3.25 The Puddle Badge
The Puddle Badge is a brilliantly distilled disaster movie. So good in fact that it terrified my three-year-old and she refuses to watch it again.
Badge Design
An oval puddle.
Episode Summary
Opening Squirrel
Happy cleaning his teeth.
Start
The Squirrels are playing outside. Norrie is skipping, Betty is reading, Roly is running around, Tag is spinning and Happy is looking for puddles.
Set-Up
Happy finds an old puddle but it doesn’t look very nice. Mitch and Madge the midges are enjoying life at their lake house when Happy’s shadow passes over them and the other midges. These include an algae delivery truck, a couple of gossips, a midge doing topiary and a family playing in the garden. In the city, everything grinds to a halt as every midge looks up. Midge news reports extraordinary scenes in Midgetropolis caused by the appearance of an enormous green alien. In an algae bar, Ace asks the bartender to turn up the television.
Happy goes to step in the puddle but the other Squirrels stop him. That puddle looks green and smelly. As Happy’s foot comes towards Midgetropolis, the who society comes to a standstill and looks up at the sky. A soldier informs General Midge. Happy’s foot comes down next Mitch’s boat, sending shock waves across the puddle. The Squirrels run off to get Duggee.
Panic spreads throughout the puddle as the midges try to escape. General Midge calls for a scientist. Happy’s second foot comes down. The professor declines the request. On Midge News a terrified helicopter reporter files a report.
Tag and Norrie reach Duggee who is knitting. General Midge asks the president’s permission to go to Midge Con One. He gives his permission, then absconds. They send a barrage of algae missiles at Happy’s leg but it only tickles. The General is despondent but the professor has an idea.
Duggee arrives at the puddle and suggests he should get out. Duggee has his Puddle Badge.
Story
There’s more to a puddle than meets the eye. New puddles are made of clean, fresh rainwater but over time algae grows in them. The algae attract lots of little creatures, much smaller than Happy.
Meanwhile, in Midgetropolis, the professor suggests that they show the alien love and the General commands Ace to do just that. He jumps aboard his jet and takes off. Below the midges have all made placards welcoming Happy. Ace releases a vapour cloud in the shape of a heart. Happy peers down and thinks he can see the midges. For the first time, he notices how smelly the puddle is and retreats. The midges celebrate the power of love.
Close and Credits
The Squirrels have earned their puddle badges.
The midges unveil a statue of Happy.
Outfits
Duggee briefly wears his lab coat to explain puddles.