore him a son named Caesarion. However, on March 15th, 44 B.C., Julius Caesar was assassinated by members of the Roman senate. One of Rome’s new leaders, Marc Anthony, had once been an officer in Caesar’s army. Cleopatra, who had a penchant for powerful rulers, soon married Anthony and bore him three sons. But a Roman civil war soon followed in which Antony’s forces were defeated in a great sea battle. Soon after, both Anthony and Cleopatra took their own lives.
ATHENS, 369 BC
Mario: Hi! Is this book yours?
Enslaved woman: Oh, no, sir. I own nothing. Only a free man may own a book and you will find many free men at the “Academy.”
Mario: What is the Academy?
Slave: It’s the university where great thinkers speak. Plato is their teacher.
Mario: What does he teach?
Slave: I do not know, but they are great lovers of knowledge. I hear they speak of wisdom, justice and truth. I am a slave, so I cannot go.
Mario: Yikes! You’re a slave? But that’s not right?
Slave: You are very wise. Perhaps you should share your ideas at the university. Here, take this laurel wreath. It will mark you as a wise man to those who can guide you. [ITEM GET: wreath]
Mario: Like who?
Slave: Aristotle would know. I saw him earlier by the colonnade.
Mario: Thanks! May I give you this book as a gift?
Slave: Alas, I cannot read. Your gift is better suited for a free man.
Mario: Wait a minute! You mean only men read?
Slave: Only free men and wealthy women. As you can see, I am neither. Please hurry, if you wish to find Aristotle.
Mario: Can you tell me anything more?
Slave: I’m sorry, but I am not allowed to engage in lengthy conversation.
Mario: Here, Republic.
Slave: I cannot read. You must take that to one who can.

Mario: Hiya, pal! Do you know where I am?
Writer: “Hiya, pal”? What manner of speaking is this? You are in the Temple of Athens, “pal.” I am a pilgrim here myself. I’m a writer of comedies from the isle of Crete.
Mario: How do I get to the Academy?
Writer: Practice! You don’t laugh? Oh, dear, it appears my comedy is somewhat tragic. I cannot continue unless I am recognized for my wit. Perhaps an award from the Academy would do it.
Mario: Here, wreath.
Writer: This is truly an honor! You like me! You really like me! Who needs an Academy award? Take this measuring stick in return. It will help you measure the ground. [ITEM GET: measuring stick]
Mario: I’m trying to return this book. Want it?
Writer: No. Your conversation is gift enough.
Mario: Can you read it? It’s all Greek to me.
Writer: Bring it to someone who has the time. I suggest that you seek out one of the wisest men in Athens. Go find Aristotle!
Mario: Who is Aristotle?
Writer: He is a student of Plato’s. He is very interested in making sense of the world through science. His ideas are so persuasive that I believe people will probably not question them for 2000 years!
Mario: Can you tell me anything more?
Writer: I’m sorry, but I have to rewrite a few comedic dialogues.
Mario: Here, Republic.
Writer: That is not mine to take. It is Plato’s “Republic.”

Mario: Hello. Do you know Plato?
Aristotle: Of course! I am a student of Plato’s. You may call me Aristotle. I always welcome a stranger with a question. It is how Plato teaches, and how I learn.
Mario: That’s an interesting method of teaching.
Aristotle: Yes. Plato learned it from Socrates, his teacher. Not surprisingly, we call it the “Socratic” method. Both the student and teacher ask and answer questions.
Mario: What questions?
Aristotle: Questions about life, knowledge, wisdom, truth and our place in this world. We call it “philosophy.” It is food for thought, as these grapes I offer you are food for the body. [ITEM GET: grapes]
Mario: I understand that you’re a scientist.
Aristotle: Oh, it’s nothing. Any fool could deduce that heavy things fall faster than light ones. And who can deny that rocks sink while leaves float because of their shapes. I just wrote it down - - in stone!
Mario: What else do you study?
Aristotle: Oh, math and geometry. They help us measure our land. That’s what “geometry” means - - “earth measuring.” I could tell you more, but I seem to have misplaced my measuring stick.
Mario: Here, measuring stick.
Aristotle: Ah, thank you! Now I’ll tell you about that book that you hold. It is one of the works in which Plato describes his ideal government.
Mario: What does Plato think an ideal government is?
Aristotle: Plato believes in a meritocracy ruled by only the best of the best philosophers. Unlike in a democracy, leaders in a meritocracy are chosen on academic merit.
Mario: Oh! Is that why this book is so important?
Aristotle: Yes! It is “The Republic,” and it contains truth and wisdom that I predict will shape future civilizations for at least the next 2400 years!
Mario: Can you tell me anything more?
Aristotle: I’m story, but I have no more answers for your questions.
Mario: Here, republic.
Aristotle: This is the writing of Plato. It must be returned.

Mario: Hello! I’m looking for the Academy.
Councilman:  And who are you, tiny workman? You are not a freeman. The place you seek is in Greece’s Gardens of Athens. The Academy! Destined to last at least 900 years - - but why would you go there?
Mario: To return Plato’s book. Do you know him?
Councilman: Ah, yes. He was a student of Socrates. Plato began the Academy to honor his teacher. That was in 387 B.C., just before the treaty between Sparta and Persia which ended Persian support of Athens.
Mario: Gee, Plato must have really liked Socrates.
Councilman: Oh, yes. Socrates was said to be the wisest man in Athens because he was aware of his ignorance. But he was accused of corrupting the young and not recognizing the city’s gods.
Mario: What happened to Socrates?
Councilman: Hemlock! Poison! He was forced to drink it and was executed! Plato never forgave the government. I could tell you more, but my throat has become too dry to continue.
Mario: Here, grapes.
Councilman: Ah, the gift of Bacchus! Or is it Dionysus? I can never keep my pantheon straight. Many thanks, my small friend.
Mario: Now can you tell me more about Plato?
Councilman: Well, he and his students study many questions, including: “What is justice?”, “What is wisdom?”, and “What is truth?”
Mario: Wow! Sounds like Plato’s pretty important!
Councilman: Oh, yes. His work will influence humanity as long as there are questions for which we can find the answers only within ourselves.
Mario: Can you tell me anything more?
Councilman: I’m sorry, but I have imparted all my wisdom for the day.
Mario: Here, republic.
Councilman: I cannot accept this lost book. Return it before I find you guilty of a crime.

SNES:
Mario: Hi! Can we discuss this book?
Plato: Our discussion is about no ordinary matter, but on the right way to conduct our lives. Such a discussion requires some thinking first, undersized one. Please leave me to my contemplation.
Mario: Plato! This book is yours.
Plato: Ah, my “Republic!” Thank you, Mario. This book is mine, but the knowledge belongs to all! Now I can teach my pupils just as Socrates taught me.
Mario: What can you tell me to make me smarter?
Plato: Ah, just do what you did! Ask questions! For no question is too foolish to ask, and from small plumbers great questions may arise!
DX:
Mario: Hi! I found this book. Is it yours?
Plato: This is by Plato, but does that mean Plato owns it? Can a book be lost? I must ponder these questions for awhile, undersized one. Please leave me to my contemplation.
Mario: Plato! This book IS yours!
Plato: Ah, my “Republic!” Thank you, Mario. This book is mine, but the knowledge belongs to all! Now I can teach my pupils just as Socrates taught me.
Mario: What can you tell me to make me smarter?
Plato: Ah, just do what you did! Ask questions! For no question is too foolish to ask, and from small plumbers great questions may arise!


Athens, 369 B.C.
The methods by which we seek an understanding of our world, our universe and ourselves are believed to have been created by the great thinkers and teachers of ancient Greece. One of the most noted of these philosophers was Plato. In 387 B.C. he founded what is said to be the first university. Known as “The Academy,” this school survived for over 900 years. There Plato taught his students through a “dialogue” of questions and answers. He learned this so-called “Socratic” method of instruction from his own teacher, Socrates.
One of Plato’s students, Aristotle, became a great philosopher and scientist himself. Plato examined such questions and ideas as “What is wisdom?”, “What is truth?”, and “What is the best form of government?” The teachings of Plato have influenced Western Civilization for 24 centuries. His ideas are found in his many great works, including “The Republic,” in which he contended that the best form of government would be a meritocracy of ruling philosophers.

CALCUTTA, 1947
Mario: Hi. May I come in?
Ashram Hindu: We always welcome strangers in our Ashram. We are a community of Hindus leading a simple religious life. Please enter.
Mario: A simple life? You mean boring?
Hindu: No, no, no! In fact, today it’s quite exciting. India is celebrating her independence from Great Britain. They have ruled us as a colony of their empire since 1757.
Mario: They’ve ruled you for nearly 200 years?
Hindu: Yes. They wanted us to buy their goods. At the same time they needed our products, such as tea. Here have some. [ITEM GET: cup of tea]
Mario: Thanks! So, how did you get your freedom?
Hindu: Only after years of great struggle. Many worked hard and sacrificed much. One man stands out. I will tell you about him as soon as I find the incense that I misplaced.
Mario: Here, incense.
Hindu: Oh, thank you. You are a curious little man. Are you British or Hindu or Moslem? Or are you one of the many other peoples of this large land?
Mario: No, I’m a plumber. Who is this “one” man?
Hindu: Mahatma Gandhi! He is one of the leaders that put our country on the path toward freedom. We admire him here because he practices the Hindu ideals of asceticism.
Mario: Asceticism? What’s that?
Hindu: It’s the strict denial of material comforts. That is why the Mahatma wears only a shawl and loincloth. Though he is a lawyer educated in Britain, he will not dress in rich man’s clothes.
Mario: You call him “Mahatma.” Why?
Hindu: Oh, Mahatma means “great soul.” Gandhi himself has rejected the title, but the people insist. It was given to him after he began his campaigns of passive resistance.
Mario: What is passive resistance?
Hindu: It is the way the Mahatma has taught us to practice civil disobedience. When confronted by the authorities for breaking an unjust law, we refuse to fight them. Any violence is their own.
Mario: But don’t they just arrest you?
Hindu: And more of us resist until the jails are full! We can defend ourselves, but we try never to do violence. The Mahatma began using this method in South Africa when he encountered terrible injustice.
Mario: Can you tell me anything more?
Hindu: I’m sorry, but I must go and meditate now.
Mario: Here, flag.
Hindu: Oh my. This is most critical. It needs to fly boldly.

Mario: Hi, neat store you’ve got here. Is it yours?
Shopkeeper: The store may be, but the goods aren’t. Most of what you see here is made in Britain, using India’s materials. Gandhi has worked here to change this since his return from South Africa in 1915.
Mario: Gandhi? Who is Gandhi?
Shopkeeper: You MUST be a stranger here in Calcutta! Gandhi has been a great leader in our struggle for independence. He had hoped that if we helped the British in World War I they would free us. Alas.
Mario: They didn’t free you after World War I?
Shopkeeper: Goodness no! Then later, at Amritsar, many of our people lost their lives! That’s what caused Gandhi to organize the first “satyagraha” in India.
Mario: Sat-a-graa, what?!
Shopkeeper: Satyagraha means “grasping for the truth.” It is protest by passive resistance and it works! Today is Independence Day! Let me offer you these incense as a symbol of sweet freedom. [ITEM GET: incense]
Mario: Wait! I need to know more about Gandhi!
Shopkeeper: I’m sorry, but look at the time. I must get back to my studies so I can be a lawyer in our new India, just like Gandhi. Have you seen my lawbook by any chance?
Mario: Here, law book.
Shopkeeper: Why thank you, my little friend. Now I can study the law. The British legal system is one of the good things left to us that we hope to use in our new country.
Mario: Have things always gone Gandhi’s way?
Shopkeeper: Goodness, no! He had to stop the satyagrahas when they became violent in the 1920’s. But, by that time, he had earned world wide recognition and prestige for his methods. That helped him quite a bit.
Mario: How did that help?
Shopkeeper: Well, when Gandhi threatened to “fast until death,” in order to get concessions from both the British and his fellow citizens of India, people took notice!
Mario: I don’t get it. How did that help?
Shopkeeper: The British could not risk the world condemnation should he actually come to harm. And his own people of India… Well, they simply could not bear to let their Mahatma suffer.
Mario: So his fasting ended violence?
Shopkeeper: Sadly, no. Violence is never far away. Even now, many Hindus and Muslims will not live together. For that reason, India and Pakistan have been separated. Gandhi opposed it, but some blame him.
Mario: Here, flag.
Shopkeeper: The new flag of independent India! You must return this at once.
Mario: Can you tell me anything more?
Shopkeeper: I’m sorry, but I must go and study now.

Mario: Hi there! What’s happening?
British judge: I beg your pardon. Do you know to whom you are speaking? I am a judge of the Crown Colony of India, sir. That is, until the Independence ceremony today.
Mario: Independence Day! Should be fun, right?
Judge: Fun? Hardly. The sun is setting on the jewel in the British Empire’s crown. It seems independence is the fashion, thanks to this man Gandhi. And from now on you will address me as Your Grace!
Mario: What’s Gandhi got to do with it, uh, Your Grace?
Judge: Everything! He’s led these people to freedom. Quite brilliant though, due in no small part to his British education. He lent me this law book once, but now it is only a bitter reminder. Take it. [ITEM GET: law book]
Mario: Gave you trouble, huh?
Judge: Endless trouble. He was held in such high regard, there was little we could do about him. He believes in peace, but on his terms. Oh, but I need a spot of tea.
Mario: Here, cup of tea.
Judge: Ah, thank you, old chap. Where was I? Ah, Mohandas Gandhi - - Bah! A criminal! Spent more than two years in prison, you know.
Mario: Gandhi? In jail? Why?
Judge: The man’s a traitor! Here we were fighting the axis powers in World War II, and Gandhi insists India will fight for the crown - - ONLY if we give India her freedom! There are no bargains in war, sir!
Mario: So you put him in jail?
Judge: Not at first, but then he organized another satyagraha. The limit! Since he was released in ‘44, he’s been negotiating India’s independence with British representatives, including Mountbatten.
Mario: Mountbatten, who’s he?
Judge: The famed British naval commander, of course. First in valor on the high seas, now the last Viceroy of India. What a world! British rule will end when they raise that flag of yours.
Mario: Can you tell me anything more?
Judge: No! I find the situation entirely depressing!
Mario: Here, flag.
Judge: I have no need of this flag! Give me the cross of St. George!

Mario: Hi folks! Can I ask you something?
Mahatma Gandhi: Please not now! We were about to begin the Independence Day ceremony and raise our new flag, but there seems to be some delay.
Mario: Mr. Gandhi, your flag! Am I too late?
Gandhi: You are just in time, my small friend. A new era is dawning for the people of India. Thank you, Mario, I shall not forget you.
Mario: Say, Mahatma, any koopas bothering you?
Gandhi: No, no, Mario. But your life seems so full of endless struggle. Perhaps you should consider defeating these enemies of yours through passive resistance.

Calcutta, 1947
SNES: Few political leaders have earned the prestige of Mohandas K. Gandhi.  Born in India in 1869, he studied law in Britain and settled in South Africa. There he protested unjust laws with campaigns called “satyagraha,” meaning “grasping for the truth.” After some success, Gandhi returned to India in 1915, a land ruled by the British since 1757. Gandhi first sought cooperation, but after a British attack on nationalists, he organized non-violent protests against British rule.
Soon called “Mahatma,” or “great soul,” he united Indian factions and extracted British concessions by threatening to fast himself to death. In 1942, when he refused to support the British in World War II, he was jailed. After the way, he participated in conferences with British Viceroy Mountbatten which lead[sic] to the independence and partition of India and Pakistan. Though Gandhi was mortally wounded one year later, his enduring legacy is in the practice of passive resistance, a tactic later used during the Civil Rights movement in the United States.
DX: Mohandas K. Gandhi spent a lifetime practicing what he preached: Peace! Born in India in 1869, he studied law in Britain and settled in South Africa. There he protested unjust laws with campaigns called “satyagraha,” meaning “grasping for the truth.” In 1915, Gandhi returned to India, a land ruled by the British since 1757. At first, he sought cooperation with the British, but after a bloody massacre of Indian nationalists, Gandhi once again organized nonviolent protests – this time to gain his country’s freedom against British rule.
India responded by giving Gandhi the exalted title of “Mahatma,” or great soul.” By threatening to fast to death, Gandhi used his enormous prestige to unite Indian factions and extract British concessions. But he refused to support the British in World War II and was jailed for two years. After the war, he participated in conferences with British Viceroy Mountbatten that finally led to the independence of India! Although Gandhi was assassinated one year later, his enduring legacy is in the practice of passive resistance, a tactic later used successfully during the Civil Rights movement in the United States.

CAMBRIDGE, 1687
Mario: Hello. Can you tell me where I am?
Professor: Why, this is England’s Cambridge University, my man. This is where Isaac Newton went to school. He was a student of mine.
Mario: What did Isaac Newton do here?
Professor: Um, here? Well, to tell you true, Newton did most of his ground breaking work at his family farm in Woolsthorpe. That was during the two years that the Black Plague shut down the university.
Mario: What is he best known for?
Professor: I say, that would have to be his theory of gravity and his laws of motion. Perchance you’d care for his second law of motion, which he himself wrote upon this paper. Oh, go on and keep it, lad. [ITEM GET: F=MA]
Mario: Do you know if anyone lost an apple?
Professor: A curious question. An apple? No. I’ve lost my calculus book, myself. I am finding it most difficult to concentrate upon anything else.
Mario: Here, calculus book.
Professor: My missing book! You have my eternal gratitude! Now I can ponder the confound equations which Newton developed in his twenties. Um… that is, if I didn’t grasp them already, of course.
Mario: What has Newton done lately?
Professor: Many things. He’s been writing the “Principia,” and studying theology, history, and alchemy. They say one day he’ll go to Parliament, or run the mint, or even be made a knight by the Queen.
Mario: Here, apple.
Professor: Are you attempting a bribe, sir?

Mario: Hi! What’s this place?
Royal Society: Uh, hum! This, my good man, is the Royal Society. We are a collection of learned men of science who meet to promote scientific discussion. I cannot imagine your business here.
Mario: Excuuuuse me! I was just asking about Newton!
Royal Society: I see. A friend of Isaac’s, eh? ‘Tis true, it must be said, he is one of the great minds of our age. He was made a full fledged member at the age of thirty! The young upstart!
Mario: Wow! What did he do?
Royal Society: He may have put me out of business! Take this lens. I grind precision lenses for telescopes. The “Newtonian” reflecting telescope may make them obsolete. [ITEM GET: lens]
Mario: What’s a reflecting telescope?
Royal Society: Ask his astronomer friend, Edmund Halley, two doors down. I’d need to find my unfinished manuscript of “The Principia” to tell you anything more about Newton. It was the only copy in existence!
Mario: Here, Principia.
Royal Society: Ah, my lost “Principia!” Now I can read this while I await publication of his next great work, which I believe he is calling “Optiks.” That’s Latin for “Optics,” as no doubt you have surmised.
Mario: What is Optics?
Royal Society: It is the study of light and its behavior as it travels through lenses. With a simple prism, Newton has shown that white light is made up of a spectrum of colors. Now, why didn’t I think of that?
Mario: How much of science has Newton influenced?
Royal Society: Physics, mathematics, astronomy… they were all a jumble before Newton. I hate to admit it, but he is perhaps the most influential scientist, if not person, of the age.
Mario: Here, apple.
Royal Society: It is a temptation, but no, I think not.

Mario: Hi! Can you tell me where I am?
Lecturer: A Merry Christmas to you, sir, and welcome! This is Cambridge, one of the oldest universities in the world.
Mario: Gee! What are you studying?
Lecturer: Many disciplines of infinite fascination! Astronomy, physics, mathematics. It was, of course, much easier before Isaac Newton invented the calculus.
Mario: What’s calculus?
Lecturer: Oh, ‘tis to make the head swim. Calculus is a very advanced type of mathematics that has allowed us to solve innumerable problems which remained mysteries before. You may have this book on calculus. [ITEM GET: calculus book]
Mario: Can you tell me why this apple is important?
Lecturer: Of what import could such a fruit be? I prithee, leave me now. I must finish this lecture upon Isaac Newton’s three laws of motion, and the second escapes my memory.
Mario: Here, F=MA.
Lecturer: Strike me down! It’s Newton’s Second Law of Motion! This is, perhaps, the most important law in physics. F=MA! It means Force = Mass x Acceleration!
Mario: What are the other laws of motion?
Lecturer: The first is that a body either at rest or moving in a straight line remains that way unless acted upon by an outside force. Galileo was the first to realize that.
Mario: What are the second and third laws of motion?
Lecturer: The second is F=MA, as I have said. The third states that for each action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
Mario: What else can you tell me about Newton?
Lecturer: As with most physicists, he made his most important discoveries in his 20’s. He said that at that time his mind was, “remarkably fit for invention!” I must confess, I am feeling the same way!
Mario: Here, apple.
Lecturer: Ah, but good sir, I prefer my Macintosh.

Mario: Excuse me. My name is Mario.
Edmund Halley: A pleasure to meet you, sir. I am Edmund Halley, astronomer.
Mario: Edmund Halley! Like in “Halley’s Comet!”
Edmund: You refer, no doubt, to the great comet of 1862[sic]. Using Isaac Newton’s theory of gravitation and his laws of motion, I have predicted its return in about 76 years.
Mario: Sounds like you owe a lot to Isaac Newton.
Edmund: He is without peer! In fact, I’m financing the publication of his “Principals of Mathematics,”[sic] which I call by the Latin name “Principia” for short. You may have this rough draft. [ITEM GET: Principia]
Mario: Did Isaac Newton help astronomy in other ways?
Edmund: Beyond measure. But, just right now, I seem to have misplaced my telescope lens. Do you see it, old chap?
Mario: Here, lens.
Edmund: Ah, just the lens I need! One day, in big telescopes, we’ll use Isaac Newton’s discovery that a curved mirror works like a lens. Big metal mirrors don’t distort as badly as big glass lenses.
Mario: So Newton is important to astronomy?
Edmund: Immensely so. His theory of gravitation allows us to understand the orbits of the planets. Perhaps one day we shall send rockets to the Moon, and all because of a common apple!
Mario: An APPLE! Like this!
Edmund: Why, yes! When, as a young man, Newton saw an apple fall, he realized that the same force kept the Moon in orbit about the Earth. It was a true revelation!
Mario: Here, apple.
Edmund: I have already partaken of one today so as to keep the doctor away.

Mario: Hi! I’m trying to return this…
Isaac Newton: Please! Away with you, small person! I must publish a book of my discoveries and I cannot recall the origin of my theory of gravity! What a dreadful birthday has befallen me this day.
Mario: Mr. Newton! Remember this apple?
Isaac: Good Heavens! That’s it! The apple falls for the same reason that the Moon orbits the Earth. It all comes back to me! Thank you, Mario! I can complete the “Principia” now!
Mario: Need anything else, Isaac?
Isaac: Not now, Mario. But, I daresay, I’m baffled. I simply cannot seem the physics of how you manage to jump so impressively!

Cambridge, 1687
Born on Christmas Day, 1642, Isaac Newton went on to become one of the world’s great scientists. Newton was uninterested in school until he attended Cambridge University, but his studies there were interrupted by London’s Great Black Plague of 1665. In two short years back at his family farm in Woolsthorpe, Newton invented calculus, made major discoveries in optics, and formulated his famous theory of gravitation after observing a falling apple.
Newton’s “Three Laws of Motion” revolutionized both physics and astronomy. He also discovered the spectrum of white light and invented the first reflecting telescope. Although London’s Royal Academy of Science made him a full fledged member at the young age of 30, Newton actually waited many years before publishing his discoveries in two landmark books, “The Principia” and “Optiks.” In the 20th century, Einstein’s theories have prevailed at atomic sizes and extreme speeds, but Newtonian physics is still used to safely navigate rocks to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

FLORENCE, 1503

Mario: Howdy, friend! Who are you?
Raphael: I am Raphael, painter and friend to painters. I know all the big names in art: Leonardo, Michelangelo, Bartolomeo… I think all true artists should wear berets, so here’s one for you! [ITEM GET: beret]
Mario: Do you recognize this chisel?
Raphael: I may be a painter, but I’ve associated with sculptors. That is a marble chisel. Michelangelo has just started work on a huge, white marble piece. Coincidence? I think not. Credo di no!
Mario: What marble piece is Michelangelo working on?
Raphael: I’m sorry, but I have to search for some paint so I can get on with this portrait. Why don’t you go to Venice? I hear they could use a plumber!
Mario: Here, paint.
Raphael: Oh, grazie, signore, now I can continue on with my best work so far - - a portrait of the Pope. Tell me, how can I help you continue your quest?
Mario: What is Michelangelo working on?
Raphael: A thirteen 1/2 foot statue of the most splendid “David” I’ve ever seen! L’uomo piu bello! Although, I do think the hands and head are a little large for the body. Don’t tell Michelangelo.
Mario: What other commissions does he have?
Raphael: Per favore, it’s a bit boring to talk so much about Michelangelo, no? Besides, now I need to see a man about getting a new paintbrush!
Mario: Here, paintbrush.
Raphael: And I was trying to give you the brush off! Ha! I hope I can repay you by helping you out with this chisel mystery.
Mario: Do you know anything about the Sistine Chapel?
Raphael: Oh, Michelangelo and I have heard all about the rumors. Michelangelo wants to sculpt, not paint. So he’s asked Pope Julius II to give me the job.
Mario: How about Michelangelo’s other commissions?
Raphael: Must we discuss all the work he’s getting? All right. There’s the Pope’s tomb, this “David” job, then, maybe, the Sistine Chapel. That’s pretty good for a freelancer!
Mario: Can you tell me anything more?
Raphael: No, signore. I must get back to my work.
Mario: Here, chisel.
Raphael: I’m a painter not a sculptor.

Mario: Buon giorno! Is this chisel yours?
Apprentice sculptor: Not yet. I am a mere apprentice. We apprentices have to work long and hard before we earn the right to own a chisel as nice as that. Besides, that one’s marked with the letter “M.”
Mario: Do you know the artist Michelangelo?
Sculptor: Si, amico! I was blest to work with him on this statue, “La Pieta,” “The Pity.” Some doubted a mere 23-year-old could work such a miracle, so he carved “Michelangelo Made It” across the front!
Mario: Where did he learn to sculpt so well?
Sculptor: Oh, I think he is a natural genius, but he studied Greek statues in Lorenzo de’ Medici’s sculpture gardens. Until Lorenzo the Magnificent passed away in 1492, he was Michelangelo’s patron.
Mario: What’s Michelangelo’s greatest talent?
Sculptor: His specialty has always been the beauty of the human form. You know how he learned anatomy? He studied the bodies at a hospital. He really knows the muscles and bones. Brrr! I feel a draft!
Mario: Here, beret.
Sculptor: Thanks for the cappello, my head was freezing! Sit, have a crust of bread that Mama made. I know a picture is worth a thousand words, but I could talk forever about my idol, Michelangelo!
Mario: Can you tell me more?
Sculptor: Certo! He was born in 1475 to the Buonarroti family in Caprese. But his father was a ne’er do well, and Michelangelo was sent to live with a family of stonecutters. That’s why he loves to sculpt!
Mario: Has he always lived in Florence?
Sculptor: Luckily, he grew up around this elegant city. Florence has been the artistic center of Europe since the Renaissance began.
Mario: Can you tell me where I can find Michelangelo?
Sculptor: They say he has very few friends, so he’s probably in his studio - - up to “David’s” ears in Cararra marble!
Mario: Can you tell me anything more?
Sculptor: No! I must paint my pontifical portrait of the Pope!
Mario: Here, chisel.
Sculptor: I don’t deserve a real artist’s tool.

Mario: Ciao, signore! What’re you looking at?
Painter: A painting Michelangelo helped me with. When we were only thirteen, we apprenticed together at the workshop of the Ghirlandaio brothers. In the end, they would up paying him to be their apprentice!
Mario: Why did he leave the workshop?
Painter: Ah, he was probably bored! We learned about a fresco painting, but he really wanted to be a sculptor. That was already thirteen years ago. He even gave away his brushes. Take one, per favore. [ITEM GET: paintbrush]
Mario: Do you ever hear from him?
Painter: He’s such a big sculptor now, he forgets about me! I hear the city leaders have hired Michelangelo to make a sculpture of David, the boy who slew Goliath in the Bible.
Mario: Do you have any paint to spare?
Painter: Hmph! I’m an artist, not a store clerk. I’m also hungry. If you bring me the staff of life, perhaps I’ll get my staff to give you paint. Capisce?
Mario: Here, loaf of bread.
Painter: Italian bread, my favourite. And I promised you paint, no? Here it is, “Renaissance Purple.” You see, I’m no con artist! [ITEM GET: paint]
Mario: Will Mario ever paint again?
Painter: There’s a story making the studio rounds that Pope Julius II is going to hire him to paint the ceiling of a chapel at the Vatican. But it’s not yet written in stone, capisce?
Mario: Do you think he’ll accept?
Painter: One can hardly refuse a Papal commission. Besides, I also happen to know Michelangelo hopes to sculpt the Pope’s tomb. Oh, well, the thing we wish to do least is often the thing we do best.
Mario: Can you tell me anything more?
Painter: No! An artist is never satisfied with his work - - so I must work on my art!
Mario: Here, chisel.
Painter: No, no, Mario. I’m no chiseler.

Mario: Excuse me, sir. Do you have a moment?
Michelangelo: Away with you, little man! There is an exquisite work of art hiding in this block of marble, and I must find my chisel and free it! Leave me alone! Lasciami solo!
Mario: Ciao, Michelangelo! Is this chisel yours?
Michelangelo: Grazie! I’ve been looking for that all over this studio. That’s a relief! Often our worst fears are unfounded. Perhaps it is the same with the Sistine Chapel.
Mario: So, Mike, are you going to paint that ceiling?
Michelangelo: Oh, why not? You’ve convinced me! Now, whose portrait should I put up there? Hmmm… Say, Mario, how about… Nah!

Florence, 1503
Michelangelo Buonarroti, one of history’s most impressive artists, was born in Caprese, Italy, on March 6, 1475. Raised by a family of stonecutters, at the age of thirteen he was apprenticed to learn the basics of painting at the Ghirlandaio brothers’ studio. Michelangelo, however, considered himself a sculptor, and he broke his contract so that he might study in the sculpture gardens of the great patron Lorenzo de’ Medici.
Indeed, Michelangelo’s fame as a sculptor is unmatched. His remarkable “Pieta” was carved when he was only 23. Shortly thereafter, his 13 1/2 foot “David” was wrought from a single block of marble. When commissioned to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, though, Michelangelo implored Pope Julius II that the painter Raphael could do better. Michelangelo was given the job anyway, and, ironically, the result was his true masterpiece. Five hundred years after this accomplishment, Michelangelo’s influence as a painter, architect, and sculptor is still felt.

FLORENCE, 1505
Mario: Say, who’s over in that art studio?
Old man: Which one? Leonardo da Vinci’s or Michelangelo Buonarroti’s? They’re both here in Florence working on, among other things, a pair of paintings depicting the war with the city of Pisa.
Mario: Tell me about this Leonardo da Vinci.
Old man: He studied here in Florence as a boy. But he was born in the little village of “Vinci.” That’s where he gets his name. “Leonardo from Vinci.” You see? But everyone just calls him Leonardo.
Mario: Hmm. And what about Michelangelo?
Old man: He is the greatest sculptor of the age! And only 30 years old! But he’s just a bambino compared to Leonardo! In fact, Leonardo will turn 53 next week, on April 15th.
Mario: Maybe he’d like this book for his birthday.
Old man: Let’s see it. These are very fine drawings, but I can’t read the notes. Very strange. I believe it’s all written backward! But I am just an old fresco painter, my eyes aren’t so good anymore.
Mario: “Fresco?” What’s a fresco?
Old man: Frescoes? Ah, the most beautiful art! They are created by painting on wet plaster. When it dries, the painting becomes part of what it was painted on. Leonardo experiments with them frequently.
Mario: What are Leonardo’s frescoes like?
Old man: His most famous is his “Last Supper” in Milan. It’s one of the greatest paintings of all time. Che bella! Too bad, really.
Mario: What’s too bad?
Old man: Ah, it’s a tragedy! Such a beautiful painting, and now it’s flaking off the wall! That new plaster he was testing failed! But that’s Leonardo for you - - always experimenting!
Mario: What else does he do?
Old man: What doesn’t he do? He’s a musician, an architect, and don’t tell Michelangelo, but he’s a sculptor, too. I always love to hear about Leonardo’s new ideas. Have you seen any?
Mario: Here, drawing of Air Screw.
Old man: What’s this? A flying machine! Fantastico! Leonardo knows everything! No wonder he’s called a “Renaissance Man!” Here, you may take this drawing of his geometrically “ideal man!” [ITEM GET: drawing of Ideal Man]
Mario: What’s Leonardo working on now?
Old man: He’s now painting a beautiful portrait of the Lady Giocondo. What’s her name again? Ah, never mind! Michelangelo knows!
Mario: Here, notebook.
Old man: No thanks, but that notebook appears quite valuable.

Mario: Hi. I’m trying to return this notebook.
Michelangelo Buonarroti: Come it, little man, and marvel at the works of Michelangelo! I am the greatest sculptor of the Renaissance, if I do say so myself - - and I do!
Mario: What’s the Renaissance?
Michelangelo: Wake up! For the last 1000 years Europe’s been artistically and intellectually asleep! Now our civilization is having a rebirth! A Renaissance!
Mario: So, who’s the greatest artist around?
Michelangelo: You dare ask? There are none to compare with me! That is, well, except maybe… Leonardo. But he wastes his time with inventions, science, and engineering!
Mario: Really? Leonardo sounds impressive.
Michelangelo: Bah! He’s so preoccupied that he creates few works of art. But those few… Enough of him! I created “La Pieta!” I created the giant “David” for Florence! Now I need to test a new type of fresco.
Mario: I’d like to know some more.
Michelangelo: No! Go away. I need to find some plaster.
Mario: Here, bucket of plaster.
Michelangelo: Grazie! I’ve just been asked by Pope Julius II to paint an entire ceiling of frescoes in Rome’s Sistine Chapel. Everyone knows I wish only to sculpt! But the Pope IS a very important patron.
Mario: What’s a patron?
Michelangelo: A patron is someone with money who hires an artist to create a work of art. Without patrons we’d all be starving.
Mario: Do you know Lady Giocondo?
Michelangelo: Ah, Mona Lisa! Certo! What a charming smile! She was here this morning, but she forgot her mirror when she left. Could you return it to her? Grazie.  [ITEM GET: Mona’s mirror]
Mario: Here, notebook.
Michelangelo: Grazie, but no. I try not to steal from the competition.


Mario: Hi! What is this place?
Verrocchio’s apprentice: This is the old work shop of Verrocchio, the master artist. One day, I hope to be a master like he was. But, right now, I’m just an apprentice.
Mario: What’s an apprentice do?[sic]
Apprentice: I work for free in the Master’s shop and learn the skills of an artist. It’s a great opportunity for a young man. Leonardo da Vinci was an apprentice here. Look how far he’s gone.
Mario: Maybe you could help me. I have this book…
Apprentice: I’m sorry, but I’m very busy. The Master wants me to deliver this bucket of plaster to Michelangelo. If you would take it for me, I’d have more time to talk. Grazie.  [ITEM GET: bucket of plaster]
Mario: Why does Michelangelo need plaster?
Apprentice: I hear he’s going to paint a fresco on a chapel ceiling, just as Leonardo painted “The Last Supper” on a chapel wall. The old fresco painter next door knows all about it.
Mario: Do you know who owns this notebook?
Apprentice: Let’s see. The writing looks all backward. I’ll bet whoever wrote this wanted to keep it a secret! I’d need a mirror to read it.
Mario: Here, Mona’s mirror.
Apprentice: Oh! Now I can read your notebook. It’s full of marvellous descriptions of flying machines, underwater boats, and mechanisms of war which I’d say are at least 500 years ahead of their time!
Mario: Who could have created such a wonderful notebook?
Apprentice: You know, I saw a drawing like this in here the other day. See? It’s a picture of a flying machine! Please, take it. [ITEM GET: drawing of Air Screw]
Mario: Who left this drawing here?
Apprentice: It was… It was… I can’t remember. Perhaps, if I could see one more example of this artist’s remarkable skill, I could remember who created these drawings.
Mario: Here, drawing of Ideal Man.
Apprentice: It’s starting to come back to me. This is the work of a scientist, inventor, engineer, and master artist - - someone who frequently asks us to produce models of his drawings. I’ve got it!
Mario: Who? Who is it?
Apprentice: Leonardo da Vinci! He must have misplaced his precious notebooks! Signor Mario, these must be returned immediately! Leonardo can’t work without them!

Mario: Excuse me, I’m lost. Do you have a minute?
Leonardo da Vinci: No! No! Not now! My book of notes has vanished and I can’t concentrate on my painting of Lady Giocondo!
Mario: Mr. da Vinci! I found your notebooks!
Leonardo: Oh, grazie Mario! Now I can finish this portrait of Mona Lisa! I should have known I could count on a fellow Italian! Call me Leo!
Mario: No offense, but shouldn’t Mona Lisa be smiling?
Leonardo: She IS smiling! She? A subtle, enigmatic smile. People will wonder what that smile means for centuries. And that is exactly what I want them to do, Mario: To behold my work and wonder!

Florence, 1505
One of the most versatile geniuses in history, Leonardo da Vinci took his name from the village of Vinci, where he was born on April 15, 1452. He lived during a period of artistic and intellectual reawakening called the Renaissance, which followed the 1000 year slumber known as the Middle Ages. A talented child, Leonardo apprenticed as a painter in Florence and later worked in Milan and Rome. He was employed by a series of wealthy patrons, and his interests extended far beyond painting.
Leonardo was also a sculptor, architect, engineer, musician, scientist, and inventor - - a perfect example of a “Renaissance Man.” His famous notebooks used backward handwriting for security purposes and were full of ideas that would not be realized for almost 500 years. His sketches included hang gliders, helicopters, parachutes, tanks, machine guns, submarines, and diving gear. Leonardo’s fresco of “The Last Supper” and his portrait of “Mona Lisa,” also known as “La Gioconda,” rank among the most famous pictures ever painted.

GOBI DESERT, 1292
Mario: Hi! I’m lost. Do you know where I am?
Kublai Khan: Who is this insolent beetle? Who comes unannounced! You had better be bearing gifts worthy of the Great Khan’s attention!
Mario: Uh, my name’s Mario. I’m from Brooklyn.
Khan: Brooklyn? Bah! Your accent betrays you! You are obviously another bold explorer afrom Italy! I am the Great Kublai Khan! You are in my capital city of Cambuluc.
Mario: Kublai Khan! Haven’t I heard of you before?
Khan: Of course you’ve heard of Kublai Khan! Just as you have heard of my father, and my father’s father, Genghis Khan! The mighty Genghis began the conquest of China that I completed your year of 1279.
Mario: Wow! Y-You’re the ruler of all China?
Khan: Obviously! I rule the mightiest empire on earth! As an experience explorer, you could conduct trade for me in the Empire’s outlying provinces. Here, take half of what I pay Marco Polo. [ITEM GET: paper money]
Mario: M-Marco Polo? Who’s he?
Khan: A brave explorer, perhaps not unlike yourself, who left Italy when he was a boy of 17. Now he has decided to return home. This displeases me. I shall brood until I find a worthy distraction.
Mario: Here, fireworks.
Khan: You have served the Great Khan well! This rocket’s thunder will fill the emptiness I feel now that my friend Marco is finally leaving China.
Mario: Why is Marco leaving China?
Khan: I’ve kept him here all these years because he was too valuable a friend and servant. For three years I even entrusted him to rule the city of Yangchow. But his heart aches for his homeland.
Mario: So why are you letting him go now?
Khan: Because I have a job I trust only him to do. He is escorting a Mongolian princess to the Khan of Persia. The journey should take him about 3 years, so he’ll be back home in his year of 1295.
Mario: Sounds like you’re a good friend, Mr. Khan!
Khan: Khan is my title, not my name! It means “Lord,” Lord of all China! As Genghis Khan was my grandfather, and Ogadai Khan was his son, so I am the Khan of China! KUBLAI! KUBLAI KHAN!
Mario: Here, print block.
Khan: An emperor has no need of a wooden block.

Mario: Hi! I’m Mario. How are you?
Merchant: Ha! You must be another explorer, like those Polos. Well, don’t expect any favors from me! I have no gifts. I’m trying to make a living here.
Mario: Didn’t the Polos buy your stuff?
Merchant: At first. They arrived laden with goods from the West. Their home is a great trading port called Venice, in the land of Italy.
Mario: Well, won’t that open trade?
Merchant: Perhaps someday. Today, they take more than they trade. All Marco Polo has given me is the first pages of the book he is writing. Here, take them. I doubt he’ll ever finish it. [ITEM GET: book of Marco Polo]
Mario: Maybe you’d like to trade for this block?
Merchant: That’s not just any block. Observe. It is carved on one side. Dip it in ink and you can print with it. Often the name of the owner is carved upon it.
Mario: I can’t read it?[sic] Can you?
Merchant: Do you want to trade, or do you want me to read? Either way, it’s going to cost you some money!
Mario: Here, paper money.
Merchant: Ah! Now we can bargain. Paper money is so much easier to exchange than precious metals or jewels! What do you want in trade?
Mario: Do you know what the printing block says?
Merchant: Of course. It is a single word. “Polo.” It must be a signature block, but I don’t know if it belongs to Marco, Niccolo, or Maffeo.
Mario: Well, who would know?
Merchant: Kublai Khan knows and sees all. He has controlled this great Empire since defeating the Sung Dynasty in 1279. He wants to conquer everything in sight! Such a policy is bad for trade.
Mario: The Khan seems to treat explorers OK.
Merchant: Yes, and I imagine that, like other explorers, he will shower you with gifts! Meanwhile, I must work for a living! Be gone! You and I have no further business.
Mario: Here, print block.
Merchant: Thank you, but I am not a printer of documents.

Mario: Excuse me. I’m seeking the owner of this.
Sage: Ah! A printing block. The owner has been careless. The nature of objects is always the same. It’s the habits of their owners that separate them.
Mario: What? I don’t think I understand.
Sage: You’d have to be a wise old sage, like me. There are many things in China that the world to the west does not understand. My good friends, NIccolo and Maffeo Polo, have told me of this.
Mario: Who are NIccolo and Maffeo?
Sage: Courageous explorers from Italy. They arrived here 17 years ago with Niccolo’s son, Marco. They sought material wealth, but instead found the treasure that is China.
Mario: Treasure! Like what?
Sage: Our inventiveness! Things your Western world does not even dream of: coal, paper, spectacles, curative herbs, and spices! Plus, our most explosive discovery, fireworks! Have a rocket! [ITEM GET: fireworks]
Mario: WOW! What else does China have?
Sage: HAH! Far too many wonders for me to tell you now. Marco has written of his experiences here in China. If I had his notes I could tell you more.
Mario: Here, the book of Marco Polo.
Sage: Oh, thank you! “The Book of Marco Polo.” What a catchy title! He continues to record all that he sees in his travels cross our many lands.
Mario: Where has he traveled?
Sage: Oh, such places as the great Gobi Desert! For more than three years the Polos journeyed from Italy to China. A wealth of people and adventures… These journals are invaluable!
Mario: Is this the first book about China?
Sage: Hah! You have much to learn, little one! There have been many books written about China, but it may be 500 years before a better one is available in Europe.
Mario: How could you possibly know about that?
Sage: How do you think I got to be a wise old sage, anyway? There are many mysteries here in china that you may not yet understand.
Mario: Yeah, like what to do with this block.
Sage: Why, that’s the printing block I made for Marco Polo! You better get that to him right away before he leaves China!
Mario: Here, print block.
Sage: No. Keep that simple block, for it has great power.

Mario: Hello! My name is Mario, and I…
Marco Polo: Oh, the desert heat! Not only has it caused me to misplace one of the wonders of China, but now I am seeing miniature tradesmen! I cannot return to Italy until I’ve recovered.
Mario: Marco Polo! You forgot your printing block!
Marco: That’s it! I knew I had forgotten something! Now, at last, I can get started for home. The people back there aren’t going to believe the stories I’ve got to tell!
Mario: Are you ready to head back to Italy, Marco?
Marco: We’re on our way, Mario. I owe it all to you. I’ve even decided to make you an honorary member of the family. From this day on, you can call yourself Mario Polo!

Gobi Desert, 1292
When Marco Polo was born in the Italian trading port of Venice, about 1254 A.D>, the Western world knew little of the Far East. Marco’s father, Niccolo, and uncle, Maffeo, were merchants who happened upon the Eastern capitol of the Chinese emperor Kublai Khan in 1266. When the Polos set out again for China in 1271, they took 17-year-old Marco with them. A journey of more than 3 years, including a crossing of the Gobi Desert, brought them to Kublai Khan’s capitol at Cambuluc (now Beijing).
The Khan took a liking to Marco and employed him for 17 years in enterprises all over Asia. Marco discovered wonders unknown in Europe; including paper money, coal, spectacles, and fireworks. The Polos finally returned to Venice in 1295 after escorting a Mongolian princess to the Khan of Persia. Back home, Marco was captured during a war between Venice and Genoa. While imprisoned, he wrote of his travels in “The Book of Marco Polo,” which remained Europe’s main source of information on Asia for the next 500 years.

LONDON, 1595
Mario: Pardon me. Can you get me in to see the Queen?
Rude assistant: Not so fast! How do I know I can trust you? I remember well the days of Sir Francis Walsingham and his spies!
Mario: No, I’m talking about the woman two doors down…
Assistant: Tudors Down! That sounds suspiciously like treason! Walsingham saw to it that Mary Stuart was brought to the block for that, you know!
Mario: Ouch! Who was she?
Assistant: Mary was Elizabeth’s cousin, once removed, and the Queen of Scotland. After abdicating the Scottish throne, she fled here, still claiming her right of succession to the throne of England!
Mario: Yikes! Couldn’t they just keep her quiet?
Assistant: Oh, she was confined, to be sure! And for some 16 years she plotted her freedom and the overthrow of Elizabeth! Now, why do you wish to see the Queen? Are you part of some plot?
Mario: No, no! I just need to give her something!
Assistant: Not so fast, my clever fellow! How do I know you’re not a spy for King Phillip II of Spain? I don’t trust you!
Mario: You’re too suspicious!
Assistant: Perhaps you should give me something to keep me from calling out to the royal guards!
Mario: Here, crown.
Assistant: The crown! Take it away, else I will be accused of a treasonous theft!


Mario: Are you Sir Francis Drake, the explorer?
Sir Francis Drake: So, you’ve heard of me, then? Until I can determine where your loyalties lie, I cannot and will not speak to you, sir.
Mario: Here, bosun’s pipe.
Francis: Ah! From the Queen’s hand maiden! You are a friend, sir! Come in. Come in, and tell me what business brings you to Her Majesty’s Court?
Mario: Sorry to bug you, but is the Queen here?
Francis: No friend! I wait for her as well! One only sees “Good Queen Bess” at her convenience!
Mario: She sure seems busy!
Francis: Sink me lad, she’s the queen! And a great one she is too! She’s always busy, especially in these days of war with Spain!
Mario: There’s a war on?
Francis: Aye, for some time. Back in ‘88 there was a great sea battle! Our small fleet kicked the stuffing out of King Phillip II’s huge Spanish Armada!
Mario: Armada? Isn’t that a funny looking animal?
Francis: Odds fish, no, lad! It was the largest fleet of warships ever to sail the English Channel!
Mario: So you defeated them?
Francis: Beat them we did! We sent them packing with their tails between their legs into the teeth of a fearsome storm, which finished them! Fewer than half made it back to Spain!
Mario: Wow! That must have been exciting!
Francis: Aye, but not as exciting as sailing the seas in search of Spanish ships to relieve them of their treasure.
Mario: Well, I must see the Queen. Can you help me?
Francis: Aye, I judge you can be trusted. Take this pearl necklace. ‘Tis a trinket from my travel. Take it to the Queen’s lady, and you’ll have your audience! [ITEM GET: pearl necklace]
Mario: Thanks, Sir Francis!
Francis: Good luck to you, and Godspeed!
Mario: Here, crown.
Francis: ‘Tis a fitting crown for “Good Queen Bess,” not for a sea dog such as I!

Mario: Excuse me, miss! Can I see the queen?
Handmaiden: You’re a bold little fellow! Rather cute too! However, you must have an audience to see the Queen!
Mario: How do I get an audience?
Handmaiden: Getting an audience would be easy if you were a writer of plays or sonnets, like Shakespeare! The Queen shows great favour to artists! Are you a playwright?
Mario: No, I’m just a plumber. But I need to see her!
Handmaiden: A plumber? Hmm… Well, you may try the Parliament. An earl might be able to arrange an audience. But, be warned – some are not to be trusted!
Mario: How do you know which is which?
Handmaiden: ‘Tis a puzzle, to be sure! Some you cannot trust, while others, like the handsome and dashing world explorer, Sir Francis Drake, are well known for their loyalty.
Mario: Could Drake get me in to see the Queen?
Handmaiden: Perhaps. If he finds you loyal, he’ll send you back to me. But you’ll need to give him this bosun’s pipe first, as a sign that I sent you. [ITEM GET: bosun’s pipe]
Mario: What else can you tell me about Elizabeth?
Handmaiden: Enough about the “Good Queen Bess” for now. Return to me once you’ve seen Sir Francis Drake.
Mario: Here, pearl necklace.
Handmaiden: Ah! These beautiful pearls are a sure sign that Sir Francis feels you are to be trusted!
Mario: Can I see the Queen now?
Handmaiden: Yes! You’ll have your audience. The Queen will see you in the throne room.
Mario: I can’t thank you enough!
Handmaiden: Enough of thanks! Get thyself to Elizabeth as quickly as you can!
Mario: Here, crown.
Handmaiden: Only the Queen may wear the crown, good sir!

Mario: Greetings, Ma’am! I must speak to you!
Queen Elizabeth: Must! Is “must” a word to be addressed to the Queen of England! Little man, little man! Be gone now, or I will make you shorter by a head!
Mario: Your Majesty! I think you’ll need this!
Elizabeth: The royal crown! You have kept it well and returned it safely to its rightful place! Mario, we are eternally grateful!
Mario: It’s all in a day’s work, Your Highness!
Elizabeth: A “day’s” work, you say? Hmm, that gives us an idea. For this day, we shall make you a knight! Arise, Sir Mario, defender of the crown! Accept our personal thanks!

London, 1595
The transformation of England from a small island nation to a great world power began during the 45-year reign of one of that country’s greatest monarchs, Queen Elizabeth I. “Good Queen Bess,” as she was fondly known by her subjects, ruled with strength and wisdom in spite of the many problems she faced as queen. Hers was a kingdom troubled by deep religious divisions and a war with Spain’s King Phillip II. The famous sea battle with his Spanish Armada was successful, but costly. Finally, countless plots against Elizabeth were attributed to her enemies, including her cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots.
When Mary fled to England, after abdicating the Scottish throne, Elizabeth had her confined for some 16 years. Ultimately, Mary was accused of treason and done away with. It was, however, Elizabeth’s generous support of the arts and sciences during the period that produced playwright William Shakespeare and world explorer Sir Francis Drake, that allowed her to preside over what is today called “The Golden Age” of England.

LONDON, 1831
Mario: You look pretty young. What are you doing here?
Student: I’m waiting for the “Christmas Juvenile Lecture” on science that Mr. Faraday gives every year. His very first talk was on the chemical history of a candle. I got here early to get a good seat!
Mario: Gee! You really like science that much?
Student: I do when Mr. Faraday talks about it. Everybody loves his lectures! He also gives Friday evening talks for adults. Charles Dickens publishes them in his magazines. Even royalty shows up sometimes!
Mario: Wow! This Mr. Faraday sounds like a popular guy!
Student: You’ve never heard him speak, sir? Please, take this extra lecture ticket. He’s very well-spoken, even though he never went beyond the first few years of school! His family was too poor to send him. [ITEM GET: ticket]
Mario: Too poor to go to school?
Student: When Michael Faraday was born in 1791, his father was a poor blacksmith. Michael had to leave school to make money. He worked as a clerk for a bookbinder, who later made him an apprentice.
Mario: What got him interested in science?
Student: He read a lot of the books he made. He was binding the “Encyclopedia Britannica”, and saw a section on electricity that really sparked his interest! So he began teaching himself about it.
Mario: That’s amazing! So he taught himself everything?
Student: Oh, yes, he is mainly self-educated! But, speaking of books, I seem to have misplaced mine, “Conversations on Chemistry,” about the work of another famous scientist, Humphrey Davy.
Mario: Here, book.
Student: Thanks, Mario, sir! Mr. Faraday says this book changed his life. Humphrey Davy was his hero, just as Mr. Faraday is mine! Sir Davy hired him as his assistant. Perhaps one day my hero will hire me!
Mario: Is Mr. Faraday considered a success?
Student: Oh, yes! He has published many reports about his work in science and has many awards! But he doesn’t know math, so he writes up his discoveries in plain language instead of equations.
Mario: So Michael Faraday inspired you to study science?
Student: I was going to be the King of England, but after learning about Mr. Faraday I’ve changed my mind. Being a scientist is so much fun!
Mario: Can you tell me anything more?
Student: No. I’m sorry, but I don’t want to miss the lecture.
Mario: Here, magnet.
Student: My dad says I can’t play with magnets!

Mario: Hello there! I’m Mario, who are you?
Professor Gaspard de la Rive: Ah, bon jour, Mario! I am here to see my old friend Michael Faraday. I am Professor Gaspard de la Rive, visiting scientist from Geneva. Have some Swiss chocolate, which we are famous for. [ITEM GET: chocolate]
Mario: Yummy, thanks! Do you recognize this?
Gaspard: Ah, oui, zat is a magnet, my friend! In 1819, a scientist called Oersted found that an electric current would affect a magnetic compass. Faraday’s research has taken electromagnetism much further.
Mario: Electro…what ism?
Gaspard: Ha, ha! Eet is a very big word, no? “Electromagnetism” is a branch of science that deals with the relationship between electricity and magnetism.
Mario: Do they have a good relationship?
Gaspard: So many questions – you’d make a good scientist too! Yes, because a current can produce magnetism, Faraday thinks maybe the reverse is true – that magnetism could produce electricity, too!
Mario: You know a lot about him. When did you meet him?
Gaspard: In 1813, when Sir Davy hired young Faraday and took him on a tour of Europe. Davy’s wife insisted Michael be her personal valet. When I found out he was a scientist, I insisted he be treated as one!
Mario: Wow! Is Mr. Faraday a good scientist?
Gaspard: Oh, Monsieur Faraday is one of the greatest in the world! I travel far to hear him speak, but I’ve lost my ticket for today’s lecture. I’m afraid I won’t be able to procure another.
Mario: Here, ticket.
Gaspard: Ah, merci! I remember once Michael had a big electromagnet at one of his lectures. Suddenly he threw a shovel at it! Then tongs, then a poker! All of them stuck to the magnet!!
Mario: Sounds like Mr. Faraday has fun with science!
Gaspard: Oh, yes, he loves to entertain! But he’s very serious about his research. He doesn’t mind if no practical inventions come out of it – nor does he care for money or fame. He has a very pure mind.
Mario: What does he have going on the back burner?
Gaspard: Back burner? Oh, I get it! Michael works endlessly! He became a chemist when he was only 21 and hasn’t stopped since! He discovered a number of organic compounds, including benzene in 1825.
Mario: Wow! What else has he done?
Gaspard: He discovered how to turn certain gases into liquid and also made steel that doesn’t rust. But I believe he’s on the verge of something big with this electromagnetic thing!
Mario: Can you tell me anything more?
Gaspard: No. I’m so sorry, m’sieur, but I must get to the lecture hall on time.
Mario: Here, magnet.
Gaspard: Zat eez a lovely magnet; perhaps Monsieur Faraday needs it, no?

Mario: Hello, ma’am! Have you met Michael Faraday?
Sarah Barnard: I not only met him, sir, I married him! We live here at the Institute. This year marks our 10th anniversary! Oh, that was a big year for Michael – he also invented the electric motor!
Mario: Wow! What did he do with it?
Sarah: Unfortunately, its use has been quite limited. For the last 10 years, Michael has been researching a way to generate continuous electrical currents – which would keep such a motor running.
Mario: So did your husband discover electricity?
Sarah: Oh, he’s made major discoveries in the field to be sure! But Michael’s former employer, Sir Humphrey Davy, also pioneered work on electricity. Here’s a book about his work. [ITEM GET: book]
Mario: Who’s Sir Humphrey Davy?
Sarah: He died two years ago, but he gave Michael his start in science! Michael sent him a notebook he compiled from Davy’s famous lectures. Sir Davy was so flattered he hired him as his lab assistant!
Mario: Sounds like your husband owes Sir Davy a lot!
Sarah: Indeed he does! As an uneducated bookbinder, Michael was extremely grateful for the opportunity – even after Sir Davy voting against Michael becoming a member of the prestigious Royal Society.
Mario: Yikes! Why did he do that?
Sarah: I believe Sir Davy was simply jealous. After all, his uneducated assistant became more successful than he! Oh dear, I wanted to bake Michael his favourite cake, but I’m out of chocolate!
Mario: Here, chocolate.
Sarah: Why, that’s very kind of you, Mario! I shall save a slice for you. Michael never took offense, even when Sir Davy was rude and arrogant toward him, for he gave him a chance for a scientific career!
Mario: What is the Royal Society? And what happened?
Sarah: It publishes reports of scientific work done in many places, including here at the Royal Institute. And, despite Sir Davy, Michael WAS voted in because his great achievements! I was so proud!
Mario: Wow! That must have been quite an honor for him!
Sarah: There’s none higher for a scientist! But Michael put the sweetest note in his box of awards. He wrote that one date stands out most for him as a source of happiness. June 12, 1821 – our wedding!
Mario: Can you tell me anything more?
Sarah: No. I’m sorry, but I must bake Michael’s cake now.
Mario: Here, magnet.
Sarah: Oh, no! My husband’s magnetic personality is all I need.

Mario: Have I discovered Faraday?
Michael Faraday: You have indeed, sir. Speaking of discovery, I feel I’m on the very verge of plugging into something quite electrifying! I simply can’t talk until I complete this experiment!
Mario: Mr. Faraday! I found your magnet!
Faraday: Good show, old chap! Look, just as I suspected! When I move the magnet through the wire coil it generates a constant stream of electricity! Now I can build a generator for my electric motor!!
Mario: Wow! Now you can power big machines!
Faraday: Big machines? What an imagination! As big as your magnetic personality, Mario! I’m not sure what its use will be yet, but I’ll wager the government will some day tax it!

From his humble beginnings as a blacksmith’s son, Michael Faraday became one of the greatest English chemists and physicists of all time. Amazingly, he was largely self-educated, as his family was too poor to send him to school! In 1831, Faraday proved that magnets can be used to produce an electric current, a discovery that made possible the electric machines that keep the modern world supplied with power.
After his employer, Sir Humphry Davy, gave him start at London’s Royal Institute, Faraday opened up new areas of science with such discoveries as benzene, stainless steel and the compression of certain gases into liquid. He did a great deal to popularize science through his public lectures, especially those for children. So admired by fellow physicists was Faraday that a unit of capacitance was named the “farad” and a unit of charge the “faraday.” No other scientist has been doubly honored in this way?

LONDON, 1843
Mario: Hello! It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?
Grumpy banker: BAH! HUMBUG! What about today makes it different than any other day? I’ll tell you what – NOTHING! That’s what! I’m right about that or I’m not right about anything!
Mario: But it’s the Christmas and season and…
Banker: BAH! Christmas! I want nothing to do with it! It’s a sentimental waste of time AND money! What is it that you want, little man? You are costing me money as we speak!
Mario: I am looking for the owner of this inkwell.
Banker: Inkwell? BAH! No doubt it belongs to that writer, Charles Dickens. He writes too fast and too often. Came in here yesterday asking me all kinds of foolish questions.
Mario: Questions? What kind of questions?
Banker: Like the ones you’re asking! The people in his novels are based on real people that he meets. I suppose that’s why he’s England’s most popular author. But I won’t read any of his books!
Mario: Why not?
Banker: Because they cost money! Oh, I suppose I might read one of his books… if I had one to read. IF I got one for free.
Mario: Here, book.
Banker: Well, don’t expect me to give you anything in return – because I WONT’t! I refuse to let this Christmas thing ruin a good day’s work!
Mario: Lighten up! It’s Christmas!
Banker: You’re starting to really bother me, son. I work! If you don’t work, you don’t make money. If you don’t make money, you become poor and end up in prison. Just ask your writer friend!
Mario: What do you mean?
Banker: His father was sent to prison for debt. In 1824, it was. Poorest people, with eight children in the family. Their father just let money slip between his fingers. It won’t happen to me! NO!
Mario: “Bah, humbug”… Hey, I know you! Aren’t you…
Banker: You don’t know me, stranger! I have no friends and don’t care for any! What will it take to get rid of you? Here, take this watch and take your leave! Christmas! BAH! HUMBUG!! [ITEM GET: watch]
Mario: Can you tell me anything more?
Banker: No! I don’t have time for idle gossip! For the last time, BAH! HUMBUG!!

Mario: Hi! I’m looking for the owner of this inkwell!
Catherine Dickens: Hmmm. That looks as though it belongs to the most popular of England’s authors today – Charles Dickens!
Mario: Does anyone know Charles Dickens?
Catherine: Such a silly question! I would venture to say that the whole world knows of Charles by now! You may know him by his pen name, “Boz.” I, as his wife, perhaps know him best.
Mario: Mrs. Dickens! Cool! What’s it like?
Catherine: Such questions, small one! We have 10 children, which should tell you much of our home life. Charles is always busy with publishers, parties and, of course, his writing. But he’s a devoted father!
Mario: What has he written?
Catherine: My dear fellow! You must be familiar with the “Pickwick Papers” or perhaps “Oliver Twist”, or “David Copperfield.” These are some of his most famous to date. He’s toured the world reading from them.
Mario: What are they about?
Catherine: Mostly about the shameful social conditions that exist in England, but presented with much humor. He writes about the wretched lives of the poor. He laughs at the rich and attacks our sins.
Mario: WOW! That sounds pretty interesting!
Catherine: I would love to tell you more, but I fear I’m running late. Since I’m not sure of the time, I must head home to cook the holiday meal!
Mario: Here, watch.
Catherine: Thank you and a Merry Christmas to you! I’m not late after all. Charles is working on “The Christmas Carol.” We are quite caught up in the spirit of giving. Please, share this turkey with someone. [ITEM GET: turkey]
Mario: Thanks! Charles sounds like a great guy!
Catherine: Oh, yes! I feel myself to be in the company of a gentleman so kind and so extremely funny, that sometimes I begin to laugh before he even speaks! But his life wasn’t always so happy.
Mario: Really? Why not?
Catherine: Charles was born in a large family and they were very poor. At age 12, he had to work in a factory. It was a hard life that he never forgot. That’s why he tries to help the poor so much.
Mario: How does he do that? Give the money?
Catherine: When he can. There is a saying in Latin that explains his philosophy: “Castigat ridendo mores.” This means, “Reform the ways of the ways of the world by laughter.”
Mario: What does that mean? He laughs at them?
Catherine: Oh, no! People want to read his books because they make them laugh. This way he can tell a story that not only entertains, but teaches charity and awareness of others as well.
Mario: So he’s a comedian?
Catherine: Not at all! He writes in a way that touches our emotions. Some of his books make us cry. But all of them make us think. It is said that he is the greatest writer since Shakespeare!
Mario: Can you tell me anything more?
Catherine: I’m sorry, Mario dear, but I must go home and cook the holiday dinner.

Mario: Hi! You look lonely. Can we talk?
Orphan: Hello, sir. I am lonely and cold because I am an orphan. I have nowhere to turn but to my dreams. Look at these toys! Aren’t they grand!
Mario: Yeah, neat. Have you been out here all day?
Orphan: Yes. I live in the orphanage waiting to be adopted. I can work hard. I am almost 10 years old, so I can work for you! I can steal for you! Look, I have stolen this book. You may have it! [ITEM GET: book]
Mario: YIKES! You stole it! That’s wrong! That’s…
Orphan: I know it’s wrong, but it’s the only way I know how to survive. The cruel master of the orphanage does not give me food unless I steal for him. I am very ashamed, but I am also very hungry!
Mario: Here, turkey.
Orphan: Thank you, kind sir. Now I do not need to steal to eat today! If only more people knew of the life we poor children are forced to lead, things might get better for everyone.
Mario: I think Dickens is trying to tell people.
Orphan: Charles Dickens?! You know the great “Boz”? He was one of us once. I mean one of the poor, you know. He’s going to change this mess, you’ll see. He’s a great, smart one, he is!
Mario: Look, I’m worried here. Do all you kids steal?
Orphan: No. Just some of us poor orphans. A lot of children work all day in the factory, if they’re lucky enough to have families. Children must work most of the time.
Mario: You can’t live like this! How can I help?
Orphan: I guess like Mr. Dickens is doing, by telling people about how hard it is for poor people. Just be kind whenever you can and to whomever you meet, especially those less fortunate than you.
Mario: Can you tell me anything more?
Orphan: I’m sorry, but I must get back to the orphanage.

Mario: Hi! I’m Mario, and I’m pleased to meet you!
Charles Dickens: And what an interesting character you are, Mario! My powers of observation inform me that you are well traveled and have seen much. I’d love to talk, but I must write. Come back later, perhaps?
Mario: Mr. Dickens, Boz, is this yours?
Charles: Yes! My inkwell, now back in my possession, allows me to continue with my writing! Thank you for its return. It’s these little nameless, unremembered acts of kindness that help us all!
Mario: Why do you write all of these stories anyway?
Charles: I am chained to my desk with a passion to change the world, Mario. Too much unkindness exists that remains unchecked. I write to point out the wrongs to be righted. And the pay’s not bad either!

Even after he became rich and famous as England’s most popular author, Charles Dickens never gave up his crusade to help the poor.
In 1824, when his father was sent to prison for debt, 12-year old Charles was put to work in a factory. He used the hardships of his childhood to create some of the most popular novels in English literature. Among them are “David Copperfield”, “Oliver Twist” and “A Christmas Carol”
Wildly popular, Dickens’ novels, published in monthly instalments, also exposed the shameful social conditions that existed in England in the 19th century. Dickens worked without rest, editing newspapers and magazines and publishing novels.
He had such a busy social schedule and soon became the toast of the town. Yet, as a devoted father of 10, he always managed to find time to spend with his family! Later in life, he toured the world, giving reading to appreciative audiences, including Queen Victoria.

LUOYANG, 105 AD
Mario: HI! This looks like a good place to hang out.
Dryer: Tee hee, I like your dry humor. As you can see, I’m very busy hanging this new paper stuff in the sun to dry.
Mario: How long does it take to dry?
Dryer: It never dries in the rain, but in the sun one hour. If we could hang it up in the air, it would dry much faster.
Mario: So, on sunny days you do nothing?
Dryer: Tee hee, so many jokes! But we have no time for leisure here! We have to grind scraps of silk with a mortar and pestle, now that the Emperor’s favourite, Ts’ai Lun, is working on his big idea.
Mario: What is Ts’ai Lun’s bright idea?
Dryer: Words are cheap, Mario, and rice is dear. Here is a bowl of rice to share. [ITEM GET: rice]
Mario: I am still interested in Ts’ai Lun’s idea.
Dryer: Words are cheap but ideas are dear. I will need money to tell you Lun’s idea!
Mario: Here, money.
Dryer: Ah, thank you! Now I’m ready to spill the rice about Lun’s idea.
Mario: All right, I’m ready too. Spill!
Dryer: This is secret – you must not repeat this! Ts’ai Lun wants us to collect rags, old fish nets, mulberry bark, hemp and cloth scraps. First we soak them and then we mash them all together.
Mario: Yuck! Why is everything so secret around here?
Dryer: Why, I just gave you the formula for making paper! What if we were captured by our enemies and forced to tell all? Ts’ai Lun’s wonderful new invention must belong only to China!
Mario: Hey, maybe you know the secret of this bamboo?
Dryer: That bamboo? It’s a different shape than the bookmakers use. Ah, maybe Ts’ai Lun ordered it cut that way. I believe he’s working on a better way to dry this rag mixture. See, we need a mold.
Mario: How would a drying mold help?
Dryer: Ts’ai Lun says to dip the mold into the water where the mixture is soaking. All the fibers will stick to the mold. When we take it out, it can dry in sheets in the sun. Tee hee, very clever!
Mario: Can you tell me anything more?
Dryer: Oh, no, clever one! I have told you too much already!
Mario: Here, bamboo.
Dryer: This bamboo is not needed any longer.

Mario: Nice throne; who are you?
Emperor: Who is this small stranger before me?! Everyone knows Ho Ti, ancient Emperor of the Han Dynasty! I am all-knowing and all-powerful!
Mario: Do you have a Mr. Ts’ai Lun here?
Emperor: Yes, but you not steal my loyal employee away from me! He has been my personal advisor ever since I took over. He fills my ears with many wonderful ideas!
Mario: What great ideas has he had?
Emperor: In 97 he helped my arms maker produce swords and weapons never before seen in China! For that I have him a promotion and a private house, so he will not be tempted by your offer!
Mario: So he’s a weapons expert?
Emperor: Silence! Ts’ai Lun is a genius of all trades. He says very soon silk and bamboo will not be needed to make books. He’s making a new wonder called paper. It will cost practically nothing. Imagine!
Mario: Paper, huh? Do you have any yet?
Emperor: Only this crude paper money. You may have a sample only if you are able to amuse me. But remember, I’m an Emperor and I am not easily entertained!
Mario: Here, firecracker.
Emperor: Ha, ha, ha! Very clever, little one! I love to make the sky explode when my nobles least expect it! Here’s your reward. [ITEM GET: money]
Mario: Where does Ts’ai Lun live?
Emperor: In a house with a big fish pond in Lei Yang. He also has very nice rooms here at court ever since the Empress Mother named him a Marquis. My mother doesn’t do that for just anyone!
Mario: Do you pay him well for his ideas?
Emperor: Humph, I am the great Emperor Ho Ti, if you want to talk to me anymore you must bring me more amazing presents! I must be entertained!
Mario: Here, scroll.
Emperor: Ah, an Emperor should read only silk scrolls because they’re so expensive! You were sniffing around like a hungry rat about Ts’ai Lun’s salary, as I recall.
Mario: Yes, does Ts’ai Lun live the good life?
Emperor: He accepts the rents for 300 houses! Surely you cannot match that! He is worth it, especially with this paper idea. I will go down in the history books – paper ones, too – for this!
Mario: Where can I find Ts’ai Lun now?
Emperor: I shall not tell you his whereabouts! I warn you, sneaky one, do not cross the great Emperor Ho Ti! Ts’ai Lun belongs to me!
Mario: Can you tell me anything more?
Emperor: No! I will tell you nothing!!

Mario: Here, bamboo!
Emperor: This bamboo is too common.

Mario: Hi! Are you guys making books?
Writer: Yes, wise plumber, we make these heavy volumes from either bamboo or silk. It all depends on who ordered them.
Mario: You write right on the bamboo?
Writer: Very hard work! Ho Ti says one either works hard or hardly works. I make characters with this pointed stylus. We use hair brushes on silk, like this scroll. Please keep it, but keep it a secret. [ITEM GET: scroll]
Mario: Thanks, but I can’t read the characters.
Writer: Always remember, if it’s printed on silk it contains the wit and wisdom of Confucius. Silk is expensive so we use it only for our best work.
Mario: Why not use something cheaper, like this bamboo?
Writer: I hate bamboo! It’s heavy and clumsy like the Empress. Shhh, don’t tell his Highness or we lose our heads. Bamboo takes too much room to store. We need something thin and soft.
Mario: Don’t you have anything else to write on?
Writer: I have a secret, but you must promise to keep it very quiet. Not like this firecracker, which I will give you as a reminder of what not to do. [ITEM GET: firecracker]
Mario: My lips are sealed. What’s the secret?
Writer: I’ve heard rumors that Ts’ai Lun is inventing a new writing material called paper. Perhaps now we can discard this horrible stylus.
Mario: Why is this paper thing so hush-hush?
Writer: Ho Ti’s court is the only place that knows of this invention. We will be envied all over China. I bet paper will change the world if they can figure out how to perfect it!
Mario: Do you know what this pole is?
Writer: I’m too hungry to answer any more of your questions, Honorable Mario. There’s nothing like bamboo writing to build up an appetite.
Mario: Here, rice.
Writer: Mmmm, thanks for the banquet. Mario. But please, remove that long stick from my sight. If I see another piece of bamboo, I’ll go crazy.
Mario: Can you tell me anything more?
Writer: I am sorry, but I would be wise to say no more!

Mario: hi, I’m Mario! What’re you doing here?
Ts’ai Lun: Greetings, Honorable Mario brother, I am Ts’ai Lun. We are making a new and wonderful thing here. But please come back later, I am having a most trying time with the drying time.
Mario: Hey Mr. Lun, do you need this?
Ts’ai Lun: Ah, small one, you have solved the mystery of the missing bamboo bar! I need four of these to perfect my drying frame. See how thin and pliant this paper will be?
Mario: Great, but what’ll you do with all this paper?
Ts’ai Lun: First, I write you a thank-you note, Mr. Mario! Just think how cheaply we can make books now! In my own humble opinion, I think history will be written with my new invention!

Luoyang, 107 AD
Most people have never heard of him, but inventor Ts’ai Lun made one of the most important contributions to modern civilization! A favourite employee of Emperor Ho Ti, who ruled China during the Han Dynasty, Lun lived and worked in the Imperial Palace. One day, in the year 105, he presented the Emperor with samples of what we now call paper. He explained that he made the stuff from cloth scraps, tree bark, hemp and old rags. These materials were soaked in water, then a mold was dipped into the mixture and set on bamboo frames to dry in the sun. The emperor was very pleased.
Before Ts’ai Lun’s amazing idea, books and scrolls were made from bamboo or costly silks, and so were very rare. For his brilliance, Ts’ai Lun received a great deal of money, a royal title and most importantly, honor. Lun’s method of paper manufacture was kept a great secret, and craftsmen were often abducted in order to force them to tell their secrets. Although Ts’ai Lun was disgraced later in life and took his own life, Han Dynasty records show him to be a remarkable inventor.

MAINZ, 1455
Mario: Hello! Do you recognize this metal letter “G”?
Leatherworker: Hmmm, no. I work with animal skins, making parchment. Those sharp lines would make a big impression on my products, though. But then my business is not letters, after all.
Mario: What is your business? What’s parchment?
Leatherworker: I’m glad you asked. It’s goat or sheep skins that have been carefully crafted so they’re soft, clean and thin enough to write on. The stock we make here is very good – and very expensive.
Mario: Do you know anything about Herr Gutenberg?
Leatherworker: I’m impressed by your curiosity! Actually, I know quite a bit about him, but I really can’t chat unless it’s over a nice, hot cup of tea!
Mario: Here, tea bag.
Leatherworker: Mmm, “cathedral” tea! My absolute favorite! Thanks, Herr Mario. Now, what were you saying about Johann?
Mario: What’s his so called secret project?
Leatherworker: Secret? Ha! Everyone in Germany knows he’s been working on a printing press for at least thirty years!
Mario: That’s a long time. Is he finished?
Leatherworker: Well, if he doesn’t pay back the money he borrowed, they may throw the book at him! But he swore he would print a Bible this year, and Gutenberg always keeps his word!
Mario: Can you tell me anything more?
Leatherworker: I’m sorry, but I must see to my skins.
Mario: Here, metal type.
Leatherworker: No, thanks. I don’t believe I can use that in my line of work.

Mario: Hello, is this letter yours?
Librarian: Shhh, son, this is a library! I have absolutely no use for what appears to be a metal letter or wax seal. Perhaps the fellows at the mint might have made that.
Mario: Does Herr Gutenberg have a library card?
Librarian: A what? Gutenberg used to come in here every day when he was a little boy. What a bookworm that kid was! Most families can’t afford to have a single book in their home.
Mario: Does Gutenberg come here anymore?
Librarian: Ach, nein! He’s been too busy trying to invent a faster, cheaper way to make books in large quantities. I hear that’s all he does anymore.
Mario: Could this metal letter help him?
Librarian: Well, you don’t have to be a librarian to know that every book is filled with letters! But enough talk. Try some of this tea. I grow it myself in the cathedral garden out back. [ITEM GET: tea bag]
Mario: Can you tell me about this letter “G”?
Librarian: Do I have to spell it out for you, Mario? I can’t talk anymore! Our books are so valuable that many have locks on them. Now I’ve lost the key to the mayor’s favorite book! I must find it!
Mario: Here, key.
Librarian: A SPARE KEY! YOU FOUND IT! I COULD KISS YOU! Oh! Sorry. This is a library. I shouldn’t shout. Now, was there some book in particular you wanted to see?
Mario: I’d like to know more about Gutenberg.
Librarian: Ah, yes, poor man! He ran out of money while working on his first book, The Bible. If he can’t pay the loans back, they’ll make him hand over his invention.
Mario: Gee! Will he still get credit for the press?
Librarian: Everyone in Mainz knows it’s Gutenberg’s Bible! Perhaps he should write a book about his life and print it up. Then the whole world would know!
Mario: Can you tell me anything more.
Librarian: I’m sorry, but I must shelve these books.
Mario: Here, metal type.
Librarian: I’m sorry. We have only book here, not trinkets.

Mario: Hi! What are you doing?
Scribe: It’s not hard to describe what a scribe does, plumber. I sit at my table and copy books, word by word by word. Excuse me for yawning. I get so sleepy.
Mario: Do you like your work, Scribe?
Scribe: I love books, but, as a career, this is nothing to write home about. Copying manuscripts is hard work. It takes forever. No wonder books are so darn expensive!
Mario: Would this metal letter “G” help?
Scribe: If that were used to PRINT letters it could make 50 “G’s” in a minute, where it would take me hours! Then I’d have more time to eat my wife’s cooking. Have a drumstick. [ITEM GET: drumstick]
Mario: Well, I hope Gutenberg’s invention works out.
Scribe: Me, too! I wouldn’t mind an early retirement! If I have to copy one more book… Oh, dear, I’m going to need a ladder to reach that ink on the closet shelf.
Mario: Here, ladder.
Scribe: Just what I needed! Now I can reach the gold ink in my master’s closet. Gutenberg wants to use it in his first book – the Bible?
Mario: Can you tell me anything else about Gutenberg?
Scribe: I’m no font of wisdom, but if you don’t get that metal type to Herr Gutenberg right away, we’ll all have to read “Utenberg Bibles”!
Mario: Can you tell me anything more?
Scribe: I’m sorry, but I’ll never finish this manuscript if I keep talking!
Mario: Here, metal type.
Scribe: No, no! My hand is too weary from writing to take that.

Mario: Hi! This is some place. What do you do here?
Metalworker: This is a very important mint, and I am a very important craftsman. I use silver, gold and lead to make keys, coins, medals and other important things.
Mario: Did you make this metal letter “G” I have here?
Metalworker: That’s not my work. Johann Gutenberg made that. He thinks he’s the only person in Mainz, besides the jewelers, who knows about metal crafting.
Mario: Does Gutenberg work here with you?
Metalworker: Ever since he began his “secret project,” he thinks he’s too good for us! Our metalworking, however, is second to none. Here, take this finely crafted key as an example of our work. [ITEM GET: key]
Mario: What’s the secret project? You can tell me.
Metalworker: Ha! Wouldn’t you like to know? All I can say is that Gutenberg has spent the entire fortune he inherited from his father on expensive metals. Now it’s lunchtime, and I can’t talk when I’m hungry.
Mario: Here, drumstick.
Metalworker: Mmm, tasty chicken. I was going to have a Hamburger and a Frankfurter for lunch, but they didn’t show up. What’s so funny? Oh, I suppose you want to know more about Herr Gutenbreg.
Mario: Why did Johann use metal for this letter?
Metalworker: Oh, he tried wood first, but any fool knows that wood is too soft! The letters came out crooked and blurry. But Gutenberg kept on trying. He used to work here, you know.
Mario: Can you tell me anything more?
Metalworker: No! I have much more important things to do!
Mario: Hey, can I borrow a ladder for the scribe?
Metalworker: He never returns anything, but okay. [ITEM GET: ladder]
Mario: Here, metal type.
Metalworker: No, that doesn’t look important enough for me!

Mario: Hi Johann! Having a productive type of day?
Johann Gutenberg: Yes, but it’s Herr Gutenberg to you! Please be on your way now, diminutive one. I’m pressed for time. I must follow my schedule to the letter or this printing press will never be finished!
Mario: Herr Gutenberg, I believe this is your type!
Johann: And you’re my type of guy, Mario! But please, call me Johann. Your hard work has helped me to finally finish my masterpiece!
Mario: What will you do next, Johann?
Johann: Well, Mario, after spending the last 30 years working day and night on this printing press, I’ve got a stack of reading to catch up on!

Mainz, 1455
When young Johann Gutenberg was growing up in Germany at the turn of the 15th century, books were very rare and expensive. This was because a scribe had to duplicate each copy by hand! Since Johann was a child of great curiosity who loved to read, he dreamed of a faster, easier way to make books. Luckily, Johann had inherited a large fortune, which allowed him to dedicate all his time to the invention that would soon change the world. The secret, he realized, was in finding a way to print words so copies would be quick and effortless.
Gutenberg first tried carving letters from wood, but the printing came out crooked and blurry. He continued to experiment, spending all his father’s money during the 30 years it took to perfect the printing press. The final press, made with movable metal type, worked perfectly. His childhood ream realized at last, Johann printed his first books in 1455. They are known today as Gutenberg Bibles.

MENLO PARK, 1879
Mario: Hello! Are there any inventors around here?
Hardware store clerk: You must be new to New Jersey! Everyone knows Thomas Alva Edison! We call him the “Wizard of Menlo Park.” He invents something new and useful practically every day!
Mario: I have this wire-like thing. Recognize it?
Hardware store: Hmm. Looks like a slender thread, or filament. Say, Edison is always looking for things this shape[sic]. He’s already tried 200 of them has filaments for his new invention. Something to do with bulbs.
Mario: Bulbus? What’s a bulb?
Hardware store: It’s a sort of a bubble of glass. I’ve got no time for that! See that grassy field out there? The new American version of “football” is starting in Menlo Park, and I went and lost the ball!
Mario: Here, football.
Hardware store: The football! Would you look at that! And here I thought you were just another pushy salesman. Let me make it up to you. Take a pair of our finest scissors! Can I do anything else? [ITEM GET: scissors]
Mario: What more can you tell me about Edison?
Hardware store: Well, he patented the first phonograph last year. I’ve got all his records, including his first big hit, “Mary Had A Little Lamb!”
Mario: Here, filament.
Hardware store: No thanks, I’m overstocked as it is.

Mario: Hi! Do you know what this black wire is?
Telegrapher: If I do recall, that looks like something Edison just ordered from China. Ah, yes, here’s the telegram: “SEND BAMBOO, CARBONIZED.” Carbonized means burnt, you know.
Mario: So, does Edison come in here often?
Telegrapher: I’m on a break now, and my time is precious. I collect postcards from all over the world and I need one more to complete my collection.
Mario: Here, postcard.
Telegrapher: Just what I needed! I had a postcard from everywhere but right here! Now, what were you asking about our local inventor?
Mario: Does Edison come in here often?
Telegrapher: Oh, Edison has practically become fixture in this place since he heard about those light bulb experiments in Europe. You know, he sent a very funny telegram yesterday.
Mario: What did the telegram say? You can tell me.
Telegrapher: Lean in a little closer. I’m no snoop, but it said, “Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration!” I have another telegram here for the druggist. Would you mind taking it to him? [ITEM GET: telegram]
Mario: Why else does Edison come here so often?
Telegrapher: Well, maybe to remember the good old days. He was a telegraph operator himself, you know. He also invented an improved stock ticker, which is just another kind of telegraph.
Mario: Here, filament.
Telegrapher: I can’t send that over the wire!

Mario: Greetings, how much for a room?
Hotel clerk: Greetings, how much for a room?
Mario: If you absolutely must know, $2.50 for gas lamps, three bucks with a bathroom. But, if you want the good bed and the stable view, it’s gonna cost you $3.50!
Mario: If it has good plumbing, I’ll try room #6.
Clerk: If you absolutely must, but don’t expect me to say something cheery like, “Welcome to the Hotel Menlo!” All you get is a postcard of the joint! [ITEM GET: postcard]
Mario: Did Thomas Edison ever stay here?
Clerk: Look, I’ve got to go. Room 18 needs a haircut and a shave. They make me do everything around here! Now, where are those rusty hair clippers?
Mario: Here, scissors.
Clerk: Scissors, eh? Well, I guess these will do. Thanks. If you must know, Edison stayed here a lot. He’s a little deaf. Kept his phonograph contraption blaring all night!
Mario: What else is Edison working on?
Clerk: Besides alkaline batteries and the carbon microphone? Too many to mention! I’ll bet he retires with at least a thousand patents. Speaking of retirement, I’m done for the day.
Mario: Here, filament.
Clerk: Don’t give that to me, the maid was supposed to clean your room!

Mario: Excuse me. I’m trying to return this.
Pharmacist: That’s the strangest looking piece of licorice I’ve ever seen. Edison buys thin strands of fiber like that at the hardware store. Often they’re made out of cotton, twine, and even gold.
Mario: Edison buys threads of material like this?
Pharmacist: I’d like to sit here and talk, but I’m waiting for a telegram from my brother. He’s one of the many men who works with Edison, you know. Sure, Edison’s a wizard, but he doesn’t do it all himself.
Mario: Here, telegram.
Pharmacist: Oh good! Let’s see what my brother has to say: “EDISON NEAR BREAKTHROUGH ON INCANDESCENT LIGHT BULB. STOP. STILL NEEDS TO FIND RELIABLE FILAMENT THAT GLOWS WHEN ELECTRIFIED IN VACUUM. STOP.”
Mario: Gosh! What else does he say?
Pharmacist: Just this: “EDISON CERTAIN CARBONIZED BAMBOO IS THE ANSWER. STOP. ONCE DONE, WE CAN START WORK ON FIRST ELECTRIC POWER PLANT AND MOTION PICTURES. STOP. BE BACK SOON. STOP. YOUR BROTHER.”
Mario: Gee! No wonder Edison’s lab is so busy.
Pharmacist: Oh, and his neighbors are always complaining of weird noises and smells. But I’ve got my own problems. Someone threw this funny shaped leather balloon through my window! You can have it. [ITEM GET: football]
Mario: Have you talked to Edison lately?
Pharmacist: The poor man was in this morning for bandages. Wouldn’t you know, he blew the lab up again. It’s those danged, dangerous, gas lamps. That’s why Edison’s working so hard on the light bulb.
Mario: So, is Edison the smartest scientist around?
Pharmacist: He’s not really a scientist. He uses science to invent things we can all use. That’s what an inventor does. He’s going to put our humble town of Menlo Park on the map with his light bulbs!
Mario: Here, filament.
Pharmacist: I don’t think anyone would want that but Edison.

Mario: Hi there! I’m new in town! Got a minute?
Thomas Edison: Nope. Sorry, son, but I’ve to got to[sic] work on my latest invention. Danged if this isn’t a puzzler, though! If I can’t figure this one out, we’ll all be left in the dark!
Mario: Say, Wiz, er, Mr. Edison, do you need this?
Thomas Edison: Why, son of a gun! My boy, I believe that’s the bulb filament I was searching for! Good job, Mario, this invention is the life of my life!
Mario: Say, Tom, where do you get your inspiration!
Thomas Edison: Funny you should ask. It was much harder to tell before, but now, whenever I see a light bulb go off in my head, I know I’m on to something good!

Menlo Park, 1879
The prolific inventor Thomas Alva Edison, also known as New Jersey’s “Wizard of Menlo Park,” began his quest to perfect the light bulb in 1879, after tiring of the flickering light and funny smalls from the old, dangerous gas lamps. Learning of a similar invention in Europe, Edison tried over 200 types of material in his seemingly endless quest to find a long-burning filament. Eventually, he discovered that carbonized bamboo was the perfect material.
Although best remembered as the inventor of the incandescent light bulb, Edison also brought us, among other inventions, the phonograph, the alkaline battery, and motion pictures. Edison is also credited with owning more patents than anyone else in history, receiving more than 1000 in his lifetime. Later in life he was quoted as saying, “Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.”

NOVATO, 1994
Mario: Excuse me, but where am I?
Jeff Griffeath: This is The Software Toolworks art department. We aims ta please. What can we do for you?
Mario: Are you an artist?
Jeff: As a matter of fact, I’m a LEAD artist. (That means I know all the secret keystrokes to make the paint program work.) I just finished work on our history game. Wanna see it?
Mario: Uh… No, thanks. Maybe later.
Jeff: Sure, come back anytime. Just ask the receptionist for Jeff Griffeath. And here’s a sample of the artwork to remember me by. Say, can you draw? We can always use more artists…
Mario: Just look at my sketch of Luigi!
Jeff: Great work! I’ll show it to Vicki Sidley, our art director! We may even call you back for an interview on our next project.
Mario: Sorry, but I really must return this disk.
Jeff: Too bad, Our art director, Vicki Sidley, wants me to find several more artists for our next project. Now you’ll never be known as a famous artist.
Mario: What’s troubling you, Jeff?
Jeff: Aaargh! Script files! I need the latest script file to complete this picture. Darn writers! They’re always changing things!
Mario: Here, script.
Jeff: Thanks, little guy! Hey, these scripts aren’t bad! Did you know that two of the writers are also artists? Wes Jenkins and Jim Pearson. The Toolworks has some real Renaissance people on staff!
Mario: Need another artist, Jeff?
Jeff: Thanks, Mario, but we’ll call you.

Mario: Hi! My name is Mario…
Andy Iverson: Wow! THE Mario. In person! Pleased to meet you! I’m Andy Iverson, one of the writers. Actually I’m a writer-programmer. We’ve been making this game…
Mario: What does writing have to do with a game?
Andy: If we didn’t spend hours inventing new and exciting adventures for your historical pleasure, you’d be speechless, Mario! Literally! Take this script (please) – rewritten only 50 times! [ITEM GET: script]
Mario: Wow! So you could just write Bowser out, right?
Andy: Has Bowser gotten out again? What’s he done this time? Is HE here, too? I’d better call Rachel Koretsky, our editor. We’ve got to hide these scripts before Bowser steals them!
Mario: Too late. He took your disk.
Andy: Oh, no! Then he’s trying to prevent you from ever even FINDING the timulator! If he succeeds, it will spell doom for all those famous historical figures!!
Mario: How dramatic! But don’t worry, I have the disk.
Andy: Oh, thank goodness! However, before that disk gets shipped, we have one last, final, FINAL rewrite to do. But I can’t make any changes until I get the latest bug report from QA.
Mario: Here, bug report.
Andy: All RIGHT! Now I can edit your final joke on this script. Let’s see how this reads. I’ll just load up the artwork that corresponds to this script…
Mario: Hey, that sounds good! What’s that music?
Andy: It’s a new composition from Don Griffin, the guy who did the music for your history game. Now it’s almost ready to ship! But you’d better get that disk to Greno before we make more script changes!
Mario: Can you tell me anything more?
Andy: Nope.

Mario: Hi! Can you tell me what this is?
Don Lloyd: Is this a trick question? It’s a floppy disk, of course. Is the new artwork on it? I’ve been waiting a long time for that new art…
Mario: Here, art file.
Don: Hey, that’s just the file I’ve been waiting for! Why didn’t Jeff just put it up on the BBS like usual?
Mario: BBS? What’s that?!
Don: Are you new around here? BBS is the Bulletin Board System. Oh, you must be the new guy from QA! I’m Don Lloyd, but everyone calls me Murphy. Here’s the bug fix your department requested.
Mario: Hey Murphy! Who’s that pitching a fit?
Don: Hmm? Oh, that’s just Tony Farmer. He’s upset about putting a new feature into a product that’s shipping next week. Don’t mind him – he’ll calm down in another hour or so.
Mario: Does that happen often?
Don: Only when our product director, Marc Roegiers, requests a change. Or when Don Laabs, our Vice President, wants to improve game play. I guess Tony is upset a lot… Hmm…
Mario: Do you know Bowser?
Don: I’ve heard the name before. I think he was the person that Greno wanted me to send the ship disk to. I’m not sure why. Greno usually handles those things.
Mario: Yikes! Why would Bowser want the disk?
Don: Who knows? The only reason I can deduce is that he wanted to stop us from shipping the product. I don’t understand why he’d want that, though.
Mario: Bowser’s trying to stop me!
Don: What? How would stealing a history game stop you? And stop you from what? Hey, wait a minute! You’re… you’re MARIO!! You should go see Greno right away!!
Mario: Is that all there is, then?
Don: What else is there?

Mario: Hi there! What do you do here?
QA: We assure the quality of Software Toolworks products. We play all the games and try to “break” them. That means we find things that aren’t working.
Mario: Wow! It looks like fun!
QA: Oh, it is. But it’s also a LOT of work. And everybody’s always in a rush to get their products shipped by the time we get them, so we have to deal with a lot of people.
Mario: Like who?
QA: Mostly the programmers. In fact, I’m waiting on a bug fix from Tony Farmer. He’s probably roaming the parking lot right about now.
Mario: Here, bug fix.
QA: Great! If this bug fix works, we should be ready to ship next Friday. That is, if those darn writers would stop making changes. Which reminds me, here’s their latest bug report. [ITEM GET: bug report]
Mario: Wow! You do all this work for just one game?!
QA: Sure do! Before the disk goes to Greno, there are an amazing number of people involved. The programmers, the writers, the artists, the composer – and of course, you! It’s a real team effort!
Mario: Just who is this “Greno” person?
QA: Dave Grenewetzki? He’s the main man. The big cheese. The top banana. Numero Uno. El Cid. #1 on the runway… He’s got a corner office and the power to use it!
Mario: Any bugs?
QA: Of course not! Zero defects, that’s out motto!

Mario: Hi, can you tell me where I am?
Dave Grenewetzki: What? You’re in Novato, California. I’m sorry, but I don’t have time to chat just now. I’ve lost a VERY important floppy disk. It had the final version of our latest “edutainment” product.
Mario: Hey, Greno, you looking for this?
Dave: The “Time Machine” ship disk! I’ve been looking all over for that! Now we can send the game out to stores everywhere. How can I ever repay you? Thanks, Mr. uh…
Mario: Mario. Mario Mario.
Dave: Mario? Heh-heh. Sure you are! And I’m William Shakespeare. Well, I’ve got a meeting to attend. See you around, Mario. And say hello to Luigi for me! Ha-ha… Mario…
Mario: Yo, Greno! I’m baaack…
Dave: Oh, hi, “Mario. “Thanks again for finding that disk. We’ll be shipping this history game on time now, thanks to you.

The number of people involved in bring you this game is amazing. The programming team was managed by Don “Murphy” Lloyd. The lead programmer was Hyungsuk Suh, supported by the able talents of Rey Castro, Greg Wishart and Carlos Justiniano. The lead artist was Jeff Griffeath, who was assisted by: Dan Guerra, Maude Church, Cesar De Castro, Jan Sleeper, Wes Jenkins and Jim Pearson.
Jim and Wes also participated in scriptwriting for this game. Led by erstwhile editor Rachel Koretsky, with major contributions from writer-programmer Andy Iverson, the script team labored many hours to bring these historical figures to life.
The fine music you’ve listened to has been brought to you by the talents of Don Griffin and Rob Wallace. Other very important people include: Vicki Sidley, art director; Teri Sturla, content producer; Chanel Summers, producer; and Don Laabs, Vice President of software[sic]
Lastly, everyone involved has contributed significantly to the design of this product. We sincerely hope that you have enjoyed playing it and have learned from the experience. With your help, Mario will continue to defeat the evil schemes of Bowser and his kin. But that is another story…

ORLEANS, 1429
Mario: Friend, can you tell me what battle this is?
Stablemaster: Why, this is Orleans, mon ami! We are attempting to storm the fortification of Tourelles!
Mario: Who are you trying to take it from?
Stablemaster: We are striving to end the siege of Orleans by the English, of course!
Mario: Looks like you have a tough battle ahead!
Stablemaster: Perhaps! But we know victory will soon be ours!
Mario: How could you know that?
Stablemaster: Why, we are led by the Maid Joan, petit ami! With her leading us, we will not lose this fight! When we take Orleans, the Dauphin shall be crowned king, and the English driven away!
Mario: You want to crown a dolphin king?
Stablemaster: Not a dolphin! The Dauphin! That is what we call the heir to the throne! When he is crowned he will become Charles VII, our leader. Though, many say Charles is led by Joan!
Mario: She sounds pretty impressive!
Stablemaster: Ah! She is like an avenging angel, m’sieur! The sight of her leading the troops inspires the men greatly!
Mario: Do you know where I can find her?
Stablemaster: I would tell you more, but, with all the fighting, I am behind in my work! I need to fix the bit of the Duke of Alencon’s horse, and I can’t find it!
Mario: Here, horse’s bit.
Stablemaster: Ah, bon! You found the bit for the Duke’s horse! Merci, little friend!
Mario: Any idea where Joan is?
Stablemaster: I saw the hoof prints of her favorite horse heading up the hill towards that meadow. Look for here there! Bonne chance!
Mario: Here, shield.
Stablemaster: That is Joan’s shield! She may need it!

Mario: Excuse me, sir, are you in command here?
Duke of Alencon: I may command their swords, but Joan commands their hearts!
Mario: Does Joan really go into battle?
Duke: Oui! She rides at the head of the troops! You should see the men rally around her standard!
Mario: So, she’s a warrior, eh?
Duke: She has never taken part in the actual clash of arms, yet she knows much about the art of war! She’s a natural leader of men and fearless when facing the enemy!
Mario: Does Joan wear armor like a knight!
Duke: They made for her a special suit of armor, much smaller than for a man, with no crests on it. And, of course, she carries the sword of Saint Catherine.
Mario: Is that a special sword?
Duke: Ah, oui! A small miracle, that! Joan told the priests where to find it at St. Catherine de Fierbois - - a village she’d never visited - - and find it they did!
Mario: How did she know it was there?
Duke: The voices told her! She says these things come to her through the voiced of three saints! And, just between you, me, and the tent flap, I believe her! She is very pious and filled with faith!
Mario: It sounds as if you like Joan a lot!
Duke: I have grown quite fond of her, like a sister. When I saw her struck by that arrow today, it pained me greatly.
Mario: Yikes! You mean she was hit?
Duke: Have no fear, mon ami! She was merely knocked to the ground. She arose quickly and pulled out the shaft herself! The men took her away from the battle to heal.
Mario: I must get this shield to her! Can you help?
Duke: Hmm… As the Duke of Alencon, a note signed by me would give you safe passage around the camp to look for her. But, alas, I have no quill to write with!
Mario: Here, quill pen. Merveilleux! My quill from the scribe! You shall have your letter! Also, take this bit for my horse. Give it to the stable master. He will know the whereabouts of Joan’s horse. [ITEM GET: horse’s bit]
Mario: Thanks, Duke! You can count on Mario!
Duke: Merci, Count Mario! And bonne chance to you!
Mario: Here, shield.
Duke: But this belongs to Jeanne d’Arc! You must return it to her!

Mario: Pardon me, do you know what’s going on?
Scribe: Foolish men are being led by witchcraft and heresy, I fear!
Mario: What? It looks like a battle to me!
Guy: This is merely a skirmish! The real battle is for who controls Charles!
Mario: Is Charles the king?
Scribe: Not yet! But it looks like he soon will be, thanks to Joan! Each victory she wins brings Charles closer to be crowned King of France at Rheims!
Mario: So? What’s wrong with that?
Scribe: You must understand, Joan is doing what Charles’ many advisors and knights could not. Their power and influence is reduced with each victory she wins. They are very nervous!
Mario: But what’s that got to do with witchcraft?
Scribe: Why, that’s obvious! Her claims of hearing the voices of saints is heresy, I tell you! Heresy! A mere shepherd girl of 17 could not lead 4,000 men into battle without the help of magic!
Mario:  Maybe she’s just an extraordinary girl of 17!
Scribe: Bah! A woman cannot lead men. What could you know of such thing! Here, make yourself useful. Take this quill pen to the Duke of Alencon! [ITEM GET: quill pen]
Mario: I think that Joan is going to change your mind.
Scribe: Never. A woman has no place on the field of battle! Now be gone, impudent gnome!
Mario: Here, shield.
Scribe: I have no desire to look upon it! Take it away!

Mario: Sorry to disturb you, but what battle is this?
Joan of Arc: Forgive me, I am still weak. During the battle, I lost my buckler and was struck by an arrow.
Mario: I think you’ll be needing this, Maid Joan!
Joan: Ah! You have found my shield! Now I can lead the army once again! Orleans shall not see another day under siege! I give you my thanks, mon ami Mario!
Mario: Say, Joan, how’d you guess my name?
Joan: Let us just say that it came to me in a vision, Mario.

Orleans, 1429
The idea that a mere 17-year-old could inspire hardened soldiers to win battle after battle during France and England’s “Hundred Years War” is amazing. That Joan of Arc was an illiterate, 15th century farm girl makes it only more astounding. Driven to change her world by visions and voices of 3 saints, Joan led French troops against the English in an effort to expel them from her country. Armed with the sword of Saint Catherine and clad in custom-made armor, Joan led an army of 4,000 men to a decisive victory, lifting the siege of the city of Orleans.
Joan’s soldiers routed the enemy repeatedly and eventually took back enough land to allow the Dauphin to be crowned King Charles VII of France in the cathedral of Rheims. Before the “Maid of Orleans” could complete her task, however, she fell into the hands of the English. Tried and convicted of heresy, Joan - - still true to her purpose - - was martyred in 1431. Later cleared of the charges, Joan of Arc was made a saint by the Catholic Church in 1920.

PACIFIC OCEAN, 1521
Mario: Excuse me, are you the captain of this ship?
Juan: No, senor. This is the “Trinidad,” the flagship of our Captain-General Ferdinand Magellan. We are on a voyage of commerce and exploration… Sorry, I am weak from the scurvy…
Mario: Here, onion.
Juan: Gracias, mi amigo! That makes me feel much better! It has been a month since we last found provisions on land, so fresh food is a precious commodity!
Mario: Do you captain one of those other ships?
Juan: Ah, no, I am Juan Sebastian Del Cano, first mate of the “Victoria,” which is following close behind. I fear I will be the captain one day, though.
Mario: Why do you fear becoming captain?
Juan: Because Captain-General Magellan takes many risks. He started this voyage in 1519 with five ships and 265 men. I have nightmares of bringing back only one ship with only 18 men.
Mario: What’s been the hardest part so far?
Juan: Making our way west through the straits off South America. It was a historic day when we emerged after 39 days of storms and bad seas. Now, it is so calm, we must be in Balboa’s “Pacific” Ocean.
Mario: Wouldn’t it have been faster to go east?
Juan: Faster? I don’t know. We hoped it would be safer, and perhaps shorter. Going east means passing through waters controlled by our trade rivals, the Portuguese, and risking war.
Mario: So this is all about making money on spices?
Juan: I used to think so, my little friend! At first I thought only of riches - - but Magellan has shown me that exploring the unknown is a greater reward!
Mario: Can you get rich exploring the unknown?
Juan: I suppose one might, but that is not the kind of reward I speak of!
Mario: What kind of reward are you talking about?
Juan: Think of it! If this is a round globe we sail on, imagine how glorious it would be to be the first to travel around it! To live the adventure of seeing things no one has ever dreamed!
Mario: To boldly go where no one has gone before?
Juan: Si, that’s as good a way of putting it as any, I suppose. But we’ll not make it home unless we can find our way, and I have lost my telescope.
Mario: Here, telescope.
Juan: Ah! A telescope! Thanks, my friend, now I can help Magellan find our way! Is there anything I can do for you?
Mario: Can you get me to Magellan? I think this is his.
Juan: The ship’s astrolabe! Without that we cannot tell how far north or south we are! You must take that back to Magellan immediately! Go to him now or we are all doomed!
Mario: Can you tell me anything more?
Juan: I’m sorry, but I have to search the horizon for a way home.
Mario: Here, astrolabe.
Juan: I do not need it as much as our Captain-General.

Mario: This looks like some kind of storeroom!
Bosun: Aye, that it is, mate! And I am the ship’s bosun. Who are you, the new cabin boy? Make yourself useful by taking this rat trap to the cook. [ITEM GET: rat trap]
Mario: I’m a plumber, and I need to see Magellan!
Bosun: Magellan! He’s crazy! He pretends to know where we’re going, but I don’t believe him! If it weren’t for all the money I stand to make in the spice trade, I wouldn’t even be here!
Mario: Sounds like you don’t have faith in Magellan.
Bosun: Bah! I think he’s lost! Listen, Columbus wanted to get to India by going west. Well, I’ve been to India, mate, and this desolate place isn’t it! This is some whole new world!
Mario: Well, exploring a new world is exciting, right?
Bosun: Not if we all die! Columbus was wrong! The world and its oceans are vast! Here, take it! It does me no good! [ITEM GET: telescope]
Mario: So you don’t know if there’s land ahead?
Bosun: Of course not! If Magellan hadn’t stopped our mutiny, perhaps we’d be on our way home now - - instead of plunging on further into this endless sea!
Mario: Mutiny? There was a mutiny? What happened?
Bosun: Others, who felt as I do about Magellan’s foolhardiness, tried and failed to take command. He executed two of them, and now he’s determined to strand us in this huge ocean! Madness, I tell you!
Mario: Can you tell me anything more?
Bosun: I’m sorry, but I don’t want to talk any more about this voyage.
Mario: Here, astrolabe.
Bosun: That is Magellan’s precious astrolabe! You’d better return it to him!

Mario: Do you know where the Captain is?
Cook: I’d be happy to take you to him, but I must stay here in the galley to keep the rats at bay! Rats! Always a problem! I think a whole family boarded us as we passed through the straits!
Mario: The straits? What are the straits?
Cook: Why, a strait is a narrow passage of water between two pieces of land. It took us 39 days to pass through the strait between the southern tip of South America and “The Land of Fire”!
Mario: “Land of Fire”? Sounds hot!
Cook: Oh, no, senor! It was freezing cold, muy frio! Magellan saw the campfires of savage tribes on the islands to the south and named the place “Tierra del Fuego,” “The Land of Fire.”
Mario: Just what are you guys doing so far south?
Cook: We are searching for a western route to the Spice Islands. We’ve already explored the eastern coast of the New World for a year. Aye! Another rat! I cannot talk anymore!
Mario: Here, rat trap.
Cook: Muchas gracias! Now I can catch a few of these monsters! When food runs short, a good-sized rat is worth its weight in gold!
Mario: Ewww! You’re THAT low on food?
Cook: Si! And that’s only one of my many hardships! The crew sleeps in cold, cramped quarters with all kinds of vermin! The water is bad, and, with no fresh foods in months, scurvy is taking its toll!
Mario: Scurvy? What’s scurvy?
Cook: A mysterious illness of men long at sea. It has doomed more ships than storms, pirates and savages combined! Here, this onion is the last of our fresh food. It seems to help fight the scurvy! [ITEM GET: onion]
Mario: Yikes! It’s amazing you made it this far!
Cook: It’s mostly thanks to Magellan! He is a strong leader and a fine example of courage to the whole crew! Not bad for a Portuguese captain leading a Spanish ship.
Mario: You must have a lot of faith in him.
Cook: Most of us do, but not all. We have not seen our sister ship, the “San Antonio,” for days. I think they turned back! They must not have thought we could make it to the Spice Islands.
Mario: Why do you need to get to the Spice Islands?
Cook: Have you eaten European lately? Trust me, senor, I’m a cook; it goes bad very rapidly. At least spices make it edible. If you can bring spices to Europe, you can get very rich!
Mario: Here, astrolabe.
Cook: I don’t know what it does, and it’s of no use to me!
Mario: Can you tell me anything more?
Cook: I’m sorry, but I must go and try to catch more rats.

Mario: Here, [item].
Cast: I have no need for such a thing.
OR
Cast: I have nothing to give you in return, I must decline.
OR
Cast: No, thanks. I don’t care for it.
OR
Cast: Thanks, but I already have one of those.

Mario: Could you tell me where this ship is headed?
Ferdinand Magellan: Go away, senor! I am much too busy to converse with you! Besides, I cannot tell you where we are going now! My astrolabe is missing and I cannot determine our latitude!
Mario: Here, astrolabe.
Ferdinand: Madre de Dios! My astrolabe! Now I can find the way to the Spice Islands, and then home! We may finish this voyage safely after all! Thank you, my friend.
Mario: Hey, now I can say I set Magellan straight!
Ferdinand: Hmm… That’s rather catchy… Magellan straight… Straits of Magellan! Why, I think that’s what we’ll call that passage back there! Thanks for the inspiration, Mario!

Pacific Ocean, 1521
The importance of believing in yourself has few better examples than Ferdinand Magellan, who led the greatest navigational feat in history! When Columbus reached America in 1492, he thought he had found a western shortcut to India. By 1519, however, when Magellan’s five ships sailed west to find the Spice Islands, explorers suspected that the Americas were a vast region unconnected to Asia. After a year of exploring the eastern coast of the “New World” for a way west, Magellan entered the rough seas between ““Tierra del Fuego” and the tip of South America.
After 39 days of struggle, Magellan entered the vast Pacific Ocean. Sailing west, his crew endured malnutrition and scurvy until they reached the Philippines. There, Magellan was killed by hostile natives, but Juan Sebastian Del Cano pressed on. “Victoria,” the sole remaining ship, rounded the cape of Africa and returned to Spain. Thus, Magellan’s expedition became the first to sail around the globe. In doing so, it demonstrated the true scale of the oceans and proved that the Americas were indeed a new world!

PADUA, 1610
Mario: Hey, you there! Do you know Galileo?
Galileo’s student: He just happens to be my mathematics professor. You’re not from the Church, are you?
Mario: No, I’m here to find Galileo and give him this.
Student: Oh good! The Church is annoyed with him for questioning Aristotle’s ideas and finding errors. Most people, including the Church leaders, think Galileo is wrong and should be arrested!
Mario: Yikes! Like what ideas did Aristotle have?
Student: Aristotle believed that all the planets circle the earth. But Galileo agrees with the Polish astronomer, Copernicus, who says that the planets circle the sun.
Mario: I hear it said Galileo was a bit of an inventor.
Student: True, Galileo is like da Vinci, smart in many things. He perfected an air thermometer as well as this compass, which measures ratio and proportions. [ITEM GET: compass(?)]
Mario: What is the astronomer working on now?
Student: Neglecting his math students, I can tell you that! Ever since he perfected the Dutch telescope by adding a second lens, he’s been on one roof or another looking at Jupiter!
Mario: What’s he looking for?
Student: I can’t talk anymore, Mario. I’m conducting an experiment based on Galileo’s law of falling bodies, and I’m afraid I’ve dropped the ball.
Mario: Here, ball.
Student: Grazie, now I can finish my homework! I have to show Galileo’s mathematical formula proving that all objects fall at the same speed. Aristotle believed that heavier ones fall faster than light ones.
Mario: So Galileo proved Aristotle wrong?
Student: Yes, but a lot of people still don’t believe it! Galileo has taught us that we can’t blindly accept scientific theories just because those in authority claim they are true.
Mario: What else have you learned from Galileo?
Student: Oh, many things! My favorite is his law of inertia, which shows that a moving object, if left alone, will continue to move forever! That is, if slowing forces such as friction could be eliminated.
Mario: But you never said why he’s looking at Jupiter.
Student: I bet he’s looking for proof that Copernicus was right. You see, Copernicus was certain that our Moon circles the Earth.
Mario: But what’s Jupiter got to do with it?!
Student: Galileo would like you with all these questions! What if he found moons that circle Jupiter? It will prove that our Moon does indeed circle the Earth – and therefore that all planets circle the sun!
Mario: Can you tell me anything more?
Student: I’m sorry, but I must finish my homework now.
Mario: Here, telescope.
Student: Oh no! I am just a poor student!

Mario: Hi, have you heard of Galileo, by any chance?
Romantic fop: Certo! Who hasn’t? But his name is associated with good and bad news. Ah, look at the lovely moon, Signore Mario.
Mario: Yes, lovely. I’ll take the good news first.
Fop: Galileo studies the heavens. He says the Moon has seas and mountain ranges, and that it is lit by light from the sun. An amazing thought, no? All these years we thought it was lit up from the inside!
Mario: And the bad news?
Fop: Ah, not everyone believes his ideas. Galileo is a famous man, it’s true, but I hear he uses his quick wit to ridicule his opponents. He has made many enemies, including the Roman Catholic Church!
Mario: Yikes! How did he do that?
Fop: The Church believes Aristotle to be the greatest scientist of the ancient world. But Galileo has said that Aristotle made many errors. Ouch! Where did this ball come from? Is it yours? [ITEM GET: ball]
Mario: Do you think Galileo is a better scientist?
Fop: They say he’s very good, but what do I know of science? I know that Galileo plays the lute and the organ and that he writes songs and poems. I am much more interested in matters of the heart!
Mario: How did Galileo become famous?
Fop: He invented a spyglass for the heavens! He saw that the Milky Way is really many, many stars clustered together! But I prefer to look at the sky and dream. Tonight, I want to wax poetic!
Mario: Here, poetry book.
Fop: A book of romantic verse to recite to my beloved! Grazie, Mario! Now what can I do for you?
Mario: Do you know what this is for?
Fop: Let me see… Dio buono! The Moon is not smooth at all – it has huge craters in it!! Per favore, take it away! I prefer to gaze at the Moon from afar. Some things are best left to the imagination.
Mario: Can you tell me anything more?
Fop: No, Mario. Sorry, but we would like to be alone now.
Mario: Here, telescope.
Fop: No, no. It’s much more romantic without that.

Mario: Ciao! Do you know what this is?
Poet: The answer to this question, signore, I happen to know it. If that’s not a telescope, then I’m not a poet! And poetry indeed has gained me much clout; take this book of verse if you have any doubt! [ITEM GET: poetry book]
Mario: Thanks! Why did they name this a telescope?
Poet: If your vocabulary you wish to enhance, the name means “to see at a great distance.” It is from two words and those two words are Greek, “tele” and “scope” are the words that you speak!
Mario: Wow! What do you know of Galileo?
Poet: Ah, Galileo is a name that trips off the tongue. He studies the planets, the stars and the sun. At first these things appear to be way beyond reach, and that is why he came here to Padua to teach!
Mario: You’re pretty good! What else can you tell me?
Poet: Galileo was born in Pisa in 1564, and told his father he would study medicine no more. He heard about astronomy and that made him yearn, so it was mathematics he decided to learn!
Mario: What does math have to do with astronomy?
Poet: Excuse me, signore, I don’t me to be rude. As you can see, I’m in a fine poetic mood. But reciting my verse is how I make my living, and something of value you should now be giving!
Mario: Here, compass.
Poet: Ah, this is something I certainly shall treasure, for it appears to be an instrument of measure. And now again I shall traverse the poetic path which I believe had led us to none other than math?
Mario: Yes, what does math have to do with astronomy?
Poet: Mathematical formulas are what Galileo uses; the results of his experiments he therefore never loses. Performing experiments is what Galileo does best, for he found a way to put science to the test!
Mario: So math can be used in all kinds of science?
Poet: Now you understand what makes Galileo so great! He always asks questions, he leaves nothing to fate! Experimental science will be his claim to fame, and everyone will know him by his first name!
Mario: Where do you think I can find him now?
Poet: I imagine he could be anywhere under the stars, unlocking the secrets of Jupiter or Mars! If you find him, and if you don’t mind, tell him he’s the greatest scientist of all time!!
Mario: Here, telescope.
Poet: I’m not rude nor am I crass, but there’s no poetry in a spyglass!

Mario: Evening Galileo Galiei. What’s up?
Galileo: Just Galileo will do, son. Many wonderful things are “up,” but they are way over your head. I would share them with you, but I am unable to do so without my new refractor.
Mario: Will this help you get closer to your goals?
Galileo: My telescope! Grazie, Mario, I am so pleased; you have made things so crystal clear. Look – there ARE moons circling Jupiter! Copernicus was right!!
Mario: Wow!! Would you look at that!
Galileo: I was going to name them the “Medicean Planets,” to win the favor of the Medicis, the ruling family of Florence. But perhaps I’ll name them the “Mario Moons” instead!

Fortunately for modern science, Galileo Galilei did not become a doctor as his father intended. A lecture on astronomy at the University of Pisa inspired him to pursue his talents as a mathematician instead. But when he began to question the ideas of Aristotle, Galileo became unpopular with the ancient scientist’s chief supporter – the Roman Catholic Church. Moving to Padua to teach at the University there, he invented a proportional compass and discovered the law of falling bodies and the law of inertia.
In 1610, after improving upon a Dutch invention, the telescope (from Greek words for “seeing at a distance”), Galileo made an amazing discovery. He saw moons circling Jupiter, proving the Polish astronomer Copernicus’ theory that the planets orbit the sun, and not the Earth, as Aristotle taught.[sic] Galileo, known to all by his first name only, is considered the founder of modern experimental science. He died in 1642, after the Church sentenced him to life imprisonment (which he served under house arrest) for his views on astronomy.

PARIS, 1885
Mario: Pardon me, do you recognize this?
Waiter: Ah oui! It is a flask from a scientist’s lab! My guess would be that it belongs to Monsieur Pasteur, the greatest living scientist, and my personal hero!
Mario: Why is Pasteur your hero?
Waiter: If it were not for Louis Pasteur the entire wine industry of France would have been lost back in 1857! It was genius that saved the heart of the French culture!
Mario: Wow! What happened? How did he do it?
Waiter: He discovered wine goes sour because of tiny things called microorganisms living in it. These germs travel through the air and get into the wine to live there, causing it to go bad much faster.
Mario: How did he solve the problem?
Waiter: Ah, that is what is so brilliant! He found that by gently heating the wine, the tiny organisms were destroyed, but the flavor of the wine was unaffected!
Mario: That’s wonderful! How do you know all this?
Waiter: I was fortunate enough to learn about Pasteur at one of the night classes he established for workers like me! He believes in applying science to real-life problems!
Mario: That makes sense! Where were these classes?
Waiter: At the University of Lille, where he was Professor of Chemistry. Here, take my school scarf! You’ll feel right at home if you visit the campus! [ITEM GET: scarf]
Mario: I’d like to know more about Professor Pasteur.
Waiter: Pardonnez-moi! The cafe needs some milk!
Mario: Here, milk.
Waiter: Ah, bon! Merci, Mario for the milk! We no longer have to worry about its freshness, for it has been gently heated like the wine. The process is now known as “pasteurization”!
Mario: Has Pasteur always been a chemist?
Waiter: Oui, ever since hearing a series of lectures by the great teacher Dumas. They say it was Dumas who helped inspire Pasteur’s scientific curiosity and passion for discovery.
Mario: Pasteur must work hard at it to be so good!
Waiter: I have heard he practically lives in his laboratory, he is so dedicated!
Mario: Can you tell me anything more?
Waiter: I’m sorry, Monsieur Mario, but there is nothing more I can tell you.
Mario: Here, flask.
Waiter: Oh, no. We serve wine in bottles.

Mario: Good day, tailor, do you know M. Pasteur?
Tailor: The man they call “the greatest chemist of this century?” But of course! His work affects all of France and the world, even me!
Mario: How does his work affect you?
Tailor: Without him I would have no silk to work with! Imagine: No silk shirts, no silk petticoats, no silk stockings for the fashionable mademoiselles!
Mario: Silk? What did Pasteur have to do with silk?
Tailor: Why, my petit friend, it was he who looked through his microscope and discovered the tiny parasites that were killing the silkworms!
Mario: Wow! What did he do then? Destroy them?
Tailor: Yes, mon ami! He devised a method of stopping them from breeding! He ended the spreading of these destructive creatures and saved the silk industry!
Mario: Amazing! So he’s an expert of silkworms
Tailor: Not before 1868 he wasn’t. His previous triumphs were with purifying wine and milk. Here, please take this bottle of milk, and don’t worry about it going sour soon – it’s been pasteurized! [ITEM GET: milk]
Mario: “Pasteurized”? What does that mean?
Tailor: I would love to explain it to you the best I can, m’sieur, but I promised my daughter I would bring her a bunny from the pet shop and I must finish my work first! Ah! Where does the time go?
Mario: Here, bunny.
Tailor: Oh mon petit ami, Mario! My little girl will be so pleased! This bunny is beautiful, and appears to be quite healthy! Hmmm, I’ll bet this is one of the rabbits from M. Pasteur’s lab!
Mario: How did you know that?
Tailor: M. Pasteur is well known as being very sensitive to all living creatures! They say it pains him greatly to harm animals for his experiments, so he enjoys placing his healthy animals in good homes!
Mario: Nice! Say, do you know if this flask is his?
Tailor: It could very well be, ami! The only way to know for certain is to ask at the lab!
Mario: Can you tell me anything more?
Tailor: Je suis désolé. I’m sorry, but there is nothing more I can tell you.
Mario: Here, flask.
Tailor: This looks scientific, and it belongs in a lab.

Mario: Excuse me sir, I hope I’m not intruding!
Pierre Paul Emile Roux: Not at all, m’sieur! Normally I would be assisting my friend and colleague Pasteur. But as I am no longer a part of his experiment, I have some time to chat!
Mario: You’re his assistant? Why aren’t you helping him?
Pierre: I am Pierre Paul Emile Roux, but call me Emile. I have been his assistant for some 20 years! We had a difference of opinion on whether or not we were ready to test vaccines on human subjects.
Mario: What’s a vaccine?
Pierre: Only the medical breakthrough of the century! A vaccine for rabies, for example, would be a preventative dose of the same microorganisms that cause rabies. I feel we need to do more tests…
Mario: So Pasteur is a reckless man!
Pierre: Oh, no, m’sieur! He looks at everything with minute care! It’s just that this little boy bitten by a mad dog will surely die if Louis is wrong! He is staking his considerable reputation on this!
Mario: You mean he doesn’t know if it will work?
Pierre: He knows it works on animals, like this rabbit. It has been vaccinated and is completely healthy! Please take it as a gift; an example of Pasteur’s great achievement! [ITEM GET: bunny]
Mario: Thanks! I had no idea chemistry was so exciting!
Pierre: Ah oui, sometimes it is exhilarating, to be sure! But mostly it is hours of careful observation through microscopes in a cold lab like this one! Brrr! Pardon me, I must go turn up the furnace!
Mario: Here, scarf.
Pierre: Merci, my friend! That is much better! You know, in a way I wish I was with Louis on this rabies case. Ever since his stroke in 1868 he has required more help in the lab.
Mario: Yikes! He had a stroke?
Pierre: Yes, at age 46, still in his prime! His left arm remains paralyzed to this day. His wife Marie helps him considerably. She is an incomparable companion for him and his best collaborator!
Mario: I’d like to help too! Maybe this flask…
Pierre: That flask is most certainly from Louis’ lab! It appears to contain his most recent rabies vaccine! He is probably looking for it!
Mario: I’ll take it to him right now!
Pierre: Please hurry mon ami! Time is of the essence! You will be doing a great service to Louis and to science!
Mario: Can you tell me anything more?
Pierre: Mon Dieu. I’m sorry, but there is nothing more I can tell you.
Mario: Here, flask.
Pierre: This is a special flask, not school property.

Mario: Hello Mr. Pasteur, what’s going on?
Louis Pasteur: Please m’sieur! I am at a crucial stage in my work! This boy was bitten by a rabid dog and I must find the right serum quickly! You must go!
Mario: Is this the flask you’ve been missing?
Louis: Ah, mon Dieu! This is the exact flask I have needed! Now I can make the rabies vaccine and save this boy’s life! You have come in the nick of time! Merci, Mario!
Mario: Glad I could help! Will he be okay?
Louis: Mais oui! I am certain of it! Now the names of Pasteur and Mario will go down in history! Your heroics have given medicine a real shot of the arm, mon ami!

The history of medicine owes a great deal to Louis Pasteur, born in 1822. A chemist and biologist, Pasteur became known as the “Father of Microbiology” due to his discovery of a method of killing microorganisms by gentle heat. This process, most commonly used to preserve milk, has come to be known as “pasteurization.” In 1857 the French wine industry was threatened with disaster when microorganisms soured the barrels of stored wine. Pasteur applied his discovery and killed the germs without ruining the taste.
When the important French silk industry was losing millions of worms due to disease, Pasteur looked through his microscope and was able to see microscopic parasites. He was the first to suggest that disease-causing microorganisms, or germs, traveled through the air. Pasteur’s most important work was with vaccinations. When he saved the life of a boy who had been bitten by a rabid dog, his rabies vaccine drew worldwide attention. A research institute was later founded in his name, where Pasteur is buried in a magnificent tomb.

PHILADELPHIA, 1752
Mario: Hi! What are you up to?
Constable: I might ask you the same question, sir! I’m a constable of the City Watch. I help police this area here at Fourth and Vine streets. And you? You look like a tradesman of some sort!
Mario: Right! I’m a plumber by trade! So you’re a cop?
Constable: Cop? If you mean “Constable On Patrol,” yes, that’s me! I’m paid by the householders and businesspeople to watch over their property every night! And I’m proud to be a loyal servant of the King!
Mario: But why are you out here so early?
Constable: I patrol this block from dusk to dawn, but just between you and me, I’m never quite sure when the sun is going to go down. So, I wait here every afternoon just to make sure I’m not late for work!
Mario: Couldn’t you find out when the sun sets?
Constable: Well, Ben Franklin prints that Almanac, but since I disagree with his politics, I won’t buy one. Hmmm, looks like I’m needed across the street. Here’s a penny to watch this corner while I’m gone. [ITEM GET: penny]
Mario: Thank you for the penny.
Constable: Don’t mention it, please.
Mario: Here, almanac.
Constable: Franklin’s Almanac! Well, I suppose if you were to GIVE this to me as a gift, I COULD use it to find the times of the sunsets. All right, my little friend! I thank you, and I’ll use it gladly!
Mario: Why don’t you like Franklin’s politics?
Constable: What? I’m a Loyalist, my friend! I support our good King George II! But Franklin doesn’t! I’m afraid he speaks treason rather fluently!
Mario: WOW! Do you consider him a traitor?
Constable: Perhaps that IS too strong a word! But I do think he goes too far! He mocks the King in his newspaper, the “Pennsylvania Gazette,” and he comes close to inciting people in the colonies to revolt!
Mario: But isn’t there some truth in what he says?
Constable: Granted, taxes are a bit high and the government raises them too frequently. And, as subjects of the crown, we have no voice in the government. Still, the King is the King!
Mario: But what about all his neat inventions?
Constable: I’d have no complaint if he spent more time inventing! But he thinks too much of gaining freedom from England. I DO appreciate these cobblestones of his; they keep my feet dry in wet weather!
Mario: Looks like we’re in for rain tonight!
Constable: That’ll probably please Franklin. Last storm we had he was waiting outside taking notes about the lightning! He’s working on some foolish idea, no doubt. Mind you, lightning has been known to kill people!
Mario: Can you tell me anything more?
Constable: Harrumph! I’m not supposed to chat while I’m on duty.

Mario: Hello! I was just in the neighbourhood and…
Librarian: SHHH! This is a free lending library, the first of its kind in the colonies. Please keep your voice down.
Mario: Sorry. WOW! Where’d you get all these books?
Librarian: SHHH! The good citizens of Philadelphia combined their collections to create this library.
Mario: Oh, sorry. HEY! That’s a great idea!
Librarian: SHHH! It was Ben Franklin’s idea. We, at the Leather Apron Club, discussed it among ourselves and greed that it was an idea of uncommon merit. It was common sense, really.
Mario: Do you have any books by Franklin?
Librarian: We do have a few extra copies of “Poor Richard’s Almanac.” Here, I’ll give you one. I think you’ll find it both entertaining and informative. “Poor Richard’s” is very popular here in Philadelphia. [ITEM GET: almanac]
Mario: Poor Richard? Who’s he?
Librarian: Well, actually it’s a pseudonym for Mr. Franklin. He has quite a sense of humor and writes under many names. He has his reasons. The Almanac is simply a vehicle for him to share his views.
Mario: It sounds neat. How many have been written?
Librarian: He has published one every year for the past 20 years. If you are interested, you can subscribe. Bring me back a stamp, and I will put your name on the mailing list.
Mario: Here, stamp.
Librarian: AH! You have brought me a stamp. Now, thanks to Ben, you’ll receive the Almanac in the mail in a few days. Local mail delivery is another of his contributions.
Mario: WOW! He headed the post office!
Librarian: SHHH! Not so loud! Yes, he did, but that’s not all! He also organized the first fire department and reorganized the police department. Ben’s wife could tell you more. Go and speak to her.
Mario: Can you tell me anything more?
Librarian: SHHH! I’m sorry, but I’m going have to ask you to leave now.

Mario: Hello! Is this Ben Franklin’s store?
Deborah Read: Why it certainly is! You must be new to this city, sir. Most folks here know about my Ben, his Almanac and his bifocals!
Mario: Oh, you must be Mrs. Franklin!
Deborah: I most certainly am, sir! I made his acquaintance when he moved here to Philadelphia. We married a few years later, once he had become a successful printer.
Mario: He’s a printer as well as a merchant?
Deborah: Actually he has retired from printing to pursue his inventions and scientific experiments. Although he does remain involved in the publishing of his newspaper. Then there’s the Almanac…
Mario: Yikes! How does he find time to do all that?
Deborah: Well, as Ben always says: “Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise!”
Mario: Your husband wrote that?
Deborah: Oh, yes! Using the name “Poor Richard,” he fills his annual Almanac with information folks find useful. And clever sayings full of wisdom, like “Look before you or you’ll find yourself behind.”[sic]
Mario: That’s a good one! What are some others?
Deborah: Let’s see, some favorites are: “A penny saved is a penny earned,” and “Keep thy shop and thy shop will keep thee.” And I must say, we earn a pretty penny in our humble shop.
Mario: What kind of things do you sell?
Deborah: A variety of goods, including stamps like this one. Normally they’re a penny, but I sure I can trust you to pay me when you can.
Mario: Thank you for the stamp.
Deborah: My pleasure. Excuse me, I have another customer!
Mario: Here, penny.
Deborah: A penny for the stamp. You are an honourable man, sir! You must come from a good family, like Ben!
Mario: Can you tell me about your family?
Deborah: Our family consists of our dear daughter Sally and our son William. Ben wanted a big family like the one he grew up with. Imagine being one of 17 children!
Mario: Why are Ben and his son outside in this storm?
Deborah: Oh, his experiments! He’s using a kite to try to prove lightning is electricity, but he’s misplaced the key he needs to finish his work. I pray nothing strikes him, except perhaps inspiration!
Mario: Can you tell me anything more?
Deborah: No, I’m sorry, but I have yet another customer!

Mario: Hello Mr. Franklin! Aren’t you getting wet?
Benjamin Franklin: Some are weatherwise, some are otherwise, my friend. I would be unwise if I didn’t take advantage of this storm. No time to talk now. Come back later!
Mario: Ben, won’t you be needing this!
Benjamin: How wonderful! This is the key ingredient I need to make this experiment a success! The world will get a charge out of this!
Mario: You’ve inspired me to invent something someday!
Benjamin: Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today, Mario! Remember, “The used key is always bright!”

Born one of 17 children in 1706, Benjamin Franklin determined not to be a “leather apron” tradesperson like his father, a candle maker. After learning a few trades, Franklin moved to Philadelphia and became a successful printer and journalist. He published “Poor Richard’s Almanac” every year, filling it with his famous sayings such as “a penny saved is a penny earned.” In his beloved city he started the first police and fire departments, as well As America’s first free lending library.
Franklin’s printing business was such a success that he retired at age 42 to became[sic] a master scientist and inventor! He proved, with a key and kite, that lightning was electricity. Refusing money for his inventions, bifocals and the Franklin stove, he concentrated on his most important idea – gaining his country’s freedom from England! Franklin helped to write both the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. Today we can say “it’s a free country” largely due to Ben Franklin!

PHILADELPHIA, 1776
Mario: Hi! What’s going on here?
Innkeeper: What’s going on! We’re at war! We’ve had it up to here with the British and their taxes. Why should we be run by a Parliament across the Atlantic!
Mario: Who are you at war with?
Innkeeper: King George! George III of Great Britain. The British have ruled the American colonies since the founding of Jamestown in 1607. But now we want our independence.
Mario: How long have you been at war?
Innkeeper: Since the “shot heard round the world” was fired at the battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, more than a year ago!
Mario: Wow! What caused all this?
Innkeeper: Taxation and tranny! If you want to know more, take this copy of Thomas Jefferson’s pamphlet, “A Summary View of the Rights of British America.” It’s all in there! [ITEM GET: pamphlet]
Mario: Who are those men in Independence Hall?
Innkeeper: That’s the Continental Congress, representatives of the colonies. How thirteen individual colonies can stand up against a power like Britain, I don’t know. Have you seen today’s paper?
Mario: Here, newspaper.
Innkeeper: Today’s Gazette! Let’s see what it has to say. Gentlemen! Today is the signing of the Declaration of Independence! Oh, I warrant you, people shall remember this date for years to come!
Mario: What is today’s date?
Innkeeper: Why, it’s July 4th, 1776! But they took the final vote on July 2nd! They are only signing the document today. Hmm. I wonder which day we’ll wind up celebrating. That is, IF we win.
Mario: IF you win? Could you lose?
Innkeeper: Could we lose? Listen to him, boys! He doesn’t think we can lose. Look here, my little man, Britain has the largest navy and the best army in the entire world! We’re just a bunch of farmers!
Mario: What chance have you got then?
Innkeeper: We’re fighting for our own land! We know the terrain and how to use it to our advantage. The British troops fight in formation. We won’t make that mistake. Then, of course, there’s Washington.
Mario: Washington? He sounds familiar.
Innkeeper: He should! George Washington is the Commander in Chief of the Continental Forces. That’s our army. He beat the British at Boston, but now he’s fighting for New York City.
Mario: Sounds lime Washington may be indispensable.
Innkeeper: True. But the Continental Congress keeps interfering with him and not giving him enough help. Even if things go our way, this war could drag on for seven more years.
Mario: Gee, and I was worried about this document.
Innkeeper: “When in the course of Human Events…” Why, this is the Declaration of Independence! You have to get this over to Independence Hall right away! Our country depends on it!
Mario: Here, Declaration.
Innkeeper: It’s not ours. Looks like Thomas Jefferson’s handwriting.

Mario: Hi! I’d like to return this piece of paper.
Stableboy: Probably belongs to someone in Independence Hall. They’re always writing up documents. I bet it belongs to that redheaded fellow to Virginia. A heck of a writer, but not much of a public speaker.
Mario: What’s his name?
Stableboy: Tom something. He wrote that “Summary View of the Rights of British America.” I bet I could remember his name if I had a copy of that pamphlet.
Mario: Here, pamphlet.
Stableboy: Well, let’s see. Yup! Says right here, “A Summary View of the Rights of British America” by Th. Jefferson. “Th.” is short for Thomas.
Mario: What’s it say?
Stableboy: It seems to say that American Colonial ties with Great Britain are voluntary. Pretty revolutionary. But then, I head Mr. Jefferson say, “A little rebellion now and again is a good thing.”
Mario: What else can you tell me about Thomas Jefferson?
Stableboy: He built that interesting house over in Virginia. “Monticello,” I believe they call it. He loves to farm, they say. I also hear he’s on a committee doing some writing for the Congress.
Mario: Who else is on the committee?
Stableboy: If they’re smart, they’ll let a writer like Jefferson work alone. But John Adams and Ben Franklin are on the committee. Speaking of Ben, he left his glasses here again. Can you take them to him? [ITEM GET: spectacles]
Mario: Do you know anything else about Jefferson?
Stableboy: Well, he owns some slaves, but he keeps trying to make slavery illegal. Its[sic] pretty confusing, really. As far as I’m concerned, I wish he’d practice what he preaches!
Mario: Here, Declaration.
Stableboy: You better keep that. It looks mighty important!

Mario: Say, what’s going on in Independence Hall?
Benjamin Franklin: Where are your ears, young man? Have you heard nothing? We’re breaking away from Great Britain! I have to get over to the hall myself!
Mario: Wait, don’t I know you? My name’s Mario.
Benjamin: I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure, Mario. I’m Ben Franklin - - publisher, scientist, occasional inventor. Please, have one of my newspapers. You’ll find it worthwhile reading. [ITEM GET: newspaper]
Mario: Ben Franklin! You’re a Founding Father!
Benjamin: I am? Actually, I’m a Pennsylvania representative to the Continental Congress. I need to get over to Independence Hall right away to sign the Declaraion.
Mario: Can you tell me about the Declaration?
Benjamin: I’d be most happy to, my dear friend, but I need to find my glasses. I don’t mean to brag, but I invented bifocals, you know.
Mario: Here, spectacles.
Benjamin: My bifocal glasses! Thank you, Mr. Mario! I never sign anything before reading it, you know, even when it is written by someone with the intellectual powers of Thomas Jefferson.
Mario: Thomas Jefferson! Did he write the Constitution?
Benjamin: No, no, no! He’s writing the Declaration of Independence. We don’t even have a constitution yet. I have a funny feeling people are going to mix those two up one day!
Mario: Why is Jefferson writing the Declaration?
Benjamin: He’s got a way with words! You should have read his “Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom.” Truly inspired! He wrote that as a lawmaker in the Virginia House of Burgesses.
Mario: What else can you tell me about Jefferson?
Benjamin: Oh, his interests cover just about everything: science, farming, architecture. I believe he’d be a fine leader of our country when he’s oh, I don’t know, maybe 57 or 58 years old.
Mario: I wonder if HE’LL know what this is?
Benjamin: Good heavens, sir! Do you realize that you hold the Declaration of Independence! I beg you, take it to Jefferson so that we may pledge our lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to our new country!
Mario: Here, Declaration.
Benjamin: You better return that Declaration right away.

Mario: Say, what are all you guys doing in here?
Thomas Jefferson: Please, not now, sir. We’re about to sign a very important document, but we seem to have misplaced it.
Mario: You guys need a Declaration of Independence?
Thomas: Oh! Thank goodness, gentlemen! This diminutive plumber has found our Declaration! Now we can sign. You first, Mr. Hancock!
Mario: How’s it coming, Tom?
Thomas: Very well, Mario, my good friend. With your help, we have created a great new country. Perhaps, one day, your likeness will appear carved into a mountain!

Philadelphia, 1776
Thomas Jefferson was born in Virginia in 1743. After studying law, he became a leader in the Virginia House of Burgesses. In his famous paper, “A Summary View Of The Rights of British America,” he insisted that colonial ties with England were voluntary. What he lacked as a public speaker was certainly made up for by his powerful writing. For this reason, Jefferson was chosen to write the Declaration of Independence, the document that gave birth to the United States on July 4, 1776.
Heartbroken over the untimely passing of his young wife, Martha, in 1782, Jefferson never married again. In his political career he served as the Governor of Virginia, the first Secretary of State, the second Vice President, and the third President of the United States. Retiring to the home he had designed, his beloved Monticello, he later became the founder of the university of Virginia. A scientist, farmer, architect, and statesman, Jefferson’s personal library became the nucleus of the U.S. Library of Congress.

STRATFORD-UPON-AVON, 1601
Mario: Hi there, ma’am! I’m looking for Shakespeare!
Anne Hathaway: Anne Hathaway is my name, good sir, but what’s in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet. Shakespeare, my beloved husband, is at the theatre.
Mario: I love movies! What’s he going to see?
Anne: “Movies?” An odd word, though you pronounce it trippingly on the tongue. If you speak of theatre, the play’s the thing. They rehearse his latest effort even now across the square.
Mario: Has Shakespeare lived here his whole life?
Anne: Yes. Stratford-upon-Avon is his place of birth and has been his home for all of his 37 years. In this village we were wed, and our three children were born here as well.
Mario: You have children? I didn’t know that?
Anne: Yes. Our children are the light of our lives. Judith and Susanna shine brighter than heaven above! Alas, our son, Hamnet, is with the angels, yet how far that little candle still throws his beams.
Mario: Wow! Does Shakespeare write like that?
Anne: My dead husband writes of all things in life: beauty, sorrow, joy, comedy, and, of course, love! I must prepare a goose now or I would quote you volumes. Where has my kitchen knife gone?
Mario: Here, knife.
Anne: Is this a dagger I see before me, the handle toward my hand? Oh, it’s my kitchen knife! Thank you. Wherever did you find it?
Mario: I got it from Burbage, the actor. He says hi!
Anne: Ah, Richard! I forgot we loaned it to him as a prop. As I always say, neither a borrower nor a lender be. William should have brought it home. But men are men; the best sometimes forget.
Mario: That reminds me. Burbage needs a feather!
Anne: Yes, of course; his costume! Here it is! You know this feather is a veteran of many plays in London. The profits from the Globe Theatre there have made us quite comfortable. [ITEM GET: feather]
Mario: Hey! I’ll bet this skull is another prop!
Anne: It appears to be his favored prop for “Hamlet,” the play he’s rehearsing tonight. Someone must rush it to him. Alas, for you’re it! Here, wrap this handkerchief around it and be off! [ITEM GET: handkerchief]
Mario: Can you tell me anything more?
Anne: I’m sorry, sweet sir, but I must bid you adieu!
Mario: Here, skull.
Anne: That’s a prop for the play! To the theatre with it!

Mario: Hi! My name is Mario and I…
Richard Burbage: I, sir, am an actor! None other than the great Burbage of verbiage. My given name is Richard Burbage, but I can be called any name the script doth instruct!
Mario: You’re an actor in Shakespeare’s plays?
Richard: There are others? Since 1594, the “Lord Chamberlain’s Men” has performed for Her Majesty and Her court. We hold, as ‘twere, the mirror up to nature, reflecting this stuff called life.
Mario: I’m not sure I understand.
Richard: Life is difficult to fathom at times. Shakespeare writes of that: “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” That is a line from “As You Like It.”
Mario: How many plays are there?
Richard: Thus far, some 24. Some written, some performed, some still seedlings in his imagination, like the darling buds of May. These plays of which I speak include histories, comedies and tragedies.
Mario: Wow! He’s written a lot!
Richard:  Yes. Shakespeare is not only the greatest playwright and poet in English literature, he is also an actor of some merit. More of this anon. This knife to Ann[sic] Hathaway must go. Take it please. [ITEM GET: knife]
Mario: Aren’t you supposed to be rehearsing?
Richard: Egad! Yes! Tonight I perform whilst Shakespeare directs. I am portraying Prince Hamlet, the melancholy Dane, but I am in need of a feather for my costume!
Mario: Here, feather.
Richard: You are a prince among plumbers! My costume complete, I am an actor! This above all: to thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man!
Mario: I don’t get it. It doesn’t make any sense.
Richard: Methinks the plumber doth protest too much. Listen to the words and the meaning is clear. Simply put, if you are honest with yourself, you cannot help but show your true self to others.
Mario: I get it! Where can I see one of his plays?
Richard: At the Globe Theatre. But check the weather. For if it’s bad, the performances are cancelled. Though the open roof admits both sun and rain, we’d admit more customers if we had a sign.
Mario: Here, globe.
Richard: How clever! A globe as a sign for the Globe! You are most generous. You have not only helped the player, you have helped the play. I’m off to the theater. I must bid you adieu!
Mario: Can you tell me anything more?
Richard: No, kind sir. I must save my breath for this eve’s performance.
Mario: Here, skull.
Richard: No! I have one. Mine is attached, of course!

Mario: Hi! Do you know Shakespeare?
Fool: Shakespeare? A fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy. We were schoolmates here in Stratford-upon-Avon. He went on to become famous while I… O! I am Fortune’s fool!
Mario: Hey! I’m no Shakespeare myself!
Fool: And some doubt that Shakespeare is Shakespeare! This is the unkindest cut of all. Some credit his work to Francis Bacon or Edward De Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford.
Mario: Why don’t some people think Shakespeare’s Shakespeare?
Fool: He writes of things of which only the powerful and traveled should know. But I have heard him say, “To be a well-favoured man is the gift of fortune, but to write and read comes by nature.”
Mario: I’ve traveled far to return this to Shakespeare.
Fool: Why, I am traveler,[sic] too! Please take my old globe as a gift. I just received a new one left me in the will of Sir Francis Drake. O brave new world, that has such people in’t. [ITEM GET: globe]
Mario: What kind of plays has Shakespeare written?
Fool: He writes, they say, of love, blood and rhetoric! His works are of three kinds as well. First, there are his histories, plays like “Henry IV,” “Richard III” and “Henry V.”
Mario: What other kinds of plays does he write?
Fool: Excellent comedies such as “Twelfth Night,” “Much Ado About Nothing” and “As You Like It.” “Julius Caesar,” “Romeo and Juliet” and now “Hamlet,” however, are among his wrenching tragedies.
Mario: So, what’s this new play of Shakespeare’s about?
Fool: You mean “Hamlet”? A Danish prince, his father murdered most foul, must decide to take revenge upon the murderer! But is Prince Hamlet sane? Or is he mad? That is the question!
Mario: Boy! I bet everyone will want to see that!
Fool: No doubt! Even the Queen will be there! They say Shakespeare wrote one of his plays especially for her. Egad! A stain on my doublet! If only I had my handkerchief I could remove it!
Mario: Here, handkerchief.
Fool: Thanks! Out, darn spot! Out, I say! There! Yes, Shakespeare has written much. I suspect he will continue to write till his final plot is the one he’s buried in, here in Stratford-upon-Avon.
Mario: Can you tell me anything more?
Fool: Pity, no! I feat this persistent spot requires my undivided attention!
Mario: Here, skull.
Fool: No, I’ve not lost that. But praising what is lost makes the remembrance dear.

SNES:
Mario: Hi! I’m Mario, and I’m here to…
William Shakespeare: By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes! Oh, sorry. You are but an inoffensive plumber. Get thee hence! I need inspiration! It is my verse that wants repair, not my pipes.
Mario: Enter state right, give prop to Shakespeare!
William: I must bear a charmed life! Alas, poor Yorick. I knew him, Mario. But now the play may commence! All’s well that ends well.
Mario: Well, Bill, it’s late. I have to go.
William: Good-night, good-night! Parting is such sweet sorrow that I shall say good-night till it be morrow. I thank you again, my puckish plumber.

DX:
Mario: Hi! I’m Mario, and I’m here to…
William: Is this a plumber I see before me? It is my verse that wants repair, not my pipes. Please leave me to my work as you go about yours.
Mario: Enter stage right, present prop to Shakespeare!
William: HARK! The skull of Yorick! I must bear a charmed life! We were about to commence the play! I thank you, my puckish plumber!
Mario: Is there a part in your play for me?
William: Our roles are filled. But it would pleasure me to write you an exit line! I know. Goodnight! Parting is such sweet sorrow that I shall say goodnight till it be morrow. All’s well that ends well!

Stratford, 1601
Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, King Lear, Othello, Macbeth – these are only a few of the famous characters immortalized by the greatest playwright and poet in English literature, William Shakespeare, born over 400 years ago in 1564. His plays are still performed throughout the world. Shakespeare wrote during England’s “Golden Age,” a time when Queen Elizabeth I was generously supporting the arts. It is said that Shakespeare wrote a play just for her.
An actor as well as an author, Shakespeare is known to have written some 37 plays. Among them were histories, such as “Richard III” and “Henry V”; comedies, such as “As You Like it” and “Twelfth Night”; and tragedies, such as “Macbeth” and “Antony and Cleopatra.” Most of Shakespeare’s plays were first performed at the open-roofed Globe Theatre where bad weather could cancel a performance. Shakespeare died in 1616, having made a modest fortune. He was buried in the village where he was born, Stratford-upon-Avon.

TUSKEGEE, 1915
Mario: Hi! I’m Mario, and you are?
Booker T. Washington: According to the name on the front door I would be Booker T. Washington, Headmaster at Tuskegee Institute. I assume you have an appointment?
Mario: No, but do you know what this handle thing is?
Booker: I do not, but you might ask Mr. Ford – it seems to resemble the lever of one of his automobiles. Since you are going that way, would you be so kind as to return this tire? Our tests are complete. [ITEM GET: tire]
Mario: Tests? With a tire?
Booker: Yes. Our science labs are conducting experiments with certain plants, such as the “goober” from Africa, which you may know as the peanut. Another plant we’re testing is the “goldenrod.”
Mario: What are you testing? I don’t get it.
Booker: it’s rather exciting. From the milk of the goldenrod, we can extract rubber! One of our teachers, George Washington Carver, discovered this.
Mario: Oh! The professor! I’ve heard of him!
Booker: I’m sure you have! Not only is he the first man of color to receive a master’s degree in agriculture, but he is a genius – and I do not use that term lightly! I invited him here in 1896.
Mario: Where did you invite him from?
Booker: He had just graduated from Iowa State College and hand several other offers. But once George saw this land, he was convinced to stay here.
Mario: It’s a nice place, but why did he want to stay?
Booker: He wanted to contribute to the mission of this fine school for Black people! Plus, the land around here needs help. He started a program called “School on Wheels” to teach farmers ways to improve.
Mario: What’s he teaching them?
Booker: I’ll show you. Oh, I was going to show you a painting George did when he was an exhibited painter. The art shows the connection of soil, plants, animals and humans. I must find it! Excuse me.
Mario: Here, painting.
Booker: Yes! This painting! Now, what he teaches is that each part of the land is important to all of life. The soil makes the plants that we eat. Everything must be healthy – soil, plants and us!
Mario: So smart to me. Is it working?
Booker: Apparently. The Department of Agriculture may make his “School on Wheels” program nationwide. Planting peanuts to restore the soil is slowly catching on. It may just make the South rich!
Mario: Can you tell me anything more?
Booker: I’m sorry, but I’m about to start a faculty meeting.
Mario: Here, crank handle.
Booker: My office is cluttered enough! No, thanks.

Mario: Hi! What are you doing?
Female student: As a black woman I don’t run into many opportunities here in the South, so I’m trying to study and grab my chance. I’m in Mr. Carver’s class, and, well, if you know who he is, you know what that means.
Mario: Well, gee… I don’t know. Who is he?
Student: Hmph! He’s only the smartest teacher here in Alabama – probably anywhere, for that matter! He works us hard. I mean REALLY hard. I came to Tuskegee Institute to get a good education, but this…
Mario: Gives you a lot of homework, huh?
Student: I’ll say! I never thought I’d have to know so much math just to learn farming! He teaches agriculture, and, well, he knows just about everything there is to know!
Mario: Sounds like you’re getting a good education!
Student: Oh! I sure am! I don’t mean to complain; I’ve just been studying so hard that I haven’t had time to eat. That’s why I’m a little grumpy.
Mario: Here, ice cream.
Student: Thanks! Ice cream from peanuts! He talked about this at his last lecture! You know, this is rich in vitamins, nutrients and fats. It’s also really high in proteins, and, best yet, it tastes great!
Mario: You know your peanuts! Is that what you study?
Student: All plants, really. Mr. Carver – we call him the Root Doctor – told us about how planting the peanut could enrich the soil. All of these years of growing cotton uses up the soil nutrients.
Mario: Really? So peanuts help?
Student: Oh, yes! It’s called crop rotation. Some of the farmers are trying it, but they’re getting worried. Now they’ve got acres of worthless peanuts! But Carver thinks the peanut has surprises for us.
Mario: Surprises? What do you mean?
Student: Well, Mr. Carver tells us that because these nuts are so rich in nutrients, they might be used to make all sorts of things like butter and cosmetics and…
Mario: I didn’t think peanuts were that important.
Student: Oh, my, yes. In fact, all plants are useful in different ways. Here, this painting by my teacher might show you. I would like to give it to you for helping me study.
Mario: Can you tell me anything more?
Student: I’m sorry, but I must get back to my studies.
Mario: Here, crank handle.
Student: Nice gesture, but I have to refuse.

Mario: Hi! Mario, the plumber here. Nice to meet you!
Henry Ford: Hello, Mario. I’m Henry Ford, business executive. I make these automobiles. Isn’t this a beauty? It’s going to change our lives forever! Everybody will soon own one. You want to buy it?
Mario: I don’t have the money on me right now and…
Henry: Ideas are money, son. Take this Carver fellow. I’m here to talk to him about his ideas about peanuts. He’s got over 300 uses figured out from a little goober! Now that’s money in the bank!
Mario: Over 300 uses of the peanut? Like what?
Henry: Well, take this ice cream made from the peanut. In fact, here, take it. Try it! If you like it, let me know! I’m thinking of investing in Carver’s work. [ITEM GET: ice cream]
Mario: That reminds me. Does this crank looks familiar?
Henry: Hmm. A hand crank? Manufactured with good U.S. steel but, no, not mine. How much do you want for it? Never mind! Listen, I’ve got to run. I’ve got a flat tire and it’s a long story…
Mario: Here, tire.
Henry: Thank you, sir. Why, this must be the synthetic model I’ve heard about! Made out of goldenrod. Can you believe that? Only a man like Carver would have thought of making tire from flowers!
Mario: I’ve heard a lot about him, but I don’t know him.
Henry: I’ll tell you something about him, then. He was born a slave! Freed by Lincoln’s Proclamation of 1863! He studied hard to become the success he is now. Even so, he only makes $1500 a year!
Mario: But what about all his inventions and products?
Henry: Yes, you would think he’d be rich by now. Well, he donates much of his work for the people. He’s not a business executive, but his work, like mine, is going to have a great impact on our lives!
Mario: So are you going to help him with the business?
Henry: I’m going to fund his research! I know a good thing when I see it! Although his greatest contribution is something bigger than peanuts, and it’s something even I can’t sell.
Mario: What would that be?
Henry: Cooperation – the development of greater respect and cooperation between all people, all races and all levels business.
Mario: Can you tell me anything else?
Henry: I’m sorry, but I’ve got to get back to the factory.
Mario: Here, crank handle.
Henry: If I could sell it, yes. But I can’t, so no!

Mario: Hi! I’m Mario! Mind if I come in and visit?
George Washington Carver: Normally I would say yes, since we can learn so much for one another. But unless I finish with my experiment and prove the value of peanuts, some famer friends of mine may be with empty fields!
Mario: Professor! This nutty thing has got to be yours!
George: Well, I’ll be! I’ve been looking for this ever since you left! It’s the crank to the press! I’m making oil from the peanut and I can’t do it without this.
Mario: How did you discover so much in a peanut?!
George: If you study something long enough you’d be amazed at what you find. Sometimes the smallest package reveals the biggest surprises. Isn’t that right, Mario?!

Although he was born a slave, George Washington Carver grew up to become  one of the most famous scientists in the world! Orphaned as a boy, Carver, widely known as the “Root Doctor”, was a genius with plants. He worked his way through school by doing laundry and graduated from Iowa State College as the first Black to gain a master’s degree in agriculture.
In 1896, Booker T. Washington invited Carver to teach at Tuskegee Institute, one of the few all-Black colleges in America. Turning down other offers, Carver, believing it was his mission to help other African Americans succeed, went to Alabama.
Carver created a new industry from an unlikely plant known as the “goober” in Africa. Professor Carver had instructed farmers to plant peanuts to enrich soil worn out from years of cotton growing. When nobody wanted the new crop, Carver locked himself in his lab, discovering over 300 uses for peanuts, including ice-cream, oil, cosmetics and dyes.
In 1923, Carver turned down an offer from inventor Thomas Edison for a position in his lab at $100,000 per year! Upon his death, George Washington Carver’s boyhood cabin became a national monument.

VIENNA, 1791
Mario: Pardon me, ma’am, do you know Mozart?
Constanze Mozart: Why, yes! Perhaps better than anyone. I am his wife, Constanze! If you are after him to collect payment on a debt, you’ll have to be patient! Do we owe you money?
Mario: No, not me! Do you owe lots of people money?
Constanze: My apologies, good sir! Our finances go up and down, I’m afraid! Since Wolfie has no rich patron, nor a position at the royal court, we have no steady income. That makes life a bit more difficult.
Mario: “Wolfie”? Uh… You call Mozart “Wolfie”?
Constanze: Oh, yes, my pet name for him! When we first met he was pursuing my sister Aloysia, and we were just friends. But he soon realized that he and I were better suited for one another, so we were wed!
Mario: How nice! But isn’t it rough with no income?
Constanze: Yes, but at least the people love Wolfie’s music! It’s the aristocracy who are fickle. They prefer to pay us in baubles; snuff boxes and jewelry, like these shoe buckles. Take one, please! [ITEM GET: buckle]
Mario: Thanks! It sounds like he needs a patron!
Constanze: Things are looking up! Some wealthy fellow is thinking of paying Wolfie a handsome fee for an opera! Now you must excuse me; I’m looking for little Carl’s favorite toy, so he’ll behave tonight!
Mario: Here, toy.
Constanze: Carl’s toy! Oh, you must have been with Joseph! I forgot he watched Carl for me yesterday. Thank you, my friend. I hope you can join us tonight to bid farewell to Joseph!
Mario: Maybe I can! You must really like Haydn.
Constanze: Oh, yes, indeed! He’s a dear friend, and my husband reveres him! He often refers to Joseph as his teacher. In a way I think he’s like a second father to Wolfie.
Mario: His father is dead? I’m sorry.
Constanze: You’re kind. Yes, 3 years ago in May. We never got along, but Wolfie loved him. His father Leopold taught him music and took him and his sister Nannerl on a concert tour when they were children.
Mario: Your Wolfie must be very talented!
Constanze: Yes, but it takes hard work and inspiration as well! Right now he is in need of something to inspire him for this new opera. He has spoken of looking for something magical…
Mario: Perhaps this beautiful flute would inspire him!
Constanze: Oh that’s a wonderful idea! That’s just what he needs! By all means take it to him!
Mario: Can you tell me anything more?
Constanze: I’m sorry, but there is nothing more I can tell you.
Mario: Here, flute.
Constanze: This is clearly for my husband.

Mario: Hi! What’s going on here?
Opera singer: I beg your pardon, tiny fellow! I am obviously rehearsing for the pivotal role in the Mozart opera “Cosi Fan Tutte.” You may watch, but please stay out of my way!
Mario: I promise I will! Is this a new opera!
Singer: New? Of course not! Where have you been? This opera opened a year ago just before the Emperor who commissioned it died. It has been performed on and off since. This is a new presentation of it.
Mario: So Mozart worked for the Emperor?
Singer: Didn’t I just say that? From what I’ve heard, it wasn’t nearly as difficult as when Mozart was 13 and the archbishop made him a concertmaster. He hated that!
Mario: Why didn’t he like it?
Singer: Why, wanted more freedom, of course! Here, make yourself useful, won’t you? Pike up this violin bow and take it where it belongs! Run along now!
Mario: I’d like to know more about Mozart.
Singer: I must have a shoe buckle for my costume! Where is my shoe buckle?
Mario: Here, buckle.
Singer: Well, well, you have some uses after all! This buckle will do… hmm… all these questions about Mozart… I’ll bet he owes you money!
Mario: No, not at all! I just want to know about him!
Singer: Well, it wouldn’t surprise me if he did owe you. He owes everyone! He needs a patron, like his friend Haydn. But he’s too independent-minded! He’ll end up poor, mark my words!
Mario: Gee! Don’t you like his music?
Singer: Oh, don’t get me wrong, he has talent. His great versatility sets him above the other composers. The characters in his operas have depth and feeling – perfect for a great performer like me!
Mario: Umm, in your humble opinion, whose flute is this?
Singer: Why, that’s Mozart’s, of course! He was in here for rehearsal yesterday and mentioned something about a special flute. He must have left it here. You’d better take it to him!
Mario: Can you tell me anything more?
Singer: No, Mario, you better go now! Hurry!

Mario: Hi, I’m Mario! Are you a friend of Mozart’s?
Joseph Haydn: Yes, I do count myself as one of his close friends! I’ve know the family for years. In fact, I once told his father Leopold that Wolfgang is the greatest composer I know!
Mario: That’s quite a compliment! You must know music!
Joseph: My dear fellow, in all modesty, you must have heard of me! I am Joseph Haydn, composer! I have a bit of a following here in Vienna!
Mario: I see! Do you live and work here?
Joseph: I have lived here for some time, but tomorrow I depart for London to live and work for a while. I’ll miss my good friend Wolfgang and his wife Constanze.
Mario: Have you and Mozart ever worked together?
Joseph: No, but he says my music has inspired him. In fact, he wrote six string quartets that he dedicated to me! It was just before he began work on one of his masterpieces, “The Marriage of Figaro.”
Mario: He must have been doing this a long time!
Joseph: Since he was a mere baby! Imagine, he composed his first symphony at age six! I was 28 when I wrote my first! His first concert tour was when he was only 7! He was a child star, a true prodigy!
Mario: Wow! Does he have any kids of his own?
Joseph: Children? Yes, they do have a son, Carl. In fact, yesterday I was looking after him. Ach! That reminds me; I have to return this little toy of his to Constanze! Could you take it for me? [ITEM GET: toy]
Mario: Of course! Do they have any other children?
Joseph: Alas, no! Poor Constanze and Wolfgang have lost four children to sickness over the years. It is so sad! Ah, you must excuse me; I must find my violin bow so I can finish packing!
Mario: Here, bow.
Joseph: My violin bow! Many thanks, my friend! As soon as my packing is completed, I can relax and enjoy my farewell dinner with the Mozarts!
Mario: Will he play for you?
Joseph: It will be an honor if he does! He has played for the Emperors of Austria many times, you know! Ah, his symphonies, his operas… masterpieces! His music will be remembered a long time.
Mario: I’m sure they’ll remember your music too!
Joseph: Perhaps… friends have flattered me that I have genius. But Mozart has surpassed me! His music rises above mere notes on paper to something… heavenly and inspiring! What a great age for music!
Mario: Can you tell me anything more?
Joseph: I’m sorry, Mario, but I must finish packing.

Mario: Pardon me, is your name Mozart?
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Indeed it is, but what’s this? I sit here, awaiting my muse, and this colorful fellow pops in! Please come again another time, sir. You may frighten the muse away!
Mario: Mr. Mozart, here’s your flute, courtesy of Mario!
Wolfgang: My flute! Brought to me as if by magic! This is the foundation I have needed for the opera! All of my ideas are coming together now! Thank you, Herr Mario!
Mario: You’re welcome! So this flute is an inspiration?
Wolfgang: Indeed! A grand opera is forming my brain, the notes dancing about and settling in their places on the bars! I shall call it “Die Zaberflöte”: “The Magic Flute.” It will be brilliant!

One of the earliest child stars, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed his first symphony when he was six years old! He toured Europe with his father and sister, both musicians. In 1769, the Archbishop of Salzburg made Wolfgang, at age 13, his concertmaster. But Wolfgang was unhappy because he wanted freedom to compose for himself. He moved to Vienna, where he fell deeply in love with Constanze Weber. Her pet name for him was Wolfie.
Despite personal hardships, Mozart’s years in Vienna produced what would become his masterpieces: “The Marriage of Figaro,” “Don Giovanni” and his last three symphonies. He became a close friend of Joseph Haydn, whose music deeply influenced Mozart. But Wolfgang’s music was not well received and, because he had no But Wolfgang’s music was not well received and, because he had no patron and no steady income, he fell into debt. In 1791, three months after finishing the great opera, “The Magic Flute,” Mozart died at age 35. Because he was so poor, Mozart’s coffin was dumped into an unmarked grave. To this day, nobody knows where the great composer is buried.

VIENNA, 1824
Mario: Good day. Is Beethoven here?
Gossiper: My, but it’s warm in here. Ludwig doesn’t socialize during the day like we do, Herr Mario. He’s becoming more and more of a recluse. He’s either in his room at the Swan Inn or at Symphony Hall.
Mario: Is Ludwig a good party guest?
Gossiper: It’s so hot! I’d swear the fire was roaring. Actually Louis is a moody man and often very rude. But we forgive him, of course, because he’s a divine angel when he plays the piano.
Mario: Who is Louis?
Gossiper: Ludwig means Louis in German. I really must go outside, I’m burning up! Perhaps we’ll continue this chat later!
Mario: Here, fan.
Gossiper: Heavens, what a great relief! Now we can continue to gossip about Ludwig, if you care to.
Mario: So, what’s the score on his background?
Gossiper: He was born in Bonn in 1770 - - a child genius! He later came here, the music capital of the glove. What a big success he became! He has a royal patron, prince Lichnowsky, and the world loves him!
Mario: What’s he working on now?
Gossiper: I hear it’s another symphony. This will be his ninth. It’s based on Schiller’s “Ode to Joy.” Part of his Eight imitated this silly metronome. Take it, I’m tired of its endless noise. [ITEM GET: metronome]
Mario: Is composing easy for Beethoven?
Gossiper: Very difficult, and deafness doesn’t help. People say Mozart could compose while having a dinner party. But Ludwig needs complete isolation and peace.
Mario: Here, Music.
Gossiper: No thanks. I can barely make out Ludwig’s script.

Mario: Do you know Ludwig van Beethoven?
Music store owner: Tune in Mario, this is a music store in Vienna! Ever since I heard Beethoven’s Third Symphony, I’ve been a big fan!
Mario: Do you have any of Ludwig’s scores in stock?
Music store: Oh, many symphonies! We also carry Opus 18, six string quartets, which we published in 1801. A best seller for 23 years! Here, I give all my music fans a fan with my store’s name printed on it. [ITEM GET: fan]
Mario: How many CD’s, er, “works” does he have?
Music store: With this Ninth Symphony in progress, I wouldn’t be surprised if he will publish 200 works by the end of next year. Hopefully, I’ll still be open by then.
Mario: Why would your store close next year?
Music store: Unfortunately Beethoven’s last few works haven’t been selling well. It’s also difficult to keep up with the latest trends in new instruments in 1824.
Mario: This this new Beethoven score will sell?
Music store: I can’t see it too well. I lost my glasses. But I like this “Ode to Joy” portion. Then, I’m no critic. Do you like my novel concept of selling novelty items? Try a back scratcher. [ITEM GET: backscratcher]
Mario: They say Beethoven is growing **gulp** deaf!
Music store: I’m afraid his hearing, like my eyesight, is getting worse. Some say his deafness helps him to write unique music. Right now, I need to find some unique merchandise to sell!
Mario: Here, metronome.
Music store: Doesn’t that beat all! All the shops have been trying to get hold of a metronome. You are too generous, Mario! Now, I’m afraid, I have an appointment at the eye doctor!
Mario: Can’t you tell me more about Beethoven?
Music store: It’s nearly two o’clock! I’ll never make my appointment on time. I can hardly see my way there. Curse these eyes of mine! If only I had something to help me see.
Mario: Here, monocle.
Music store: Why, that’s just what I needed! Thanks, my friend! Now that I can see you, it’s clear that you don’t dress like most Austrians. What else can I do for you?
Mario: What else can you tell me about Beethoven?
Music store: They say he was only a boy when he met Mozart in 1787. All I know is that the final movement of the Fifth Symphony is my favorite piece of music! Of course, I haven’t heard his Ninth Symphony, yet.
Mario: Here, Music.
Music store: No, but I fear the best will be his last!

Mario: Hi! Do you know who wrote this manuscript?
Innkepeer: It’s musical, but then again this is Vienna in 1824. We’re up to our wigs in musicians! Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn - - all the big names are here!
Mario: Has Ludwig ever stayed with you?
Innkeeper: Oh, in 1787 he stayed right here! He met Mozart, but then he had to go back to Germany. I’m itching to mark his room with a plaque to boost my status.
Mario: Is he staying with you now?
Innkeeper: Pity, no. Although he’s a slob and plays loudly due to his bad ears, I love having a famous guest. Now he lives in a palace! I’ve got such an itch to advertise that he slept here!
Mario: Is Beethoven married?
Innkeeper: Beethoven? Married? Ha! He loves all the frauleins, sure, but who would put up with him? I’m itching to tell you more, but I can’t right now.
Mario: Here, backscratcher.
Innkeeper: Oh! This will satisfy all my itches very nicely! I like your sense of humor, and, since you have such an interest in Beethoven, I will give you this monocle he left in his room. [ITEM GET: monocle]
Mario: Did Beethoven get a lot of visitors?
Innkeeper: Well, for a man of such terrible manners and bad temper he has a large circle of friends - - mainly aristocrats. But I think his music is getting quite strange!
Mario: When is his next concert?
Innkeeper: Tonight, at Symphony Hall! It was a big scandal when he threatened to premiere the Ninth Symphony in Germany instead. But there’s still a chance the show will be canceled. Ludwig’s lost his score.
Mario: When was his first symphony published?
Innkeeper: I believe back in 1800, but he gave his first piano concert in 1778 when he was just eight! His parents wanted a child genius like Mozart - - and they got one!
Mario: Where will I find the pianomeister?
Innkeeper: Try Symphony Hall first.
Mario: Here, Music.
Innkeeper: Nein, nein. Nine is my unlucky number.

Mario: Say, what’s all the excitement about?
Ludwig van Beethoven: What’s that? I don’t hear so well. Write it on a card. Oh! They are about to give the premiere performance of my Ninth Symphony, but they seem unable to start! Go away!
Mario: Ludwig, is this your music?!
Ludwig: What’s that? My Ninth! Ah, Herr Mario, you’ve finally evened up the score. I’ve been looking for that sheet music for days! Sit, and listen as the orchestra plays!
Mario: I like your music a lot, Ludwig.
Ludwig: Ha! Well, you must be from the future! I have nothing but critics now. What do those fools know? I told them, “My works are not for you, but for a later age!”

Vienna, 1824
Arguably the greatest composer who ever lived, Ludwig van Beethoven spent most of his life in the Austrian music capital of Vienna. Born in 1770, Ludwig gave his first piano concert at age eight. Soon recognized as a master piano, he is said to have met Wolfgang Mozart in 1787. His talents turned toward composing, however, when the ear problems he had suffered from for years worsened and he became totally deaf. It is perhaps because of this handicap that he became such an original composer. Able to only imagine the music he created, Beethoven dared to ignore musical convention.
Although he lived in the palace of his royal patron and was admired the world over, Beethoven was said to have had a bad tempter, messy habits, and a mean tongue. This perhaps explains why he never married. He completed his first symphony in 1800, beginning a cycle which reached its peak with the presentation of his masterpiece, the Ninth Symphony, in 1824. When he passed away in 1827, he had published approximately 200 works.

WASHINGTON, D.C.
Mario: Hello! Are you Mary Todd?
Mary Todd: Who? Me? No. Yes. I mean, my maiden name was Todd. I am always addressed by my married name – Mrs. Lincoln. Please come in and have some refreshments. Lemonade? [ITEM GET: lemonade]
Mario: Mrs. Lincoln! So the President is your husband?
Mary: Yes. I married Abraham Lincoln in 1842. Today he is the 16th President, but he wasn’t always so prominent. He was a woodsman, a store clerk, a surveyor, an attorney and, oh, so much more.
Mario: Was he ever a plumber?
Mary: Oh, no, I don’t think so! He would have told me! He’s very honest, you know. In fact, they call him “Honest Abe.” That’s one of the reasons that people like him so much.
Mario: May I meet the President now?
Mary: He’s so busy, he barely has time even for us! This war threatens to tear the fabric of family. Which reminds me, I went a bit over budget and I’m making our clothes now. Now where is my cloth?
Mario: Here, cloth.
Mary: Thank you, little fellow! Why, you must be friends of General Tom Thumb, the little man from Barnum’s circus. Oh, but didn’t our boys enjoy him so!
Mario: So you have kids?
Mary: Robert, Tad and Willy. Our Eddy died, of course, and I never quite recovered. So much tragedy! And now this war! I do hope Abraham can end it soon!
Mario: That’s a tall order!
Mary: He’s a tall man! And who better to reunite the country than Abe! He understands the people and their struggles. Did you know he was born poor in a Kentucky log cabin? He’s a self-taught man!
Mario: Interesting, but what’s he going to do now?
Mary: He tells me that his most important task is to preserve the Union. He has written that “a house divided against itself cannot stand.”
Mario: What does he mean by that?
Mary: Think of our country as a house – if you cut it in half, it will surely collapse. That’s exactly what we are facing now. Perhaps the speechwriter could explain it better.
Mario: Can you tell me anything more?
Mary: I’m sorry, Mario, there is nothing more I can tell you.
Mario: Here, spectacles.
Mary: These are lovely, but I can’t use them.

Mario: Hi! Are you here to see the President, too?
Frederick Douglass: Yes. My name is Frederick Douglass. I have been patiently waiting while the White House guards check to see if I am allowed in. You, however, may have less of a wait.
Mario: Why? Because I am a plumber?
Frederick: Such wit! It’s as plain as the skin on my face, which seems to cause suspicion in even the most trusting of me. I was once a slave, but today I am an educated man who needs to see the President.
Mario: What about?
Frederick: To show my support! President Lincoln plans to rid the country of this most despicable of horrors called slavery. But his is an unpopular view, and I am an Abolitionist!
Mario: Abo-litionist? What’s that?
Frederick: A person who wants to abolish, or end, slavery. I am a teacher, friend, and if you want to be educated you’ll need to know these words. What we need is a dictionary!
Mario: Here, dictionary.
Frederick: My word! You are eager to learn! The way to abolish prejudice is to abolish ignorance! In fact, look up these words: “abolition,” “prejudice,” and “emancipation.” These are important to know.
Mario: I have lots to learn!
Frederick: We all do, my friend, and yet these are dangerous times for all thinking people. This war is tearing this nation asunder. Seven states have already seceded over their rights of self-determination.
Mario: Shouldn’t states have that right?
Frederick: Not at the expense of human rights. Having fled the shackles of slavery myself, I know the importance of self-determination. No one should have the right to buy or sell a human being!
Mario: I see! That reminds me, are these your glasses?
Frederick: Spectacles? I can see more than I care to. Perhaps they belong to Mrs. Lincoln. She seems to be a bit forgetful; she also left this bolt of cloth. Perhaps you could deliver them? [ITEM GET: cloth]
Mario: Can you tell me anything more?
Frederick: I’m sorry, but I must be ready for the President!
Mario: Here, spectacles.
Frederick: You offer me these when others are blind?

Mario: Hi! I’m Mario. Who are you?
Speechwriter: Well, I’m a speechwriter for the President. But just between you and me, I don’t do much speechwriting. Lincoln has a mind like polished steel. Any mark on it cannot be erased.
Mario: You mean he writes his own speeches?
Speechwriter: He not only writes them, he believes them! I sometimes feel like I’m just here to check his spelling. Right now I’m putting touches to the Emancipation Proclamation.
Mario: What does “Emancipation Proclamation” mean?
Speechwriter: “Emancipation” is freedom. “Proclamation” is an official statement. Take this dictionary by Webster. I used it to check the words in this very same speech he will be reading to his Cabinet. [ITEM GET: dictionary]
Mario: How com he’s just reading it to his Cabinet?
Speechwriter: Good point, Mario. Lincoln believes that we need a major victory before he reads it publicly. The world will change drastically if the North loses another battle.
Mario: I thought the war is just between the States!
Speechwriter: Let me explain: If the Union loses a major battle, Europe may side with the Confederacy. They might send them troops or weapons or…
Mario: I’m confused! Isn’t this war about slavery?
Speechwriter: Slavery is just one issue. It’s an important one, to be sure. But this war is quite complex. It might take some time to explain, and my throat is so dry!
Mario: Here, lemonade.
Speechwriter: Ah, how refreshing! What were we talking about? The war, of course! It’s also about economics. The way the southern states survive by producing cotton. Europe… well, everybody wants cotton!
Mario: So the South sells cotton. Why is there a war?
Speechwriter: They believe they should be allowed to run their business without government intervention. It’s called “State’s Rights.” Only problem is they own slaves. As Lincoln will tell you, that’s not right.
Mario: So Lincoln is going to end slavery?
Speechwriter: That’s what this Proclamation is all about! You see, he’s got to free the slaves but at the same time keep the United States united. There are a lot of confusing issues spinning out of control.
Mario: Can Lincoln keep everything in control?
Speechwriter: He says he doesn’t control events but that events control him. He’s being humble. It’ll take a great man to solve this crisis. I say Lincoln is a great leader with a great task for a great nation!
Mario: Great! That’s what you say. What does he say?
Speechwriter: “It is true that you may fool all of the people some of the time; you can even fool some of the people all of the time; but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time!”
Mario: Hey, that’s good! Will Lincoln be reelected?
Speechwriter: Next year, in 1864? Loads of folks will be mad when they hear this Proclamation. But if the North continues to win this war, Lincoln will be reelected as the man who put the nation back together!
Mario: Can you tell me anything more?
Speechwriter: I’m sorry, but I must at least appear to be busy writing!

Mario: Hi! I’m Mario! Are you the President?
Abraham Lincoln: Yes, but how in tarnation did you get in here? My guards have some explaining to do! I’d love to jaw with ya, but I am about to address the Cabinet. Next time, knock first.
Mario: Knock, knock. Are these yours, Mr. President?
Abraham: I can’t tell without my spectacles. Now that’s a joke, son. These are mine and the thanks are yours! Now I can read my Emancipation Proclamation to my Cabinet.
Mario: What’s your favorite speech?
Abraham: Hmmm. Favorite speech? You know, Mario, it’s not the speech, but the meaning of these words that I cherish most: “All men are created equal”!

Washington, D.C., 1863
Celebrated as the best speechwriter and speaker in American history, Abraham Lincoln was born in a Kentucky log cabin in 1809. Overcoming poverty, he grew up to become a self-taught lawyer, a legislator and Congressman, and eventually served two terms as the 16th American President. Nicknamed “Honest Abe,” Lincoln fell in love with Mary Todd and married her in 1842. The couple had four sons. Considered by many to be the greatest American President, Lincoln led his country through one of the most devastating experiences in its history – the Civil War.
He who would BE no slave, must consent to HAVE no slave,” Lincoln wrote in 1859. His antislavery position led seven states to leave the Union as soon as he was elected President.  Thus began the complex Civil War in 1861. Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 freed the majority of the 3,500,000 Black slaves, and in 1865 Lincoln amended the Constitution of the United States to outlaw slavery. Lincoln was assassinated in 1865, soon after the Union won the war.