text: [Themes: anthropomorphised animals, cute, small town, gender-neutral protagonist, nonhuman protagonist]
  
  > look at your surroundings
  This is a very odd one-room museum. Shelves hold an assortment of worthless-looking items. In the middle of the room is a large table covered in black velvet, on which you see an old hubcap, a quarter, a dinner plate, an orange frisbee, and a plastic hula hoop.
  
  Tobias Rat stands next to the table, admiring his collection.
  
  Tobias brushes off the velvet.
  
  > go south
  Walnut Road crosses Maple Street here. A statue in the middle of the intersection is dedicated to Horatio J. Turkey, the founder of Fairview. You may proceed in any direction.
  
  > go to the south
  This section of Walnut Road is quiet and peaceful. To the south, the road crosses a bridge over Little Oak Stream.
  
  > go south
  Walnut Road continues its long journey north and south. To the east is a concrete building with a sign that says LABORATORY.
  
  > go east
  This large chamber is filled with worktables and various pieces of apparatus. In the center stands a massive machine. Several long metal rods stick up from the machine through a hole in the ceiling. They are vibrating violently.
  
  Professor Ram is examining his machine.
  
  The professor adjusts a slider on the machine.
  
  > give the cube
  "What luck!" cries the professor. He takes the cube from you and examines it. "Well, this prosistor is actually a 34-ounce, but I think it will be OK." He opens a panel and forces the cube into place. "Thanks, you've been a big help! Now let's see here. Hold on one moment." He begins tweaking the controls.
  
  (You have helped nine animals!)
  
  > Wait
  Time passes.
  
  "OK," says the professor. "Let me explain how the Alteratomatic works. Give me an object, and the machine will change it somehow. I don't know exactly what will happen, but that's the fun of it!"
  
  > give the polish
  Professor Ram puts the bottle of purple hoof polish in the machine. He pushes a large black button. Sparks fly between the metal rods. A few seconds later, he reaches in and pulls out a bottle of red hoof polish. "See, it works!" he says as he gives it to you.
  
  > give the pencil
  Professor Ram puts the unsharpened pencil in the machine. He pushes a large black button. Sparks fly between the metal rods. A few seconds later, he reaches in and pulls out a sharpened pencil. "Here you go," he says.
  
  > check your inventory
  You are carrying a sharpened pencil, a bottle of red hoof polish, a luggage coupon, a Jarvis-head screwdriver, a ticket stub, a tarnished hand mirror, Herman Yak's business card, and a pair of earplugs.
  
  > give the mirror
  Professor Ram puts the tarnished hand mirror in the machine. He pushes a large black button. Sparks fly between the metal rods. A few seconds later, he reaches in and pulls out a shiny hand mirror. "Here you go," he says.
  
  Just then you hear a buzzer, and the metal rods stop vibrating. "Uh oh," says the professor. "The Alteratomatic ran out of juice. It will recharge, but you might have to wait a bit."
  
  > wait awhile
  Time passes.
  
  > give the earplugs
  "The Alteratomatic is recharging," says the professor. "Hang on."
  
  > Go south
  You can't go that way.
  
  The professor opens a panel and fiddles with something inside.
  
  > Go south
  The walls of this small shop are lined with tools. A sign hanging in front of the counter says, "Today's Sale: Hammers only five bucks!"
  
  Janice Doe sits behind the counter, filing her hoof with an emery board.
  
  Janice sighs.
  
  > give the polish
  "Wow!" says Janice. "That is fantastic! Give it here!" She takes the bottle.
  
  (You have helped ten animals!)
  
  > Inventory
  You are carrying a shiny hand mirror, a sharpened pencil, a luggage coupon, a Jarvis-head screwdriver, a ticket stub, Herman Yak's business card, and a pair of earplugs.
  
  > give the pencil
  Cornelia looks at the sharpened pencil. "Is that what I need? I think it might be. Although...no, probably not. I can't remember."
  
  > give the card
  Cornelia looks at Herman Yak's business card. "Is that what I need? I think it might be. Although...no, probably not. I can't remember."
  
  > go east
  This large chamber is filled with worktables and various pieces of apparatus. In the center stands a massive machine. Several long metal rods stick up from the machine through a hole in the ceiling. They are vibrating violently.
  
  Professor Ram is examining his machine.
  
  > give the screwdriver
  Professor Ram puts the Jarvis-head screwdriver in the machine. He pushes a large black button. Sparks fly between the metal rods. A few seconds later, he reaches in and pulls out a Jenkins-head screwdriver. "Here you go," he says.
  
  > go to the south
  This is the front office of an auto repair shop. A desk and table are covered with work orders, and various keys hang from a rack on the wall.
  
  Willard Fox stands by the desk, examining a work order for Alfred P. Owl.
  
  > give the screwdriver
  "You found one!" says Willard. "Thank you!" He sticks the screwdriver in his back pocket.
  
  (You have helped eleven animals!)
  
  > Talk
  Willard taps the work order he's holding and laughs. "Alfred Owl has been driving the same car for almost twenty years! It's getting harder and harder to find the parts!"
  
  > Go east
  You can't go that way.
  
  Willard tosses the work order on the desk and picks up one for Simon Asp.
  
  > Go east
  This large chamber is filled with worktables and various pieces of apparatus. In the center stands a massive machine. Several long metal rods stick up from the machine through a hole in the ceiling. They are vibrating violently.
  
  Professor Ram is examining his machine.
  
  The professor adjusts a dial on the machine.
  
  > give the card
  Professor Ram puts Herman Yak's business card in the machine. He pushes a large black button. Sparks fly between the metal rods. A few seconds later, he reaches in and pulls out Zoltan Reindeer's business card. "Here you go," he says.
  
  > Inventory
  You are carrying Zoltan Reindeer's business card, a shiny hand mirror, a sharpened pencil, a luggage coupon, a ticket stub, and a pair of earplugs.
  
  > give the coupon
  Meg looks at the luggage coupon. "That's really nice of you to offer, but I need a mail bag right now, and if I take anything else, I'll just get frustrated that it isn't a mail bag!"
  
  > go south
  The walls of this small shop are lined with tools. A sign hanging in front of the counter says, "Today's Sale: Hammers only five bucks!"
  
  Janice Doe sits behind the counter, applying some red hoof polish.
  
  > Inventory
  You are carrying Zoltan Reindeer's business card, a shiny hand mirror, a sharpened pencil, a luggage coupon, a ticket stub, and a pair of earplugs.
  
  > give the earplugs
  Professor Ram puts the pair of earplugs in the machine. He pushes a large black button. Sparks fly between the metal rods. A few seconds later, he reaches in and pulls out a pair of corks. "Here you go," he says.
  
  Just then you hear a buzzer, and the metal rods stop vibrating. "Out of juice again," says the professor. "Don't worry, it should recharge soon."
  
  > give the coupon
  Professor Ram puts the luggage coupon in the machine. He pushes a large black button. Sparks fly between the metal rods. A few seconds later, he reaches in and pulls out a tool coupon. "Here you go," he says.
  
  Just then you hear a buzzer, and the metal rods stop vibrating. "Out of juice again," says the professor. "Don't worry, it should recharge soon."
  
  > go east
  This lot is full of weeds and occasional pieces of trash, as well as a large muddy puddle. You can see Walnut Road to the west. A small path leads east through the weeds.
  
  This empty lot is overgrown with weeds, but a small path leads west through them. The cul-de-sac is to the south.
  
  > give the coupon
  Janice looks at the coupon. "Sorry, this is expired."
  
  > give the coupon
  Professor Ram puts the tool coupon in the machine. He pushes a large black button. Sparks fly between the metal rods. A few seconds later, he reaches in and pulls out a luggage coupon. "Here you go," he says.
  
  > go south
  This pleasant park on the bank of Little Oak Stream is named after the eight-foot tree that stands at its center. A sign describes the tree as the "smallest oak in the four-county area."
  
  Violet Bat is hanging from a light pole.
  
  > Inventory
  You are carrying a luggage coupon, Zoltan Reindeer's business card, a shiny hand mirror, a sharpened pencil, a ticket stub, and a pair of earplugs.
  
  > Talk
  "I can't come down with all that noise!" says Violet. "Oh, my head! Hanging upside-down helps a little."