Generosity

"Generosity" title screen

**Generosity** is the twelfth episode of the first season of Adventures from the Book of Virtues.

## Plot

Zach and Annie are collecting canned goods to donate to a homeless shelter, but while doing so, they care more about the rewards they'll get for their generous actions than actually helping the hungry. Because of that, Plato is able to tell them some stories about how Generosity can benefit for the people around us.

## Full Synopsis

Up at Plato's Peak, Zach is carrying armloads of cans, at the same time that Socrates walks in rather sleepily. Unfortunately, Zach ends up bumping into Sock, which causes Zach to drop the cans that he had been carrying, at the same time that the cans fall around Sock and form a cage, while Sock cries out to be let out and that he's innocent. Because of that, Zach and Annie are able to let Sock out by removing the cans while Zach apologizes for what happened, before Annie asks Sock if he's okay. Sock answers that he is before asking Zach and Annie what they're doing with all of those cans. Annie answers that they're collecting canned goods to donate to a homeless shelter. At the same time, Zach states that he could have sworn that he had one more can of pinto beans, before the sounds of choking are suddenly heard from one of the holes in the ground. The can suddenly sails out from the hole, before Aristotle pops out as well, just as Zach catches the can while thanking Ari, who angrily asks if they're trying to suffocate him, then asks Zach and Annie what they're up to.

    Zach and Annie start putting the cans in boxes while Sock is amazed that they're really been working, just as Zach carries one box over to a wagon. Ari then asks what they'll do when they get them all loaded, with Annie answering that they carry them down to the shelter and leave them there. Zach then remarks that it's a shame to do all the work and nobody knows that they did it, which Annie agrees with while saying that it would be nice if everyone knew who to thank for all of the stuff. Zach then comes up with the idea that they could have a ceremony and make an official presentation, that they could set up bleachers and sell hot dogs, and that the school band could even play for them. Sock then offers to make a speech, and when Ari asks why him, Sock answers that he happens to have a beautiful speaking voice.
However, Annie doesn't think that they should have a ceremony, before deciding on the idea of a picnic, which is the way to go, with games and sing-alongs and even a big banner that says "Annie and Zach's Canned Goods Day". However, Zach takes umbrage at this, asking Annie if she means "Zach and Annie", but Annie doesn't think so. Plato and Aurora then exit from the cave, while Plato greets Zach and Annie, telling them that it's good to see the two of them work so hard to help others, while Aurora adds that it's very generous.

    Zach then explains that Annie wants her name listed first on the banner, which Plato and Aurora question about. Zach and Annie then get into an argument, while Annie argues that her name comes first in the alphabet, with Zach countering that the whole project was his idea in the first place. However, Plato points out to the two that Generosity is not just the giving away of valuables, and that there's also a Generosity of spirit between friends, before recalling a story called "Rocking-Horse Land", where a young prince named Fredolin learned that very lesson.

Story #1: Rocking-Horse Land

After the story ends, Annie sees what Plato means, which is that friends are generous to each other. Annie then comes up to Zach and tells him that his name can be first in the banner, but Zach tells her that he figured out how they both can be first, showing her that he spelled out both of their names with the cans, with Annie's name spelled out from the 'A' in Zach's name. Annie praises Zach for the idea, because now everyone can read Zach's name first, or Annie's, and that it works either way, while Zach adds that they'll know for sure who donated the cans. Zach also reveals that he used all the creamed corn in Annie's name, because he hates creamed corn, which Annie says is fine because it looks great. Sock then brings everyone to attention that he spelled out his name too, holding up a bunch of cans in the shape of his name. While Ari is impressed by Sock's feat, he points out that there's one problem with the way Sock did it; that's impossible.

    Sock is surprised when he hears this, before he drops the cans, which everyone laughs about. Aurora then comes up to Zach and Annie and tells them that it's wonderful to see them working so hard in the spirit of Generosity, which reminds her of another story, which is the story of Old Mr. Rabbit.

Story #2: Old Mr. Rabbit's Thanksgiving Dinner

After the story ends, Zach and Annie tell Aurora that they get it, which is that it's the giving that's important, not getting the credit for it. Zach and Annie resume collecting the cans and putting them in boxes, just as Sock comes up to them and quips that he thought it meant that if you're going to give people something yucky like turnips then to be sure that they don't know who you are, which everyone laughs at again. Annie states that it's not like they want to brag, before Zach adds that they're just proud that they're giving people something they can really use.

     Annie further adds that it's the kind of gift that really makes you feel good, the important kind, the kind that's really worth giving. Plato tells Zach and Annie that they have every right to be proud and that they worked very hard and that their gift will do a lot of good, before recalling that he was reading a story just the other day about a completely different type of gift, a rather foolish one. Ari then pops up out of the ground while remarking that he remembers that one and tells Plato to hang on, before he pops back into the ground and is able to retrieve the Book of Virtues before he brings it to Plato and opens it. Plato is able to find the story he was talking about and thanks Ari, before he proceeds to read the story, which is "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry.

Story #3: The Gift of the Magi

After the story ends, Sock has been moved to tears while Annie acknowledges that Jim and Della both gave away what they loved the most just so they could give something to each other, before Zach adds that at the end, they were happy, because their joy came from giving the gifts, which Plato confirms. Because of that, Annie tells Zach that they better get started to get all the cans to the shelter before dark, which Zach telling her that he's all set.

     The two then put the last boxes in their wagons before they start to leave, but not without Sock asking them about their picnic or their banner. This causes Zach and Annie to realize that those are silly ideas, musing about why anybody needs to know who gave them this stuff, because what counts is the giving. This prompts Plato to tell Zach and Annie to count that day well-spent, before he proceeds to recite the poem Count That Day Lost by George Eliot. Zach and Annie have soon arrived at the homeless shelter as they place the boxes of cans at the front, ring the bell, then leave.

     When the head of the homeless shelter exits, she sees the boxes left by the door, before she picks them up one by one and starts to carry them inside. Zach and Annie then go off to resume their donation of canned goods to homeless people.

## Characters

* Annie Redfeather
* Zach Nichols
* Plato
* Aurora
* Aristotle
* Socrates

## Trivia

* This is the first episode for several things:
	+ The first episode since Work to be written by John Loy.

## Errors

* When Annie is telling Plato that she sees what he means after "Rocking-Horse Land" ends, Sock's eyes are colored white instead of yellow.
* When Plato is telling Zach and Annie that they've worked hard, his tail is colored dark brown instead of light brown.