As soon as the attendees were all seated and quiet again, the curtains opened. Cadance was in the dining room putting fake flowers in the vase next to the mirror. When Matilda went up to her, the princess smiled, “It’s a lovely, lovely morning, Ellen.”
Matilda agreed, “Indeed it is, ma’am.”
“Have you put the spoiled eggs in my carryall?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“After our meeting at the Albert Hall, we’re all going to Downy Street to throw things at the prime minister.” Both of them laughed as the alicorn put the last flower in the vase. When Matilda left for the kitchen door, Cadance turned stage right to see her husband walking into the dining room. She said to him, “Oh, how distinguished you look this morning, George.”
Shining Armor had to keep from smiling at his wife’s compliment. True, she complimented him nearly every day, but he had to pretend to be flabbergasted by the good mood. He asked, “What’s all that horrible caterwauling in the kitchen?”
Cadance said as she put a flower on her beloved’s costume, “It’s Cook singing.”
“Cook singing? What wrong with her?”
“She’s as happy as a cricket.” When they sat down at the table, she continued, “As a matter of fact, since you hired Mary Cloppins, the most extraordinary thing seems to have come over the household.”
Shining Armor said in an unenthusiastic tone, “Is that so?”
“Take Ellen, for instance. She hasn’t broken a dish all morning.”
Backstage, Discord was tempted to break a dish just for the fun of it, but the ponies had warned him against it.
Shining Armor said, “Really? Well, that is extraordinary.”
Cadance said, “And another thing. She and Cook usually fight like cats and dogs, but today…”
Granny Smith then opened the kitchen door and said, “Let me hold tha door for ya, Ellen dearie.”
Matilda smiled as she walked past Granny while holding a platter, “Thanks ever so much, Cook.”
Shining Armor pretended to be surprised when Matilda started vocalizing. When she set the platter down, he ordered, “Ellen, stop making that offensive noise!” DJ Pon-3 then played the sound effect of birds chirruping. “And shut the window! That bird’s giving me a headache.”
Matilda nodded, “Yes, sir.” When she set the platter next to the vase, she went to the window and shouted towards backstage, “Quiet! You’re giving the master a headache.” When the chirping stopped, Matilda closed the window.
Cadance told her husband, “I’m so sorry you’re not feeling well this morning, George.”
Shining Armor retorted, “Who said I’m not feeling well? I’m fit as a fiddle. I just don’t understand why everyone’s so confoundedly cheerful!”
Sweetie Belle and Pipsqueak then walked in from stage right while singing, “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious…Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious…”
Pip gave Cadance a bouquet of yellow flowers while Shining Armor facehoofed. As the kids continued singing, Cadance smiled, “How lovely. Thank you, my darling.”
The kids walked up to the kitchen door as it opened and they, Matilda, and Granny Smith all sang, “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious…Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious…”
Unfortunately for Granny Smith, she still couldn’t get the – as she put it – “consarned word”. Luckily, with three other voices singing it, the audience hardly noticed Granny’s mistake.
Shining Armor ordered, “Stop, stop, stop!”
Sweetie Belle and Pip ran up to the prince as the filly said, “Good morning, Father.”
Shining Armor said in a disinterested tone, “Good morning.”
“Mary Cloppins taught us the most wonderful word.”
Pip sang excitedly, “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious…”
Shining Armor asked, “What on earth are you talking about? Supercali…Super…Or whatever the darn thing is.”
Sweetie explained, “It’s something to say when you don’t know what to say.”
“Yes, well, I always know what to say. Go on, hurry along, please.”
“Yes, Father.”
Both of the kids sang as they exited stage right, “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious…”
Shining Armor asked Cadance, “Winifred, will you be good enough to explain this crazy hullabaloo?”
She said, “I don’t think there’s anything to explain, do you? It’s obvious that you’re out of sorts this morning. The children just came in to make you feel better.”
“I should like to make one thing quite clear, once and for all: I am not out of sorts. I am in a perfectly equable mood. I do not require being made to feel better!”
“But you’re always saying that you wanted a cheerful and pleasant household.”
“Winifred, I should like to a make a slight differentiation between the word cheerful and just plain giddy irresponsibility.”
Cadance looked at the fake clock behind her, which said 8:00. She said to her husband, “Excuse me, dear.” She then shouted as she rose from her seat, “Post, everyone, please!”
Shining Armor also rose from his chair and went into the foyer when the lights there lit up. He said as he walked up to a bust on a stand, “I have no objection to anyone being cheerful or pleasant. But I do expect a certain decorum. I can tell you one thing, Winifred. I don’t propose standing idly by and letting that pony Mary Cloppins undermine the discipline –“
On cue, the whole theater shook and the cannon sound effect could be heard. Shining Armor fell flat on his flank and the piano rolled up to him, compressing his chest momentarily.
When the piano slid a few inches away from him, Shining Armor continued, “There’s something odd – I must say extremely odd – about the behavior of this household since that pony arrived. And I want you to know that I’ve noticed it!”
Cadance, who pretended to struggle holding two vases with her magic, said, “Yes, dear.”
Shining Armor then played a few discordant keys on the piano. After he pushed back the piano with his magic, he said as he rose up, “One thing more.”
Cadance said as she placed the vases back where they belonged, “Yes, dear?”
He then walked up to his wife and said, “I suggest you have this piano repaired. When I sit down to an instrument, I like to have it in tune.”
Cadance said as he walked towards the hat stand near stage right, “But, George, you don’t play.”
Shining Armor pretended to snap at her, “Madam, that is entirely beside the point!”
As soon as he put on his hat and exited stage right, the curtains closed.
Backstage, Twilight said to Discord, “That shake was quite convincing, although it was bit stronger than usual.”
Discord shrugged mischievously, “What can I say? I love to put on a show.”
Rainbow muttered, “No kidding.”
When the curtains parted again, the background was now of Cherry Tree Lane and Twilight and the kids appeared from stage left.
Twilight pretended to read from a list and said, “Now, let me see. First, we must go to the piano tuner’s. And then go to Mrs. Cory’s shop for some gingerbread.”
Sweetie smiled, “Mmm, gingerbread!”
“And then we go to the farmer’s, I think, for a nice bale of hay and a pint of strawberries.”
Doctor Hooves shouted down from the boat dangling on the side of the house set, “Ahoy, there! Ahoy! Good day to you!”
“Good morning, Admiral.”
As Hayseed Turnip Truck pretended to wash the window with a mop, Doctor Hooves asked, “Michael, what fine adventure are we out upon today? Going to fight the Hottentrots? Dig for buried treasure?”
Pip answered, “We’re going to buy some food.”
“Very good! Proceed at flank speed.”
Pip saluted, “Aye aye, sir.”
Doctor Hooves said to Hayseed, “Let’s put our backs into it, lad. More spit and polish, that’s what’s wanted around here.”
Just then, Winona ran from stage left and barked at Twilight and the kids. Pip exclaimed, “It’s Andrew!”
Twilight went up to Winona and said, “Not so fast, please. I can’t understand a word you’re saying.” When Winona barked twice, Twilight remarked, “Again?” Winona barked in affirmation. “Oh, the poor soul!”
Winona continued to bark while the kids looked at her and Twilight in confusion. On cue, Winona faked a sneeze.
Twilight said, “Bless you.” After Winona barked some more, Twilight said, “Well, yes, of course. There’s not a moment to lose. I’ll go straight away. And thank you very much.”
As soon as the alicorn began to follow Winona stage left, Sweetie asked, “What did he say?”
“He said, ‘You’re welcome.’”
Sweetie asked as she and Pip followed Twilight, “What else did he say?”
Pip said, “I don’t think he said anything.”
Twilight said to Pip, “You know best, as usual.”
“I thought we were going to buy some food.”
“There’s been a change of plan. Come along, please. Don’t straggle.”
The curtains closed again. After almost a minute, they opened to reveal Flash in a hallway with a major part of the stage on the left darkened. He opened the fake door and ushered Twilight and the kids in.
Twilight said, “Oh, Bert, I’m glad you’re here.”
Flash said, “I came over the moment I heard.”
“Well, how is he?” When she heard Discord’s over-dramatized moaning, she had to muster every bit of strength to keep from face-hoofing.
Flash told her, “I’ve never seen him as bad as this, and that’s the truth.”
Twilight whispered to him, “You’re telling me.”
When she drew near a door, Flash asked, “How about them? It’s contagious, you know.”
Sweetie asked, “Will we get spots?”
Twilight answered, “Oh, highly unlikely.”
When she opened the door, the hallway became dark and the room beside it became lit up. Discord was floating close to the unseen rafters and laughing raucously as he read a joke book.
Twilight groaned, “Oh, Uncle Albert!”
Discord smiled as he put the joke book in his vest, “Oh, bless me! Bless my soul! It’s Mary Cloppins! I’m delight…” He laughed before he finished, “I’m delighted to see you, Mary.”
“Uncle Albert, you promised.”
Discord said as he was laughing, “Oh, I know, I…But I tried. Really, I did, my dear. I…” He laughed again. “But I so enjoy laughing, you know? And when…”
He laughed once more before he continued, “And when I start, it’s all up with the…” He laughed again before he said, “That’s what happens to me. Ha-ha-ha! I love to laugh! Oh, my goodness! I can’t help it. You can see that.”
He laughed before he said, “I just like laughing, that’s all. It’s good for the soul, you know.”
Twilight also ad-libbed, “That’s what you say.” When the kids then began to laugh, Twilight admonished, “Jane, don’t you dare! You’ll only make him worse. It’s really quite serious.”
Flash said, “Yes, whatever you do, keep a straight face. Last time, it took us three days to get him down.” Flash chuckled at that.
Discord began to sing, “I love to laugh…Ha-ha-ha-ha! Loud and long and clear…I love to laugh…Ha-ha-ha-ha! It’s getting worse every year…Ha-ha!
“The more I laugh…Ha-ha-ha! The more I fill with glee…”
When Flash laughed loudly, Twilight said to him, “You’re no help at all.”
Discord continued singing, “The more the glee…Hee-hee-hee-hee-hee-hee! The more I’m a merrier me…” As Flash laughed, Discord smiled, “It’s embarrassing. Ha!” He then sang, “The more I’m a merrier me…”
When the draconequus laughed, Flash and the kids chuckled with him.
Twilight sang, “Some ponies laugh through their noses…sounding something like this…” She then did a mock giggle and said, “Dreadful!” When Discord hissed while he was laughing, Twilight sang, “Some ponies laugh through their teeth, goodness sakes…hissing and fizzing like snakes…” When she hissed/laughed back at him, Discord acted like he took offense, which he probably did. Twilight then said, “Not at all attractive to my way of thinking.”
Flash sang, “Some laugh too fast…” After he giggled rapidly, he sang, “Some only blast…” He let out a big “HA!” before he sang, “Others, they twitter like birds…” He then giggled like a bird chirping.
Twilight said, “You know, you’re as bad as he is.”
“Then there’s that kind that can’t make up their mind…” He did an assortment of different laughs.
Discord sang, “When things strike me as funny, I can’t hide it inside and squeak…” He squeaked before he sang, “As the squeakelers do…Heh-heh…I’ve got to let go-o-o…with a ho-ho-ho-ho…”
As Discord laughed, Flash thought of the kiss Twilight gave him and suddenly felt light on air. He laughed uncontrollably as he floated up to Discord with no use of his wings at all.
Discord then sang, “…and laugh…Ha-ha-ha-ha! Too…” When he grabbed Flash, he said, “How nice! I was hoping you’d turn up.”
They both laughed and then Flash said, “Turn up!”
“We always have such a jolly time.”
He and Flash both sang as they danced and laughed in mid-air, “We love to laugh…Ha-ha-ha-ha! Loud and long and clear…Oh-ho-ho-ho! We love to laugh…Ha-ha-ha-ha! So everypony can hear…Ha-ha! The more you laugh…”
The kids were about to float up when Twilight caught them with her magic. She told them, “Whoops, don’t you two start. Come back down here.”
Discord and Flash both sang, “The more you fill with glee…Ha-ha-ha-ha! The more the glee…Ha-ha-ha-ha! The more we’re a merrier we…”
As the guys both laughed, the kids floated up towards them.
Discord said as he shook their hooves, “Oh, welcome, children! Welcome! Make yourselves comfortable.”
Flash said, “That’s right. Pull up a chair.”
They all laughed at that.
Twilight chastised, “I must say, you’re a sight, all of you!”
Flash said, “Speaking of sight, it reminds me of my brother. He’s got a nice cushy job in a watch factory.”
Discord asked, “In a watch factory? What does he do?”
Flash chuckled, “He stands around all day and makes faces!” He and Discord both laughed.
When Twilight saw the foursome floating around carelessly, she said, “Such behavior! It’s the most disgraceful sight I’ve ever seen, or my name isn’t Mary Cloppins.”
Flash stopped what he was doing and assumed a pensive pose. “Speaking of names, I know a colt with a wooden leg named Smith.”
Discord asked, “What’s the name of his other leg?” When the others laughed with him, he chuckled, “Wasn’t that funny? What’s the name of his other…”
Twilight looked at her pocket watch and said, “Now then, children, it’s time for tea. I will not have my schedule interrupted.”
Discord ad-libbed, “No, really. She can’t.” Flash and the kids, along with the audience, laughed with him. After the laughter died down, he said, “Oh, please stay. Look, I have a splendid tea all ready for you.”
“And it’s getting cold.”
“Well, I had hoped that maybe, that you would just, that…” But in actuality, Discord used his magic to lift the table up to the floating actors. Of course, he acted as if he made no effort at all. “Splendid! Thank you very much!” He said to Flash and the kids, “Keep your feet back. Mind the bread and butter. Now, watch it, children.”
Flash said, “I knew she could pull it off. And a proper tea it is, too.”
Discord whispered, “Even though it was mostly just me.”
Twilight said, “Next thing, I suppose, you’ll want me to pour it out.” She then sighed, “Oh, well. If I must, I must.” She thought of the happiness she felt when she kissed Flash. Even though she kept a straight face, she floated up to the foursome. “If you’ll just stop behaving like a pack of laughing hyenas!” She cleared her throat as she grabbed a cup full of sugar cubes. “Two lumps, Uncle Albert?”
Discord said, “Yes, please.”
As Twilight put two cubes in Discord’s teacup, she asked Flash, “Bert?”
Flash refused, “No, thank you, no sugar for me.”
Sweetie said as Twilight pretended to pour milk, “I’m so glad you came. It wouldn’t be any fun without you.”
Twilight said, “Here, and you may pour some milk for Michael and yourself.”
Flash told Discord, “Nice weather we’re having this time of year, don’t you think?”
The draconequus said, “Oh, yes. Speaking of weather…The other day when it was so cold, a friend of mine went to buy some long underwear. The shopkeeper said to him, ‘How long do you want it?’ And my friend said, ‘Well, from about fall to spring.’”
He, Flash, and the kids all laughed at that as did the audience.
Twilight admonished, “Jane! Control yourself! Children, will you please sit up properly at the table?” She said to Discord as she handed him his teacup, “Your tea, Uncle Albert.”
Discord said as he grabbed it, “Oh, thank you, my dear. I’m having such a good time. I wish that you could all stay up here all the time.”
Pip said, “We’ll jolly well have to. There’s no way to get down.”
Discord differed, “Oh, no, there is a way.” Twilight flashed a grin behind her teacup as he continued, “Frankly, I don’t like to mention it, because you have to think of something sad.”
Twilight said, “Then do get on with it, please.”
Discord crossed his arms in a pensive pose and said, “Let me see…I’ve got the very thing. Yesterday, when the lady next door answered the bell, there was a colt there. And the colt said to the lady, ‘I’m terribly sorry. I just ran over your cat.’”
The actors started to descend from the table as Sweetie said, “Oh, that’s sad.”
Pip agreed, “The poor cat.”
Discord said, “And then the colt said, ‘I’d like to replace your cat.’ And the lady said, ‘That’s all right with me, but how are you at catching mice?’”
Twilight gave an agitated expression while the others laughed and rose up to the table again.
Discord shrugged while smiling, “Well, you know, I started out sad. I try, really I do. But, but everything ends up so hilarious, I can’t…Heh-heh-heh! I can’t help…”
After the others laughed with Discord, Twilight said, “That will be quite enough of that!” She pulled out her pocket watch and said, “It’s time to go home.”
She and the actors descended to the floor as Sweetie said, “Oh, that is sad.”
Pip said simultaneously, “Oh, no!”
Discord said, “Oh, that’s sad. That’s the saddest thing I ever heard.”
When the other actors landed, Twilight – already on her hooves and at the door – said to the kids, “Come along, children. Spit spot!”
Discord made his voice quiver, “Must you really go?” He whimpered to Flash, “You know, ponies come to see me all the time, you know.” He pulled out his handkerchief, which he had laced with crying powder to make his weeping more convincing, as he said in a faux broken voice, “And we have such a lovely time, and then they have to go home. And I’m very, very sad about the whole thing.”
Pip said, “Don’t worry. We’ll come back soon.”
Sweetie said as she and Pip exited the door, “We had a lovely time.”
Twilight asked Flash, “Keep an eye on Uncle Albert, will you, Bert?”
Flash said, “I’ll sit with him for a while.”
“Thank you. Come on.”
After Twilight and the kids disappeared, Flash said to a weeping Discord, “Uncle Albert, I got a good joke I saved for such an occasion. Would you like to hear it?”
Discord sniffled, “I’d be so grateful.”
“All right. Well, it’s about my grandpa, see? One night he had a nightmare, he did. He was so scared that he chewed his pillow to bits. To bits. The next morning, I say, ‘How do you feel, Grandpa?’ He says, ‘Oh, not bad. A little down in the mouth.’” He chuckled as Discord wailed. The Pegasus told him, “Yeah, I always say there’s nothing like a good joke.”
Discord sobbed, “No. And that was nothing like a good joke! That…”
As he continued crying, Flash pretended to cry with him. The curtains then closed on the pair and reopened half a minute later to the main hallway of the Flanks’ house. The kids waited on the bottom steps of the stairs until Shining Armor walked through the door and shut it in a huff.
Sweetie said as she and Pip ran up to the stallion, “Oh, Father, we’re so glad you’re home!”
Pip asked, “Want to hear a joke?”
“We had the most wonderful afternoon with Mary Cloppins.”
“Speaking of afternoons, the joke goes like this: I know a colt with a wooden leg named Smith.”
Shining Armor said in a weary tone, “Smith? We don’t know anyone called Smith.”
Pip continued, “And there was a second chap, and the second chap says, ‘What’s the name of his other leg?’”
Sweetie Belle told Shining Armor, “And we had a lovely tea party on the ceiling!”
Shining Armor sighed, “Oh, children, please be quiet.”
“Mary Cloppins says if we’re good, she’ll take us there again.”
He then looked up to see his sister walking down the stairs. “Oh, Mary Cloppins said that, did she?” He asked the kids, “Will you please return to your room?” As the kids went up the stairs, Shining Armor asked Twilight, “Mary Cloppins, will you be kind enough to come with me?”
Twilight flew over the railing and landed on the floor as she said, “As you wish.”
Her brother told her as he put his hat on a peg next to a mirror, “Mary Cloppins, I very much regret what I must say to you.”
As the hallway darkened, the foyer became lit up and Cadance walked up to Shining Armor. She said, “Good evening, George. Is anything the matter?”
Her husband told her, “I’m afraid there is.”
“I’d love to stay, but I have to dress for my rally in Hoofstead.”
“Winifred, it is my wish that you be present!”
“Oh, yes, George, of course.”
As Cadance sat down, Shining Armor stood in front of the fireplace as he said, “Mary Cloppins, I must confess I am extremely disappointed in you. I don’t deny that I am partially responsible for allowing the children to spend their days on worthless frivolity to the exclusion of all else. But it is high time they learned the seriousness of life!”
Cadance said, “But, George, they’re only children.”
“Precisely. And in the light of what has happened…”
“George, are you certain you know what you’re doing?”
Shining Armor said, “I believe I do, Winifred.” He then sang, “A Trottish bank is run with precision…A Trottish home requires nothing less…Tradition, discipline, and rules must be the tools…Without them, disorder, chaos, moral disintegration…In short, you have a crazy mess…”
Twilight said, “I quite agree.”
“The children must be molded, shaped, and taught that life’s a looming battle to be face and fought...” He said, “In short, I am disturbed to hear my children talking about popping in and out of chalk pavement pictures, consorting with racehorses, riding through the countryside…Okay, well, I don’t mind that quite so much. At any rate, it’s recreational. But tea parties on the ceiling?! I ask you! Having tea parties on the ceiling and highly questionable outings of every other kind!”
He sang, “If they must go on outings, these outings ought to be fraught with purpose…Yes, and practicality…These silly words like…” He pretended to struggle saying the word, “Superca…Super…Superca…”
Twilight clarified, “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.”
“Yes, well done. You said it.” He then sang, “And popping through pictures…have little use…fulfill no basic need…They’ve got to learn the honest truth…Despite their youth, they must learn…”
Twilight sang, “About the life you lead…”
Her brother nodded, “Exactly.”
“They must feel the thrill of totting up a balanced book…A thousand ciphers neatly in a row…”
“That’s right.”
“When gazing at a graph that shows the profit’s up…their little cup of joy should overflow…”
“Precisely!”
“It’s time they learned to walk in your hoofsteps…”
“My hoofsteps.”
“To tread your straight and narrow path with pride…”
“With pride.”
“Tomorrow, just as you suggest, pressed and dressed, Jane and Michael will be at your side…”
Shining Armor smiled, “Great! You hit the nail right on the…” His smile faded just as he pretended to realize what just happened. “At my side? Where are we going?”
“To the bank, of course, exactly as you proposed.”
“I proposed?”
“Of course. Now, if you’ll excuse me, tomorrow’s an important day for the children. I will see they have a proper night’s sleep. Good night.” She then exited the foyer.
Shining Armor just stood there being flabbergasted before he went to his wife. “Winifred, did I say that I was going to take the children to the bank?”
Cadance answered, “It certainly sounded that way, dear.”
“And why not? It’s a great idea! Just the medicine they need for all this nonsensical, sugary female thinking they get around here all day long. Right. Good idea. Right. Good idea. Right.”
It almost cracked Cadance up because it reminded her of how crazy her husband acted after Flurry Heart was born. The curtains closed on the scene and then reopened to the nursery. Sweetie Belle and Pip ran up to Twilight as she entered the fake door on stage right.
Sweetie said, “Mary Cloppins, we won’t let you go!”
Twilight asked, “Go? What on earth are you talking about?”
Pip asked, “Didn’t you get sacked?”
The alicorn said, “Sacked?! Certainly not! I am never sacked!”
Sweetie smiled, “Oh, Mary Cloppins!”
Pip shouted happily as they hopped around Twilight, “Hurray, hurray, hurray!”
Twilight said, “Neither am I a maypole. Please stop spinning around me.” The audience chuckled at that.
When the kids stopped jumping around the alicorn, he said, “But…”
“Goat butt, birds fly, and children who are going on an outing with their father must get some sleep.”
Discord – who recovered from the effects of the crying powder – remarked offstage, “Way to sum it up.”
Twilight said as she ushered the kids to the beds, “Come along, please.”
Sweetie asked before she climbed into her bed, “An outing with Father?”
“Yes.”
Pip said as he and Sweetie jumped onto their beds, “I don’t believe it.”
Sweetie remarked, “He’s never taken us on an outing before.”
“He’s never taken us anywhere.”
“However did you manage it?”
Twilight asked after she tucked the kids in, “Manage what?”
Sweetie said, “You must’ve put the idea in his head somehow.”
The alicorn pretended to act indignant as she said, “What an impertinent thing to say! Me putting ideas into ponies’ heads? Really!”
“Where’s he taking us?”
“To the bank.”
Sweetie said to Pip, “Oh, Michael, the city! And we’ll see all the sights, and Father can point them out to us.”
“Well, most things he can.” She went over to the entryway to the guest room as she said, “But sometimes a pony we love, through no fault of his own, can’t see past the end of his nose.” She dipped into the entryway and Discord handed her a snow globe. To her surprise, it was a snow globe that featured a small figurine of Discord in a chaotic wonderland. She hissed, “Discord!”
Discord shrugged mischievously, “What? I think we should advertise this during the show and then sell more afterwards.”
“Well, now may not be the best time to-“
They then heard Sweetie ask, “Twi – I mean, Mary Cloppins? What do you mean by ‘past the end of his nose’?”
Discord grumbled as he switched snow globes, “Oh, fine, here.”
Twilight said, “Thank you.” She then backed out of the doorway and went to the kids. She sheepishly ad-libbed, “I must’ve packed more stuff than I thought I had.” She cleared her throat and continued, “So, anyway, sometimes a little thing can be quite important.”
When she sat on Sweetie’s bed, Pip exclaimed, “Oh, look! The cathedral.”
Sweetie said, “Father passes that every day. He sees that.”
Twilight then sang, “Early each day to the steps of St. Stall’s…the little old bird pony comes…”
Discord snickered at the verse every time it was sung on account of thinking of a hybrid between a pony and a bird. Fluttershy then nudged him to make him stop giggling.
Twilight continued to sing, “In her own special way…to the ponies, she calls…Come buy my bags full of crumbs…” She then shook the globe as she sang, “Come feed the little birds…Show them you care…and you’ll be glad if you do…Their young ones are hungry…Their nests are so bare…All it takes is tuppence from you…
“Feed the birds…Tuppence a bag…Tuppence, tuppence…Tuppence a bag…Feed the birds…That’s what she cries while overhead, her birds fill the skies…All around the cathedral, the saints and apostles look down as she sells her wares…Although you can’t see it, you know they are smiling each time someone shows that he cares…
“Though her words are simple and few, listen, listen…She’s calling to you…Feed the birds…Tuppence a bag…Tuppence, tuppence…Tuppence a bag…”
As the unseen choir vocalized, Sweetie and Pip pretended to drift off to sleep. Meanwhile, many members of the audience were crying softly from the beauty of the song and the message of the words. Even Fluttershy was crying from the song. Though Discord wasn’t deeply touched by the song as she was, he kindly dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief, thankfully not the one laced with crying powder.
When the vocalizing died down, Twilight finished singing, “Though her words are simple and few, listen, listen…She’s calling to you…Feed the birds…Tuppence a bag…Tuppence, tuppence…Tuppence a bag…”
The curtains then closed as the song ended. The audience clapped with such vigor at how beautiful the song was. But regardless of the circumstances, they probably would’ve done so anyway.