Kings of the Castle

## Stats

**Kings of the Castle** is the 48th episode of the series *Babar* that aired on March 4, 1991.

## Summary

Pom, Flora, and Alexander leave their house for school by taking the school bus. Shortly after they leave for school, Zephir comes to the palace and asks Babar for help. Zephir explains about the frosty cone machine and how the Rhino red tape (from rhino custom's office at Rhinoland) has it. Zephir is mad that he does not even have the machine, especially after he made an advertisement about it. Babar gladly helps Zephir. Meanwhile at school, Madame is teaching students about tackling a problem. Victor uses strength, Pom uses wits, and Flora uses cooperation with Alexander. After class, the students start doing homework, about finding out how neighbors find a way to understand and improve cooperation.

At Rhinoland, while Lord Rataxes is boxing at the sandbag, he is angry about Royal Homage day (the day when everyone is supposed to love him), because nobody gives him any presents. When Babar calls Rataxes about the Frosty Cone Machine, he says that he has no idea about it and said that even if he did he wouldn't care. While he is asking Basil about his popularity, he suggests Lord Rataxes about free frosty cones for everyone to boost Rataxes' popularity. After Basil's suggestion (the one Rataxes has actually forgotten about it), they start working right away. Meanwhile in Celesteville, Pom, Alexander, Flora, and Victor start working on homework right away; Pompadour helps them finding neighboring kingdoms and how neighbors can learn from each other. Just then, Babar and Zephir pass by and are talking about Rataxes. Alexander and Victor come up with the idea for the homework. Back at Rhinoland, Lord Rataxes is giving away free frosty cone, with the help of his guards. Basil gives the report about the popularity, and how it has gone up and is 2 points more popular than a rattle snake bite. Victor comes home from Celesteville and explains the project that he is working on at school for homework, after Rataxes tells Basil to put in the paper that his son loves him.

Alexander, Flora, and Pom are discussing the same thing at Celesteville. Pompadour and Cornelius are of course shocked to hear it. The children ask them if Babar and Rataxes can trade places for one day to promote understanding and how they each face the problems they need to face. Rataxes calls Babar about it and soon they both decide to trade places in the end. The kids are excited so they can work on their homework when Rataxes arrives, while Pompadour and Cornelius knew that this will be a big disaster. Both Rataxes and Babar get themselves ready to trade places and soon each arrive at the palace they need to head to. Babar leaves, as Rataxes arrives at Celesteville. Immediately, Rataxes makes orders to Cornelius and Pompadour to wash his car and bring his things to Babar's office. He then orders the chefs to make food a banquet. Cornelius and Pompadour knew that this will not end well. Meanwhile at Rhinoland, Babar inspects Rataxes' royal guard, but the guards are angry after that. Basil tells Babar that he forgot to yell at them because without it, the guards get angry. At first, Babar thinks it is absurd, but decides to later gives them a shout. Basil then asks him to wrestle one of the guards and win as a rhino tradition and in order to maintain their respect. Babar refuses to wrestle and heads to Rataxes' office with Basil and Victor.

Back in Celesteville, Cornelius explains to Rataxes about a paper work, which is Babar's normal and important duty. Rataxes refuses of course, claiming that he is a ruler, not a clerk and orders Cornelius to fetch his golf clubs. Zephir comes in wanting to talk to Babar about his machine and is surprised to see Rataxes in the palace instead of Babar. Pompadour and the children explain to him about the situation. When Rataxes asks Zephir what he can do for him, immediately, Zephir bursts out in anger and demands Rataxes to bring back his machine. Cornelius is surprised and tries to warn Zephir but he continues to shout angrily. After he was done, Rataxes tells Zephir that he needs to go to a dungeon and says "Clap him in irons!". Rataxes orders Cornelius and Pompadour to build one, after Pompadour tells Rataxes that they do not have a dungeon. Rataxes then decides to go out and mingle with the populous to find out what makes Babar so well loved. The children begin to understand what Madame was saying about different solutions to the same problem, while Zephir is still frightened after Rataxes said "Clap him in irons". At Rhinoland, while one of the other guards teases him because of the fact that Babar did not wrestle one of them, Babar is shocked to see that another guard is using Zephir's frosty cone machine, after Basil explains to him about popularity boost, even if Basil states that it is a bit of bending of the rules happening all the times at Rhinoland. He orders Basil to stop using the machine and put it back where it belongs because it is not a right thing to do and it is theft. This in turn makes all rhinos angry so they make a big mess on Basil. Later that day, General Pomeir comes. When Babar asks the general to sit down, the general says that it is for sissies and says that he goes on task while standing up. He orders Babar for a sneak attack on the elephants, but of course Babar refuses.

Meanwhile at Celesteville, Rataxes tries to be polite as Babar but does not seem to work it out, even if he does say please. He asks the milk delivery man for a banana split, but changed his mind. He walks around Celesteville trying to admire the people around him but couldn't fit in. He asks for answers to find out why Babar is so popular but still cannot find it or does not understood even when he receives an answer that Babar is courteous and thoughtful. When a truck driver gets into an accident because of Rataxes, he tells the driver that Kings have the right of way. This angers the people of Celesteville and begin to throw pies and some other objects at him. After Pompadour tells Rataxes to take cover with Cornelius, Rataxes says to Pompadour and Cornelius to throw all of them in the dungeon, before a pie lands on his face.

Back at Rhinoland, Basil is finished with the orders that Babar ordered him, though Basil suggests that a day off for the people of Rhinoland (populous) is a bad idea. There are also scheduling conflict that Babar needs to face for them. Things turn out to be worse, not just a day off for populous, but also for the rest too. People of Rhinoland want Lord Rataxes back and protest in front of the castle. Babar, Basil, and Victor escape through the back way. While Victor is finishing his homework and Basil is driving Babar's car, Babar is hiding in the back seat. They later see Rataxes with Cornelius and Pompadour along with Babar's children in Rataxes' car. The children, Alexander, Pom, Flora, and Victor were done with the project. Even though Babar and Rataxes did learn something new, Rataxes still wishes that he could have learned more about popularity. The elephants go back to Celesteville in Babar's car, while the Rhinos take Rataxes' car and go back to Rhinoland. The next day (the Royal Homage day), while Rataxes is still not cheered up, Basil comes to Rataxes with a surprise and good news. The people of Rhinoland gave Rataxes gifts and shout out "We love Rataxes!" Rataxes cheers up joyfully and ran outside where the people of Rhinoland were.

Later at Zephir's ice cream shop, while Babar takes a rest from working at Rhinoland for a day and the children are celebrating their victory for the project they have done. Rataxes comes in and thanks Babar for boosting his popularity. He announces that he cut through the red tape and brought Zephir's frosty cone machine. The children shout with excitement and Zephir is surprised to hear the announcement. Rataxes orders Zephir a triple banana split and then says "please". Zephir still remembers what Rataxes said to him about "Clap him in irons". As Rataxes and Babar are talking about understanding from neighbors, Zephir was done making an order for Rataxes and gives it to him. Zephir pushed the order that Rataxes orders and soon it makes Rataxes a mess. Zephir walks back and says "I'll show him clap him in irons!" Finally Babar tells Rataxes "You can please some of the people some of the time, but don't get Zephir angry with you". The children including Victor laugh at Rataxes' funny face at the end.

## Trivia

* The title seemingly has a grammar error, *"King's* *of the Castle".*