Dong-Chouel's Christmas Story

* Part I
* Part II

Dong-Chouel's Christmas Story is a Season 2 episode

## Characters

* Dong-Chouel
* Lee-Choi
* Young-Chouel
* Swoople
* Mrs. Chouel
* Mr. Chouel
* Ki-Chouel
* Jimmy
* Sae
* Sid-Jeon
* Myung-Hee
* Kim-Seo (does not speak)

## Plot

After Dong-Chouel accidentally steals a bike, he fears that he'll be arrested or put on the naughty List forever. Dong-Chouel must do whatever it takes to return the bike to the store and give everybody a Merry Christmas.

## Summary

### Part I

Christmastime has arrived in South Korea and the children of the contury are enjoying their just-started winter break. Mrs. Chouel picks up Dong-Chouel and tells him that there going Christmas shopping at the Jamsil store

While finding a present for Mr. and Mrs. Chouel, Dong-Chouel sees a bike, Dong-Chouel tells his mom that wants a bike, but Mrs. Chouel refuses to buy it because he already has one, Dong-Chouel tells Mrs. Chouel that he sold his bike to Jin-Gwan in The Red Envelope, as they leave the mall, Dong-Chouel thinks about having the bike, as the dream gets distracted when Ki tells Dong-Chouel about his wish list for this year's Christmas, Dong-Chouel tells Ki not to have the Crazy Train movie VHS because he and his friends might get annoyed

Back at the house, Dong-Chouel is tucked up in the floor by Mrs. Chouel and she sings him a lullaby. When he tries to explain that he's too old to be babied by her, Mrs. Chouel doesn't listen to him. She tells Dong-Chouel that she actually likes mothering him more as he is her favorite son.

Dong-Chouel makes other attempts to get the bike, but failed, visits the local Toy Store. a spoiled kid demands that his mother buy him a bike and he insists on buying two so he doesn't have to share with his sister. Dong-Chouel wistfully mentions that the boy is lucky he doesn't have to be overparented by his mother, unlike Mrs. Chouel who constantly overparents him. He sees Chul and Hyun shoplifting from the store. While talking to them, Chul and Hyun encouraged him to steal the bike, However, Lee's older brother is the only one against it and tries to talk Dong-Chouel out of it by telling him to think about the consequences of his actions. No longer able to resist the temptation, Dong-Chouel takes the bike, hides it outside and walks out of the store. Outside, Dong-Chouel thinks that he is home free, until he feels a heavy hand on his shoulder. He has been caught by the store's aggressive security officer, Detective Jack. Dong-Chouel is taken to a back room, where Jack shows him a film about shoplifting and calls his parents (he leaves a message because they were not home). Jack tells Dong-Chouel to leave his store and never come back while threatening him to spend Christmas in juvenile hall if he returns. Dong-Chouel races home, barely beating his parents (who are getting home themselves to change Ki's diaper); manages to replace Jack's phone message with another tape

Realizing he needs help, Dong-Chouel imagines himself calling together his three imaginary alter-egos - his own comic book character Meek Meek, and his ancestors - for help on how to return. After one of his ancestors asks him if he knows anyone who can provide him with high-tech gadgetry,

The next day, Mrs. Chouel announces plans to have their family's picture taken at a photographer's studio at the Store near their neighborhood - the same store that Dong-Chouel has been banned for the rest of his life as punishment for shoplifting. Dong-Chouel tries to convince the family to go to another store away from the house, even though Ki rebuffs the request. Dong-Chouel tells him that he wants to stay close to home. On the drive, he hallucinates Jack still threatening him to spend Christmas in juvenile hall if he comes back to the store, Dong-Chouel then imagines himself spending Christmas in juvenile hall with Chul and Hyun, and a few other juvenile prisoners. Horrified at the results, he watches his family head inside and wants to wait in the car. Ki refuses Dong-Chouel's request and forcibly drags him inside the store. At Dong-Chouel, he tries to avoid detection and for a while he is successful. However, when Jack learns he has returned from seeing security footage, he threateningly grabs Dong-Chouel just as the photographer snaps the picture and confronts him in his anger for returning to the store which he thought already got rid of him yesterday and started to poke his chest. Swoople pulls Dong-Chouel away from Jack's grip and demands to know why he interfered with their family Christmas photo. Jack quickly reveals to the rest of the Chouels that Dong-Chouel broke the "11th Commandment": Thou shalt not steal. Mrs. Chouel is in disbelief and tells him that her son is not a shoplifter. So Jack plans to show her and the rest of the Chouels, the surveillance tape on one of the TVs in the store. Mrs. Chouel challenges him to do so and tells him that she will prove he got someone else's child and not her son. In a desperate attempt to stop Jack from showing the security tape, Dong-Chouel blocks the TV and confesses to shoplifting the bike, from the store. However, his timing was late and the incriminating tape is playing on all the other TVs for sale for everyone to see. After watching the tape, Mrs. Chouel is depressed by the entire thing, Swoople and Young are surprised and Ki is enraged by Dong-Chouel's behavior.

After the family photo is ruined and still irritated at Dong-Chouel for his actions, Ki chews him out. He believes Dong-Chouel's selfishness and lack of concern for consequences in shoplifting for a bike he wanted, nearly got the family banned from the Try-N-Save near their home. In an effort to discourage theft in the house, Ki orders him to stay away from his Crazy Train collection.

Despite Dong-Chouel's best efforts to apologize to Mrs. Chouel, she distantly tells him that she is bitterly disappointed by his actions and quickly sends him to his room. As he runs to his room, she sadly puts up the family picture with Jack's hand yanking Dong-Chouel and hangs it. Mrs. Chouel is further depressed when it leans to the left side. While getting ready for bed, he questions what to do and if Marge will forgive him. Ki admits that he hasn't been as close to their mother as Dong-Chouel. However, she reveals that Mrs. Chouel can't forgive and forget that easily. She mentions that Dong's actions in shoplifting could have have not only banned them from the store, but also put him in juvenile hall. In Dong and Young's bedroom, he overhears Mrs. Chouel sing Ki a lullaby much to her delight and warmly wishes him good night. At first when he hears Mrs. Chouel comes to the door of his room, he expects a lullaby from her and untucks his sheets. When she arrives, Mrs. Chouel is distant towards Dong-Chouel. Rather than sing him a lullaby, she bids him an angry good night and closes his door. Dong-Chouel is now concerned about Mrs. Chouel's distance towards him because of the shoplifting.

Dong-Chouel is quickly left out of family activities, such as decorating the Christmas tree and having hot chocolate with marshmallows. When Dong-Chouel sees his hot chocolate missing marshmallows, Mrs. Chouel coldly tells him that he can put his own marshmallow in it. He then attempts to put his own marshmallow in his hot chocolate, but the marshmallow absorbs all of it, like a sponge. Disappointed, Dong-Chouel dumps it out onto a plate and eats it, while some poor people are asking him for a slice.

Later on, Dong-Chouel visits Sid-Jeon who is reading A Christmas Carol in an attempt to seek advice on how to deal with Mrs. Chouel's distance and ways to win back her love.

Sid tells Dong-Chouel the only way to get his mother's love back is apologize, But, he sees the the store being reported by the news about Dong-Chouel's stealing incident,

Back home, Dong-Chouel feels hopeless and imagines himself being accused by everyone

### Part II

Dong-Chouel is disappointed to learn that his family made snow statues of themselves without him. The family distantly and angrily tells him that they didn't think he would mind, but that he can make his own snowman from the dirty snow at Jin-Gwan's house. Dong-Chouel attempts to do so, on his own (as the rest of the family go inside to watch TV) but a bird lands on top of the crude snow statue of himself and ruins it.

Depressed Dong-Chouel leaves the house now fearing that he has lost his family's love and curses his family as he ponders what to do. Lee sees him and shows Dong-Chouel that he has been stealing again, stating "I knew you'd like it" before walking off laughing. Taking this in mind, Dong-Chouel returns to the store, vowing to show everyone "what a black sheep can do!"

Later at home, Dong-Chouel attempts to sneak past Mrs. Chouel (who is decorating the tree) unnoticed but is observed by Ki. She wants him to help her with another Christmas task, but her suspicions are aroused by his strange behavior, especially when she notices a bulge in his jacket. Believing he has been shoplifting again, The family's suppressed rage finally comes to the surface and Dong-Chouel refusing to hand over the item tries to flee. with Ki blocking Dong-Chouel's only escape route with a child's safety gate. Trapped Dong-Chouel is forced to hand the the item over. The found he stole the bike again,

They eventually chase him, they realize that he was stealing again,

The next day, The trial happens on Christmas Eve, all the while Dong-Chouel tries to communicate with Lee through sign language. Before Judge Patterson can pass the verdict, Lee, Myung-Hee and Swoople stand up for Dong-Chouel, asking if they could go to the lake and allow Dong-Chouel to tell his side of the story. The judge initially refuses, but Lee then makes a speech where he reminds everyone how helpful Dong-Chouel has been in the past, and how close-minded they have become. Eventually, the judge obliges to Dong-Chouel's request, and they all head to the store.

At the store, Dong-Chouel begins approaching the spot where he stole the bike, as two police cars arrive, Dong-Chouel begins panicking at this, and acts like a wild animal, and everyone thinks he is trying to attack his stealing again.

But just then, Dong-Chouel ends up falling through the thin ice, and Lee's horror dissipates upon realizing his best friend is in real danger,

Fortunately, Jimmy rescues Dong-Chouel from the cliff, Afterward, Dong-Chouel is considered a hero by the citizens of South Korea, and Jack drops the charges against him. On Christmas Day, Jack thanks Dong-Chouel, and as an apology for falsely accusing him for stealing, outside, Dong-Chouel and Swoople notice a big crowd, Swoople thinks it's an angry mob, when they answer the door, They see happy poor people, thanking Dong-Chouel for being a hero, as the episode ends with Dong-Chouel shedding a tear happily

## Quotes

Dong-Chouel: It was definitely hopeless!, The trail was the next day

Dong-Chouel: I've spend all night trying to come up with some other way to get the bike back!

## Broadcast History

### CBS

* November 28, 1987 (8:30am)
* December 24, 1988 (9:00am)
* December 23, 1989 (9:00am)

### Cartoon Network

* December 13, 1992 (2:00pm)
* December 14, 2002 (2:00pm)

### Boomerang

* December 22, 2000 (3:00pm)
* December 1, 2005 (12:00pm)
* December 25, 2019 (12:00pm)
* December 24, 2020 (11:00am)
* December 25, 2021 (11:00am)
* December 23, 2022 (11:00am)
* July 9, 2023 (1:00pm)

## Trivia

* This is the first episode to feature all of Dong-Chouel's alter egos and ancestors, Meek-Meek and Dong-Chouel's ancestors
* The production for this episode began when Albert Uderzo and Tom Ruegger approached Tedd Anasti, to make a Christmas special. then they created two ideas: One idea featured Dong-Chouel stealing a bike, and In the other idea, Dong-Chouel was put on trial