Roscuro quotes from The Tale of Despereaux (2008)

Once upon a time, there was a brave, little mouse who loved honor and justice and always told the truth.

No, that's not him. [Roscuro yawns] That's a rat. And anyone who knows anything, knows there is a big difference between a mouse and a rat. [Roscuro climbs on a barrel and looks at the sun] First of all, rats hate the light. They spend their lives in the darkness. They're also terrified of people, which is why they slink and cower all the time. [Roscuro goes near of a sailor named Pietro] And as far as telling the truth as concerned, well, that is impossible, because as everyone knows...

...a rat can't talk.

Tell me that thing again, please.

Come on!

Just once, I promise. Tell me one more time and I won't ask you ever again, I swear.

Fine. We are headed to Dor, one of the most magical places in the whole world.

No, that's not what you said before. You know, every place has something special, and in Dor, it's the soup!

Land, ho!

This is...

Whoa!

...absolutely... [Roscuro lands into the Queen's soup. Both she and André looked] Oh, it moved! My soup moved!

No, it... It did not move.

Oh, Your Highness.

Darling?

Oh! A rat! There's a rat in my soup!

Madam, I know this is unfortunate. And I know that while on first glance, I might...

A rat! In my soup!

No. Please. Shh, shh, shh.

And I ate it!

Your Highness, hold on... [the Queen gags and dunks her face into the soup] Uh-oh. [jumps out of the soup]

Botticelli

You don't need to be afraid. I know it's dark, but you'll get used to it.

W--Who... who are you?

Botticelli

Just a rat, like you. Come with me.

Despereaux

So, you're a gentleman.

Tell me that story... about the princess. Tell me what she looked like.

Despereaux

Well, she was...

Was she angry?

Despereaux

No. No, not at all. Her heart was full of... longing.

What's longing?

And that's how a friendship is born. Over the next few weeks, he told Roscuro everything he knew about loyalty and honor and chivalry and courage. He told him about the princess, and where her longing came from. That she missed the rain, and the soup, and even the rats.

Even the rats?

He told him about their code of honor, about his noble quest, about duty and loyalty. And there, in the darkness of the cellar, two knights pledged devotion to a princess who was trapped inside a castle. Trapped in a life full of pain and longing. Even if no one could tell.

Botticelli

You're not eating.

Oh, uh, I was.

Botticelli

No...you weren't.

Well, I'm just...watching, sir.

Botticelli

Well, that's not very grateful of you, after I've taken you under my wing.

Oh, well... [chuckles nervously] I'm grateful, really. I, uh, I am.

Botticelli

You miss something, don't you.

Uh, uh, no I don't.

Botticelli

There's nothing up there, Roscuro. Nothing at all.

Oh, no, I know that. Absolutely. [as he begins to walk away] Uh, uh, nothing. [chuckles nervously] Nothing. Nothing at all.

He's a tough one. You're not gonna turn him. Nah, you're not.

Botticelli

Oh, I don't know. A rat is a rat. It doesn't really matter where you come from.

Wait! [puts Botticelli's hand down] Can I, uh, h-have him? C-Can I have this one, please?

Botticelli

What?

It's just that that one looks... [looks at Despereaux] ...tasty.

Botticelli

Well, this is progress. Perhaps we're starting to leave the past behind us, eh? Enjoy, my friend. Don't leave a morsel.

Oh, I, I...I won't.
[Botticelli snaps his fingers and the arena rats pulled the cat in as the cat scratches the floor as it is being dragged back to its cage]

Despereaux

What kind of a quest?

Uh, to right a terrible wrong.

Despereaux

But who did you wrong?

Okay. [turns to Despereaux] Do you remember, uh, when they banished the rats?

Despereaux

Sure, yes.

Okay. Well, it wasn't all the rats they banished. I mean, they did, but it was all because of one particular rat...in particular.

Despereaux

Oh...

Mm-hmm. [referring to Princess Pea] If I could just tell her I'm sorry, that I'm, you know, I'm really sorry, that I didn't mean for any of this to happen. If she could just hear me say it, you know, just-just hear my voice, she-she would...she'd know how much I meant it.

Despereaux

That is a very noble quest.

Pretty princess. Pretty, pretty princess pie. What a pretty princess. It's my gloves, my comb, my jewelly, girly hat, [wears fake crown] all sitting on my...princess head. [as she rips the picture of Princess Pea] Who's the pretty princess pumpkin pie?!

You are.

Right. I am.

You are. And you should be dressed in those clothes.

Quite right. I should.

Mm-hmm. And you should lounge in that bed.

Lounging. Lounging 'round, yes, the whole day.

And you should be wearing that crown.

I should be wearing a frown?

No no no. [hops onto Mig's shoulder] Not a frown, a crown.

Can't here me own self think. [looks at Roscuro] AH!

Who are you?

I'm here to help you.

Can't be caught with a real rat in my bunk. No, I don't think so. [gasps]

And what they found you with the painting of the princess? You think that's as bad as a rat? I want the same thing you do.

You can do this. You know you can.

I know I can.

She belongs in the dungeon and you belong in the palace like a princess.

Okay. Remember when we said that grief was the strongest thing a person could feel? Well, it isn't. It's forgiveness. Because a single act of forgiveness can change everything.

No.

Botticelli

What?!

No.

Botticelli

You worthless little...! [turns away when he heard the other rats chanting with hunger. Roscuro runs away, unnoticed. Frustrated, Botticelli grabs the bone and bangs the gong. The rats promptly begin charging.]