The plane flapped its wings and flew smoothly across the sky. Inside the plane the humanoids were celebrating their escape. Alex, Gloria, Marty and Melman were singing a crazy song that was clearly driving Skipper crazy.
Misty looked above as the sunset shield below. She was really traveling Europe. She turned to Jewel.
Misty: We surely came along way, huh?
Jewel chirped with agreement. From the side, Kowalski lifted his clipboard.
Skipper: Kowalski, status report.
Kowalski: So the good news is this song is almost over.
Skipper: Well, that's music to my ears. And the bad news?
Kowalski: The gear assembly is badly damaged, sir.
As soon as he said that, the cotter pin, which is used to keep parts safely in place, fell out of the plane's main side. And if that wasn't bad enough the gear fell out.
Kowalski: lt's only a matter of time before...
But before Kowalski could finish, the plane spiraled out of control and crash landed in the middle of a train yard somewhere south of France. And of course, that was the second time they crash landed!
Melman: Why can't we ever just make a normal landing?
Alex: Oh, man.
Misty shook the dust out of her hair surveying the twisted metal that surrounded them. Gloria lumbered over to help Melman down from the wreckage. The chimps are fine but don't worry, they're not injured.
Gloria: Hold on, Melman. OK? I'll get you down, sweetie.
Mort staggered around with a pipe on his head.
Mort: Where is he? Must find King Julien. King Julien!
He spotted Julien, who was stumbling away from the wreckage and singing a very silly song.
King Julien: it's getting hot in here So take off all your fur l am getting so hot l want to take my fur off
Misty: You gotta be kidding me.
Jewel agreed.
Alex: Skipper, what about the plane?
Skipper: Well, the chimps will work through the night. No breaks, no safety restrictions.
But the chimps weren't listening to what Skipper was saying. They were leaving.
Skipper: Hey, where are you going? Get back here! We have a contract!
Mason: Yes. Well, I'm afraid labor laws are slightly more lenient in France. You see, they only have to work two weeks a year.
Skipper: Well, someone else has the Canadian work ethic!
Melman started to panic. Well, he was panicking before but he was panicking even more now.
Melman: But you penguins, you can still fix it, right? Right?
Alex: Yeah, yeah. You're a little crackerjack, can-do team.
Skipper: You want me to give it to you straight?
Alex: Yes! Yes! No. Bend it a little?
Skipper: Well, the plane's totaled. Kaput, blammo, busted! Never to fly again.
Misty: So it's completely damaged..
Misty drooped down with a glum look.
Gloria: So that's it? That's it then, we're never gonna get home?
Alex: No! We've got to get home! We can fix it! We'll fix it! Yeah, guys, come on, we'll fix it! You just start from the outside pieces, and you work your way in. And, yeah, perfect!
Alex started to pick up some random pieces of the broken plane and tried to jam them together.
Alex: Come on! Don't just stand there, guys. Marty! Drag that thingy over here. And we'll just attach it to this dealy-bob over here. And...
Marty: Alex!
The pieces Alex was jamming together crashed down. Alex was finally defeated.
Alex: We're not going home. We're never going home.
Gloria reached out and touched Alex's shoulder trying to comfort him. But there was no time to cry for just that moment, police sirens blared.
Marty: lt's the fuzz!
Desperately, they hurried though the train yard.
Marty: What are we gonna do? We can't hide forever!
Gloria: And we can't just blend! You know this ain't Africa.
Melman: Oh, what's the point?
The humanoids turned to Melman. What is he doing? This was the wrong time to complain.
Melman: Tell me one conceivable way that extra-large animals like us are gonna be able to move through Europe without attracting unwanted attention.
But no one answered, because they were all too busy staring at a train car with a big circus logo. They leaned in for a closer look.
Alex: Hey...
Misty: Is that?
Misty suddenly started to have memories back at the circus. She loved playing with her hoops, letting Jewel blow bubbles, and that train accident that washed her up to Madagascar. She knew it was true...
Alex: What is it, Misty?
Misty: I remember now. I was born at a circus when me and Jewel got washed up in Madagascar.
Gloria: You're really are from the circus.
Misty: Yes. I don't know if they'll let us in this time.
What were they going to do? If these circus animals inside didn't take them, the police would capture them. Then what?
Misty: Hello? Anyone in there?
Misty banged on the doors with her hand. She could hear voices inside.
Stefano: [OS] They sound like they are in trouble.
Vitaly: [OS] Stefano, we do not invite trouble into our circus. l don't trust lion. Hair too big and glossy!
Stefano: [OS] Aw, come on, Vitaly, you're being mean.
Vitaly: [OS] He not lion. He lioness... with a beehive.
Misty could hear their voices. One was Italian and the other was Russian.
Alex: This is awkward. We can hear everything they're saying.
Vitaly: [OS] lt is not our problem!
Suddenly, the train lurched forward. It was leaving.
Alex: No, no! Wait, wait, wait!
Stefano: (OS) We cannot leave them there!
Vitaly: [OS] Only circus animals on this train!
Alex: Wait, listen! We are circus animals. You got to let us in!
Gia: (OS) You are really circus?
Alex: Yes. Full circus!
Gloria: Absolutely!
Marty: My momma was circus. My daddy was circus.
Vitaly: (OS) Gia! Shut the door!
Everyone plead their case as they run alongside the moving train. At the same time, the police were getting closer. Radios squeaked and flashlight beams raked over and under the trains. If the circus animals inside didn't let them in the next minute, they'd be found.
Gloria: Please.
Gia: (OS) They are circus. Circus stick together
The female voice was right. If those animal humanoids outside were circus, it was the leader's duty to help them. The door slid open and Misty grabbed their hand. The Zoosters were saved! Quickly they all scrambled onto the moving train. The doors shut just as the police leave their flashlight beams on the train. The Circus Train chugged out of the yard as the police continued their search. The herd was safe. Safe for now.
The inside was so dark, a cheerful circus animal lit a lantern. The other two ran from one side of the car and the zoosters and Misty were huddled together on the opposite side. Misty can see what species those humanoids are now. The humanoid was a sea lion with a circus collar on his neck. His hair was black and smooth like a seal. The jaguar girl here, Gia is a pretty woman with a spotted athlete dress. Her hair was long and tied into a ponytail with shining brown eyes. From one fish bowl was a blue humanoid fish. Jewel blushed as the male humanoid fish swish his tail the water.
Stefano: Wow! Circus americano! You must all be very famous!
The zoosters didn't know what do say.
Alex: Yeah, we, uh...
Gloria: Absolutely.
Misty: Um yes...
Alex: We're relatively well known...
Marty: But Alex is really the star.
Alex: Well, l'm not... l wouldn't say "star." More like... More like... well, star.
Stefano: What is your act, Alice?
Alex: Well... l basically, uh, l jump up on my rock...
Gia: Rock?
Alex: Yeah. lt's a very high... rock.
Melman: A really high rock!
Stefano: And then?
Alex: And then, well, l roar like... like a serious "Rawrrr!"
Stefano: And then?
Alex: And then l jump off the rock.
Stefano: And then?!
Alex: And then... And then what?
Alex was confused. What more could there be? A roar was a roar. That was his whole show. What exactly did these circus folk want to hear?
Gia: That is all?
Gloria: lnto a pool!
Marty: Full of water!
Melman: Full of cobras!
Alex: Actually, it appears like l'm jumping into a pool...
Melman: With cobras!
Alex: Aquatic cobras. For effect. But l actually pulled up at the last second.
Stefano: Pull up?
Alex: Yeah.
Stefano: How do you do that?!
Melman: Wire harness!
Gloria: Balloons!
Marty: Jet pack!
Misty was shocked. How would Alex get out of that one? Each had a different idea, a parachute, a wire harness, a balloon. a jet pack....
Alex: Well... (stutters) l flip off the wire harness, ignite my jetpack, and then toss balloons to the children of the world. Kids love it. Kids always love that.
Stefano was confused. He did not understand what Alex had described, since he had never seen anything like that before.
Stefano: ls this like the trapeze?
Alex: Yes! Trapeze! Exactly!
Stefano: Wow! Trapeze americano! What's yours, white tiger?
Misty thinks for a moment.
Misty: Oh, it's easy. I had my hula hoops and swung them around. Jewel here can blow huge bubbles from her lips.
Stefano was amazed.
Stefano: Just like Neon here.
Misty: The fish in the bowl?
She motioned her head to Neon. The male blue fish had a side like fins and a smooth bluish scaly skin. Stefano nodded his head.
Stefano: Yes, of course.
Misty: Right... But I am having some problems with my roar.
She begins to open her mouth and tries to roar but her voice lets out another squeak.
Gia: Oh.. It looks like you haven't roared years ago.
Misty: Nope.
Stefano: Hey, l have a great idea! Maybe you can come with us to Roma!
But before Misty could answer, a dagger landed in the wall an inch on Stefano's face. Misty turned to the orange haired man that was next to her. She was a little scared. Vitaly is a tiger humanoid with green eyes and a side bang black white and orange hair. Black stripes are on his arms with a trainee outfit. But his face on the right side was completely burnt by some fire accident.
Stefano: Hey, Vitaly is just playing around. He is good, no?
Misty: He's kinda scary....
Stefano: Don't worry, white one. You'll be safe around us.
Alex: Yeah, thanks. Thanks. But we're gonna get off at the next stop so we can get back to America.
Stefano: That is such a coincidence! Because we're going... going to...
Another dagger flew into the wall, missing Stefano's face by inches again. Clearly, he did not understand that Vitaly was trying everything to get him to keep quiet. It was enough that they were giving Misty and the herd a ride but taking them to Rome or to America. Not if Vitaly could help it.
But Stefano kept divulging their travel plans. Each time he did, Vitaly flung another knife in his direction.
Stefano: Let me finish! We're going to America, as well!
Marty: What?!
Alex: America?
Gloria: Going to America?
Melman: What?
Stefano: Si.
Misty: Wow! When?
Stefano: After Roma, we go to London. And then a big-time promoter will see us and then send us to New York.
Alex: They're going to New York!
Gia: Well, only if he likes what he sees.
Alex: New York? Seriously? That's our home. That's where we live.
Stefano: lsn't that fun?
Misty was seriously excited right now. New York was her herd's home and that's where the circus animals were headed.
Marty: Could we go with you?
Stefano: Sure! You can bunk with Vitaly!
A barrel ax hit the wall next to Stefano. A sword swung above Gloria's head. A double blade knife pins Melman's neck. Two axes pin Marty's head. A spear flew between Alex's legs. As a dagger was about to hit Misty, she caught it with her tail just before it struck her head. Thank goodness, she wasn't hurt or anything.
Stefano: Or not.
Vitaly: Nyet!
It was the response the Russian tiger humanoid could say and strode past Stefano.
Stefano: Oh, no. l don't think Vitaly likes that idea. What's he gonna do?
Vitaly: Which one of you is leader?
Marty smiled and gestured to Alex.
Vitaly. Tell your comrades there is one rule we do not break!
Alex: Thou shalt say it and not spray it?
Vitaly: Nyet! Circus owner no allow stowaways!
Just then, a chainsaw blade dropped down from above and then the penguin humanoids fell to the floor on a chunk of ceiling.
Skipper: l hear you, Russki. Although, the circus owner may allow stowaways if the stowaways just happen to be the owners. Riddle me that.
Vitaly: What is sharply dressed little birdie talking about?
Skipper: Show 'em, boys.
Up on the roof, the chimps were putting their plane into action. Phil picked up an intelligent looking purse and shook it. Jewels and gold rattled inside.
In the morning, the chimps were off the train, and Phil dumped the diamonds and gold onto a circus crate. On the other side of the crate was the Circus master, his eyes grew wide at the sight of the fortune before him. Behind him, a circus clown snickered.
Ringmaster: You have a deal, mi amigo.
The deal was made. The King of Versaille had brought the circus! The Circus master and his clowns climbed into a tiny car. They couldn't believe their luck, they had gotten rid of their lousy circus and had gotten a fortune in return! The clowns were laughing at what a fool this king was.
Ringmaster: I am sure this circus will bring you great success! l guess this is goodbye and good luck!
And with that, the hysterical Circus master and his clowns drove away. Just then Misty and the humanoids opened up one of the doors to the train cars. Mason gave a thumbs up. Seeing this, Misty and the humanoids knew the deal and been made. Skipper's riddle had been solved. They were the owners of the circus now.
Melman: What do we know about owning a circus?
Alex: Nothing. But it's our only shot at getting home.
Skipper: You better know what you're doing. You're risking Private's community college fund.
Private: l'll never be president.