Episode 224: Buggin'

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## Story Detail

### Welcome and Ojo's Discovery

Ojo walks up, wearing a hat and holding a magnifying glass, and stands in front of the front door to the Big Blue House, giggling and asking "Where's that bug?" She walks away, in pursuit of the bug and Bear opens the door. He sniffs around and then greets us, saying that it's so good to see us. He invites us inside. He sniffs around some more and asks "What's that smell?" "It's you!" he realizes. He takes a deep inhale and asks if we were just under a blanket because we smell all warm and toasty. "Or maybe you smell this good all the time. Heh heh." Ojo then approaches him, shouting his name. "Come see!" she says, hopping up and down, and Bear says that she looks excited. She agrees that she is. She says that there's something crawling around out by the Otter Pond with lots of legs. "Calm down," says Bear, "I can't understand what you're saying." "A bug, Bear, a bug!" she shouts. "A bug?" says Bear in wonder. Ojo tells him that she's never seen one like it before. "Come on!" He agrees and tells her that she's coming. He follows her, but not before stopping to ask that we come too.

### A Really Interesting Bug

Bear arrives at the pond and asks her where this amazing bug is. She says she was on a log and looking at a leaf when all of a sudden the bug that she saw ran right over her foot. "Did it hurt?" asks Bear, jokingly. "No, no, no, no, no, silly," says Ojo with a giggle. "It tickled." He asks her which way it went and she says she thinks it went under the log. Bear says that they should take a look, so they do, and Ojo quickly spots the bug. Bear agrees that it's a really interesting bug. He offers us his magnifying glass so that we can look at it too. The bug is shown through the magnifying glass. It's some sort of beetle. "She sure is different looking!" observes Ojo. Bear removes the magnifying glass and urges Ojo to be careful, noting that it's a good idea to be careful around a bug you've never seen before. "Uh huh," agrees Ojo and points out the bugs many legs and the horned appendages coming out of its face, which Bear says are for grabbing food. "That's a good idea to have your hands right there in your mouth," observes Ojo. "You lose less food that way," agrees Bear. Ojo says that the bug is pretty weird looking and wonders what people look like to the bug. "I bet they're pretty big," she says and the camera zooms in wide on Ojo and Bear to show what they might look like to a bug. The image then turns upside-down as Ojo notes excitedly that the bug is now walking upside-down. Back in the normal shot, Ojo says that bugs do the coolest things.

### Be a Bug

The bug leaves and Ojo says that bugs are great. "Yeah, bugs," agrees Bear. Green letters B-U-G-S with six legs and antenna crawl onto the screen, making up the word "Bugs." Ojo talks about the many great things about bugs, such as the fact that they make places to live in. For example, some make nests in the ground, like ants. An image of ant colony is shown and a snippet of "The Bugs Go Marching" is played. "And some bugs fly around, looking for food," say Bear and several flying insects are shown flying across the screen. "Ooh!" exclaims Ojo. "'Sometimes they even fly into your house!" Bear says that if they do, you should let them out, because bugs belong outside. "And there are so many different kinds of bugs. Why, there are houseflies, dragonflies, crickets, ladybugs, praying mantises, mosquitoes, junebugs, dunebugs, Japanese beetles." The screen is covered with all of those bugs. "Phew!" say both Bear and Ojo and the bugs are cleared away. "That's a lot of bugs, Bear," muses Ojo and she asks how many bugs there are. Bear tells her that there are more bugs on the Earth than all the other animals put together. She says she wonders what it would be like to be a bug. Bear thinks it would be great and Ojo thinks it would also be weird. "I wanna be a bug!" she exclaims and a song begins, "Be a Bug." In the song, Bear and Ojo sing about different kinds of bugs that they could be and what they would do if they were those bugs. They even suggest that the viewers could be bugs. The song ends and Ojo says that she wonders where her bug went. She says that she's going to go find her and leaves. Bear bids her goodbye and asks "What is your favorite bug?" Real kids are shown talking about their favorite bugs, which include butterflies, ladybugs and grasshoppers, but even mosquitoes, centipedes and spiders.

### Bugged by Bugs

"You sure do know a lot about bugs," notes Bear, as he heads back inside the Big Blue House. A bit of "Old McDonald Had a Farm" plays. Tutter is on top of the kitchen table in front of a tiny wheelbarrow containing tomatoes, wearing a farmer's hat and he calls for Bear's attention. Bear asks what he's up to and Tutter explains that he was going to have a snack. He asks if Bear would like to join him and Bear asks what's on the menu. He says that he has fresh tomoatoes from his garden. Bear sniffs them and compliments that they "smell so good." Tutter asks him what he's been up to and he explains about Ojo and the bug. "A bug?!" shouts Tutter and he zips away out of the kitchen. "Tutter?" wonders Bear. "Tutter!" "Bear- Bear, I'm down here," replies Tutter, and he is shown cowering down in front of his mousehole. Bear asks him what's the matter. "Bugs are the matter!" he exclaims. Bear counters that it was just a little bug, but Tutter won't have it. He says that it may have been little to someone like Bear, but to a mouse, bugs are giants. "Giants, I tell you!" Bear tries to empathize, but Tutter goes on about bugs' pinchers and crazy wiggling and fluttering wings. "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" he goes, starting to shake. Bear has him take a deep breath to calm down. He tells him that the bug is way out at the Otter Pond and he's in the Big Blue House. "Oh, you don't know these bug like I do, Bear," counters Tutter. He says that one minute they're outside and the next minute they're in your face, eating all your food. He asks Bear to not let Ojo bring it in the house, which Bear agrees to. "Some of us don't like to be around bugs, but that's okay, too," he muses. "Yeah," agrees Tutter. Bear tells him that there are some bugs that are useful. Tutter replies that that's well and good, but he'd rather that bugs not be useful around him. "See you later," he says and heads back into his mousehole.

### Shadow's Story

Bear tells us that that Tutter is worried about the bug, but bugs aren't around to bother or scare us. They just do their own thing. A female voice is heard laughing and Bear says it sounds like Shadow. He sings her special song, then shouts forher and she appears on one of the walls of hallway. Bear asks her what she's been up to and she says she was just skittering about with her spider friends. She shows Bear she can crawl just like a spider. Bear says it's pretty good and asks if she can tells us a story. "You don't have to bug me for a tale," she quips and begins singing a song. In her story, a ladybug finds that her house is on fire. She gathers her kids together and gets a firetruck, then they speed to the house. They hook up the firehose and spray the house, putting out the fire. It turned out that her house was struck by lightning bugs. Bear says that it was a great story and he loves ladybugs because they're so friendly. "They'll sit right on your finger if you let them," agrees Shadow. She says she's off, but to just try and catch her if he needs another story.

### The Bug's in the House! Red Alert!

Bear suggests that we go back and check on Tutter, but just then Treelo approaches and asks Bear to come see something. It turns out that Treelo actually wants Bear to go see Tutter-- apparently something is going on with him. They go visit Tutter, who is holding a pair of binoculars and saying that no bug is going to sneak up on him. Bear and Treelo look into his mousehole and he says that he sees two bugs, "real furry ones. One is big & brown and the other is green & white and-- Oh no! They're getting closer!" Bear and Treelo explain that it's just them. Tutter says they scared him. Bear apologizes, and asks what's with all the sandbags that Tutter has piled in front of his mousehole. Tutter replies that a mouse has to protect his home. "From what?" asks Treelo. Tutter replies that he's protecting it from an invasion of bugs. Bear says there's nothing to worry about because the kind of bug that Ojo found never comes inside. Ojo approaches them and Bear says that he thought she was outside looking for her bug. She says that she was and followed her right in the front door. Tutter begins to panic. "The bug's in the house?! The bug's in the house?! Red alert!" Bear tells him to calm down, that they'll all look for the big and take him back outside once they find him. They all shout "here, buggy, buggy!" and Bear asks if he'll come with him. Tutter says that he's going to stay in his mousehole, on alert. "There comes a time in every mouse's life when he is tested by fate, when he must stand and fall..." Bear nods, cutting of Tutter and says he'll be right back. "What am I, a mouse or a mouse?" wonders Tutter. He says that he'll be fine all alone, but then starts to panic. Just then, the bug crawls along the wall, right up the edge of his mousehole. Tutter freezes in shock and then the scene changes to Bear, Ojo and Treelo.

### Why Be Scared of a Friend?

Bear asks them if they've found anything and Ojo says that they looked everywhere a bug could be. Tutter calls for them and they realize that Tutter may have a lead on the bug. They search for him in his mousehole, but Tutter calls them from up at the kitchen window. He's with the bug and tells them he has someone he wants them to meet. Ojo tells him not to worry, that the bug won't hurt him and he says that it's okay. "Aren't you afraid?" asks Bear and Tutter asks why he would be scared of a friend. Everyone wonders about this and he admits that he was a little scared at first, but then he saw her chewing on a weed from his tomato garden, one that is very bad for his tomatoes. The bug loves weeds. Bear says that's one of the great things about bugs. "I told ya' she was a friend," says Ojo. "By the way, her name is Bertha," Tutter tells them. He seems to be able to understand a bit of the bug's language. He says that she's missing her log. Bear agrees that bugs do belong outside, so they all head for the Otter Pond to put her back.

### Pip and Pops' Discovery, Bathtime and Talk with Luna

Ojo returns to Bertha to her log, saying that she's going to miss her. Bear consoles her by telling her that she come visit. Pip and Pop then pop up above Bear's head with a happy "Hey, guys!" Ojo explains that they were bringing Bertha back. "So ya' like bugs, do ya'?" they ask. Ojo and Treelo heartily agree, while Tutter is at least willing to agree that he likes Bertha. "Should we show them, Pip?" asks Pop and Pip says "I think we can, Pop." "Show us what?" asks Bear and Pip says that it's the coolest bug thing of all. "Right this way," they say and lead the group to a pupa. "Oh great," sneers Tutter. "A bump on a branch. That's a show." Bear explains what it is and that there's a butterfly inside. Pip and Pop say not to spoil it. They all watch and see that the pupa is moving. From it emerges a monarch butterfly. Tutter says that he likes this bug too-- it's nice and small. He, Bear and Ojo return to the Big Blue House where they chat happily about the butterfly. "Who knew butterflies were bugs?" asks Tutter. Ojo says she has a book with lots of bugs upstairs. They start to head up to look for it. Bear asks if they're forgetting something. They try to guess what and he says that they were crawling around outside, so maybe they should do some cleaning up upstairs. The song "Everybody in the Tub" is played. Once bathtime is over, Bear says that it was "some day" and suggests that we go up and tell Luna about it. He heads to the ledge outside the attic and greets Luna. He talks about Ojo found the bug and how Tutter was afraid at first, but then learned that bugs do useful things and became friends with Bertha. "How about Pip and Pop?" asks Luna. Bear tells her about the butterfly they found and she says that she loves to watch butterflies spread their wings. They then sing the "Goodbye Song" together. Bear heads into the attic and bids us goodbye. He turns off the light, but then turns it back on and says that the next time we see a bug we should say hello to it, from him. A monarch butterfly lands on his arm and he giggles.

## Characters

* Ojo
* Bear
* Bertha
* Tutter
* Treelo
* Shadow
* Pip and Pop
* Luna

## See also

* "Back to Nature"
* *Bugged by Bugs*: a portion of the events of this episode were adapted for this storybook.