Slither, Wriggle and Writhe

**Slither, Wriggle and Writhe** is the second episode of the first series.

## Plot

The Thing Upstairs has ordered Berk to put up some shelves. Berk brings Boni with him to assist him, but all that Boni does is complain. Berk places a stool under one end of the lower plank, and puts Boni under the other end. Drutt appears, and Berk tells him to clear off. Boni talks, as Berk arranges the higher shelf, causing Berk to loose his balance. Berk tells Boni to stop speaking, but Boni fails to resist, and Berk soon falls off. The shelves fall, and also break, as they land on the floor. The Thing Upstairs hears the commotion from upstairs, and asks Berk what all the noise is about. Berk informs him that he is just putting up the shelves, exactly like he wanted Berk to, and the Thing Upstairs tells Berk to keep the noise down.

Berk scolds Boni, and he puts Boni back in his hole. With the spare wood broken, and with Boni’s lack of co-operation, Berk decides on another solution. He then thinks of using some of the wood from the trap door, much to Boni’s disproval. As Berk tries to shut the trap door, a Kraken’s tentacles appear into the cellar. The Kraken picks up one of the planks, and hits Berk on the head. It wraps Boni around in another one of its tentacles, unwinds him, and causes Boni to spin. Drutt mistakes one of the arms as a worm. As Drutt bites it, the Kraken throws Drutt across the room.

An arm grabs Berk, wraps him around it, and pulls him down the trap door. Berk is briefly seen peaking out, before the Kraken shoots him into the air. Berk catches onto a shelf near the ceiling. The tentacled-beast then reappears. The Kraken grabs Berk again, causing Berk to pull down some wood and debris in the process. Berk grabs one of the pieces of wood. He whacks the Kraken’s arms, until they completely disappear back down the trap door.

Berk is happy that the Kraken is gone. He then goes back to his task of putting up the shelves, and decides to enlist Boni again. He asks Boni where he is, but Boni hides behind his hole. Berk takes the wood, and assembles the shelves on his own. Berk soon finishes, and admires his efforts. He asks Boni what he thinks, and Boni politely complements Berk for his handiwork. Berk is very happy, until the Thing Upstairs yells at him. The shelves collapse, ironically, when the Thing Upstairs noisily asks Berk if he had finished putting up the shelves.

## Trivia

* Berk’s “bonking” routine, which became a trademark in the TV series, was introduced in this episode. It was later referenced by Berk, in *Fester Rancid*, when teaching Bubo a lesson.
* Two short segments from this episode are featured in *Michaela’s Birthday Show for Boys*, a made-for-video special. The special also features part of the TV series’ opening titles, the title cards for *Food for Thort* and *Creepy Crawly*, and the final few seconds from *Gourmet’s Delight* and *The Big Thing*.
	+ *Michaela’s Birthday Show for Boys* was released by Channel 5 Video, which had previously released *The Trap Door* on video.

## Home media releases

### UK (VHS)

* *Creepy Crawly Adventures* (1986; re-released in 1991)
* *Michaela’s Birthday Show for Boys* (1990); clip
* *Breakfast Time and 11 Other Adventures* (2000)

### UK (DVD)

* *The Trap Door: Complete Collection* (2005)