[the opening cinematic starts at the traveling Wordville carnival with the spinning ferris wheel and the waving flags at the entrance/exit. It cuts to the blue and red balloons floating away as the mouse, Matilda, gleefully enters before standing proud]
Narrator: [story-opener] Matilda the mouse... Well, we call her "Mat"... .has been waiting all year for the carnival... .but something completely strange, is about to happen... .