The Cherry Tree

Summary
Muffy's insistence on having a huge dream bouncy castle at her party results in her favorite cherry tree being cut down to make room for it.

Plot
In the introduction, Arthur talks about the importance of trees while climbing one. Then he imagines the trees disappearing, but hopes it will never happen.

The Cherry Tree

Muffy plans a spring party with a big bouncy castle. She is disappointed when her father tells her that the castle won’t fit on the grounds. Mr. Crosswire calls his neighbor and the next morning he surprises Muffy with the news that he swapped some land with his neighbor and now has enough room. Muffy is delighted and sends out invitations.

Muffy plans the party with Francine when she hears a chainsaw. The neighbor is felling the tree. Mr. Crosswire informs her, that the tree is on the piece of land he gave to his neighbor. He did not know how Muffy felt about the tree.

Muffy sadly remembers the good times she had under the tree and the good cherry jam it gave.

In school the kids present reports about the environment. George explains how trees help to prevent global warming. After class other kids ask Muffy about the castle, but Muffy announces that she is going to cancel the whole party.

When she is about to send the cancellations, Bailey comes with a sack of tree cuttings and suggests changing the theme of the party.

At the party Muffy surprises everyone by announcing that they will all be planting cherry trees on the lawn the Crosswires got from their neighbor. The kids hesitate, but when Muffy actually gets her hands dirty, they follow suit and enjoy themselves.

At the end of the party everyone gets a cherry sapling. Francine gets an aloe plant to improve her complexion. Muffy and Bailey remark that Muffy’s dad will not get a tennis court, but a cherry orchard and a lot of jam.

Major

 * Muffy Crosswire
 * Ed Crosswire
 * Bailey

Minor

 * Arthur Read
 * George Lundgren
 * Buster Baxter
 * Francine Frensky
 * Binky Barnes
 * Nigel Ratburn
 * Anton (Doesn't speak)

Cameo

 * 3rd Grade Male Dog (Number 3)
 * Maria Pappas
 * Alex
 * 3rd Grade Male Rat
 * 3rd Grade Female Cat (Number 2)
 * 3rd Grade Male Cat
 * 3rd Grade Female Aardvark (Number 2)
 * 3rd Grade Male Rabbit
 * Fern Walters
 * Sue Ellen Armstrong
 * Jenna Morgan
 * Kenny
 * Mary
 * Jessica
 * Beulah McInnerny

Trivia

 * This is one of the episodes that focus on . The others are "Arthur's Treasure Hunt" and "Arthur Cleans Up".
 * At the beginning, the bug's scream is actually a high-pitched version of Timmy Tibble's scream from D.W. Rides Again. This scream would be used again (in its original pitch) for Little Jack Murphy in Prunella and the Haunted Locker.
 * Moral: Dont overreact for your own benefits.

Errors

 * Francine says that Muffy's spring party is the best one yet. However, Francine and Muffy met just one year ago in second grade, so it is likely this is only the second spring party Francine has even attended.
 * Behind Ed Crosswire's desk, there is a poster with the words "Saleman of the Year" which is most likely meant to say "Salesman of the Year."

Cultural references

 * The title and plot are based on Chekhov's play.