Forty Winks

One evening, Felix serves as conductor for four singing cats, guiding their lively routine. A hefty man in a nearby house wakes and, in anger, grabs a bowling ball to silence the act. He rolls the ball toward Felix and the cats, knocking them off their feet. Still determined, Felix keeps the performance going despite the disruption.

To quiet the performance, the man produces an ether sprayer and douses the cats, causing them to drift into a snooze. The other felines succumb, but Felix decides to seek rest at home for the night. He heads back to his apartment to plan his escape from the disturbance.

Felix enters his apartment and lies on the sofa, hoping for quiet sleep. His dwarf master soon calls him over, complaining about an insomnia problem and demanding relief. The room is tense as Felix contemplates how to appease his master.

The dwarf laments his ongoing insomnia and craves entertainment to tire himself. Felix offers a glass of warm milk, but it has no effect. Frustrated, the dwarf continues to demand something more engaging.

Felix plays a clarinet, and the toy soldiers dance in step to the music. One of the little soldiers fires a tiny cannon, piercing a picture on the wall with its shot. The dwarf is impressed by the display and asks Felix to hand over the cannon.

Felix hands over the cannon, but the dwarf abruptly turns and fires at him, catching him off guard. Felix is struck in the back and flees the apartment in a mix of fear and surprise. He escapes into the night to find a safer place to sleep.

Exhausted, Felix wanders the streets in search of a quiet place to rest. He climbs a telephone pole and lies atop a pair of pants hanging on a line, trying to blend into the night. When the line snaps, he plummets back to the pavement, shaken but largely unharmed.

Felix spots a small house beyond a fence and ducks inside, only to be chased out by a barking dog. He climbs onto the roof and blows into the stack, pushing the dog outside. Re-entering through the stack, the dog’s cries flood the area and the house begins to float away with Felix aboard.

Riding the floating house, Felix lands on the Dark Continent. He is chased by a hippo and soon encounters a mountain lion, triggering a tense sequence of blows between the two felines. The journey leaves Felix both wary and exhilarated by the strange new land.

A fierce fight ensues between Felix and the mountain lion, with Felix landing the decisive blows. The mountain lion is beaten and temporarily disabled, collapsing as Felix gains the upper hand. The animal is transformed into a harmless pillow as the dust settles.

Exhausted but content, Felix settles onto the mountain lion pillow and drifts toward sleep. The quiet moment marks a peaceful end to his chaotic day, a rare calm after fantasy-adventure chaos. He closes his eyes and finally finds rest in the unfamiliar land.