Top-rated
Mon, Sep 2, 1996
A thunderstorm strikes the forest, knocking a tree into the rainbowl. Zach and Annie volunteer to clean it out, along with Plato, Ari, and Aurora, but Sock isn't interested in helping. Plato tells him the story "How the Camel Got His Hump", where another beast's how not working gave him trouble. When Sock agrees to help but complains of boredom, Plato tells "Tom Sawyer Gives Up the Brush", where it was learned that working is more enjoyable than laziness as long as the right viewpoint is there.
Top-rated
Mon, Sep 2, 1996
Zach is sorely tempted to touch his dad's beautiful antique camera, despite promising not to - and when he does, he breaks it and lies that it fell off its display table naturally. Plato tries to convince Zach to tell the truth by telling him the stories of "The Frog Prince", where the title character received a punishment for breaking a promise and another had to keep one made, and the legend "George Washington and the Cherry Tree", whose protagonist too broke something he promised to leave in good shape but learned his lesson in a different way. Annie even tells a family tale of "The Indian Cinderella", where an Algonquin warrior only wished for an honest companion. Even the poem "Truth" shows how good it is and how much joy it can give through life.
Top-rated
Tue, Sep 3, 1996
Annie agrees to put her brand-new bike to good use by delivering cakes from her mom's bakery, but can't resist Zach's offer to race - and is angry with him when her bike crashes and the food is ruined. Plato and Aurora try to convince her that responsibility is always handy to keep around as shown in "Icarus and Dedalus" where a boy had too little responsibility to obey his father and paid for it, or the legend "King Alfred and the Cakes" where even a renowned ruler was forced to admit he neglected his simple duty. Ari tells "The Chest of Broken Glass", where a mother reminds her family what rewards responsibility versus irresponsibility bring and how much can be owed to those in a family. Even the poem "If You Were" sums up what responsibility everyone has to humanity to make the world better.
Top-rated
Tue, Sep 3, 1996
Emile Zigrodny, a classmate Zach barely knows, loses his house in a fire, and Zach is hesitant to show him support since their first meeting would be his giving charity. Plato and the others try to push him in the right direction by pointing out that anyone can be kind since even the least-likely are capable of it as shown in the Biblical story "The Good Samaritan", anyone can make a difference no matter how young as shown in "The Legend of the Dipper", or how it proves to have lasting effects for the giver and the receiver as shown in "Androcles and the Lion". Even the poem "The New Colossus" shows what many hope America and all people should be to the needy.
Wed, Sep 4, 1996
Annie is defeated badly by a formidable opponent in a hurdles race, and her confidence leaves her after that. Plato tries to help her get her it back by telling the story of "The Minatour", where an opportunity was taken to protect people in spite of the danger. When Zach acts confident, Ari points out to them both that different levels of courage are needed in different situations, as shown in Aesop's fable "The Brave Mice", and Plato speaks of William Tell, who put plenty at risk for his own sake and others'. Even the poem "If" is a reminder about how much courage life demands all in all.
Wed, Sep 4, 1996
Zach offers Annie and all the others favors for money since he wants to buy a new game and can't get an allowance-raise at home. Plato points out that wanting money too badly leads to pain, as King Midas learned in "The Golden Touch". When Zach reveals that he said something hurtful to his mom, Aurora mentions how painful a short temper is for the one with the temper by telling "The King and His Hawk", where even Genghis Kahn didn't control his enough to not regret his actions later, and Plato reminds that waiting pays off, as shown in "The Magic Thread" where a boy learned that experiencing only the good moments in life didn't turn out as he expected. Even a set of Bible verses from Ecclesiates reminds that "To everything there is a season".