Colonist: How about it, men? Are we going to stand for this?
Crowd: NO!
Amos Mouse: No taxation without representation!

Colonist: What happened?
Colonist #3: Did he listen?
Colonist: What about the taxes? Did he lift them?
Colonist #3: Did he tell him, Ben?
Colonist: What did the king say?
Colonist #2: What did he say?
Ben Franklin: Gentlemen, I'm afraid the mission was a failure. The king was unreasonable. He wouldn't listen.
Colonist: Alright, men! We'll fight for our independence!
Colonist #2: It has to be war!
Colonist #3: He's right!
Ben Franklin: War? But gentlemen, there must be some other way.
Colonist: Some other way?
Colonist #2: What way?
Colonist: No! We've got to fight!
Colonist #3: What if we lose? Or we'll hang from trees!
Colonist: What'll we do, Ben?
Colonist #2: Yes, what'll we do?
Ben Franklin: If I only knew. If I only knew.

Tom Jefferson: I've been racking my brains, working day and night, but it's no use! I'm stuck!
Ben Franklin: But Red, I thought it was finished.
Tom Jefferson: It is, it is, Ben, but I don't like the beginning. It just doesn't sound right. Listen to this: The time has come when we the people of these colonies...
Ben Franklin: Yes, yes?
Tom Jefferson: No! No! Not big enough! How about this: Now is the time when we the people...
Ben Franklin: Well, um...
Tom Jefferson: No! No! Not strong enough! Uh... The time is at hand when we the people mu... Oh! You see what I mean, Ben? If I could only find the words...
Amos Mouse: [whispering] Psst! Ben! How about our contract?
Ben Franklin: [whispering] No, Amos. Not now.
Amos Mouse: [whispering] Yes! Now, or I'm leaving!
Ben Franklin: [whispering] Alright, Amos. Alright.
[reads]
Ben Franklin: "When in the course of human events, it becomes necess..."
Tom Jefferson: Ben! That's it! That's it! When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to disolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume, among the powers of the earth, the seperate and equal station to which the laws of nature...
[fade to the House of Representatives]
Tom Jefferson: ...and, for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.

Amos Mouse: [noticing Ben is about to run into a lamp post] Post, Ben! Post!
Ben Franklin: Oh, how do you do, Mr. Post?

Amos Mouse: [voice-over] Poor Ben. I couldn't help feeling sorry for him. It was a heavy responsiblity. I could help him! I knew I could! But no. I couldn't go back. After all, a mouse has a little pride.

Amos Mouse: [voiceover] As the years passed, Ben's reputation grew. Letters poured in from all over the colonies. Requests for money, for information on inventions, advice in business, and even advice to the loved one. I spent all my time answering them. Meanwhile, Ben putted around with his experiments.
Ben Franklin: [sneaks up on Amos with and shocks him with his finger]
Amos Mouse: [screams] Oww!
Ben Franklin: [laughing] Oh, Amos, you should have seen yourself! That was so funny!
[notices that Amos is going away]
Ben Franklin: Amos, where are you going?
Amos Mouse: I'm leaving!
Ben Franklin: Leaving? Aww, Amos, can't you take a little joke?
Amos Mouse: Joke?
[shows Ben what he did to his tail]
Amos Mouse: You call *this* a joke?
Ben Franklin: Oh, Amos, I didn't mean it. Now, please don't go. I'll never do it again.
Amos Mouse: Well, no more tricks, now. Promise?
Ben Franklin: I promise.
[crosses his fingers]

Amos Mouse: [voiceover] Fixing Ben's glasses was quite a problem. He'd broken his outdoor pair as well as his reading glasses. Well, there was just one thing left: try to make one pair out of the two.

Amos Mouse: [voiceover] I was born and raised in Philadelphia, in the old church down on Second Street. Our home was in the vestry, behind the paneling. There were 26 children in the family, and with that many mouths to feed, we were naturally quite poor. In fact, as poor as church mice. And since I was the oldest, I determined to set out into the world and make my own way. If I was successful, I could help the others. But, in any case, there would be one less mouse to feed.

Amos Mouse: [Voiceover] It was shortly thereafter that Ben took up kite flying. To the framework of his largest kite he fastened a small box, for it was his idea that I become the world's first flying reporter. I was so enthralled by the spectacle spread below that I failed to notice a sharp, pointed wire fixed to the kite just above my head. I was the victim of a plot!

Amos Mouse: [voiceover] It was the winter of 1745, and these were desperate times. Jobs were scarce, especially for a mouse, for we were a down-pardoned race.