The Mouse That Roared

The minuscule Duchy of Grand Fenwick is bankrupted when a cheaper imitation of its wine devastates exports. Prime Minister Count Mountjoy devises a bold strategy: declare war on the United States and surrender to receive American aid to rebuild the economy. Duchess Gloriana reluctantly agrees, setting the plan in motion with Tully Bascomb appointed as field marshal.

The duchess supports the audacious plan while Mountjoy resigns in disgust, leaving Tully as acting prime minister. The unassuming game warden's ascent to power thrusts him into a leadership role far beyond his experience. The political stage is set for an international misadventure.

Twenty soldiers, clad in medieval chain mail, depart Grand Fenwick aboard a small merchant ship bound for New York. The voyage underscores the absurdity of their mission and their underdog status. They steel themselves to surrender and secure aid upon arrival.

The Fenwick party lands in New York Harbor amid an air-raid drill, finding the city deserted and undefended. A civil defense unit misidentifies them as invading Martians, prompting an ineffectual investigation by General Snippet. The encounter marks the dawn of a farcical escalation.

Puncturing the tyres of General Snippet's jeep with bows and arrows, the Fenwick troops seize the general and four police officers as hostages. This bold move gives them leverage in their quest to surrender and seek mercy from the U.S. government. The misadventure deepens as tensions rise.

While seeking a place to surrender, Tully and Will encounter Dr. Alfred Kokintz, inventor of the Q Bomb. Kokintz has built a football-sized prototype of the device, which Tully immediately takes possession of, along with Kokintz and his daughter Helen as hostages. A dangerous new weapon now sits in Fenwick hands.

Tully declares victory and returns to Grand Fenwick with Kokintz, Helen, and the bomb. The duchess indulges the victory while Mountjoy resigns in disgust, leaving Tully as acting prime minister to guide the nation. The plan now has real political weight on the world stage.

The American government refuses to retake the weapon by force, fearing the dishonor of attacking a small and seemingly defenceless country. Instead, they dispatch the Secretary of Defense to negotiate terms and secure the weapon's fate. Grand Fenwick also begins receiving competing offers of defensive aid from major powers.

Tully grows fond of Helen, who initially resents being taken hostage but warms to his simple charm. Their developing affection adds a personal stake to the geopolitical maneuvering, complicating the political calculus of the negotiation. The human moment provides warmth amid brinkmanship.

General Snippet and Mountjoy conspire to steal the bomb and return it to America, taking Helen as a bargaining chip. Tully pursues the conspirators, engages in a chase, and ultimately retrieves the weapon. The caper tightens the screws of the fragile peace negotiations.

The Secretary of Defense and Tully hammer out terms: the counterfeit wine is removed from the market, Fenwick will receive monetary aid, Helen and her father stay in Grand Fenwick, and the bomb remains in Fenwick hands as a last-resort weapon for small nations. The agreement reshapes the balance of power between a micro-nation and superpowers. Diplomacy, not force, prevails—for now.

Back home, the bomb is checked for damage and found to be a dud all along. The conspirators decide to keep its impotence secret, allowing the ruse to continue under the radar. The apparent victory seems assured, even as comic doubt lingers.

After the inspection, a mouse emerges from the bomb and appears ready to rearm, suggesting the weapon could still explode if disturbed. The ending leaves a cheeky reminder that power can be precarious and easily unsettled by the slightest... incident. The world remains watchful of Grand Fenwick's tiny-but-troubling influence.