THE ADVENTURES OF CARTOON ABRAHAM LINCOLN

Cartoon Abraham Lincoln looks up from his cosy armchair and adjusts his hat.

"Four score and seven minutes ago, " he begins, turning to Mrs Lincoln, "You said you'd fetch me a cup of tea."

Mrs Lincoln peers up from her cross stitch and raises a familiar eyebrow.

"It's tea now is it then, Mr Pres-i-dent?" She pulls a piece of red yarn through the hoop. "Well I sure hope you can do for your country what your country's all prepared to do for you."

"My dear I'd make tea for all the Cartoon Americans with the gumption to just stroll on up here to the Cartoon White House but right now I'm sittin' here contemplating the situation and I think I heard the First Lady say she'd make the President a cup of the Earl Grey."

Mrs Lincoln sighs and puts down her threads on the star spangled occasional table. She moves into the Cartoon White House Kitchen and fills the kettle with ice cold water from the pale, muttering to herself about emancipation and him bringing home work with him.

"Yes sir," says Cartoon Abe, scratching his considerable beard, "I sure do need to contemplate the situation."

"Confederates?" she asks, rattling a teaspoon in a cup.

"Confederates," he nods from his chair, "Always on the other side of the page."

"Maybe you need a break, sir."

"Maybe I do."

"A little rest and relaxation."

"Sure."

"Maybe a treat."

"How bout that tea? That'll do it. And some of them old stovepipe cookies."

"Oh hang the tea. Stuff the cookies. How about a show?"

"A show! Why, Cartoon Mrs Lincoln, that's a swell idea."

"The theater then!"

"The theater, sure. A show at the theater!"

Cartoon Abraham Lincoln looks at the clock, ticking beneath a portrait of Cartoon Thomas Jefferson. Without warning, a speech bubble appears, ballooning out from the painting. Jefferson winks.

"Probably best stick to the tea party, Abe," he says in an old-fashioned British accent.

"On second thoughts," calls the President to his wife, "I feel a real draw to stay right here with a china cup and some cartoon cookies."

The Cartoon First Lady hands him his tea on a floral saucer and sighs.

"Whatever you say, Mr Pres-i-dent. But you are so boring."