"Could you please pass the butter, Brother?" Mario asked Luigi across the breakfast table. It was quite a nice day, and Mario loved pancakes, but what he loved even more was buttered pancakes.

Luigi, however, wasn't passing the butter. He couldn't hear Mario because his headphones were pumping loud music in his ears and he didn't even realize Mario was asking him anything.

"Pass the butter, please!" shouted Mario, trying to avoid swearing at Luigi.

Luigi didn't notice, and continued looking down at his pancakes.

Mario waved his arms around. "LUIGI! LUIGI!"

Nothing from Luigi.

Mario picked up the salt shaker and threw it across the table. It ricocheted off the table and hit Luigi right in the chest.

Luigi clenched his chest. "Ouch! Mario, what's wrong with you?"

"Could you please pass the butter?" asked Mario, politely.

"No!" said Luigi, indignantly. "First you throw a salt shaker at me, then ask me to pass the butter? Look, you spilled some salt!" Luigi picked up the grains of salt between his thumb and forefinger, and tossed the salt over his left shoulder in an act of superstitious activity.

"Fine!" said Mario. "I'll get the stupid butter myself!" he said, getting up and pushing his chair back violently into the wall. As he began stomping around the table, he heard a faint knocking on the front door. "You get it!" Mario shouted to Luigi. "I'm busy getting butter."

"You get the door!" said Luigi.

"Fine!" shouted Mario. He stomped through the living room and opened the door. It was Princess Peach!

"Hi, Mario!" said Peach, smiling. "Guess what!"

"What?" asked Mario. He was too upset for guessing games.

"I got two tickets for the Excess Express!"

"What? You mean the most expensive train in the world?" asked Mario, feeling much more happy.

"Yes!" Peach was thrilled.

"Whoa!" said Luigi, hopping out of his chair and walking into the living room. "The Excess Express is a fantastic train. The food is wonderful, I've heard."

"Oh, yes!" said Peach. "I got Mario and myself tickets! Three days of luxury and relaxation. Then, the train stops in Poshley Heights, the fanciest, most upscale place in the world."

"Oh, the restaurants there are to die for," sighed Luigi. "I wish I could go. But, hey, I've got...stuff...to do around the house. So I couldn't go anyway..."

"Well, that's good," said Peach, "because I only have the two tickets."

Luigi sighed again. Slowly.

Peach got excited, and couldn't contain her happiness. "Now, come on, Mario. Get packed! We have to leave immediately! Come on!" Peach was very eager.

"What! Right now?" said Mario, surprised by Peach's lack of advance notice.

"Yes, Mario! Get your bags, come on!"

"But my pancakes..." Mario moaned to Peach.

"Don't worry about your lousy pancakes!" said Peach.

Luigi took offense, as he was the one who had cooked the pancakes. Overwhelmed by anger and sadness, he left the living room.

"But I've hardly had breakfast!" said Mario.

"Don't worry! The food on the Excess Express is great! You'll want to save your appetite!"

"Oh. Okeydokey!" said Mario, thrilled at the idea of exquisite food. "Let's a-go!"

The price for a ticket on the Excess Express is very high.  Mario was very surprised that Peach somehow was able to get tickets aboard.  Many people dream of riding the Excess Express, but cannot afford a single ticket even after saving money for twenty years.  Much of the ticket price goes toward the delectable meals served aboard the train.  After that, a lot goes toward keeping the dazzling decorations inside the train at their finest.  There are chandeliers in every room, and candles are always neatly arranged on the tables in the dining car.  There are eight rooms for passengers to sleep in during the three-day journey.

Mario and Peach were assigned to stay in Room 5.  There was a nice bunk bed in one corner of the room, across from a small but comfortable couch.  Everything was fastened to the floor or walls, and every room in the car had a nice orange and brown decor (other cars had different color schemes).  The nice color combination made Mario giddy.  Peach was disappointed that there wasn't very much pink in the train, but there really wasn't much she could do about it; she hung many of her pink dresses up all over in their room to add a pink flair, but there wasn't anything she could do anywhere else in the train.

Mario was annoyed at all of the dresses everywhere in their room, but didn't say anything because he knew it made Peach happy.

Not long after the train departed, the conductor made an announcement over the P.A. system.  Peach and Mario instinctively looked up at the speaker, although they knew they wouldn't see anyone there.  "Thank you for choosing to ride the Excess Express!  Chef Shimi, our fabulous chef, has finished preparing a wonderful lunch.  Please head to the dining car for a fabulous meal.  That is all!"  Fortunately for Mario and Peach, their room was nearest to the dining car.

The dozen passengers aboard the train filed into the dining car.  The bright yellow atmosphere was very relaxing.  Mario and Peach got a nice table next to the window.  Mario said, "Well, this is a nice train."

"Yes," agreed Peach.  They watched the scenery quickly rush by the window.  Lush green meadows, and purple mountains in the background.  A perfectly blue sky, with a few clouds for decoration.

After a few moments, the waitress with the purple hair, the only waitress on the train, brought them their food.  "Mmmm," said Mario, "Mushroom gravy!"

Peach stared at it.  "It looks a little... tasty."  She hesitantly picked up her spoon, and took a sip.

It was tasty.  Very tasty.  She and Mario devoured it all.

"Why, this is wonderful!  It's the tastiest thing I've ever had!  It's delish!" Peach said in amazement.

"Oh, yes," agreed Mario.

After eating it all, and licking their fingers, they agreed to go to the kitchen to ask for seconds.

"Can we please have more--" Mario began, but he stopped when he noticed that the chef was crying.

"What's the matter, Chef Shimi?" asked Peach.

"Somebody stole my favorite pot," sobbed Chef Shimi.  "Without it, I can't make any more meals."

"Why can't you use another pot?" inquired Mario.

"It's the only one I brought," said Chef Shimi.  "Mario, and Princess, could you please find the pot?  I last remember it having more mushroom gravy in it.  You can have all the gravy in it if you can find it."

"Okeydokey!" said Mario.

Mario and Peach left the kitchen to search for the pot.  "What's this?" asked Peach, bending down to examine a trail of brown liquid speckled on the ground.  She bent down to taste it.  "Mmmm... mushroom gravy!  This stuff is delicious even when you eat it off the ground!"

She heard a snort and looked up to find that another passenger, a green-shelled Koopa Troopa, had stopped and was watching in amazement.  Peach began blushing, and the Koopa Troopa wordlessly continued walking through the dining car.

Peach and Mario followed the trail of mushroom gravy into Room 3.

"YOU!" shouted Mario as he pointed at a fat Toad with mushroom gravy dribbling from his lips.  "Where are you hiding the pot?"

"Ummm..." mumbled the fat Toad, "I don't have anything."  He obviously sounded as though he were lying.

Peach walked up to him and slapped him.  "You stole the entire pot so you could have the mushroom gravy all to yourself, didn't you?"  She slapped him again.  "I couldn't get any seconds, and here you are, getting sevenths!"  She slapped the fat Toad again, exited the room, and headed back to Room 5 to cry.

"How dare you make my girlfriend cry??" said Mario.  He gave a piercing stare to the fat Toad.  The fat Toad reluctantly handed the pot back to Mario.  Mario looked into the pot.  Darn, licked clean.

Several hours passed after Mario returned the pot to a grateful Chef Shimi.  Peach urged Mario to skip dinner so they could watch the sunset from their room.  Although Mario complained that they could see it just as well from the dining car, Peach pointed out that they would have more privacy in their room, and that it would be more romantic.  They gazed out the window at the sun setting.

"It sure is pretty, Mario," said Peach.

"Mmmm-hmmm," replied Mario.  He found it difficult to get emotional about a bright ball of gas sinking down behind a bunch of mountains far away.  "It's very orange."

"Yes, it is," Peach replied.

"EMERGENCY!" the conductor's voice shouted through the P.A. system.  Mario was very annoyed to find himself looking expectantly at the speaker in the ceiling.  "The engineer has been shot!"

"Mamma-mia!" screamed Mario.

"Oh no!" Peach screamed, "Who's steering the train?!?"

The conductor wouldn't allow anyone into the engine room, where the engineer was resting.

"Is he going to be okay?" asked the purple-haired waitress, the only waitress onboard.  "He and I are supposed to go on a date after the train ride!"

"It doesn't look too promising," replied the conductor.  The waitress broke out in tears, and the Koopa Troopa tried to comfort her.

A short blue penguin with a Sherlock Holmes hat and a large magnifying glass pushed in through the crowd from the back.  "Excuse me, excuse me, investigator coming through."

"Who are you?" asked the conductor.

"Why, I'm Pennington, world class investigator.  Fortunately for everybody on this train, I happen to be here right now, and I can help solve the mystery of who shot the engineer."  Pennington stopped for a second to allow everyone to let this sink in.  "Now, since the train hasn't stopped since we left, we can only deduce that the person who shot the engineer is..." he paused briefly, for suspense, "on this train right now!"

Everyone gasped.

"So somebody on this train is a murderer?" asked Peach, startled.

"Well," said the conductor, "the engineer isn't dead, so we'll just say there's an 'attempted-murderer' on the train."

Peach raised her eyebrows in surprise.  Mario whispered to her, "an attempted-murderer!"  He continued whispering his surprised thoughts to her, but she was too busy paying attention to the conductor.

The conductor spoke loudly so that everybody could hear.  "Everybody, please return to your rooms.  Mr. Pennington, please come with me; we'll speak with the engineer."

Pennington and the conductor entered the engine room while everybody else returned to their respective rooms.  Peach anxiously looked around at the other passengers.

That night, Peach and Mario sat on the small couch in their room, discussing why anyone could possibly want to kill the engineer.

"Well, it couldn't be the waitress," said Peach.  "You know, the one with the purple hair?  She is supposed to have a date with him.  Why would she schedule a date with somebody whom she would kill?  Then he wouldn't be there for the date, being dead and all, and she would get sad."

"Hmmm..." said Mario.  Actually, he didn't know what to say.  He honestly had no idea.

"Well," said Peach, "I'm tired.  I guess it's time to go to sleep."  They both went to sleep.  Mario took the top bunk, and Peach took the bottom.

The sun was almost peeking over the horizon the next morning when Mario and Peach were both startled awake by the conductor's loud voice over the P.A. system.  "Everyone, please come to the dining car."

Mario growled, "Why do I keep looking up at the ceiling?"

"To the dining car?" asked Peach, still drowsy from waking up.  "Why?"

"Hmmm..." Mario yawned, his eyes feeling heavy and droopy.  "I guess it's time for interrogation."

"Oh, dear," Peach said quietly, putting her hand up to her mouth.  "I was afraid this would happen."

"Now, now," said Mario, reassuringly.  "We've both been together this entire time on the train!  We know we didn't do it!  They couldn't possibly blame us!"

"Okay, thanks Mario.  You make me feel much better," Peach said, hugging Mario.  They both got dressed.  Peach put on her make-up, then they both left the room.

Everyone sat at the tables in the dining car while the conductor paced around the room.  Peach and Mario sat together at their own table.

"The engineer is badly hurt.  He is resting in the engine room."  The conductor stood at the window, clasped his hands together behind his back, and stared out the window at the sunrise.

Everybody sat watching him.

"I feel it is my responsibility to find the truth, and discover who shot the engineer.  So that is why we are all gathered here, to solve this mystery."

Mario was sleepy.  He wanted to go back to sleep.

"So," continued the conductor, "anyone want to admit that they did it?"

"No no!" Pennington said to the conductor, jumping out of his chair.  "You're doing it all wrong!"  He turned and pointed at the fat Toad.  "YOU!  You did it, didn't you?"

"N-no!" the fat Toad replied, panicking.

"You're the one who stole Chef Shimi's favorite pot!  You probably shot the engineer too, right?"

"I didn't shoot him!"  The fat Toad was looking nervous, but he always looked that way anyway.

"Oh?  What's that in your pocket, then?" accused Pennington, pointing at the fat Toad's pocket.

"It's my lucky fork," said the fat Toad, slowly pulling the fork out of his pocket.  "It's the only fork I'll eat with."

"Hmmm..." said Pennington.  "How... suspicious."  He then walked over to the Koopa Troopa.  "YOU!  Shellback!"  He pointed and shook his arm, for effect.

"Yeah?" replied the Koopa Troopa, leaning on the table, tired, but relaxed.

"Where were you yesterday evening?"

"Um, I was here on the Excess Express," the Koopa said sharply.  He was obviously trying to give Pennington a hard time.  This was to him a huge waste of his time--he still wanted to be asleep.  Everyone did.

"Where in the train were you?"

"I was here in the dining car, eating dinner."

"Ahh..." said Pennington, staring into the Koopa's eyes.  "So, if you were in fact eating the dinner, then you would know exactly what was served?"

"Yes," said the Koopa, still sarcasticly.  "It was mushroom pie."

"Is this true?" Pennington asked Chef Shimi.

"Yes," Chef Shimi said, rolling his eyes.  "You would know, Pennington.  You asked for seconds last night.  Then you dressed up in a costume to get even more."

"Well, yes.  That was good pie.  I didn't want to look like a pig, ordering a third serving."

"I have a keen eye.  You're not the first to try dressing differently to get more food," said Chef Shimi.  Pennington began to blush.

Mario was getting tired of watching all this.  Nobody was getting anywhere.  He dozed off, resting his head on the table.

He dreamt of additional servings of mushroom gravy.

Mario was startled awake when Pennington accusingly shouted in his face.  "And where were you, you lethargic, mustached sleepyhead?  Apparently, you weren't in the dining hall with the others when the engineer was attempted-murdered!"

"It's rude to wake someone up!" complained Peach, who was still sitting next to Mario.

Pennington seemed to ignore her.  "I notice," he said slowly, "that your hat is monogrammed with an M!  M for MURDERER!"

"It stands for Mario!" wailed Peach.

"Shut up!" shouted Pennington.  "I'm questioning Mr. Murderer here!"  Mario could feel his mustache filling with anger.  Pennington swung around to Mario's other side, and said, "Where were you during dinner?  Nobody remembers seeing you there!  How odd...  Seems like something a murderer might do!"

"I was in my room with the princess!" explained Mario.  "I wanted to be here in the dining hall, but Peach made us look at the stupid sunset."

"Mario!" exclaimed Peach.  "How could you say that?"

"It's just a big ball of orange!" defended Mario.

"But it's our big ball of orange!" said Peach.  "Our beautiful sunset!  How could you say such things about it?"

"Um..." thought Mario.  "Well..."  He then realized that Pennington had moved away from him.  This was because the engineer was clumsily making his way through the door.  Pennington rushed over and helped him into a chair.  They talked softly to each other for a moment.  Then, Pennington asked the engineer, "So, you don't recognize anybody in this car as the person who shot you?"

"No," the engineer said.  "I don't."

"Well, everybody aboard the train is in this room right now.  And you say that none of these people shot you?"

"No, I don't remember seeing any of these people when I was shot."

Mario then realized how hungry he was.  Mario looked outside and saw that the sun was high in the air, and he realized that Chef Shimi hadn't made any food at all today.  Mario glanced up at the clock on the wall.  It was already noon!  He could tell Peach was starving--she had started chewing on her gorgeous hair.  Mario realized just how hungry he was when he noticed that he was licking crumbs out of his mustache.

"I move that we recess for lunch," said Mario.  Immediately, everyone realized how hungry he or she was.

"Well, then, I'll cook mushroom pudding," said Chef Shimi.  "It'll be quick and easy to make."

"Okay," said the conductor.  "But hurry up!  If we don't solve this mystery by the time we arrive in Poshley Heights tomorrow, we won't be allowing anybody off the train."

Chef Shimi went to the kitchen, and everyone else continued sitting in the dining car.  Nobody knew what to say.  Mario didn't want to be stuck on this train with these maniacs any longer than he had to.  The entire morning had been filled with annoying and boring events.  It wasn't very long at all until Chef Shimi returned from the kitchen with his big pot.  Inside was brownish clear stuff.  "Sorry, everyone," he said, glancing angrily at the conductor.  "I hurried a little too much on this project."  He took his ladle, scooped some up, and dalloped some into the conductor's bowl.  It jiggled a little.  It was unsettling to look at.

The conductor and engineer were sitting together at a table right next to Mario and Peach's table.  Mario overheard them talking.

"We can't pick up the passengers waiting for us to pick them up at Riverside Station later today.  We mustn't stop.  We have to keep moving at full steam.  Otherwise, the 'attempted-murderer' might try to get off the train and flee!"

"Agreed," said the engineer.  "We won't stop.  I also think we should check the passengers for guns.  You know, find out who shot me."

"Good idea."

That night, under the twinkling stars, the Excess Express didn't slow down for the passengers eagerly awaiting to board the train at Riverside Station.  Five people stood outside, surprised that the train completely passed them.  The rich Toad with the monocle gasped, and the one with the elegant dress cupped her hands over her mouth, and said, "Well, I never!"

Meanwhile, the conductor ordered everyone to return to his or her room.  He searched everywhere for guns.  The results of this search were startling, and he announced them at dinner in the dining car:

"EVERYONE HAS GUNS!  Everyone except for the princess!  Even the engineer has one!  Even Shimi!  Even the purple-haired waitress!  EVERYONE!  Even me!"  He pulled his gun out, and everyone screamed until he put it back.

"Well, this doesn't help narrow the search down," said the purple-haired waitress.

"I bet he did it!" the fat Toad grinned, food dribbling down his chin.  He was pointing at the Koopa Troopa.

The Koopa scowled angrily and said, "No, I didn't!"  He then hurled a handful of mushroom lasagna at the fat Toad.  "Here, tubby, eat this!"

The fat Toad, completely taken aback, picked up his mushroom breadstick, and threw it back at the Koopa.  The Koopa ducked his head into his shell, and the breadstick, missing its target, struck the face of the purple-haired waitress innocently standing right behind.

"Food fight!!!"

Everyone began throwing food.  Everyone, that is, except for Princess Peach.  She cowered in the corner.  Her dress was new.  She didn't want it ruined.  Mario noticed how afraid she was.  "I'll defend you, Peach!"  He grabbed some of his mushroom salad and threw it at the purple-haired waitress, and splashed his fresh-squeezed mushroom juice into the conductor's face.  The Koopa Troopa ran up, and smooshed a handful of mushroom cake into Mario's face.

However, Mario had no time to wipe it off his face because saw a glob of mushroom lasagna flying through the air, right at the princess!  The lasagna would hit Peach's dress!  Mario had no time to spare.  He dove through the air, and intercepted the glob.  His favorite overalls were ruined.  He would never get the stain out.  Peach realized how selfless Mario was, and kissed him.  "Thank you, Mario," she said.

"Oh, you're welcome."  Mario swiftly picked her up, and carried her out of the dining car, out of the way of dangerous flying food, to Room 5.

Peach was very hungry when she woke up the next morning, so she got out of the bed and dressed herself quietly, making sure not to wake Mario.  She knew that Mario could be very grumpy if he didn't get his rest.  She silently slipped through the door, and walked into the dining car.

"So," Peach asked the conductor, sitting across from him at his table, "have you found out who shot the engineer?"

"No, not yet," said the conductor, stirring his mushroom coffee.  The purple-haired waitress brought Peach a small stack of pancakes.

"Thank you," said Peach.

"We'll be in Poshley Heights in half an hour," said the conductor, "but we'll probably be early.  I have no idea what we're going to have to do when we arrive.  We still don't know who the 'attempted-murderer' is.  Are you all packed for arrival?"

"Yes," she said, too weary for conversation with the conductor.  She got up, taking her pancakes with her, and sat herself down at her own table to finish eating her mushroom pancakes when Mario came through the door.

"I wonder who did it," said Mario, sitting down next to Peach.

"I think we're all wondering that," said Peach.  She took a bite of her pancakes.

"Ooooh," gasped Mario, "Pancakes!  I want some pancakes!"

The waitress overheard him and approached him with the big tray of pancakes.  However, there was a surprisingly loud shout from the kitchen area, and the waitress dropped the tray to the ground with a crash.  Everyone looked over to the kitchen in anticipation.

"No!" Chef Shimi shouted sternly.  Nobody could see inside the kitchen.

"Come on, just a few more!" said a familiar voice.

"No.  No more pancakes!  There won't be enough for the other passengers!" Chef Shimi yelled in an angry voice.  Suddenly, somebody in a doctor costume was thrown from the kitchen.

"HIM!" the engineer rose from his seat, slowly pointing a trembling finger at the figure in the doctor costume.  "He's the one who shot me!"

The person in the doctor costume slowly rose to his feet.

Mario was surprised.  He could easily tell who was in the costume.  "Pennington!"

"Yes, it was me, all along," declared Pennington, staring at his feet.  He took off the silly costume and the surgical mask.

"But why?" asked the purple-haired waitress.

"I wanted to solve a mystery to build my reputation.  A new, exciting mystery.  I wanted to be remembered for solving a great mystery.  Sorry, all, but it was very entertaining."

"Y-you shot a man for your own entertainment?" Peach asked in bewilderment.

The Koopa Troopa nudged the fat Toad in the arm.  "This guy's crazy," he muttered.

The conductor was a little confused.  He asked the engineer, "Why didn't you recognize Pennington as the person who shot you?"

"Well, he was wearing that doctor costume!"

"You didn't recognize Pennington in that costume?  Shimi could!"

"Well, the surgical mask completely threw me off!"

Everyone turned toward Pennington.  "Get him!"  They all rushed toward Pennington, who rushed out through the back of the dining car, through the freight car, went outside the train, and climbed up the ladder on the back to the roof of the train.  Everyone but the engineer, who was not in good enough health to chase, followed Pennington onto the roof.

Everyone stood on the roof; the scenery whipped by.  The wind blew fiercely.  One foolish move, and anybody could fall off the train.

"Get away from me!" Pennington yelled at the angry crowd.  It was hard to hear him--the wind rushing past was deafening.

"No!"  Mario bravely ran to the front of the crowd, and gave an angry stare to Pennington.

Pennington steadily pulled out his gun, and aimed  it at Princess Peach.  "Don't move, or the princess gets it!"

"Mariooooooooo!" Peach cried in a panic, putting her hands up to cover her eyes.

"Damn," the Koopa Troopa said aside to the purple-haired waitress.  "I left my gun packed up in my room."

"Oh, so did I," she said back.  In fact, Pennington was the only one on the roof with a gun.

Mario didn't know what to do.  If he moved, the Princess would get killed.  If he didn't move, well... he didn't know.  He figured that they would just stand there.

Mario continued staring at Pennington.  He didn't twitch a muscle, despite the powerful gusts of wind hitting him right in the face.

"Well?" Pennington asked.  "Are you going to make a move?"

Mario only stood there, glaring at Pennington.  He didn't even blink, even though his eyes were watering.

"I have a fork," the fat Toad whispered to the conductor.  "I think I could take him."

"No, no," said the conductor.  "I think Mario's handling it."

"What?  He's not even moving!"

"Let's just wait and see what happens."  The conductor turned his attention back to Mario and Pennington, who were only a few yards apart.

Mario continued to stare down Pennington.  Pennington stared back at Mario, while keeping the gun pointed at Peach.  Everybody's attention was glued to Mario and Pennington.

Suddenly, the train jerked.  Everybody fell down.  Pennington's gun flew right out of his hand, and onto the train car in front.  The train was beginning to slow down.  Pennington got up, and dove for it.  Mario got up and dove right on top of Pennington.  It's hard to dive forward on top of a moving train.

Peach uncovered her eyes and looked forward into the distance.  She smiled.  "Poshley Heights!"  Sure enough, the train was due to arrive in Poshley Heights in less than a minute.  The engineer was down in the engineer's car, stopping the train!  Peach, and several others as well, noticed that the Poshley Heights Police was gathered around the train station.  A trap!  They were going to catch Pennington!

Pennington grasped the gun, but Mario pinned his arm to the roof of the train.  Pennington tried to twist his arm to point the gun at Mario, and ultimately shoot, but Mario was pressing down on his arm.  Mario tried to grab at the gun, but couldn't reach it.

"You'll never beat me.  I'm a penguin!" growled Pennington.

"Oh yeah?" rebutted Mario.  "I'm a plumber!"

Mario did nothing but constantly press against Pennington's arm.  And Pennington could do nothing but try to twist his arm to shoot Mario.

"This thing's loaded," Pennington angrily threatened, motioning toward the gun.  "Don't think I'm bluffing."

"The only thing besides that gun that's loaded is your sense of evilness!"

The train jerked again.  Mario tumbled off of Pennington, and Pennington, once again, lost the gun.  It slid forward, between the cars of the train, and down to the tracks below.  The gun was gone.

The train gradually stopped, and everyone was able to jump on Pennington, pinning him down.

"Poshley Heights Police Department," came a loud voice through a loudspeaker.  "Mr. Pennington, you are under arrest for attempted murder."  A police officer went up the back of the train onto the roof, and handcuffed Pennington.

Everyone gathered in the small plaza in front of Poshley Heights Station.  The beautiful buildings and houses surrounding them reeked of cash.

"Mario," said the engineer, "I want to thank you so much for saving my train from disaster."  The engineer gave Mario a Tanooki Suit.

"Thank you very much," said Mario.  He packed it in his suitcase.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a date with the purple-haired waitress."  The engineer walked over to the waitress, and they together walked to one of the many fabulous restaurants in Poshley Heights.

Peach walked up to Mario.  "Oh, Mario, you're my hero!"  She kissed him on the cheek.  "You saved the day again!"

Mario began blushing.

Peach noticed the fat Toad talking to the Koopa Troopa a short distance away.  "Mario, come with me."  They walked over.

Peach addressed the fat Toad.  "Excuse me," she apologized.  "I'm so sorry for slapping you while Mario and I were searching for Chef Shimi's pot."

The fat Toad began blushing.  "Oh, well, that's quite all right.  I think I needed the wakeup call."

The Koopa Troopa then stepped up to Mario.  "Sorry for smashing that cake into your face."

Mario smiled.  "Oh, don't worry.  It was tasty."

The fat Toad and Koopa Troopa stepped aside so Chef Shimi could talk to Mario.  "I don't think I adequately thanked you for returning my pot to me.  I own a restaurant here in Poshley Heights..  It's one of the finest in the world.  I would like to treat you and the princess to a lovely candlelit dinner tonight."

"Oh, sure," said Mario.

"Thank you very much," said Peach.  "How's 6 P.M., Chef Shimi?"

"That'll work fine."

Mario smiled.  "Thank you so much!"

Mario and Peach ate mushroom gravy for dinner that night.