The curtains opened again to reveal the dining room set. Shining Armor and Cadance sat at the table while Matilda entered from stage right. She remarked, “There’s a fair queue of nannies outside, sir. Should I show them in?”
Shining Armor rose from his seat and took out his pocket watch as he said, “Ellen, I said 8:00, and 8:00 it shall well be. You see? 12 seconds to go. Ten, nine, eight…”
Cadance said, “Posts!” She ran out of her seat as she said, “Seven, six, five, four, three, two, one!”
When DJ Pon-3 played the cannon sound effect again, Discord stomped his tail simultaneously and the whole theater shook. Shining Armor pretended to look unfazed while he “drank” from his teacup.
When the shaking stopped, Shining Armor said, “Ellen, it is now 8:00.”
After she pushed the piano back with her rump, Matilda panted, “Yes, sir.”
Shining Armor went to a swaying mirror and straightened his outfit as he swayed with it. He said as he did this, “I have told you time and time again, Ellen, I dislike being hurried into things.”
The curtains closed once more and opened again to reveal Sweetie Belle and Pipsqueak on a window set. A crowd of extras made up a long line below the kids.
Sweetie said, “I don’t understand. They’re not what we advertised for at all.”
Just then, Discord summoned a wind that blew gently onto the stage and gradually grew. He was careful not to let it get out of control and blow the ponies into who-knows-where. He manipulated the wind to lift the nanny extras in amusing ways while carrying them safely to stage right.
When all of the extras were gone, Sweetie Belle pointed to something in front of her and cried, “Michael, look!”
The audience looked behind them and saw Twilight descending from the lighting platform. She flapped her wings as slowly and gracefully as possible while trying to avoid hitting any of the attendees.
Pipsqueak remarked, “Perhaps it’s a changeling.”
Sweetie Belle admonished him, “Of course not. Changelings have holes.”
Twilight then flew over the fence to the window set and landed before the door.
Sweetie Belle smiled, “It’s her. It’s the pony. She’s answered our advertisement.”
Pipsqueak added, “Rosy cheeks and everything.”
When the alicorn rang the doorbell, Matilda answered the door. The donkey said robotically, “You may come in one at a time.”
Twilight said as she went through the door, “Thank you.”
Matilda looked all around, pretending to be amazed that there were no more nannies. When she closed the door, the curtains closed as well. When they opened again, the main hall set was dark while the foyer was lit up.
Shining Armor was writing some papers when Twilight said, “You are the father of Jane and Michael Flanks, are you not?” When he looked up, he didn’t respond. She asked again, “I said, you are the father of Jane and Michael Flanks?”
The unicorn pretended to sound flabbergasted as he said, “Well, well yes, of course. I mean…you brought your references, I presume. May I see them?”
Twilight said, “Oh, I make it a point never to give references. A very old-fashioned idea, to my mind.”
Shining Armor said as he grabbed a quill with his magic, “Is that so? We’ll have to see about that, then, won’t we?”
Twilight said as she set down her bag and pulled out a piece of paper, “Now then, the qualifications.” She said as she held the paper with her magic, “Item one: ‘A cheery disposition’. I am never angry. Item two: ‘Rosy cheeks’. Obviously.”
Shining Armor then looked at the paper in shock. He pretended to realize that it was the same letter he tore up. He walked over to her as she said, “Item three: ‘Play games, all sorts’. Well, I’m sure the children will find my games extremely diverting.”
He asked, “May I? This paper, where did you get it from? I thought I tore it up.”
She said as he went over to the fireplace, “Excuse me. Item four: ‘You must be kind’. I am kind, but extremely firm.” She looked up to Shining Armor and asked, “Have you lost something?”
Shining Armor then rammed the back of his head against the fireplace. He was thankful that the prop was made of wood, but he gave a yelp just to act like it hurt.
Backstage, Discord muttered a response to Twilight’s question, “Only his mind.” He snickered at his own answer.
Shining Armor turned to Twilight and pretended to sputter, “Yes…That paper, you see. I thought that I…”
She asked, “You are George Flanks, are you not?”
“What?”
“And you did advertise for a nanny, did you not?”
Shining Armor acted like he was distracted with the fireplace and said absentmindedly, “George Flanks.”
Twilight said, “Very well, then.”
She pretended to look at her brother in concern as he muttered, “I tore it up, turned it over, tore it up again, and threw it in there.”
She asked, “I beg your pardon, are you ill?”
Shining Armor put a hoof to his head and said, “I hope not.”
He walked over to Twilight as she said, “Now, about my wages. The reference here is very obscure.”
Shining Armor agreed absentmindedly, “Very obscure.”
“We must be very clear on that point, mustn’t we?”
“Yes, we must indeed.”
“I’ll require every second Tuesday off.”
“Every Tuesday…” He then went over to the fireplace again and pretended to search for something.
Twilight said as she walked over to him, “On second thought, I think a trial period would be wise.” When she got to the fireplace, she peered into it for a few moments before facing her brother. She told him, “I’ll give you one week. I’ll know by then.” She went to the doorway to the main hall and grabbed her bag with her magic. She said to Shining Armor, “I’ll see the children now. Thank you.”
The lights dimmed in the foyer while the main hall was lit up. Pipsqueak and Sweetie Belle were peeking through the railing as Twilight flew up to them. The kids drew back from the railing until they hit a wall behind them.
Twilight told Pip, “Close your mouth please, Michael. We are not a codfish.”
Pip closed his mouth in response.
Twilight was about to ascend the next flight of stairs before she turned to the kids and said, “Well, don’t stand there staring. Best hoof forward. Spit spot!”
When she and the kids walked up the second flight, the lights dimmed in the main hall and the foyer was lit up again. Shining Armor was leaning in the fireplace again and Cadance came in from stage right. She noticed what her husband was doing and asked, “George?”
Shining Armor rammed his head against the fireplace again and yelped for emphasis.
Cadance asked, “George, what on earth are you doing? I thought you were interviewing nannies.”
Shining Armor said as he sat down, “I was, I was!”
“You mean you’ve chosen one already?”
“Yes, it’s done, it’s all done.”
“Well, where is she?”
“What? She’s in the nursery, of course. I mean, I put her to work straight away.”
“How clever of you! I would have messed up the whole thing. Tell me, is she everything that we’d hoped she’d be?”
“Well, it all happened very quickly. I mean, I…”
“Will she be firm? Will she give commands? Will she mold our young breed?”
Shining Armor turned to his wife and put her hooves in his. He said to her, “You know, Winifred, I think she will.” He chuckled, “I think she will.”
“In that case, perhaps you’d better tell Ellen to dismiss the others.”
Shining Armor said as she turned to exit behind the curtain on the foyer set, “The others? Oh, yes. Ellen?”
Just as Cadance disappeared behind the set curtain, Matilda emerged from it and asked, “Yes, sir?”
Shining Armor ordered, “Tell the other applicants they may go. The position has been filled.”
“The others, sir?”
“Yes, the others.” As Matilda exited stage left, he muttered, “How many nannies doe she think we need in the house?”
When the curtains closed, the set for the nursery was quickly being prepped.
Discord walked up the Twilight and the kids and set a present down in front of them.
Pipsqueak asked, “A present? But it’s not Hearth’s Warming. Or my birthday, for that matter.”
Discord smirked mischievously, “Appearances can be deceiving, Squeakers. Besides, I’ve always wanted to try this.”
When he conjured up a detonator box and a wire connecting to the gift, Twilight grew concerned. She asked in a worried tone, “Discord, what are you-“
KA-BOOM!
Luckily, the explosion only resulted in strewing toys and clothes across the set. Discord was very glad that he got to make a huge mess without getting in trouble. The curtains opened again to reveal Twilight and the kids almost fazed by the swift explosion.
When she regained her senses, Sweetie Belle told Twilight, “I’m afraid the nursery isn’t very tidy.”
Twilight said as she looked around, “It is rather like a bear pit, isn’t it?”
As the trio walked to the part of the set meant to be Mary Cloppins’ room, Sweetie remarked, “That’s a funny bag you got.”
The alicorn answered, “Carpet.”
“You mean to carry carpets in?”
“No. Made of.”
When they entered Mary Cloppins’ room, Sweetie said, “This is your room, and there’s a lovely view of the park.”
When Twilight set the bag down on the table, she inspected the room and said, “Well, it’s not exactly Canterlot Castle.” She slid a hoof across a corner of the mantle and inspected her glove. “Still, it’s clean.” She then smiled, “Yes, I think it will be quite suitable.” She took off her hat as she said, “Just needs a touch here and there.” She opened the bag and said, “Well, first things first. I always say, the place to hang a hat is on a hat stand.”
Discord chuckled on the sidelines, “Ooh-hoo! I believe this is where I come in.”
He slowly slid his finger upwards as Twilight grabbed a hat stand out of the bag and pulled it out. Pip and Sweetie pretended to look stunned, but the truth was that they couldn’t get enough of all of the wonderful stunts Discord did. As Twilight put the hat stand - and her hat with it - in a corner, the kids looked inside the bag. After the alicorn put her scarf on the hat stand, she went to a mirror to check herself.
When she saw that the mirror was too small, she exclaimed, “Ah! This will never do!”
Discord smiled offstage, “Here we go again.”
This time, as Twilight reached into the bag, Discord outstretched his hands and raised them as if he was lifting something. Twilight then pulled out a mirror from the bag, saying, “I prefer seeing all of my face at the same time.”
Pipsqueak remarked, “But there was nothing in it.”
After she put the mirror up on the wall, Twilight straightened her mane while she said, “Never judge things by their appearance.”
On the sidelines, Discord smirked to Fluttershy, “How true does she think it actually is?”
Twilight heard his snide remark, but she just focused on her acting. She turned to the kids and continued, “Even carpetbags. I’m sure I never do.”
She went to the bag and once again, Discord had to use his magic to lift the house plant into view.
Pip went underneath the table to check the underside while Twilight said, “A thing of beauty is a joy forever.” She put the house plant on a dresser and said, “A little more light, perhaps.”
When she looked into the bag and lit up her horn, Discord singsonged, “And up we go.”
He pretended as if he has pulling on a rod and lifted his arms up. Twilight shrieked when the lamp suddenly moved up from the bag and caught her by surprise. Fortunately, she managed to keep levitating the lamp, but she knew who was to blame for such tomfoolery.
As she put the lamp next to the plant, Pip told Sweetie Belle, “We’d better keep an eye on this one. She’s tricky.”
Sweetie Belle disagreed, “She’s wonderful.”
Twilight said after she put the lamp in the corner, “Much better!” She went to the bag again and said, “Now, let me see.”
Discord had only used his tricks to conjure the bigger items from the bag, but since Twilight was going to be pulling out smaller stuff now, he didn’t feel the need to use his magic. Twilight pulled out slippers and a hoofheld mirror before she pretended to dig into the bag.
She said, “That’s funny. I always carry it with me. It must be here somewhere.”
As Twilight pulled out a jacket from the bag and put it on the bedpost, Sweetie asked, “What?”
“My tape measure.”
“What do you want it for?”
“I want to see how you two measure up.” She stomped her hind hoof in frustration before putting her fore hoof in the bag. She pretended to dig deeper and deeper until her face was buried in the bag. There was a microphone inside the bag so the audience could hear her lines. She said, “Well, that’s the funniest thing I ever saw. I know it’s down here somewhere.”
Pip went under the table again to check the underside.
Twilight chortled, “Here it is.” She then pulled out a tape measure and said, “Good. Come along, then. Quickly.” She and the kids went to the bed and she said, “Head up, Michael. Don’t slouch.”
Pip stood up straight as she took his measurement. She read the measurement and said, “Just as I thought. Extremely stubborn and suspicious.”
Sweetie Belle giggled as Pip protested, “I am not!”
Twilight said, “See for yourself.”
Pip took the tape measure and pretended to read it. He said while pretending to squint his eyes, “Extremely stubborn and susp…”
Twilight said as she took the tape measure back, “Suspicious.” She stretched the tape measure for Sweetie Belle and said, “Now you, Jane.” Sweetie Belle stood up straight as Twilight pretended to take her measurement. Twilight then looked at the measurement and said, “Rather inclined to giggle. Doesn’t put things away.”
Pip chuckled at that and then asked Twilight, “How about you?”
Twilight smiled and told the kids, “Very well. Hold this for me.” She used her magic to hold one end of the measure while Sweetie pulled the other down to the ground. Twilight took the measure and said, “As I expected. ‘Mary Cloppins. Practically perfect in every way.’”
Sweetie Belle beamed, “Mary Cloppins! Is that your name? It’s lovely.”
Twilight smiled, “Thank you. I’ve always liked it.” She said as she took off her belt, “Now, shall we get on with it?”
Sweetie asked, “Get on with what?”
Twilight asked as she took off her jacket, “In your advertisement, did you not specifically request to play games?”
“Oh, yes!”
“Very well, then. Our first game is called ‘Well Begun Is Half Done’.”
Pip said, “I don’t like the sound of that.”
Twilight specified as she put on an apron, “Otherwise entitled, ‘Let’s Tidy Up the Nursery’.”
Pip told Sweetie Belle as Twilight went back to the nursery, “I told you she was tricky.”
Twilight turned back towards the kids and stared at them for a moment. She then asked, “Shall we begin?”
Sweetie asked with uncertainty, “It is a game, isn’t it, Mary Cloppins?”
“Well, it depends on your point of view. You see, in every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun, and snap! The job’s a game.” She then began to sing, “And every task you undertake becomes a piece of cake…A lark, a spree…It’s very clear to see…that a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down…The medicine go down, medicine go down…Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down…in a most delightful way…”
She heard chirping and went to a window. She sang, “A robin feathering his nest has very little time to rest…while gathering his bits of twine and twig…Though quite intent in his pursuit, he has a merry tune to toot…He knows a song will move the job along...”
When Twilight leaned through the window, Fluttershy told the robin in her hoof backstage, “Okay, little guy. Go to Twilight.”
The robin flew to Twilight and the alicorn held out her hoof to hold him. The bird tweeted musical notes as Twilight withdrew into the nursery again. She then sang, “For a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down…The medicine go down, medicine go down…Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down…in a most delightful way…”
She leaned out the window again so the robin could return to Fluttershy backstage. Once Twilight closed the curtain on the window, she whistled a tune as she went over to the beds. She used her magic to levitate the clothes off the beds, fold them, and put them in the drawer. She then used her magic to grab the hats, but offstage, Discord snapped his fingers to tidy up the beds and the pictures on the walls. Sweetie Belle lit up her horn, but since she hadn’t mastered putting stuff away in detail, Discord lent her a helping hand from backstage by flicking his finger and perfectly arranging the toys in the dollhouse while Sweetie just lifted them onto each “floor”. He then closed the dollhouse as a nice gesture.
Twilight rearranged the clothes and shoes near a dresser next to the dollhouse. Pip pretended to try to magically get the books off the floor, but to no avail. Twilight then used her magic to straighten the pictures on another wall and put a set of clothes in the drawer. Discord then animated a jack-in-the-box and made it look like it told the other toys to straighten up. While Pip acted like he was still trying to get the books off the floor, Sweetie used her magic to lift the blocks and hold them to form the words “MARY CLOPPINS”. The audience gushed at the display before Sweetie tossed the blocks into a toy bin.
When Sweetie lit up her horn again, Discord flicked his finger and set the tea table and the doll seated at it in perfect order – much to his dismay.
Twilight went to the guest room and sang as she got her jacket and other stuff for the outing scene, “The honeybees that fetch the nectar from the flowers to the comb…never tire of ever buzzing to and fro…” She set her things in front of the mirror and sang as she put her hat on, “Because they take a little nip from every flower that they sip…”
Usually, another pony would act as Mary Cloppins’ reflection, but every pony in the cast and crew was glad they had Discord make Twilight’s own reflection sing individually. That made him feel proud to be useful.
Twilight sang, “And hence…”
The reflection sang, “And hence…”
“They find…”
“They find…”
Both sang, “Their task is not a grind…”
Discord muttered to himself, “You know what? Let’s spice things up a little.”
He snapped his fingers and the reflection of Twilight vocalized as the alicorn tried to put on her jacket. Twilight noticed this and fumed, knowing Discord was behind it.
When the reflection finished vocalizing, Twilight said in an annoyed tone, “Cheeky.”
As Twilight exited the guest room, the reflection stuck her tongue out at her before disappearing. To Discord’s delight, the audience laughed at that. Twilight didn’t see what made the attendees laugh, but she decided to let it be.
Twilight told the kids in the nursery, “Don’t be all day about it, please.”
When Sweetie Belle lit up her horn, Discord opened the toy bin and made the toy soldiers march up the blocks into it. After all of the soldiers got inside, the blocks followed suit before Discord used his magic to close the lid. Sweetie then levitated the hats off the ground and put them in the closet. When Pip pretended to give up in frustration, he stomped his hoof. Discord then levitated the books into Pip’s arms to make it look like Pip’s stomp did that.
Discord groaned, “Okay, I’m getting bored now. Let’s have some fun, shall we?”
Fluttershy softly protested, “Discord, I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
Discord scoffed playfully, “Oh, come on, Flutters. I promise nopony will get hurt.”
He snapped his fingers and the wagon in the nursery ran into Pip and rolled him into a closet, which then closed on him. Twilight watched in shock as everything started going haywire onstage. Since she couldn’t glare at Discord offstage, she could only gaze at the commotion before her. The audience, of course, was confused, but they thought the whole thing was part of the show and laughed.
Pip repeatedly tried to get out of the closet, but with each attempt, the doors would shut on him. He cried out, “Let me out! Let me out! Let me out!”
Twilight said while trying to be in-character, “Well, that was very…Thank you, now…”
She tried to choose her words carefully so Discord would know when to stop while she would make it sound like Mary Cloppins was speaking to the objects. However, the hullabaloo didn’t stop. Other ponies would’ve been concerned about it and think that something was wrong with Discord. Twilight knew better, though. If something was wrong with Discord, everything would’ve spiraled out of control. Since the racket was still as “tame” as when it started, she knew the spirit of chaos was just messing with her.
She then shouted, “When you’ve quite finished!”
Discord knew she meant business, so as quickly as he snapped his fingers, the objects became inanimate again.
Twilight nodded to the objects, “Thank you.”
Discord knew those words were meant for him, but he couldn’t resist making the doors on the nightstand move a bit just to tease her.
The alicorn went to a closet and got out the kids’ hats and coats. “That will be quite sufficient. Hats and coats, please.” She said as Sweetie got on her coat, “It’s time for our outing in the park.”
Pip said as he walked up to the girls, “I don’t want an outing. I want to tidy up the nursery again.”
Twilight said as she put on Pip’s coat for him, “Enough is as good as a feast. Come along, please.” She then told the kids, “Let me look at you. Well, you’re not as well turned-out as I’d like. Still, there’s time. There’s time. Spit spot! And off we go.”
When they danced around the nursery for a bit, Twilight whistled as the kids sang, “For a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down…The medicine go down, medicine go down… Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down…in the most delightful way…”
Just as the music was reaching its end, Twilight and the kids went out the set door and the curtains closed.