Two brothers inherit a valuable mansion and a failing factory, only to be thwarted by an intelligent mouse until an unexpected partnership saves them.
Story Structure — 4 Plot Phases
Inheritance and Ruin
Rudolph Smuntz leaves his sons a factory and a mansion, but both brothers face immediate personal and financial disasters.
Key Events
Will Reading — Rudolph leaves factory and mansion to Ernie and Lars. Characters: Ernie Smuntz, Lars SmuntzLocation: Lawyer's Office
Restaurant Disaster — Ernie's restaurant is ruined after a cockroach causes the mayor's fatal heart attack. Characters: Ernie SmuntzLocation: Restaurant
Marital Fallout — April kicks Lars out for refusing to sell the factory to Zeppco. Characters: Lars Smuntz, April SmuntzLocation: Mansion
Diner Reunion — Brothers share misfortunes and decide to stay in the inherited mansion. Characters: Ernie Smuntz, Lars SmuntzLocation: Diner
Blueprint Discovery — Brothers find blueprints revealing the mansion is a valuable LaRue design. Characters: Ernie Smuntz, Lars SmuntzLocation: Mansion
The Blueprint Revelation
Discovering the mansion's architectural value shifts their focus, but a relentless mouse and mounting debts threaten their plans.
Key Events
Blueprint Discovery — Brothers find blueprints revealing the mansion is a valuable LaRue design. Characters: Ernie Smuntz, Lars SmuntzLocation: Mansion
Mouse Sighting — Ernie spots the mouse and warns Lars, fearing another contamination incident. Characters: Ernie Smuntz, Lars SmuntzLocation: Mansion
Catzilla Deployment — Brothers deploy a vicious cat to catch the unusually intelligent mouse. Characters: Ernie Smuntz, Lars SmuntzLocation: Mansion
Exterminator Hire — Brothers hire an exterminator, but the mouse outsmarts them again. Characters: Ernie Smuntz, Lars SmuntzLocation: Mansion
Mortgage Crisis — Ernie borrows against the house, triggering a two-day eviction threat. Characters: Ernie SmuntzLocation: Bank
Factory Strike — Workers strike after Lars fails to pay them due to financial strain. Characters: Lars SmuntzLocation: Factory
Escalating Conflicts
Financial pressures and internal arguments peak as the brothers attempt drastic measures to eliminate the mouse and secure funds.
Key Events
Factory Strike — Workers strike after Lars fails to pay them due to financial strain. Characters: Lars SmuntzLocation: Factory
Secret Zeppco Meeting — Ernie secretly meets Zeppco reps but is hit by a bus while flirting. Characters: Ernie SmuntzLocation: Street
April's Intervention — April reveals she will provide the cash needed to save the house. Characters: April Smuntz, Ernie Smuntz, Lars SmuntzLocation: Mansion
Mouse Argument — Brothers argue over the mouse, accidentally stunning it with an orange. Characters: Ernie Smuntz, Lars SmuntzLocation: Mansion
Mouse Exile — Brothers decide to mail the stunned mouse to Cuba to eliminate the threat. Characters: Ernie Smuntz, Lars SmuntzLocation: Mansion
Renovation Reconciliation — Brothers reconcile and complete the mansion renovation for auction. Characters: Ernie Smuntz, Lars SmuntzLocation: Mansion
Collapse and Renewal
The mansion's destruction forces the brothers into the factory, where an unexpected mouse intervention sparks a new business venture.
Key Events
Renovation Reconciliation — Brothers reconcile and complete the mansion renovation for auction. Characters: Ernie Smuntz, Lars SmuntzLocation: Mansion
Mailed Return — Lars discovers the mouse box was returned due to insufficient postage. Characters: Ernie Smuntz, Lars SmuntzLocation: Mansion
Auction Flood — Brothers try to flush the mouse out, flooding the house and washing guests away. Characters: Ernie Smuntz, Lars SmuntzLocation: Mansion
House Collapse — The flooded mansion collapses, leaving the brothers and April destitute. Characters: Ernie Smuntz, Lars Smuntz, April SmuntzLocation: Mansion
Factory Exile — Brothers sleep in the factory after losing everything again. Characters: Ernie Smuntz, Lars SmuntzLocation: Factory
Mouse's Gift — Mouse uses factory machinery to create string cheese, inspiring the brothers. Characters: Ernie Smuntz, Lars SmuntzLocation: Factory
Business Pivot — Brothers renovate the factory to produce and sell string cheese. Characters: Ernie Smuntz, Lars SmuntzLocation: Factory
New Partnership — Brothers hire the mouse as official taste tester, ending their war. Characters: Ernie Smuntz, Lars SmuntzLocation: Factory
Story Breakdown
Inheritance Crisis — The brothers receive a factory and mansion from their deceased father, setting the stage for their financial struggles.
Factory Strain — The inherited factory is cash-strapped and poorly managed.
Mansion Legacy — A dilapidated Victorian home becomes their primary asset.
Personal Setbacks — Both brothers suffer immediate professional and domestic disasters that compound their financial woes.
Restaurant Ruin — Ernie loses his restaurant due to a cockroach contamination.
Marital Breakup — Lars is evicted by his wife for refusing to sell the factory.
Architectural Discovery — A hidden blueprint reveals the mansion's immense value, shifting the brothers' goals toward restoration and auction.
Blueprint Revelation — The property is a rare Charles Lyle LaRue design.
Auction Ambition — The brothers plan to sell the restored mansion for profit.
Mouse Conflict — An unusually intelligent mouse infiltrates the mansion, triggering a series of failed extermination attempts.
Failed Hunts — Catzilla and an exterminator prove useless against the mouse.
Internal Arguments — Stress over the mouse causes Ernie and Lars to clash.
Financial Desperation — Mounting debts and a factory strike push the brothers to the brink of total ruin.
Mortgage Threat — Ernie's loan triggers a two-day eviction deadline.
Factory Strike — Workers walk out after Lars fails to pay wages.
Climactic Collapse — The auction night ends in disaster as the brothers' attempts to flush out the mouse destroy the mansion.
Auction Flood — A garden hose attempt floods the house and washes guests away.
House Destruction — The waterlogged mansion collapses, leaving everyone destitute.
Factory Redemption — Stranded in the factory, the brothers find salvation through an unexpected mouse intervention and a new business model.
String Cheese Idea — The mouse uses machinery to create string cheese, inspiring a pivot.
New Partnership — The brothers hire the mouse as a taste tester and launch production.
Down-on-their luck brothers, Lars and Ernie Smuntz, aren't happy with the crumbling old mansion they inherit... until they discover the estate is worth millions. Before they can cash in, they have to rid the house of its single, stubborn occupant—a tiny and tenacious mouse.
