The Cherry Tree/Transcript

The Cherry Tree

Introduction

Arthur walks up to a tree.

Arthur: Hi, tree. How's it going? Trees don't say much. Maybe that's why I don't notice them most of the time. But there's a lot going on in them. There is a nest on a branch. Birds make their homes there, so do bugs. A bird looks into a tree hole, causing a beetle to scream. Cats love to climb trees. Nemo sneaks up on the bird, which flies away. Arthur climbs the tree. And kids do too. Yup, everyone likes a good tree. I wonder what life would be like without them? The tree disappears and Arthur falls down. Ahh! He picks up his glasses. Nemo falls down beside him. The birds’ nest falls and a group of beetles fall down. Other trees disappear causing birdhouses, feeders and swings to fall down. Good thing that'll never happen. Right?

Title Card: Slot Machine: Muffy

Muffy walks the ground of the Crosswire mansion followed by Bailey. They come to a big blooming cherry tree.

Muffy: Now, it's a spring party theme, so everything has to be springy. We'll have a pink and green tent over there, and the trained poodles here. And here is where the main attraction will be.

She shows Bailey a picture in the “Lil’ Mogul” magazine.

Bailey: St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow? I fear the Russian government may not approve of its relocation, Miss Muffy.

Muffy sits down on a swing that is hanging from the cherry tree.

Muffy: No, silly. It's a giant bouncy castle. It just looks like that other thing. You know, I've never liked bouncy castles, but there's something about this one that's different.

Bailey: The heart is indeed mysterious, Miss Muffy. However, the dimensions of this are quite large. Are you sure it will fit here?

Muffy: Of course it will. I'll just have Daddy move some things around.

She takes the magazine and leaves.

***

Mr. Crosswire looks at the “Lil’ Mogul” magazine in his office.

Mr. Crosswire: Sorry, Muffin, but we can't get Anastasia's Dream Palace. It's too big.

Muffy: What?!

Mr. Crosswire: I just spoke with the gardener, and the yard's just not big enough.

Muffy: But the bouncy castle is the centerpiece of the whole event!

Mr. Crosswire: Why don't you get the bouncy pirate ship instead? That could fit.

Muffy: A pirate ship? Daddy, how could you?!

She walks out.

Mr. Crosswire: I'm sorry, sweetums, but there's nothing I can do. We can have the poodles!

Muffy closes the door.

Mr. Crosswire looks sad. He looks out of the window, then he smiles and picks up the phone.

Mr. Crosswire: Anton? This is Ed Crosswire, your neighbor. I have a proposition for you.

***

The next morning Muffy walks into the dining room where her dad is having buns and coffee.

Muffy: (sighs)

Mr. Crosswire: Morning, princess. Hot Crosswire bun? Made them myself.

Muffy: No, thank you. I'm not hungry.

Mr. Crosswire: Well, maybe I could interest you in...this.

He removes a silver lid from Muffy’s plate, revealing a picture of the bouncy castle and the words “Order Placed”.

Muffy: (gasps) Yay! The bouncy castle. But I thought you said that there was no room.

Mr. Crosswire: There wasn't until I did a land swap.

He unrolls a map of the property.

Muffy: A what?

Mr. Crosswire: I gave our neighbor this little wooded area here, and he gave us a bigger field right here. We'll even have room for that tennis court I wanted.

Muffy hugs him.

Muffy: My Daddy's the most brilliant businessman in the world! Ah! I'd better get to work on those invitations. She runs out. Bailey!

***

Muffy sits at a table and signs envelopes which Bailey licks and closes. One falls through Arthur’s letter slot. Buster finds one in his mailbox and Francine gets one directly from Mr. Higgins the mailman. Mrs. Barnes brings Binky and envelope while he is having breakfast.

***

Francine lies on Muffy's bed.

Francine: Is it a Ferris wheel?

Muffy: Nope.

Francine: A chocolate fountain?

Muffy: No.

Francine: Is it bumper cars? Please say it's bumper cars!

Muffy: Sorry. You'll just have to wait till the party to find out what the big surprise is.

She comes out of her closet with two dresses.

Muffy: Now, which one do I wear? Classy or sassy?

A chainsaw is heard outside.

Francine: What's that sound?

The girls look out of the window.

Muffy: (gasps)

***

Outside the Crosswire’s neighbor is felling the cherry tree while Mr. Crosswire stands nearby. Muffy comes running.

Muffy: Stop! Stop! Daddy, he's cutting down my tree! Do something!

Her dad picks up a swing lying on the ground.

Mr. Crosswire: It's not your tree any more, pookums.

Muffy: What do you mean?

Mr. Crosswire: Remember I told you about the land swap? Well, that tree is now on Anton's property. He can do whatever he wants with it.

Anton pushes the tree over.

Muffy: But...I love that tree.

Mr. Crosswire: Oh, I wish you had said something earlier. Well, look at the bright side. Plenty of room for the bouncy castle now.

Francine: Cool! I love bouncy castles.

She walks off.

Mr. Crosswire: I was thinking, we should move this swing where the tennis court will be, right over here.

Muffy looks sadly at the felled tree.

***

That night Muffy sadly looks at the tree stump outside her window. Bailey comes in with a tray.

Bailey: A-hem. Your steamed milk, Miss Muffy.

Muffy: That cherry tree's been there since I was born.

Bailey: And a few years before that, I imagine. It gave us some excellent jam.

Muffy: (sighs) No more cherry jam.

Bailey: When last I checked, the supermarkets still had an ample supply.

Muffy: I know, but it won't taste the same.

Bailey: True.

Muffy lies in bed. She sees her dad setting up the swing when she was about three.

She also sees herself having a picnic under the tree with her dad.

She sees herself standing under the tree while Francine shakes down cherries.

Francine+Muffy: (giggle)

***

Binky reads his report “Recycling Rocks” in class.

Binky: And rocks are not just great paperweights, they're also good for breaking other rocks. He smashes two rocks together. (grunts) The end.

Mr. Ratburn: Thank you, Binky. That was...invigorating. Our next report on the environment will be from George.

George steps up.

George: (clears throat) Trees are like the lungs of the Earth, without them we couldn't survive. Chopping lots of them down hurts the entire planet.

Muffy: What? Why?

George: Erm, well, it's kind of like this. He shows pictures on a flipchart. The pictures become animated. When people burn stuff like gas for their cars, this thing called carbon goes into the air. The trees breathe in the carbon dioxide, out of the air, and then breathe out oxygen, into the air. When trees are cut down, like for lumber, or to make room for buildings, more carbon stays in the air. Trees are replaced by a bouncy castle. That carbon can trap the sun's rays.

Muffy jumps in the bouncy castle. 

Muffy (in fantasy): Wheeeee!

George: And that's one of the things that makes the Earth hotter, and hotter, and hotter!

A sweating Muffy comes out of the castle.

The fantasy ends.

Mr. Ratburn: Excellent, George. You seem to really understand the topic. Next, Buster will tell us a little bit about mold.

Buster takes a smelly packet of Vieux Boulogne cheese out of his backpack.

***

Francine and Muffy walk down a school corridor.

Francine: I can't believe Buster did a whole report on a piece of cheese. Ergh!

Arthur and Binky follow them.

Arthur: Hey, Muffy. Is it true that there's gonna be the world's biggest bouncy castle at your party?

Binky: I heard it was the size of a football field.

Muffy: You told?!

Arthur: Will the castle have a moat? I just want to know if I should bring my swimsuit.

Muffy: There isn't going to be any castle.

Francine: There isn't? Why not?

Muffy: Because there isn't going to be any party.

She walks off.

***

Muffy works at her computer when somebody knocks.

Muffy: Come in. Hi, Bailey. Just a second while I finish this email.

Bailey comes in with a sack and looks over her shoulder.

Bailey: You're cancelling the spring party?? But why?

Muffy: What's there to celebrate? A beautiful tree was cut down and the world is a little hotter, and it's all my fault.

Bailey: I think you're being a little too hard on yourself, Miss Muffy.

Muffy: Maybe. But I still don't feel in the mood for a party. There. Now, all I have to do is send it.

She is about to send an email.

Bailey: Wait. Couldn't we just change the theme of the party?

Muffy: Sack races? I don't know, Bailey. That's not very original.

Bailey: I was referring to what's in the sack, Miss Muffy. He out a cherry sprig. You see, these are cuttings from the branches of the cherry tree. Our neighbor was good enough to give them to me.

Muffy: What can you do with those?

Bailey: A great deal.

***

On the day of the party most kids are gathered under a party tent in the Crosswire’s yard.

Binky: Have you tried the cherry lint? It's delicious.

Francine: It's not "lint", Binky, it's blins. They're little Russian pancakes.

Binky: Well, whatever they're called, I could eat a hundred of them.

Arthur: Hey, what do you think those shovels are for?

Nearby is a table with shovels and bags of earth.

Buster: Maybe we're going to build a dirt castle.

Francine: Haha! Right! Can you imagine Muffy digging?

Muffy clinks a spoon against a glass. She is wearing dungarees.

Muffy: Attention, everyone! Welcome to the annual Crosswire spring party. Now, I know some of you heard that there was going to be a bouncy castle...

George: I heard it was going to be a bouncy skyscraper...

Francine: No, no, it was a whole bouncy city with bouncy suburbs.

Buster: No, I thought it was going to be a bouncy spaceship...

Binky: Someone told me it was a bouncy...

Muffy whistles with two fingers.

Muffy: Quiet!! There's not going to be a bouncy anything.

Kids: Aww.

Muffy: But there is still a surprise. We are all going to... plant some cherry trees!

Everybody looks surprised.

Binky: We're going to do gardening? This is probably all because of that tree report you did.

He takes a blini off of George’s plate.

Muffy: Oh, come on! It'll be fun! When have I ever thrown a bad party? The kids exchange looks. Fine. I'll plant them all myself!

She takes a shovel.

Francine: Muffy's gonna get her hands dirty? Come on, we have to see this.

The kids follow Muffy. She puts her shovel down.

Muffy: (grunts)

She cannot get the shovel through the grass, but Binky helps her.

George starts digging. He turns around to find he has thrown earth on Binky.

Binky: Arrrghh.

Arthur and Binky plant a tree cutting. Muffy gives them the thumbs up.

Francine waters her plant with a hose. She sprays some water on Muffy.

Muffy: Ahh!

Francine: (chuckles)

When Francine squats beside her plant, Muffy pours water from a watering can over her.

Francine: Aahh!

Muffy: (giggles)

Binky has dug a hole half as deep as he is tall.

Bailey: That's enough, Binky. There's nothing more to plant.

***

At the end of the party Bailey hands out potted cherry saplings.

Binky: Oh, this was great! If you ever need a hole dug, you call me first.

Muffy: Don't forget your party favor plant.

Binky: You mean, I get to dig at home too? Oh, you sure know how to throw a party.

Francine: He's right. I think this was your best spring party yet.

Muffy: (sighs) You know, it's really tough to outdo myself each year, but somehow I always manage. Oh, wait! This is a special party favor, just for you.

She hands Francine a potted plant.

Francine: What is it?

Muffy: An aloe plant. Just break the tip off and rub it into your skin. It'll really help your complexion.

Francine: (unenthusiastic:) Thanks.

She is the last to leave.

Bailey: Just think, Miss Muffy, one day we'll be looking at a full-grown cherry orchard.

The newly acquired bit of lawn is now full of cherry saplings.

Muffy: It's so exciting! Of course, Daddy won't have room for his tennis court now.

Bailey: True. But he will have a lot of jam.

A bird lands on a sapling and sings.