Recap / VeggieTales Episode 21 A Snoodle's Tale

A Snoodle's Tale

Episode number: 21

Original release date: 5/10/04

---

Countertop Intro

On the Countertop, Bob the Tomato is all alone, setting up a "Welcome Home" party for Larry the Cucumber, who is returning home from Danish Immersion Camp. Seconds later, the sound of a bus pulling in is heard, as Bob readies himself. The minute Larry the Cucumber arrives on the Countertop, Bob yells "SURPRISE!" This confuses Larry, asking if there was supposed to be a huge group of people in a surprise party, to which Bob says that he was the only one in the party. Of course, when Larry notices the welcome home sign, written in Danish as "Velkommen Hjem, Larry", he doesn't pronounce it in proper Danish, which Bob points out to him. Larry then explains to Bob that he didn't actually go to Danish Immersion Camp, having only been there one day, before he and a kid named Bjorn took a canoe ride and wound up at another camp called "Overdone British Literary Adaptations Camp". This makes Bob very frustrated, telling Larry that he had a story arranged, which involved a Danish truck driver named Jorgen and his pet monkey (in a similar matter as that of B.J. and the Bear, as Larry points out), and that Larry was slated to play the part of Jorgen. When Bob is upset that Larry didn't actually learn any Danish to play the part, he despondently wonders what he's going to tell Chester, which was the name of the kid that they got the letter from. In the letter, Chester explains that all of the kids make fun of him, telling him that he's no good at anything and wonders if he really is special. Even in spite of things not turning out the way Bob wanted them to, Larry has a backup plan, deciding to tell Chester the story of "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", to which Bob is concerned that that story is a little scary, but Larry tells him that "if you change things around a little bit, I think we have a story that Chester will enjoy", before telling Chester to get ready for "Dr. Jiggle and Mr. Sly".

Dr. Jiggle and Mr. Sly

"If one dare listens, then one dare hears a tale to rouse your secret fears. Tarry not, for the end draws nigh, on Dr. Jiggle and Mr. Sly!"

In a dark alley in London, a mysterious gourd wearing a white leisure suit, a pink afro, and a pair of Elton John-esque glasses hops out from behind a gate behind a house while carrying a radio, before setting the radio on the ground. After turning on the radio, disco-style music starts playing as this strange gourd starts dancing, which attracts a large crowd of people. Mr. Butterbun (played by Scooter Carrot) is suspicious about the activity of this stranger, at the same time that his butler Poole (played by Larry the Cucumber) approaches him with a tea kettle. Mr. Butterbun is determined to find out the secret of this dance-happy stranger, before he notices this stranger heading into the house of Dr. Jiggle. Mr. Butterbun and Poole then head off towards the direction of Dr. Jiggle's house after that to warn him about this mysterious stranger.

After arriving at Dr. Jiggle's house, Mr. Butterbun knocks on the door (to which he is freaked out about the presence of "the hand), before the door opens up, as Dr. Jiggle (played by Jimmy Gourd) greets Mr. Butterbun and Poole, before inviting them inside. When Mr. Butterbun tells Dr. Jiggle about the mysterious disco-dancing stranger that came into his house, Dr. Jiggle tells them that they're referring to Mr. Sly, before he tells them that he really admires Mr. Sly for his great dancing moves, which Poole agrees with. Dr. Jiggle then says that he can never dance like that, all because of the fact that he is "too jiggly", before he proceeds to sing about how his only aspiration was to be a gourd who danced, but his portly girth only served to make folks giggle. After the song ends, Mr. Butterbun then admits that he was wrong for judging Mr. Sly, before Dr. Jiggle states that on account of Mr. Sly's wonderful non-jiggly dancing moves, he's certain that Mr. Butterbun and Poole would like him. When Mr. Butterbun asks Dr. Jiggle if he could introduce them to Mr. Sly, Dr. Jiggle frantically tells them that he's much too busy before he quickly pushes them out of his house. Nevertheless, Mr. Butterbun is still determined to find out more about Mr. Sly, proclaiming that "if he be Mr. Sly, then I shall be Mr. Sneak!", which confuses Poole.

The next night, Mr. Butterbun and Poole then approach the back alley of Dr. Jiggle's house (with Mr.Butterbun freaking out about having feet as well), before they look to see Mr. Sly come out from the gate again. The plan is for Poole to give Mr. Sly the invitation to Mr. Butterbun's house before he starts dancing so that they can talk over some tea... then they'll find out what he's got up his sleeve. Poole then approaches Mr. Sly with the invitation, but of course, the plan fails when Mr. Sly turns on the music and starts dancing again, to which Poole also gets caught up in the music and starts dancing as well, which Mr. Butterbun is angry about. Poole and Mr. Sly bump hips with each other before Mr. Sly starts spinning, to which Poole also starts spinning as well, but is unable to stop, while Mr. Sly is able to stop spinning then hops back into Dr. Jiggle's house again. Mr. Butterbun then approaches the still-spinning Poole, but he ends up getting spun around as a result as well, before the two then crash into the back gate, before everyone starts applauding and cheering, which Poole is happy about, but Mr. Butterbun is angry as opposed to happy.

The following night, Mr. Butterbun is waiting again, to which he checks his pocket watch seeing that it's 11:58 (freaking out about the hand again, before deciding to never mind about it, when Poole asks about it). Mr. Butterbun then says that no one has seen Dr. Jiggle in two days, stating that this time, they'll be sure to catch Mr. Sly in the act. The light in Dr. Jiggle's house then turns on as Mr. Butterbun and Poole look up to see Dr. Jiggle in the window. Dr. Jiggle then greets them, before Mr. Butterbun asks him if he's alright, to which Dr. Jiggle replies that he's been feeling a little woozy lately. Of course, when Mr. Butterbun asks Dr. Jiggle to join him and Poole in their stakeout for Mr. Sly, Dr. Jiggle is about to reply, before a strange feeling suddenly comes over him, before he starts moaning then quickly zips off-screen while still moaning, to which Mr. Butterbun and Poole call out to him. Loud disco music is suddenly heard as Mr. Sly then comes out from the back gate dancing once again while carrying the radio then sets it on the ground before he resumes dancing once again. However, this time, Mr. Butterbun has had enough as he turns off the radio, which causes everyone to gasp, before Mr. Butterbun asks Mr. Sly what he did with Dr. Jiggle. When Mr. Sly doesn't answer, Mr. Butterbun repeats the question, before realizing from looking in Mr. Sly's eyes that he's seen those eyes before.

When Mr. Sly tries backing away, he ends up tripping over the radio, which causes him to fall to the ground on his back. Seconds later, the buttons on the front of Mr. Sly's leisure suit suddenly start popping off one by one, before a corset is then ripped, revealing that Mr. Sly is actually Dr. Jiggle in disguise. Once Mr. Sly's true identity has been revealed, Mr. Butterbun asks Dr. Jiggle why he did it, before Dr. Jiggle ashamedly admits that he's been taking dance lessons, claiming that all his life he's wanted to dance, but was afraid that people would laugh at him on account of being so jiggly, and that he dressed up as Mr. Sly so that people would like him. Dr. Jiggle then says, "You gotta love a guy who can dance and not jiggle, right? But, man, did that costume hurt! I think I bruised my spleen". When Poole tells Dr. Jiggle that they've always loved him, Mr. Butterbun agrees with Poole, before telling Dr. Jiggle that he didn't need to pretend to be someone he's not to get people to like him and that he's special just the way God made him, which Dr. Jiggle is happy to hear. When Mr. Butterbun asks Dr. Jiggle to show off the dance moves he's been learning, Dr. Jiggle is reluctant to do so, but at the insistence of Mr. Butterbun, he finally consents. Soon, the music is turned back on again as Dr. Jiggle starts dancing as himself. Mr. Butterbun and Poole also join in the dance as well, with the three singing a disco-infused reprise of "I Want To Dance" as the segment ends.

Silly Songs with Larry

At the gas station, Larry and Miss Achmetha both admire each other for the Sport Utility Vehicles that they own, before they start singing about being the heroes and saving innocent bystanders who are in trouble. Even in spite of daydreaming, Larry and Achmetha still admire their Sport Utility Vehicles before they drive off after that.

A Snoodle's Tale

Bob then reads from a book a story about the Snoodles, "a curious folk who eat pancakes and noodles and spend half their days making sketches and doodles and cutting their hair into shapes like French poodles". In Snoodleburg, the hometown of all of the Snoodles, there is a large tower in the center that produces a new Snoodle "every fourth Tuesday at quarter past nine". One day, a brand new Snoodle, named Snoodle-Doo, is born, before he starts wondering what his purpose is. Inside the pack on his back, Snoodle-Doo discovers some paints and a Snoodle kazoo, before discovering a string, to which when pulled, causes a pair of wings to pop out. Snoodle-Doo then decides to show all of the other Snoodles what he can do. First, he tries to fly, but he doesn't fly very high before he falls back to the ground, before the Snoodles make fun of him for not being good at flying. One of the Snoodles then paints a picture of how silly the young Snoodle looked before placing this picture in his backpack.

Snoodle-Doo is sad that he's not very good at flying, before he notices a bunch of beautiful far-lily flowers. Remembering that he's got more than wings, he decides to paint a picture of the far-lilies. After the picture is all painted, Snoodle-Doo then shows the picture that he painted to the other Snoodles, who admonish him that he's no better at painting than flying. Another Snoodle paints a picture of Snoodle-Doo and places it in his pack as well, before the Snoodles all tell him, "You're puny, you're silly, you're not all that smart, you can't use your wings and you're no good at art!" Snoodle-Doo then decides to leave Snoodleburg to find another place to live. After traveling for a while, Snoodle-Doo decides to take a break, but he ends up falling forward when he attempts to sit down, before being approached by a Snoodle farmer who also paints a picture and places it in Snoodle-Doo's backpack. Snoodle-Doo then asks if there's any place where he can truly be alone, before looking up to see two birds flying across the sky, so he decides to climb up the mountain peak of Mt. Ginches.

After Snoodle-Doo makes it to the top, he is approached by a kindly stranger, who invites him inside his home, a cave on top of the mountain. Snoodle-Doo is confused by the stranger's kindness and protests: "I'm puny! I'm silly! I'm not all that smart. I can't use my wings, and I'm no good at art." The stranger asks Snoodle-Doo who told him this, and Snoodle-Doo answers that the pictures in his backpack tell him so. Removing the pictures from Snoodle-Doo's backpack, the stranger says that they do not look a thing like him, then tosses the hurtful pictures into the fire. He shows Snoodle-Doo a picture of what he really looks like. The picture is of a Snoodle who looks older and much stronger. Snoodle-Doo is amazed to see this picture, saying that he would love to believe, but he's afraid.

At that moment, the stranger then tells Snoodle-Doo that he knows who he is because he made him. He also explains that he built the tower, planted the bushes and flowers, put the fish in the ocean, and that he feeds the birds. The stranger also adds rather sadly that the Snoodles just use their gifts to make others feel bad. Snoodle-Doo then asks the stranger that if he made the land, couldn't he make Snoodles obey his command? The stranger then answers that a gift that is commanded is no gift at all. Snoodle-Doo shows him the picture he painted of the far-lily flowers, which the stranger hangs in a place of honor on his refrigerator. He then tells Snoodle-Doo that he wants him to not just fly, but to soar. In his backpack, he places the inspiring picture of Snoodle-Doo. The young Snoodle then asks how he can fly with the picture in his pack, before the stranger tells him that this is a special picture. When Snoodle-Doo looks down, he sees that he is now a few inches off the ground. He flies out of the stranger's home, then back to Snoodleburg. There he meets up with all of the other Snoodles, who feel terrible about what they've done. Snoodle-Doo tells them the story of his adventures. All of the Snoodles, including Snoodle-Doo, then start to fly across the sky as the story comes to an end.

Countertop Outro

After the story is finished, Larry praises Bob for the story, to which Bob is flattered by, saying that he did go to "Overused Literary Emulation Camp", before Larry states that there was something about that story that made him want to eat green ham. Bob is a bit suspicious before quickly saying that they're over by Qwerty to talk about what they've learned today, before the "What Have We Learned" song plays, which in a rare Out-of-Character Moment, Bob dances to. Larry then adds "And eggs, eggs too", before the song resumes again. After the song ends. Bob then explains that the little Snoodle got weighed down by all of the pictures that the others painted of him, just like the names people call us make us feel terrible. Bob then explains that like the Snoodles, we have a creator, because God made us and when we know what he thinks of us, and how he sees us, it doesn't matter what anyone else says. Larry then asks Qwerty if he can show them what the Bible says, before Qwerty brings up the verse, which is "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalms 139:14". Bob then tells Chester that the kids can only see the way he likes right now, but God sees you the way you're meant to be and that you're smarter, stronger, and braver than you think and that God has given us amazing gifts. When Bob asks why, Larry quickly says that he knows why, which is "God made you special, and he loves you very much", with Bob adding that he wants you to paint, sing, and soar, and Larry adds, "and maybe even dance". When Bob tells Larry to say goodnight, Larry says "Farvhell!", which he says that he learned before the canoe trip, before the episode ends.

---

Tropes:

• All of the Other Reindeer: When Snoodle-Doo tries to fly, all of the other Snoodles laugh at him, and one paints a hurtful picture of him and puts it in Snoodle-Doo's backpack. The same thing happens when Snoodle-Doo shows them the picture he's just painted of the far-lilies, making his heart "slump just as low as his back".
• All There in the Manual: Snoodle-Doo is never referred to by name at all during the story. His name was revealed in the bonus features and concept art of the episode.
• Art Evolution: This was the first episode animated by Jam Filled (then known as DKP Studios), and it shows in that characters look smoother and the movements are a bit more fluid.
• Be Yourself: Dr. Jiggle learns this, after realizing that he doesn't need to pretend to be Mr. Sly to get people to like him.
• …But He Sounds Handsome: Dr. Jiggle praises Mr. Sly for being a great dancer who doesn't jiggle when he does so. Of course, Mr. Sly is Dr. Jiggle in a wig and constricting get-up.
• Clock of Power: Where the Snoodles come from. Every fourth Tuesday at quarter past nine, the Clock Tower produces a new Snoodle.
• Foreshadowing: In "Dr. Jiggle and Mr. Sly", the doctor compliments Sly's dancing, saying that one has to admire a person who can dance without jiggling. This provides clues to two things before they appear in the plot: 1) Dr. Jiggle is Mr. Sly and 2) he wore the Mr. Sly get-up so he could dance without jiggling and not suffer mocking.
• God's Hands Are Tied: The kindly stranger who invites Snoodle-Doo into his cave reveals that he made the clock tower where the Snoodles come from, as well as the oceans, the meadows, and the rest of the world. Snoodle-Doo asks him why, if he can do all that, he doesn't make the Snoodles obey his commands. The stranger replies that a gift that's demanded is no gift at all.
• Grandpa God: Used in a rather allegorical fashion in "A Snoodle's Tale".
• Internal Reveal: Given how many people know the twist of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the audience will likely guess at once that Mr. Sly is Dr. Jiggle. However, the characters don't realize it until the end.
• "I Want" Song: "I Want To Dance", which Dr. Jiggle sings about longing to dance, but is unable to because he is "too jiggly". In the end, it's discovered that he's been taking dance lessons, but was afraid that he would be met with ridicule for being too jiggly. After being encouraged, he does a reprise.
• Loud Gulp: Mr. Sly/Dr. Jiggle gulps loudly when Mr. Butterbun begins to recognize him from looking in his eyes.
• Mistaken for Own Murderer: Butterbun thinks Mr. Sly must have done something to Dr. Jiggle, because he finds Sly "detestable" and hasn't seen Dr. Jiggle for days. In fact, Mr. Sly is Dr. Jiggle.
• Out-of-Character Moment: In the Countertop Outro, this is the first episode in which Bob actually likes the "What Have We Learned" song.
• Popping Buttons: Mr. Sly loses his buttons before revealing his true identity as Dr. Jiggle.
• Product Placement: In "Sport Utility Vehicle", Larry and Achmetha sing about going to Dunkin' Donuts or 7-11 or picking up some Frito-Lays. Before that, Larry asks if Achmetha drives a Jeep, and she says it's actually a Subaru.
• Rhymes on a Dime: The opening line of "Dr. Jiggle and Mr. Sly" is a quatrain.
• Rhyming Episode: "A Snoodle's Tale" is told completely in rhyme. Lampshaded when Larry tells Bob he liked the story, but it gave him a craving for Green Eggs and Ham.
• The Runaway: After being told he's puny and no good at art, Snoodle-Doo decides to leave Snoodleburg.
• Scaling the Summit: Snoodle-Doo, climbing to the top of Mt. Ginches.
• Sudden Anatomy: Butterbun seems to have a problem of gaining human-like legs and arms at random times (he never is given the chance to fully explain though), and he dreads it every time it happens.
• Terrible Artist: Other Snoodles accuse Snoodle-Doo of being this when he shows them a picture he's painted of far-lily flowers.
  Snoodle #1: You're puny!
  Snoodle #2: You're silly!
  Snoodle #3: You're not all that smart!
  Snoodle #1: You can't use your wings...
  All Three: ...and you're no good at art!
• Too Upset to Create: Snoodle-Doo is proud of the picture he paints of the far-lilies... until other Snoodles tell him he's no good at art and paint hurtful artwork of him. All of a sudden, he doesn't feel like doing any more painting.
• Triumphant Reprise: The reprise of "I Want To Dance", when Dr. Jiggle realizes that he can dance and not have to worry about being teased about his weight.
• Unknown Character: The kindly stranger who invites Snoodle-Doo into his cave is never shown on-screen.
• Virtuous Character Copy: Mr. Hyde and Mr. Sly are both strange alter-egos who their staid, respectable selves use to escape people's potential condemnation. However, Mr. Hyde acts in cruel ways, doing things like trampling a child or beating an elderly man to death. Mr. Sly, if anything, is just non-mainstream. However, proper Victorian Mr. Butterbun treats his disco-inspired getup and music as "detestable".
• Weight Woe: Dr. Jiggle apparently had this problem his whole life, as he's dreamed of dancing ever since he was a boy but he's worried about his portly girth, which tends to bring laughter.
• Wings Do Nothing: Subverted. Although all the Snoodles have wings, none of them are shown flying. Snoodle-Doo tries to fly but only gets twelve inches off the ground before he falls, and the other Snoodles mock him for it. At the end, though, he's soaring through the sky—and so, after hearing his story, are the other Snoodles.
• You Are Better Than You Think You Are: The kindly stranger says that the hurtful pictures do not look a thing like Snoodle-Doo, then tosses them into the fire. He paints him a picture of a strong, joyous, Snoodle-Doo soaring among the clouds, saying that this is what he looks like.

---