Imagine a large room with a long crescent table. There is a podium in the middle of the half circle where Eric Idle is standing to petition for opening his new business. On the other side of the crescent table, at the center, is John Cleese - Head of Council. There are three other council members on each side of him. One of them is a skeleton. Michael Palin is seated as a small desk inside the half circle scribing the notes of the council meeting.
Idle: I go around the town trapping mice, but last week you told me that I had to come back this week.
Cleese: Ah, yes, I see. Last week, you wanted a permit so that you could charge the city for trapping the mice. Is that correct?
Idle: Yes sir. I used to charge the people nearest the mouse, but they wouldn't ever pay. So I would let the mouse go.
Camera pans to skeleton then back to Cleese.
Cleese: Excellent point, yes. How many times have you released a mouse?
Idle: Oh I don't know.
Camera pans to skeleton then back to Idle who says nothing.
Cleese: Well?
Idle: Well what, sir?
Cleese: Answer the question.
Idle: What question?
Cleese: Sebastian, read the question back to us please.
Palin flips back through his notes.
Palin: He said that he goes around trapping mice, but last week you told him to come back this week. Then you asked if he wanted a permit to charge the city for trapping mice, to which he said yes because the people near the mice never pay. So he lets the mouse go. Then you asked how many times he released a mouse.
Camera pans to skeleton then back to Palin.
Palin: Right, sorry. Tom advised you to ask him about the number of mice he has released in town, and then you asked him how many times he has. He said he doesn't know. Tom asked if was a different mouse each time or if it was the same mouse each time. Then you told him to answer the question, and he asked what question. You told me to read back the question, and I said that he said he goes around trapping mice, but last week...
Cleese: Interrupting Palin That's enough, that's enough. Thank you, Sebastian. Well?
Idle: Well what?
Cleese: Getting annoyed Are you releasing a different mouse each time or the same mouse each time?
Idle: I can't release a different mouse than the one I caught.
Cleese: Doing cliche John Cleese things Is the mouse that you catch and release the same mouse each time you catch him, or are you catching a different mouse each time and then releasing him because the nearest person won't pay?
Idle: I don't know. I never bothered to ask the mouse his name.
Camera pans to skeleton then back to Palin who begins going back through the notes scratching and writing.
Idle: What's he doing?
Cleese: Sebastian, what are you doing?
Palin: What? Oh, Tom just told to me that I should name the mouse Steve for the notes.
Cleese: Excellent idea, Tom. Thank you.
Idle: So are you going to pay me for catching this mouse? Idle holds up a cage with a mouse in it
Camera pans between mouse, skeleton, and Palin. Palin once again is going through notes scratching and writing
Idle: What are you changing now?
Palin: Tom said the mouse doesn't look like a 'Steve' so much as a 'Richard' and wants me to update the notes.
Cleese: Read it back to us, please.
Palin: He said that he goes around trapping Richard, but last week you told him to come back this week. Then you asked if he wanted a permit to charge the city for trapping Richard, to which he said yes because the people near Richard never pay. So he lets Richard go. Tom advised you to ask him about how many times he released Richard in town, and then you asked him how many times. He said he doesn't know. Tom asked if was a different Richard each time or if it was the same Steve each time. Then you told him to answer the question, and he asked what question. You told me to read back the question, and I said that he said he goes around trapping mice, but last week...
Cleese: Interrupting Palin So we have established that there are two mice - Richard and Steve.
Idle: nodding
Palin: Wait. My mistake, that last Steve should have been Richard.
Cleese: So is the mouse in the cage Richard or Steve? Which mouse is it?
Palin: Richard, I think.
Cleese: Looking at Idle Do you know? Is that Richard or Steve?
Idle: Looking confused at the mouse ...Steve? Wait. Looking at skeleton ...Richard?
Camera pans to skeleton and back to Idle
Idle: Smiling Yes Richard is in the cage.
Camera pans to skeleton then to Cleese
Cleese: I agree. We will pay you a shilling for catching Richard. Please return when you have caught Steve, and we will pay you a shilling for him. However, we won't pay you either until you return with Steve. Ok?
Idle: So you will pay me two shillings for catching two mice?
Cleese: Of course
Idle: But this is the only mouse in town.
