Horrid Henry Takes a Shortcut

==Synopsis==
Henry and Ralph take a shortcut in order to catch up with the snobby, rich kids from his cousin’s school, but they soon discover that it doesn't always get you there quicker!
==Plot==
At school, Henry brings his PE shoes, but Ralph was nervous since they both entered the cross country race against The Brick House Boys. Henry tells him to relax because as reserves, they won't have to run unless Aerobic Al and Beefy Bert pull out. When Henry opened the door, he accidentally knocks Bert over causing him to crash into Al. Henry says ‘Oops’ seeing Al and Bert ending up in the gym cupboard and Mr Soggington asked them what happened, and they both said, 'I dunno’ while struggling to get up but failed. So, Mr Soggington makes Henry and Ralph take Al and Bert’s place, and much to their shock, the boys yelled, 'Noooo!!!' while going around in circles, opening the title card.
Back in the changing room, Mr Soggington shows the boys the map and told them that they have to run 5 miles. They both freaked and fake an injury, but Sid says they're representing the school and there is no pain, no game. As Mr Soggington goes to the starting line, Henry tells Ralph that they'll take a shortcut explaining his plan which includes using bikes, taking a bus straight back to the school and stopping at his house to also get money too. Henry and Ralph high five each other. At the starting line, the boys are standing next to The brick-house boys who looked big, strong and tough. Mr Soggington uses a pistol and shoots, the race has begun. The brick-house boys ran ahead fast and Henry and Ralph ran after them. Mr Soggington says to the audience 'It'll be a miracle if they make it by next week'.
First, the boys stop at Henry's house and they each get a bike (big and small). They manage to get to the park when they saw the brick-house boys building up speed. Soggy Sid saw them and passes them a drink each then says to the audience ‘I never knew they had it in them’, but the brick-house boys ran him over very fast pass the park hut.
Henry borrows a skateboard from a boy. Ralph waited, but then Hoppy the dog nearly peed on his leg and he stops him. As the boys get on the skateboard, they get wheeled by the dog ran, a bird pooped on Ralph's shirt since Henry thinks they’re both lucky. As they got to the exit, Hoppy pees on Henry's leg, which made him cross, and Ralph laughs. The boys saw a bus coming, and the brick-house are catching up. When they got on the bus, they get off since Henry hasn't got enough money because of his horrid parents. Suddenly a dust of speed by the brick house boys appears around the boys making them cough.
Henry then gets an idea: the boys use the trolley from the supermarket to get there. Ralph pushes Henry, and he turns left. They saw the bus, and Ralph pushes as fast as he can. Bert's Dad lets Henry, who paid, on, but not Ralph, since he hasn't got any money. Ralph asked him how he's going to get back, and Bert’s Dad said, 'I dunno.'
So Ralph pushes the trolley and goes back to the supermarket. On the bus, Henry saw the brick-house boys onboard. Henry was about to get off, but the brick-house boys beat him to it. However, The boys realized they got off the wrong stop and that Henry tricked them. Meanwhile, Ralph manages to get enough money. He waits but the bus didn't stop for him. Soon Ralph sees Hoppy again which gives him an idea.
Mr Soggington was at the school waiting as Henry gets off the bus and hides, but Ralph was still not here. Henry saw the brick-house boys coming, and he says 'Oh, it's not fair!'. Then they get knocked over by Ralph who finally shows up, and he gives Henry a lift in the shopping cart being wheeled by Hoppy who runs. Mr Soggington sees the boys and they cross the finish line.
Mr Soggington was thrilled that Henry and Ralph won, but the brick-house boys told him that they cheated. Sid tells them not to be sore-losers and that this victory was made possible by his expertise in the training when Hoppy pees on his leg, thinking he's a lamppost. Henry and Ralph laughed, but Mr Soggington yells 'NOOOO!!!' ending the episode.
== Characters ==
*Hoppy
* Aerobic Al
* Beefy Bert
* Rude Ralph
*Horrid Henry
* Mr Soggington
* Dad (mentioned)
* Mum (mentioned)
* Bert's Dad (first appearance)
* The Brick House Boys (first appearance)
* Mischievous Mike (cameo)
==Trivia==
*This episode marks the first appearance of Beefy Bert's Dad, he appears as a bus driver who says Bert's catchphrase, 'I dunno', in response to Ralph when he asks how he's going to get back when he can't take the bus. Bert's dad later has a non-speaking cameo in "Horrid Henry and the Special Spinner".
*You can't hear Henry scream, 'Noooo!!!' before the title card; just Ralph.
*It is unknown how Henry and Ralph got the trolley into the streets because at many supermarkets in the UK, there is a red line with a wire that makes the trolley automatically stop to prevent theft.
*This is one of the only episodes in which Perfect Peter does not appear. It is the first of five episodes where he's absent.
*The school bus stop looks different from other episodes and is on the other side of the school gates.
*The school is purple in the drawing on the wall that Mr Soggington drew to direct where Henry and Ralph would run to.
*Mum and Dad are absent and are only mentioned in this episode.
*This is the 100th episode, making the Horrid Henry episode count go into three figures.
*Mr Soggington says ‘Ad Solum Esperanto’ at the starting line.
*In Horrid Henry's Gross Guide to... Terrible Teachers! audiobook, it is said that the boy who lends Henry the skateboard is Mischievous Mike, and the audiobook was made in 2010 and Series 3 started airing in 2011, meaning that said boy was Mike, but when he didn't have a proper personality.
== Errors ==
* When the Brick House Boys are torpedoing past Henry's house, Moody Margaret's house has no windows.
* When the bus is stopping at the school, there are no wipers on the bus.
* When Ralph appears in the trolley being pulled by the dog, he disappears for less than half a second.
* The title card shows that the right Brick House Boy has light brown hair, but in the episode, he has dark brown hair.
== Videos ==
File:Horrid Henry - Henry Takes A Shortcut - Videos For Kids - Horrid Henry Full Episodes - HFFE
File:Horrid Henry Takes a Shortcut-2
File:Horrid Henry Series 2 Episode 48 Takes a Shortcut
Category:OAS Series 2