Squeaky Boots

"**Squeaky Boots**" is a *Maggie Muffin* episode from season 1. In this episode, Maggie buys boots from Ms. Owl, which causes a very annoying squeaky sound.

## Characters

* Florence Owl
* Sanjay Owl (debut)
* Maggie Muffin
* Kira Moonhead
* Helen Luggins

## Synopsis

The episode begins on Pearl's birthday, where Ms. Owl attempts to cheaply entertain her party guests. When this does not receive a warm reception, he moves on to presenting Pearl with his present. She opens the package, eagerly hoping for a pair of the popular flipper slippers all her friends wear. What she finds instead is a pair of rubber fishing boots, a real bargain for Ms. Owl but a mortifying gift for her. Pearl starts to cry, and she cries very loudly causing the house to shake.

Left stuck with a two-dollar pair of boots, Ms. Owl wonders what he can do with them. Maggie arrives to ask for his paycheck, and Ms. Owl decides to play up the value of the boots, telling Maggie they are meant only for the world's greatest fry cook. At first, Maggie doesn't seem to believe it, but Ms. Owl wins him over saying they are far from ordinary and were handed down by "the most famous fry cook in the sea." Maggie longs to wear such a pair, but Ms. Owl denies his request until Maggie offers up his paycheck in exchange.

Moments later, Helen is polishing off a drinking glass when he notices Maggie wearing tall black boots. Maggie asks Helen if he likes them, but Helen doesn't respond. Maggie, however, takes a liking to the new boots immediately, thinking they are pretty cool and have made him an official fry cook. Unfortunately, the boots make a loud squeak every time they move, much to the annoyance of Helen. To Ms. Owl and her boots merely make the sound of music.

That night, Ms. Owl begins to dream about the cash lining his register, but sounds of squeaking invade his slumber and the squeaky boots appear in his dream jumping in his register. He awakens to see his window opening and closing squeakily. He goes to close it, but he steps into a knothole, breaks his leg literally in two and falls outside. Limping back upstairs, he finally closes the window and returns to sleep, but the window opens once more. Repeated attempts eventually yield success, but he breaks his other leg on the way back to his hammock and becomes entangled in it, just as the window resumes squeaking open and closed.

Trudging to work on bandaged legs, the tired Ms. Owl looks forward to at least having a successful business day. He arrives to find Helen leaving for a week-long vacation in a huff. Ms. Owl cannot understand what could be wrong when business is booming, but it soon becomes clear as Maggie comes into view, revealing that the squeaking of his new boots are to blame. Ms. Owl is rather surprised Maggie is still wearing his new boots, with Maggie replying that he loves them. Enthusiastic as ever about wearing the boots of "the world's greatest fry cook," Maggie demonstrates how he hopes to live up to the title by performing various feats and tricks with the boots squeaking all the while. While the customers don't seem to be bothered by the squeaky noise, Ms. Owl grows ever more weak and weary, retreating to his office for peace. The sounds permeate inside, however, and he decides he must get rid of the boots once and for all.

Back at the pineapple house, Maggie heads to bed, still wearing the boots, vowing never to take them off, as they've changed his life. While he is sleeping, Ms. Owl slips off the boots from Maggie's feet and brings them back to the Lightbulb Office to hide them. The next morning, Ms. Owl is sitting peacefully with his dollar bills when a sobbing Maggie enters, apologizing for losing the precious boots, and admitted his belief of his fault. Ms. Owl attempts to console him with "magic oven mitts," but they do nothing to heal Maggie's pain. Unsure of what else to do, Ms. Owl takes a customer's order. However, the order comes out as a series of squeaks. Horrified, Ms. Owl soon hears everyone and everything making the dreaded squeaking sound.

Driven to madness, Ms. Owl snaps and confesses that he took the boots underneath the restaurant's floorboards. He pulls the floorboards out, takes the squeaky boots to the kitchen and dips them into the fryer before devouring the shriveled footwear. Satisfied, he tells the mystified Maggie that he doesn't need special boots to be a great fry cook as he already is one, and so gives Maggie his long-overdue paycheck and an extra bonus, before quickly deciding to take back that extra bonus. Ms. Owl then heads off on a week-long vacation with Pearl, having finally bought her a pair of Flipper Slippers for the trip. Much to his dismay however, a tell-tale squeak starts hiccupping from him as he drives and continues all the way down the road, as the episode ends.