Tea at the Treedome

"Tea at the Treedome" is the third segment of the first episode of SpongeBob SquarePants. It is notable for being the first appearance of Sandy Cheeks.
==Synopsis==
While out jellyfishing in Jellyfish Fields, SpongeBob spots a young female squirrel wrestling with a giant clam. He thinks that she is in trouble and goes to wrestle the clam himself. The squirrel manages to escape the clam, and SpongeBob ends up inside of it, but the squirrel rescues him and throws the clam out of the area. SpongeBob introduces himself to the squirrel, who says that her name is Sandy Cheeks. When SpongeBob inquires about the helmet she wears, Sandy tells him that it's her air helmet. SpongeBob does not know what air is, but does not tell her this, instead saying that he loves air. Sandy, surprised that SpongeBob is fond of air, invites him to her "Treedome" for "Texas tea" and cookies.
SpongeBob quickly runs over to Patrick's rock and tells him what happened. Patrick tells him that "putting on airs" is fancy talk. He then tells SpongeBob if he wants to be fancy, to hold his pinky finger high above him.
When SpongeBob arrives at Sandy's Treedome, he notices that the water level inside drops. This causes him to panic, but he claims to Sandy that there isn't any problem and tries his hardest to breathe, not realizing that sea creatures like himself need water to survive. Sandy gives him a tour of her Treedome, showing him that she has an oak tree and a bird bath. During this, SpongeBob quickly sneaks over to the bird bath, which is filled with water, as he now knows he needs water to breathe properly. He gives Sandy some flowers, and she goes to get a vase for them. Patrick, watching from outside the treedome, tells SpongeBob to keep his pinky finger up. Sandy returns and places the flowers in a vase, filled with ice cold water, on the picnic table. SpongeBob tries to resist drinking the water while Sandy goes to get the tea and cookies. He eventually gives in, drinks the water, and runs for the door, declaring that he is a quitter. Patrick, thinking he is being shy around Sandy, enters the Treedome and tries to convince him to stay. But after a moment, Patrick soon finds himself dehydrating as well. The two struggle to get out of the treedome, but are unsuccessful.
When Sandy comes back, she shrieks as she spots both Patrick and SpongeBob dried up on the grass. She helps them by giving them water-filled helmets. In the end, Sandy proposes a toast to new friends, and they drink their tea. SpongeBob and Patrick drink by gulping the tea-filled water in their new helmets, with their pinky fingers pointing up.
==Home video releases==
;VHS
* SpongeBob SquarePants: Deep Sea Sillies
;DVD
* SpongeBob SquarePants: Tales from the Deep
* SpongeBob SquarePants: The Complete 1st Season
* SpongeBob SquarePants: 10 Happiest Moments
* SpongeBob SquarePants: The First 100 Episodes
==Trivia==
*This episode is number 17 on Tom Kenny's Top 20 on iTunes.
*This episode was ranked #46 in The 100 Greatest Nicktoon Episodes countdown.
*This was the first episode to be written by Paul Tibbitt, show runner and writer for the series.
*In this episode, the water helmets have two openings. However, in later episodes, there is only one.
*SpongeBob and Patrick are shown to dry up without water. However, in "Pressure", "Survival of the Idiots", and The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, they manage to survive without it, even going above water in two of those examples. This is supposedly because of moisture in the air, with snow in "Survival of the Idiots" and mist and the sea spray on the island and the beach.
*This is the first time SpongeBob is seen jellyfishing.
==External links==
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