Once Upon a Forest (1993)

Paige Gosney: Russell

Photos 

Quotes 

• Michelle : [speaking really fast]  Guess what? You'll never guess what, I'll betcha! Uncle Cornelius said I could go with you on your ramble today, but I'll betcha he's forgotten all about it, & I'll never, EVER get to see what the big surprise is!

  [inhales deeply] 

  Michelle : What took you so long?

  Abigail : My dad!

  Edgar : My mother!

  Russell : No breakfast!

• Abigail : You were right, Edgar. I was wrong. Thanks for coming to my rescue!

  [sniffles] 

  Russell : What about me? I broke your fall!

  Abigail : You too, Russell!

• Russell : [pushing the tiller of a reed boat]  I get to steer!

  Abigail : [pushing the tiller back]  Don't be silly, you'll sink us!

  Russell : [pushing back]  Will NOT! Give me a chance!

• Abigail : This isn't a picnic! Here! Pack something useful!

  [Abigail tosses Russell a rope] 

  Russell : Boy, I've been working up an appetite!

• Edgar : We're going to climb?

  Russell : We can't DIG our way up!

• Russell : Gee, & I thought meals were ALWAYS out of control at MY house!

• Edgar : How are we gonna get anybody to help us find the herbs?

  Russell : Maybe these guys won't be so grouchy after they eat.

  Abigail : Well, we can't wait that long!

• Russell : Wait a minute! I know how to get up there. We'll use Cornelius' Flapper-Wing-A-Ma-Thing.

  Edgar : Russell, good thinking! We'll FLY to the top of the cliff!

  Willy : You don't really mean "fly"?

  Waggs : You heard 'em, Willy. They'll flap their little paws & fly like birdies.

  [laughing] 

• Michelle : What's that?

  Cornelius : Great Honk!

  [sees the Flapper-Wing-A-Ma-Thing] 

  Cornelius : My Flapper-Wing-A-Ma-Thing! But how did you get it here?

  Abigail : We built it.

  Russell : And we flew it!

  Cornelius : Marvelous! Magnificent! Stupendous! You three have changed so much these past few days, I hardly recognize you.

  [happily] 

  Cornelius : You're no longer my Furlings. You've grown up.

• Russell : Good thing you're a slow climber!

• Abigail : You'll find some more, Russell. That's never been a problem for you!

  Russell : That's true...

• Abigail : I can hardly see him behind his papers. He must be working on an experiment.

  Edgar : Good. Maybe he won't notice we're late.

  Michelle : I bet he's working on the big surprise, I'll betcha!

  Russell : Oh, I LOVE surprises! Let's have a look!

• Cornelius : Russell, your mouth is hanging open!

  Russell : Oh, I want to fly it! PLEASE?

  Abigail : Don't be silly, you'll crash it!

  Cornelius : Correct, Abigail. It's far too delicate for Furlings.

  Abigail : Huh? I didn't mean me!

• Russell : What's he squawking about?

  Edgar : Shhhh... someone's died.

  Russell : Oh...

• Waggs : For all the good it'll do you, I'd like to see YOU get the lungwort! No one in Oakdale's ever been able to reach it! But I'll bet you three can!

  Russell : That's right! We've already got a plan, right, Edgar?

  Edgar : I don't know.

• Russell : You've been leading long enough, now it's MY turn!

  Abigail : You probably don't even know where you're going!

  Russell : Maybe YOU don't know where you're going, but I do!

  [falls onto a road] 

• Russell : I guess we wrecked the big surprise.

  Cornelius : No, you just wrecked months & months of work!

• Russell : [whining]  Mom, they won't give me a chance for breakfast!

  Russell's Mother : [washing dishes]  Well, you'll just have to be quicker, Rollin!

  Russell : [annoyed]  I'm not Rollin, Mother! I'm Russell! RUSSELL!

• Cornelius : There was nothing... I could do for my mother or father.

  [Michelle coughs and moans; Cornelius puts a wet cloth on her head] 

  Cornelius : But there is something you can do for Michelle.

  Edgar : Us, Cornelius?

  Cornelius : [opens a book]  I need special plants. Eye Bright, to soothe the burns on her eyes. And her lungs are badly damaged, so you must collect plenty of Lung Wort.

  Abigail : But everything in our meadow is dead.

  Cornelius : Then you must find another!

  Russell : Another meadow?

  Cornelius : There's no choice! You only have two days' time! The herbs *must* be applied before the moon waxes full, or it will be too late for Michelle!

  Russell : You-- You're coming with us, right?

  Cornelius : I wish I could, but I dare not leave her side.

  Edgar : We'll be by ourselves?

  Cornelius : No. You'll have each other. You'll want an early start. Get some sleep. And if you dream, dream of better times for Michelle and Dapplewood.