Cents-less

Summary
Mr. Ratburn decides it’s time for his class to learn a little about money...or, rather, the lack of it. For the entire weekend, no one in class can spend a cent.

Plot
Mr. Ratburn talks about money and its importance to the class. He then states that it would be difficult to imagine life without money and tells the class that it's exactly what he wants the students to do. Buster then starts to daydream of him sitting on a stool at the Ice Cream Shop, while Brain gives him his order of a "frozen yogurt replica of the Montreal Stadium with extra snow". With food on his face, Buster asks if he can have the chair in the shop to which the Brain allows, stating that everything's free. Giving the chair to his butler outside, Buster flies off in a helicopter heading to Paris. His daydream is finished and the class scene returns where Mr. Ratburn then explains the process of bartering (trading). This time, Arthur daydreams of a scene inside a village where Brain is sculpting a goat out of rock that catches Arthur's eye. He offers to trade it for D.W.'s singing cow that Brain rejects, ending the daydream. Mr. Ratburn concludes by giving everyone, including himself, an experiment for the weekend which is to not spend any money. Muffy guffaws, thinking that he is joking, only realizing that he isn't when everyone stares at her.

---CENTS-LESS---

After school, as Muffy gets her backpack, Francine asks her how she is going to get through the weekend, pointing out that spending money for Muffy is like breathing. Muffy grabs out her credit card, convinced that using a credit card isn't the same as spending money in bills. But Francine informs her that it's still spending money, but you're just paying for it later. Later at home Francine is convinced that Muffy won't last even a couple of days when suddenly she is given a letter to see its fifty dollars included! Her dad jokes, stating he would spend the money for her since she can't do it herself, but Francine is too smart...

The following morning, Mr. Ratburn is having trouble finding a decent breakfast. He manages to find pistachio nuts, along with very old condensed milk... He tries it, but quickly decides its not a...very healthy meal so he looks into a suitcase with his many puppets.

Later at the toy store, Muffy is hiding while she spies on Bailey purchasing the doll she wanted. Francine catches her and claims its still cheating when the cashier tells Muffy and Bailey someone else already ordered the "action figure". Muffy demands a barter and asks him what he wants for it. She tries to offer him scented skin lotion, but its no use. Muffy begs him and finally Binky tells her he wants a Buzz Mc Boom Boom trading Card and then he'll give her the "action figure".

Francine tells Muffy its very rare, but Brain may have an extra, as he collects many baseball cards. As the two girls leave, Francine suddenly sees some sports equipment she'd love to buy and there's a sale this weekend only...

At Brain's, the male informs the girls that he has 3 of the cards Muffy is after. But he'll only part with one of the cards for a partical excellerator. Muffy promises to bring it as Brain mentions not having enough room to put his cards on display and the two girls leave. Muffy is a bit concerned, knowing she can't provide the item that Brain wants and hopes he'd settle for her clothing instead when they suddenly see a puppet show going on in the park. After he finishes, he reveals himself to the many people and thanks them, then mentions he is only working for food, not money.

As he eats, Mr. Ratburn mentions that he forgot to go grocery shopping before the project so he had to bring out his old act. He then gives Muffy some advice when she mentions how badly she is doing so far and Muffy then tries to get him to give her the card through a trade. But it's no use, Brain has heard them all and does not find any of them funny. Muffy then tells him that she won't be able to get him what he wants until she's in collage and then offers to help him with his display so that he doesn't have to keep switching things around.

In thanks of what she did for him, Brain barters the card Muffy needed and gives it to her. Muffy then goes to trade it so that she can get the doll she wanted.

In later later she is telling everybody her story and thanks Binky a final time for the "Action Figure" (even though it was a doll, and Binky said it wasn't) and then Francine mentions how Muffy managed to help her save her money and put it into the bank. The episode ends as Mr. Ratburn confirms that this project was a "hit" by using his puppets, which makes Buster laugh as the episode ends...

Major Roles

 * Francine
 * Muffy
 * Nigel Ratburn
 * Brain
 * Binky

Minor Roles

 * Buster
 * Punchy and Jude
 * Arthur
 * Oliver Frensky
 * Bailey

Background Roles

 * Sue Ellen
 * David Read
 * Alex
 * Jenna
 * D.W.
 * Fern
 * 3rd Grade Male Cat
 * 3rd Grade Male Rabbit
 * George
 * Rattles
 * Prunella
 * Catherine Frensky
 * Laverne Frensky
 * Frankie
 * Brian
 * Maria
 * D.W. Read
 * Maria's mother
 * James
 * Alex
 * Vladimir and Estragon

Mentioned

 * Bubby

Trivia

 * The $50 bill that Francine is given by Bubby is pink, while regular American dollar bills are green and Oliver Frensky asked Francine sarcastically if it was the wrong color.
 * This episode is set between January 20 and February 20 as it said in Bubby's card that Francine's birthday was a month away.

Cultural references

 * The song that the singing baseball glove sings in Francine's imagination is a parody of "Twelve Days of Christmas".
 * Mr. Ratburn's goldfish, Vladimir and Estragon, are named after the main characters from Waiting for Godot, which, incidentally, was parodied in "Waiting To Go."

Errors

 * Right before Arthur imagines him and Brain trying to barter, the cuff of his shirt is missing its line. Right after the imagination spot the lines are on the cuff.
 * When Francine and Muffy first visit Brain's room, the Grebes hat on his shelf is green and yellow, the usual Grebe colors. However, when Muffy returns, the hat is now red and a light tan color.

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