| “ | Then... we're the only ones left! | „ |
| ~ Abigail realizing that the forest dwellers are no longer there. |
| “ | We can take care of ourselves, thank you. | „ |
| ~ Abigail is not afraid of the Yellow Dragons. |
| “ | Laugh all you want. We'll show you. | „ |
| ~ Abigail to the meadow's residents. |
Abigail is the main protagonist of the 1993 animated film Once Upon a Forest. Her friends are Edgar and Russell. She is the only female of the trio. She is a young wood mouse and a tomboy, who lives with her two friends and a young badger named Michelle, who happens to be the niece of their teacher, Cornelius (whom they also live alongside).
She was voiced by Ellen Blain and her adult self was voiced by the late Florence Warner.
Personality[]
| “ | Abigail is the headstrong wood mouse who's always taking things into her own hands. | „ |
| ~ Charles Grosvenor |
She is a smart, brave and mischievous wood mouse who loves adventures. She likes being the leader and helping her friends. She has a crush on Willy.
Initially, she was always in a hurry and rushed into danger without thinking but after being rescued from the owl and recognizing that she was wrong, Abigail began to act more wisely and more open-minded.
History[]
Observing the horizon from the top of a tree until her father calls her for school time, Abigail comes down and briefly pranks the elder mouse by pulling its tail before leaving at school. Abigail late with her friends Russell the Hedgehog, Edgar the Mole and Cornelius' niece Michelle at Cornelius' house where a nice surprise is expected to await the children. Inside the old badger shows them a miniature airship of his invention but the chaos caused by the kids causes the object to break to the shock of Cornelius who had taken months to make it. Fortunately, Cornelius reveals to them that surprise awaits the class at the end of the study trip.
Walking to a willow tree for a brief lesson in the bark's healing powers for rheumatism, Abigail and Russell playfully tossed Edgar's hat on until Cornelius warns them they'll be halfway and turn if they don't educate themselves. As she gets back on the road, Abigail starts running to be in front, causing Russell to want to be in front for once. The two rascals end up falling on a road, which they had never seen before. As Cornelius warns them to come back, a car pops up and nearly crushes Russell as Abigail is able to get on the edge. With the miraculous survival of the hedgehog, Cornelius demands that the children forget this place forever before they leave.
The group arrives at the pond where the surprise turns out to be a canoe. Abigail and Russell briefly argue over the right to paddle until Cornelius declares that each will take their turn. After a while of sailing, Abigail attempts to retrieve Russell's oar which she apparently dropped, only to cause the entire group to fall into the water. As Cornelius berates the children for their unruly, they soon notice the birds flapping in fear in the sky. Fearing the worst because of the silence of the forest, the group hurries back.
Once back, they discover with dismay that the forest has been damaged by poison gas accidentally released from an overturned tanker truck due to a flat tire received from the battle while the driver who was not injured in the accident report to the authorities of the incident. Worried about her parents, Michelle leaves the group despite their warning of the danger. Before the trio follow the little badger into his house, Cornelius warns them of the presence of deadly gas inside but Abigail enters anyway and alone. Avoiding inhaling the gas by covering her muzzle, the young mouse discovers that Michelle's parents have succumbed to the gas before finding Michelle unconscious. She then struggles to get Michelle out of the house while holding her breath to the surface. Cornelius thanks her for disobeying this time and then the group leaves.
After dark, the trio reunite at Cornelius' house after searching for their family in vain. The old badger then tells the children how he lost his parents to humans without being able to do anything, unlike the trio who can still save Michelle by collecting Euphrasia and Pulmonaria flowers to heal her. Abigail reveals that the flowers on the meadow are dead so Cornelius urges them to find another meadow and come back before the full moon, in other words in two days. The next day after filling up with supplies, the three friends say goodbye to a Cornelius staying at his niece's bedside and begin the perilous journey.
By the next nightfall, the boys are exhausted but Abigail refuses to stop now due to the short time remaining so she demands to continue to a tree in the middle of a plain. Russell gets tired again and causes a falling out when he points out to Abigail that she isn't carrying the bag just before a monstrous one-eyed owl grabs the mouse and takes it up the tree. Inside the hollow, Abigail breaks free by pricking the owl with a thorn. She hides for a moment from the predator to reach the exit only so that the fall of the magnifying glass which she kept in her pocket does not make her spot. As the vicious bird draws closer, Abigail uses the magnifying glass to enlarge her fangs, scaring the owl away but the bird's flapping wings force Abigail into the void.
Luckily the fall of the mouse cushioned when it ran into Russell and Edgar who were climbing the tree. The trio hide under roots but the owl is still able to reach them and almost devours Abigail until Edgar scares her away by throwing dirt in her face as he tries to hide in the dirt. . Danger gone, Edgar begins to rebuke Abigail's recklessness but smiles fully acknowledging her mistakes and thanks her friends for coming to her rescue. The boys then notice that their situation is desperate but Abigail encourages them to believe that they will be okay.
In the early hours of the morning, the trio are awakened by a group of sadly singing religious birds, and Abigail suspects that they may know where a meadow is. The three friends then help the birds to save one of their child trapped in the mud and in thanks, the preacher Phinéas indicates to them a meadow further while warning them that they will have to pass by the country of the yellow dragons. Not afraid, Abigail says they can take care of themselves.
Arrived in the land of the yellow dragons who have started a construction site, the children repeatedly avoid being run over by construction vehicles before ending up in the sewers and expelled into a lake. Going up the hill to get their bearings, they discover with shock that they have finally reached the meadow. The trio then discover the local residents made up of mice and squirrels fighting over a single acorn. Having no time to wait for the childishness to end, Abigail drops one of the Willy mice who briefly filter with her when he realizes she is a girl. The trio then find the Euphrasia flower but then discover that the Pulmonaria is lodged on an impossible cliff to climb. With the blueprint of Cornelius' flying device, the trio build a life-size version and use it to fly. Abigail tries to grab the flower and falls into the void until Russell and Edgar save her in time while retrieving the flower.
Returning aboard the airship, the trio are caught in a thunderstorm in the evening and end up crashing after hitting an electric pole. Fortunately, they landed at the willow tree, allowing them to quickly reach Cornelius on foot. The group is however forced to flee when humans come to clean up the ravages of gas invade the place. Ultimately, they find out that these humans aren't bad after one of them frees Edgar from a trap. In a safe place, Cornelius prepares the antidote for Michelle, but we still have to wait until the next day.
In the morning, Abigail, Russell and Edgar become saddened believing Michelle to succumb to the gas until the little badger eventually wakes up. Overjoyed that his niece is alive, Cornelius congratulates the trio for being successful (after seeing his flying device which they used to get the Pulmonaria) while growing so much in a matter of days and saying they are now grown up. A moment later, the other forest dwellers are revealed to have survived the gas, and Abigail happily reunites with her father. After the journeys, obstacles and dangers they have experienced, Abigail, her friends and the inhabitants of the forest keep the hope of finding their forest as they have always known it.
Quotes[]
| “ | I can hardly see him behind his papers. He must be working on an experiment. | „ |
| ~ Abigail about Cornelius. |
| “ | 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! |
„ |
| ~ Abigail criticizing Russell, just for Cornelius to do the same. |
| “ | Abigail: Hey! What do you think you're doing? Russell: You've been leading long enough, now it's MY turn! Abigail: Forget it. You don't know where I'm going! Russell: But I know where I'm going! |
„ |
| ~ Abigail and Russell running. |
| “ | Russell. Where have you led us? | „ |
| ~ Abigail arrives on the road. |
| “ | Abigail: [Pushing the tiller back] Don't be silly, you'll sink us! Russell: [Pushing back] Will NOT! Give me a chance! |
„ |
| ~ Abigail and Russell arguing over the navigation of the boat. |
| “ | We're not waiting. | „ |
| ~ Abigail runs to rescue Michelle from her gas-intoxicated burrow. |
| “ | Can we stay with you tonight? | „ |
| ~ Abigail to Cornelius. |
| “ | Abigail: But everything in our meadow is dead. Cornelius: Then you must find another! |
„ |
| ~ Abigail recalls that the meadow flowers are dead. |
| “ | Is the pack full yet? I have more room in my pockets. This isn't a picnic! Here! Pack something useful! | „ |
| ~ Abigail to Russell. |
| “ | Edgar, look at the moon. Cornelius said to get those plants to Michelle before it's full. We have to travel as far as we can tonight. | „ |
| ~ Abigail about the moon. |
| “ | OK... if it makes you feel better, we'll run for that tree, catch our breath, and plan the next move from there. Ready? Let's go. | „ |
| ~ Abigail |
| “ | Russell: Hold on. I got to stop. Abigail: Russell, we can't rest now. Russell: Easy for you to say. You're not carrying our supplies. Abigail: Well, I will. Hand them over. |
„ |
| ~ Abigail arguing with Russell again. |
| “ | Edgar: That's it, Abigail. That's the last time I'm gonna let you get us into trouble. From now on, I'm... Abigail: You're right, Edgar. I was wrong. Thanks for coming to my rescue. Russell: What about me? I broke your fall. Abigail: You, too, Russell. |
„ |
| ~ Abigail after the owl attack. |
| “ | Abigail: Don't worry. If anyone can get us on the right trail, you can, Edgar. Russell: What about our food? Most of it got lost on the Heath. Abigail: You'll find more, Russell. That's never been a problem for you. Russell: That's true. Abigail: After all we've gone through, the worst has to be over. Edgar: I sure hope so. You know, Abigail, sometimes I wish I was brave... Like you. Abigail: You are. Good night, Edgar, Russell. |
„ |
| ~ Abigail rediscovering her optimism. |
| “ | Hey. Maybe they know where a meadow is. | „ |
| ~ Abigail about the birds. |
| “ | Abigail: Excuse me. Excuse me. My friends & I are lost, and... Phineas: Say no more, child! We, too, are lost! Lost in our grief![Abigail to Phineas. |
„ |
| “ | Russell, now's no time to get all balled up. | „ |
| ~ Abigail |
| “ | Suck in your stomach, Russell! | „ |
| ~ Abigail to Russell as a Yellow Dragon advances on them. |
| “ | Edgar... Heh heh heh... Get up. | „ |
| ~ Abigail |
| “ | It's all over. We'll never find our way now. | „ |
| ~ Abigail loses hope. |
| “ | 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! |
„ |
| ~ Abigail grows impatient as the mice and squirrels fight over a nut. |
| “ | Willy: Gosh, I hope I didn't hurt you. Abigail: Me? No, I'm fine. |
„ |
| ~ Abigail to Willy. |
| “ | Don't worry, Edgar, I'll do it. | „ |
| ~ Abigail |
| “ | I can't hold on! Help! | „ |
| ~ Abigail almost falls into the void. |
| “ | Daddy! Oh, daddy, I missed you so much! | „ |
| ~ Abigail reunited with her father. |
Trivia[]
- Abigail's eye color changes from scene to scene. She has green eyes in some scenes and blue eyes in others.
- Abigail's mother is never seen or mention throughout the film.
- Although Florence Warner voices the adult Abigail, there are no actual appearances, with the adult Abigail just singing the credits song, probably in a context to let the audience know that life in the forest has become happy again years after the events of the film.
- Abigail was Ellen Blain's first voice role.