Big's Big Bounce

Transcript for Big's Big Bounce
Narrator: One evening, Mr. Big looks out over the city skyline…

(Scene: Mr. Big’s penthouse office. He stands in front of the window looking out.)

Mr. Big: Leslie!

Leslie: Yes, Mr. Big?

Mr. Big: I own… everything in the world I could possibly want-- except… one thing!

(A screen comes down with a picture of the earth on top of a trampoline.)

Mr. Big: The Mega-Boing Trampoline. Ever since I was a little boy I wanted a trampoline, and this is clearly the greatest trampoline ever made! I need it, Leslie! I need the Mega-Boing Trampoline immediately!

Leslie: Um…

Mr. Big: (jumping up and down) Boing, boing, boing…

Leslie: Unfortunately, the Mega-Boing isn’t for sale, sir. There’s only one of them, and you have to-- (with air quotes) --”Win” it. It’s the grand prize for the annual Fair City scout granola bar sale.

Mr. Big: You mean, there’s something in the world I CAN’T buy?

Leslie: Afraid so, sir.

Mr. Big: Fair City scouts? Eww. Those friendly kids who wear the uniforms?

Leslie: And go on camping trips and sell granola bars, yes sir. They’re the only ones who can win the Mega-Boing Trampoline.

Mr. Big: Then I guess it’s time for Mr. Big to pay the Fair City scouts a visit!

Narrator: The next day, after school…

(Scene: the school. Violet, Scoops and Becky are walking together.)

Violet: I’m so glad you decided to join our Fair City scout troop, Becky!

Becky: Explain to me again what exactly we do besides wearing these very spiffy uniforms?

Scoops: Oh, the Fair City scouts are an after-school club for boys and girls that does all sorts of fun stuff. Camping, scavenger hunts, museum visits…

Violet: ...Art projects…

Scoops: ...Scary ghost stories…

Violet: ...Bird watching!

Scoops: And extra scary ghost stories! Woo-ooo!

Violet: I’m scared… (after a brief pause, she raises her arms in the air) Woo!

Becky: Those all sound pretty  tempting . Glad I joined! Not bad Bob.

(Bob is standing on a ladder, writing lines on the chalkboard while Mr. Dudley works at his desk. He shows what he has done, and Mr. Dudley excuses him.)

(The scene changes to the gymnasium. Violet, Becky, Bob, Scoops, Shelby Joy, Emma and Tessa are sitting on bleachers, surrounded by boxes of granola bars.)

Scoops: Mrs. Ripley, our gym teacher, is the troop leader--

(He is interrupted abruptly as Mrs. Ripley runs in and stands in front of them. She talks at them in a loud voice.)

Mrs. Ripley: Good afternoon, Fair City scouts! Do you know what time it is?

Becky: (whispering to Violet) What time is it?

Violet: It’s time to say the Fair City scout motto.

Mrs. Ripley: It’s time to say the Fair City scout motto!

(They all stand, and start reciting the motto. Becky tries to keep up.)

Everyone: Community for everyone, fun without a doubt! Community, Spirit, we’re Fair City scouts! Yeah!

Mrs. Ripley: Alright! I call this meeting of the Fair City scouts, troop 865 to order! And a very special welcome to our newest members, Becky and Bob Botsford! Yeah!

Becky: Heh, hi everyone.

Mrs. Ripley: It’s that time of year again, Fair City scouts. Time for the annual Fair City scouts granola bar fundraiser!

(There are groans from the members.)

Mrs. Ripley: Now kids, the annual granola bar sale is very important to our troop. For every granola bar you sell, the troop earns-- a little bit of money-- for all the fun things we get to do!

Violet: So the more granola bars we sell, the more fun adventures we can go on?

Mrs. Ripley: That’s right. And there’s one other thing… the troop that sells the most granola bars in the country will win-- are you ready? ‘Cause here it comes! A Mega-Boing Trampoline! The greatest trampoline in the entire world!!

(Everyone gets dreamy-eyed.)

Scoops: Oh…  tempting !

Violet: Give it to me, it’s mine!

Becky: That’s what  tempting  means. If something is  tempting , it’s something you want really badly, so badly you can’t help trying to get it. Wow…  tempting  trampoline.

Violet: But Mrs. Ripley, our troop never sells the most granola bars.

Scoops: Yeah, we’d have to  boost  our sales by a whole lot to win THAT trampoline.

Mrs. Ripley: That’s why I’ve brought in a new special troop leader, to help  boost  our sales! The city’s number one business person, the guy who can sell anything to anyone-- Mr. Big!

Mr. Big: Fair City scouts of troop 865… my name is Big, Mr. Big! And I’m here today to tell YOU about a little thing I like to call… sales! Now, can any of you tell me what I’m holding?

(He holds up a granola bar.)

Scoops: That’s a granola bar!

Mr. Big: No! Not just a granola bar… you’re not selling average, boring, run-of-the-mill granola bars! You, my fellow Fair City scouts, are selling DREAMS!  Tempting , delicious granola-filled dreams! If someone orders ONE granola bar, ask, why not five? If they order five, ask, why not fifteen? You’re not going door to door-- you’re going soul to soul, sale to sale! Eye contact-- firm handshake-- sell the crunch!

(Everyone, except for Becky and Bob, appears uplifted, and starts cheering at Mr. Big’s motivational speech. They start chanting, “Sell! Sell! Sell!”)

Mr. Big: Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! That’s the Fair City scout spirit! Now if you work hard and use the skills I’ve just taught you, I guarantee you’ll  boost  your sales!

Violet:  Boost ?

Mr. Big:  Boost . It means to raise up, or increase.

Becky: That’s right!

Mr. Big: Why, you’re a regular… WordGirl.

Becky: Uh, who? Me? (laughs) No no, no no, NOT a WordGirl.

Mr. Big: Anyway, if you sell the most granola bars and really  boost  your sales, you’ll soon be  boost ing your jumping ability with a new Mega-Boing Trampoline! Now, get your granola bars, get out there and SELL! SELL! SELL!

(All of the kids except Becky grab boxes of granola bars and dash out of the gym.)

Mrs. Ripley: That was some speech!

Mr. Big: Yeah… (to himself) ...and that’s some trampoline!

Becky: Um, ahem, I have a question? I want to know why YOU, Mr. Big, a known criminal mastermind, are suddenly so interested in helping the Fair City scouts?

Mrs. Ripley: (gasps) Becky! That accusatory tone is no way for a baby bear to speak to a special troop leader!

Mr. Big: Oh no, no, I understand Becky’s concern. I-- I have a reputation for, uh, “bending” the rules, and I just want to assure you both that I am HERE to HELP the Fair City scouts ACHIEVE their goals. It’s my way of-- giving back to the community.

Becky: So, this isn’t all some big, malicious plan?

Mr. Big: Mmmm… not at all.

Becky: Okay, but I have a friend who’s cousin has a sister with a neighbor who’s an acquaintance of WordGirl. Just so you know.

Mr. Big: Well I hope WordGirl buys a whole box of our granola bars.

Becky: Come on, Bob.

(The leave the gym.)

(Scene: The Botsford house, the next morning. Becky and Bob are leaving the house with a box of granola bars under each arm. There is a large number of boxes stacked on the counter.)

Becky: Bye, Dad! I’m going to school!

Mr. Botsford: Bye honey, have a great day!

(He sips some coffee, looks at the boxes, then spits it out.)

Mr. Botsford: Great crunchy salvation! Mint supreme Fair City scout granola bars! Oh, well, I’ve got to have one of those!

(He lifts up his wallet with cash sticking out, and laughs.)

(The scene shifts to art class, where Violet is busy persuading the class to buy her granola bars. She stands in front of a black-and-white drawing of a man who looks sad and forlorn.)

Violet: So I’m asking you, imagine a world without granola bars. A colorless world, bleak and unflavorful.

(She runs over to a colorful painting of someone happily eating a granola bar. There are stands on each side of it with granola bars stacked up. Her mood changes to excited and vibrant.)

Violet: Thankfully, there is an alternative!

(The scene shifts again to a wagon somewhere in town, stacked with boxes of granola bars, and Scoops stands on the back of the wagon addressing a crowd that has gathered.)

Scoops: We’ve got all five flavors-- Mint Supreme, Fudge and More Fudge, Turbo Walnut, Choco Delight, and Fern. Some of you may be hesitant to try the Fern, but trust me, it’s a flavor not to be missed!

(They stampede the truck for boxes, knocking Scoops over.)

“(The scene shifts back to the Botsford house, where Becky and Bob walk in to find Mr. Botsford lying on the counter, stuffing himself with granola bars. He has popped several buttons on his shirt. Piles of money are lying around.)

Becky: Dad! You ate ALL of them?

Mr. Botsford: I-- I know, honey, I’m sorry.

Becky: I understand, Dad. Those granola bars are  tempting !

(Scene: The school gymnasium, at the next meeting of the scouts. Mr. Big stands in front of them, holding an envelope. He pulls the letter from inside.)

Mr. Big: And the troop with this year’s highest sales-- winners of the Mega-Boing Trampoline--

(The scouts all tremble with anticipation. Mr. Big reads the letter, and starts laughing.)

Mr. Big: --Woodview Elementary’s troop 865!

(They all cheer. Mrs. Ripley hugs him, and even lifts him off the ground for a moment.)

Mr. Big: You see, kids, when you work hard and you believe in yourself, sometimes you can walk away with the grand prize! I’m going to love-- I mean, you’re going to LOVE-- your new trampoline!

(They all start cheering “Mega-Boink! Mega-Boink!” Becky and Bob look on suspiciously.)

(Scene: City Hall. The Mayor and Mrs. Ripley stand next to a large object, covered with a red cloth. A crowd has gathered behind the scouts.)

Mr. Botsford: We’re so proud of you, honey! I don’t know how you were able to sell so many granola bars!

Becky: Well, actually YOU ate a fair share of them, Dad.

Mr. Botsford: What can I say? I’m powerless against the  tempting  taste of Mint Supreme granola.

Becky: Hmm… where’s Mr. Big?

Mrs. Ripley: These scouts  boost ed their sales by five hundred percent! And so, it is with great pride that I present to the Fair City scouts of Woodview Elementary, their very own Mega-Boing Trampoline!

(She pulls off the cloth, revealing an empty box. Violet and Scoops stand there with tears in their eyes. Everyone else looks on with shock.)

Mrs. Ripley: (gasps) It’s gone!

(Realizing what happened, Becky and Bob march off with angry expressions.)

Mrs. Ripley: The trampoline was right there this morning! Where could it have gone?

Becky: Okay, Bob-- I think we both know what’s going on here. Ready to fight a little crime?

(Bob shrugs and chatters.)

Becky: Word UP!

(She changes into WordGirl and takes off with Huggy.)

Narrator: Meanwhile, up on the rooftop of Mr. Big Industries…

(Scene: Mr. Big’s skyscraper. We see a figure jumping up and down on top of it.)

Mr. Big: I did it, Leslie! I’m  tempted  to stay here bouncing forever! Whoopee!!

Leslie: Whoopee indeed, sir.

(WordGirl shows up, and hovers over the trampoline. She tries to talk to Mr. Big, but it is hard for her to keep up with the bouncing.)

WordGirl: Hold it-- right-- there, Mr. Big.

(Tired of trying to speak to him at the bottom of each bounce, WordGirl starts jumping on the trampoline along with him.)

Leslie: Hello, monkey man.

(He chatters at her in an angry voice. Meanwhile, WordGirl has caught up with Mr. Big, and is bouncing at the same rate as he is. The camera focuses on the top of their bounces, so as they speak, their voices fade out and then come back to normal.)

WordGirl: This trampoline belongs to the Fair City scouts!

Mr. Big: Of course it does, WordGirl. But I have it! I win! I steal! I’m Mr. Big!

WordGirl: Well, I’m here to let you know there are consequences for your actions! Huggy, NOW!

Mr. Big: Leslie, defeat that monkey, pronto!

Leslie: Hi--YA!

(She leaps over him, and starts bouncing on the trampoline. Huggy follows. The scene alternates between them, and then Mr. Big and WordGirl.)

WordGirl: I understand…

Leslie: Karate chop!

WordGirl: ...that keeping this trampoline…

(Huggy counters Leslie’s move.)

WordGirl: ...is a  tempting  idea…

Leslie: Kung Fu Attack…

WordGirl: ...but you’ve got to give it back!

(On the next bounce, WordGirl and Huggy are bouncing together, and he does a karate move before he realizes it.)

WordGirl: That’s strange…

(Mr. Big and Leslie now show up together at the top of the bounce.)

Mr. Big: You’ll never catch me… Leslie?

WordGirl: Huggy?

Leslie: Sir?

(WordGirl stops bouncing and hovers near the top. Mr. Botsford then appears, bouncing over her.)

Mr. Botsford: WordGirl!

WordGirl: Dad? I mean, drat!

Mr. Botsford: Going down..

(Huggy bounces up toward her, in a relaxed pose.)

WordGirl: Huggy, grab some trampoline springs!

(She flies down. As Mr. Big and Leslie reach the top of their bounce, Huggy pulls out some of the trampoline springs. WordGirl grabs him, then wraps the springs around Mr. Big and Leslie.)

(Scene: Back at City Hall.)

Mrs. Ripley: I’m sorry, Fair City scouts. I guess all your hard work was for nothin’.

WordGirl: Hey, Fair City scouts, look what I found!

(She flies in carrying the trampoline. They all cheer, and start jumping on it.)

Mrs. Ripley: Ha ha! Thank you, WordGirl! WordGirl? Hello, WordGirl?

(Becky and Bob run over to the trampoline.)

Becky: Hey, wait for me!

Narrator: Across town, Mr. Big and Leslie are wearing a different type of uniform… prison uniforms!

(Mr. Big and Leslie are standing by the side of the road picking up granola bar wrappers, with a police officer watching them.)

Narrator: Hey, you two. I’m going to go play on a trampoline! Isn’t that a  tempting  proposition? (laughs)

Mr. Big: Leave me alone!

Narrator: Oh, come on! I’m just trying to  boost  your spirits. Join us next time for another exciting episode of-- WordGirl!

(For the closing scene, WordGirl and Huggy are bouncing up and down, wearing scout sashes.)