Anatole

Anatole and Gaston attend the human International Cheese Festival in Paris. There they learn that the famous Duval Cheese factory is about to close because of producing inferior cheeses.

After a particularly nasty Paris thunderstorm, Paul, Paulette and Claude build a mouse raft and are accidentally carried off by the swirling waters of a gutter into the sewers of Paris. Claude uses his book knowledge to fashion several close escapes from three rats to are trying to harm them. Anatole, Gaston and ducette work on a plan to stop the raft from winding up in the Seine and they are helped by another sewer rat named Elmore, who has been trying to save the kids himself. In a cooperative effort all around, the kids are snared into safety in the nick of time.

At a picnic, Claude's impish tricks and pranks fool everyone so much that when he sees a man inadvertently scoop Doucette, George and Georgette up in a shopping bag he can't get the others to believe it really happened. When Doucette and the others do not return, Anatole takes Claude seriously. Luckily, Claude remembered enough about the man to trace his location - a local toy store.

Late one night, Anatole sees bakers in a bakery truck leaving the famous Louvre carrying baguettes of bread, which contain famous painting they have just stolen. The next day, Claudette is about to enter her painting in the Children's Art show at the village museum. Children laugh at her colourful painting and she steals her own painting to prevent others from mocking it. Anatole gathers the village mice and they eat their way across the bakeries of Paris to find the baguettes with the paintings. When Anatole find it, he asks Claudette to paint a Mona Lisa copy that he wants to use to draw the police's attention to the bakery. Her successful copy restores her confidence in herself and helps capture the thieves. She returns her "stolen" painting to the Children's museum and whole she does not win first prize, receives a commendation for her originality.

Thy mysterious Shadow thief has been stealing from mice and shops in the mouse village and Gaston and Anatole are on the case. Little do they know that Paulette is his unwitting assistant. The poor girl was conned by him into thinking that he was a spy and she accepts his job offer as his special spy assistant (lookout) in order to make money to buy Doucette a very special birthday present. Complications occur when circumstances convince Pamplemousse that Anatole is the thief and is hunted by the authorities. Paulette redeems herself when she helps to ensnare the Shadow Thief at the cheese factory so that Anatole can bring him to justice and clears his own name.

Human bulldozers are digging up large sections of Parc Montsouris and are getting closer to the mouse village. Pamplemousse encourages the villagers to move, but Anatole thinks they should first find out why the bulldozers are digging so much. The sight of the bulldozers and the destruction they cause, bothers Claude to much that he begins to have fears and nightmares about a dragon (that looks suspiciously like a bulldozer). As half the town pack to leave, Anatole learns that the humans are digging randomly in search of a major underground pipe leak. With the help of his friend Moliere and Mole, he discovers the leak's location and conveys the information to the humans. Saving the village, as Ducette helps Claude realises that is irrational fear of a dragon is based upon something real, and once you know what you are afraid of, you can overcome it.

When two treasure hunting crows attach a "flying menace" and send it to crashing to the ground, Anatole and Gaston are provided with a wonderful surprise bring home - a kite! With the kite requiring some repairs, and George and Georgette's forego a field trip to the Eiffel Tower. Doucette and the other children can help Anatole and Gaston get the new treasure into airworthy condition. Paul and Paulette encourage Claude and Claudette to stay behind as well; they are tired of the younger siblings slowing them down as they stop to pick up trinkets and trash for their "junk collection". Claude and Claudette, unable to resist all of the "treasures" that they might find along the way, elect to go on the outing. Anatole, Gaston, George and Georgette begin their repairs on the kite, but soon find themselves flying high when a gust of wind takes the foursome for an unexpected and thrilling ride above the city! Down below, Paul and Paulette start to lose patience with their brother and sister, who wander off repeatedly to pick up tokens and wrappers. Anatole's little flight crew just masters the art of kite-flying when they find themselves cruising into dangerous airspace. The crows, who have had quite enough of the kite striking them mid-flight, embark on a mission to bring the kite down for good and dove-bomb the mice relentlessly. The nearest place to land the damaged kit is the top of the Eiffel Tower and Anatole unwittingly leads the crows to a second target - Doucette and her home-made medallion, a gift from Claude and Claudette. By using Claude and Claudette's collection of nick-nacks to distract the greedy crows, the mice buy themselves enough time to tear 9 tiny parachutes from the broken kite and glide to safety - and Paul and Paulette learn how one mouse's trash can be another mouse's treasure.

A factory worker, Marcel, tells Duval that he is the mysterious cheese taster Anatole, and Duval allows him to invent a brand new cheese. Anatole and Gaston are outraged. How can they unmask this impostor and save Anatole's reputation? Anatole writes Marcel asking him to tell Duval the truth. Gaston, on the other hand, sneaks off to sabotage Marcel's cheese recipe. Meanwhile, to raise money for their school, Paul and Paulette have been sneaking to the cheese factory and lying to their parents about it. The next day Duval tastes the ruined cheese and Marcel is disgraced. Marcel admits to Duval that he is not really Anatole. Only then does Anatole find out that Marcel only lied in order to pay his wife's medical bills, but now he has lost his job as well. Anatole must concoct a batch of Marcel's new cheese, as well as rescue Paul and Paulette from Charlemagne's clutches. The inimitable Anatole accomplishes both tasks, and Marcel get his job back, as well as a bonus for inventing a delicious new cheese. Marcel has learned, however, that a lot of trouble can arise from telling a lie. Paul and Paulette have learned this lesson too, for they are grounded for a good long time.

At Mr. Duval's request. Anatole must deliver a gift of cheese to the celebrated opera singer, Madame Leblanc. Gaston must overcome his terrible fear of the Phantom of the Opera to help Anatole deliver the cheese. When they reach the Opera House, Gaston's worst fears are realised! Someone has stolen their cheese and all fingers point to a mysterious Phantom figure... Anatole and Gaston give chase, only to find out that the mouse sized Phantom is really a young singer named Rene. Rene turns out to have the same problem as Anatole's daughter, Paulette. They are both afraid to sing in public. Rene is put to the test when she must sing in from of human security guard, giving Anatole and Gaston a chance to rescue the cheese. In this action packed episode, both Rene and Paulette learn to accept intermittent failures on the road to success.

It is New Years Eve and the village mice are busily carving wooden toys to exchange at the much-anticipated Gift Giving Ceremony. When strangers from out of town (Otto, Gretchen and their son Hans) wander into the village, Anatole invites them to join them and tells them the story of the "Gift Giver" who, years ago, carved wonderful wooden toys and secretly delivered them to every girl and boy in town. George and Georgette listen carefully to the story and come to the conclusion that Otto, who fits the description perfectly, must be the Gift Giver. Anatole's new friends eagerly join in the preparations for the celebration - but the efforts of the village are set back when Hans accidentally sets fire to the pile of toys and they burn to ground. The villagers begin a search for wood to carve a new batch of toys and canvass Pamplemousse for a donation. Pamplemousse, the classic scrooge, hoards great piles of wood for "firewood" and refuses to donate any logs to the toy drive. Prospects for the celebration grow even grimmer when little Hans disappears and the villagers are forced to abandon the preparations entirely and help Otto and Gretchen search for their son. When Anatole and Gaston return from the city with Hans, they find new wooden toys on every doorstep and realise that the spirit of the Gift Giver still lives in the heart of the mouse they least expected, Pamplemousse, who has made each and every toy himself. Anatole is pleased to find that under even the gruffiest exterior there lives in each of us the spirit of kindness and generosity.

When rumors spread through the village that a monster is living in the park, Anatole heads of to investigate. Narrowly escaping a falling tree, Anatole and Gaston discover that the "monster" is Nathalie, a Canadian beaver escaped from the local petting zoo. Anatole vows to fulfil her wish to return to Canada. Hunted by a trapper from the zoo, Anatole, Gaston and Nathalie embark on a hair raising chase through Paris in an effort to reach the Canadian embassy. Meanwhile, Georgette cannot convince the other children (and Doucette!) that her school project on wood exists. Unlike the others, she seems to have nothing to show for it, but ignoring their concerns she continues with her idea. Once at the embassy, Anatole cleverly navigates the group through a party and into the ambassador's room. Anatole cleverly brings Nathalie concerns to the attention of the ambassador, who agrees to return the homesick beaver to Canada! When Georgette's seed sprouts to a plant, Doucette and the children realise that her project is the cleverest of all! The viewer learns the importance of following through with a good idea, even if the others may no agree with it.

The village is in panic. Madame Duval has organised a national Cat Show, to be held in Parc Montsouris, right beside the mouse village! To make matters worse, the Comtesse De Souris, Doucette's fellow teacher from the countryside, is scheduled to visit the village with her schoolmice on the same day. The Comtesse is already en route and they do not know from which direction she will come. There is no way to warn her! Anatole must come up with a plan to ensure the safety of the travelling Comtesse, as well as that of the entire village. However, when Pamplemousse's bravado puts them all in immediate, feline danger, Anatole think quickly! Knowing that cats fear water above all things, Anatole uses the park sprinkler system to dowse the hungry cats and save the day! In the end, Anatole proves that brains will triumph over even most intimidating brawn.

Anatole visits Notre Dame to help Gaston's cousin Maurice in a feud with a mysterious bat. Anatole suggests talking with the bat and working things out peacefully, but Maurice and Gaston prefer to fight back! Winning the bat's trust, Anatole, through the common ground of love of music, brings the two sides together to sort out their differences. Meanwhile, Doucette, George and Georgette are having a little adventure of their own with the gargoyles of Notre Dame! In the end everyone learn that it is better to seek knowledge in a conflict rather than react with fear and hatred.

Monsieur Duval asks Anatole to watch over his wife's birthday present, a priceless pearl necklace. When a thief breaks into the factory to steal the necklace Anatole and Gaston are launched on a night full adventure. Not wanting to let Duval down, Anatole is determined to retrieve the necklace and return it to Madame Duval in time for her birthday party. As always, Charlemagne does his best to hamper their efforts, but in the end the mice prevail. Meanwhile, at home Paul and Paulette are babysitting the other children for the very first time and learn the importance of responsibility and seeking a task through the end.

When Gaston discovers Anatole building a little car as birthday gift for Paul and Paulette, Anatole makes him promise to keep it a secret. Gaston just can't keep his mouth shut, however - he tells Pamplemousse, and they both drop by to take a look at the car. Again, Anatole makes them promise not to touch a thing, but as soon as he leaves, the two accidentally set off on a wild ride... without the steering wheel! By the time Anatole finds them they have crashed the car in downtown Paris. The three mice must replace the engine (find a new elastic band), and drive the car back in time for the birthday party, dodging Charlemagne, human children, and a ferocious dog! Gaston and Pamplemousse learn the hard way that it is very important to keep your word.

It is April Fool's Day and the children love playing tricks on each other. George and Georgette send Gaston and their father on a fool's errand to a bakery, which turns out to be more dangerous than expected. George and Georgette get their comeuppance, however, when the other twins pull a cross and double-cross on them. Once again, the trick goes too far and George and Georgette end up picked with some flowers and put in a little girl's hat! Anatole and Gaston must rescue the children from the humans as well as a hungry bee, and everyone agrees that little tricks can easily grow into big problems!

It is Anatole and Doucette's anniversary. Anatole decides to surprise her by recreating the dinner they had when he proposed marriage. Fromage the Provence with Truffles! Anatole and Gaston make the journey to Truffle Valley, shovels in hand, to find a suitable Truffle. While digging at the base of a tree, the pair fall into a deep pit! There is no way out and they realise that they have told no one where they were going. When Anatole does not come home Doucette begins to worry. She convinces Pamplemousse to form a search party, only to find out that his methods are very different from her own! Meanwhile, in the pit, a snake has found our two mice! They cannot stave it off indefinitely. Doucette finds Anatole's recipe book and deduces where the two must have gone. Unable to convince the Mayor to search Truffle Valley, she heads out on her own. In the hair-raising climax. Doucette's ingenuity and Anatole's strength save the day! Anatole promises, in future, to always tell others where he is going.

Doucette is taking the children on an overnight camping trip into the woods to teach them more about nature and she insists that Anatole, who's had a hard week at work, take a much deserved night off at home! Anatole knows that Doucette is perfectly capable and well prepared for the adventure ... but when Gaston begins badgering him with "old mice's tales" of unexplained "monsters" in the woods, Anatole finds that he can't stop himself from worrying. He resolves to go out to the woods, check up on Doucette and the kids, and then turn around and come home undetected! Though they are well prepared for the journey, Gston's unbridled paranoia results first in the loss of their supplies, then lands them in one disasterous situation after another, and soon Anatole and Gaston finds themselves soaking wet, hungry and lost in the woods. Doucette and the children, armed not only with the proper supplies but with knowledge of their surroundings enjoy a cosy campfire and the experience of being one with nature. Anatole and Gaston finally make their way safety and when Doucette and the children return home, they find the exhausted pair sleeping soundly on the kitchen table. The entire family understands the value of always being prepared.

A spat between the kids during a family shoot leads Anatole to relate the story of the mouse village's founding. In the days before its creation, mice were poor, and lived under harsh conditions in Paris. Pamplemousse's stern Uncle Louis controlled all the food in the city, and many mice went hungry as a result. Determined to make a better life for himself and others, Anatole - along with some new friends he meets, Doucette and Gaston - start their own mouse village in the Parc Montsouris, far from Louis' rule. Louis orders his nephew Pamplemousse to destroy the fledgling village, but Anatole and the villagers thwart their attempt. Pamplemousse asks Anatole to forgive his misguided actions, and Anatole grants it - leading us back to the present day and the family photo shoot. Anatole tells the kids that no dispute can ever be resolved without forgiveness, which prompts them to forgive and forget, and group together for a lovely photo.

There is to be a big reception at the docks to celebrate Duval's first shipment of cheese to America. Anatole is doing a last check on the shipment when Charlemagne attacks. In the confusion, Gaston is accidentally crated up with the cheese and it looks like he is bound for New York City! At home, Paul and Paulette don't want to go to the reception with the rest of the family - they would rather go to a party with their friends. However, the remembering all the times that their father came trough for them and cheered on their accomplishments, they decide to go to the docks after all, to applaud Duval's cheese shipment ... and their father's work. They have realised how important it is to take price in the achievement of others. Meanwhile, Anatole has scrambled aboard the ship to free Gaston from his crate and they manage to escape the ship and Charlemagne's clutches just in time, before the ship leaves the dock!

A new and very greedy family of mice has moved into Duval's factory and, despite Anatole's warnings that Duval will notice the large portions of missing cheese, they continue to take more cheese than they could ever eat! Anatole's prediction comes true when Duval sees that Charlemagne no longer handle the mouse problem in the factory and hires a new heavy - the terrifying Nostromo! Nostromo bullies everyone in the factory, including Charlemagne. When Anatole even cannot get into the factory to perform his cheese tasting duties, he realises that unless they can get rid of the new cat, not only will the family loose their home but Duval will be in dire trouble! Anatole convinces a disgraced Charlemagne - who happens to be something of a card shark - to challenge the competitive Nostromo to a game of "fish" and uses the distraction to build a "cat trap" that will get rid of Nostromo for good! The new mice learn that it is wrong to make more than you need.

It's Halloween and Claude and Claudette are reading Ghost stories when they hear a mysterious tapping sound on the wind. Deciding that it must be the sad ballerina ghost from one of their stories, they step out in the middle of the night to help her ... and unwittingly stumble across two weasels robbing Pamplemousse's mansion! Luckily Anatole arrives on the scene, and with Gaston's help turns the thieves over to the authorities. The children have learned no to let their imaginations run away with them, and are surprises to find out what the real source of the tapping sound is!

Anatole and Doucette have decided to take a much-needed vacation to a big cheese festival in Switzerland, and Gaston is left in charfe of the children. In between snacks, he manages to show Claude why he shouldn't take shortcuts with his homework. Meanwhile, Anatole and Doucette's holiday doesn't turn out to be restful at all. During the train ride Switzerland, Duval's cheese competition is stolen from his briefcase! Anatole dons a clever disguise to discover the identity of the culprits. After a showdown with the malevolent rat J.P., Anatole, Doucette and Pamplemousse get the upper hand and show him that cheaters never prosper.

When a neighbouring mouse mayor comes to visit, the whole village gets a lesson on how to handle a bully! Both Mayor Soucy and his son Pascal turn out to be first class bullies... Soucy bullies Pamplemousse and Anatole on a hair-raising trip. The balloon finally comes to rest in a tree, and who do they find there but Paul! Pascal dared him to climb the tree, and he couldn't get back down again. Both Paul and Pamplemousse agree that you shouldn't let a bully make you do something you don't want to do.

When Doucette's sister Yvette, world traveller and author of the "Perils of Paulette" adventure stories, comes to visit, Paulette decides her own life is in need of excitement and adventure and resolves to follow in her aunt's footsteps. Paulette disappears the next morning, and Doucette fears her daughter is literally following in Yvette's footsteps ... to a woodcarver's shop to stow away inside a shipment of miniature dollhouse furniture destined for Australia!

On the anniversary of Anatole's hiring at Duval's cheese factory, his old friend Moliere the mole drops by with a special surprise gift - he's dug an underground tunnel from Anatole's backyard all the way to Duval's. As a result, Gaston feels that his gift of a backscratcher is not good enough, and he worries about who Anatole's "best friend" really is. When Gaston, Anatole and Moliere try out the tunnel and end up trapped inside Duval's cold storage room, Gaston's rivalry with Moliere comes to a head. A similar dispute is going on at home, as Claude and Claudette feel that Paul and Paulette are really their parents' favourites. Only after "chilling" escape from the cooler by Anatole and his two pals, and a heart-to-heart with the kids, does everyone learn that true friends and lives ones care for each other equally, without playing favourites.