While sneaking away from class in the library, Rupert and Podgy find a Portal Book that takes them to Storyland, the kingdom where all the characters from nursery rhymes live, ruled by Old King Cole, who's no longer the merry old soul we know him as ever since his daughter fell in love with one of his fiddlers three. Due to the Fisher King effect, the strife in the royal family is causing chaos all over Storyland. You don't need a Knight in Shining Armor to save the day this time — you need an experienced Warrior Therapist who can make anyone see reason and change their toxic ways. You need Rupert Bear!
The only episode to include romance.
This episode provides examples of:
- Alliterative Family: Old King Cole and his daughters all have name starting with a hard C or K. The three fiddler brothers all have names starting with F.
- An Aesop:
- You can't fake happiness, and while you can order someone to do something they don't like, you can't force them to feel happy about it.
- Love, family, and happiness are more important than prejudice.
- Asleep in Class: Not being a big fan of reading, Podgy tries to pass the time in the library by putting up a huge book to hide him from view while he sleeps. It doesn't work because of his snoring.
- Bad Is Good and Good Is Bad: Some of the changes to the nursery rhymes would logically be for the better. Humpty Dumpty no longer breaks when he falls off the wall, Little Bo Peep's sheep aren't lost, Old Mother Hubbard's dog has plenty of bones... But because nothing is "the way it's supposed to be," every change is viewed as a disaster.
- Blatant Lies: Since the king needs to be merry again, he repeatedly says, "I'm downright merry!" and "I’m so merry"... as tears stream down his face. Yeah, it doesn't work like that...
- Conversational Troping: Rupert gives a mini lecture on the Fisher King trope.Mother Goose: I just don't know what's happening in Storyland.Rupert: Perhaps it's because of the king.Mother Goose: What do you mean?Rupert: Well, Old King Cole has stopped being a merry old soul, so if something's gone wrong with his rhyme, maybe all the other rhymes in the kingdom have been affected.Mother Goose: You could be right.
- Dating What Daddy Hates: Kristen can't help but love Fred despite how much her father disapproves.
- Distressed Dude: Kristen saves Podgy and Rupert from the dungeon and helps them escape the castle.
- Double In-Law Marriage: Triple, in fact — the story ends with three sisters married to three brothers.
- Dreadful Musician: Rupert tried to warn everyone he's NOT a musician and has no idea how to play the fiddle...
- Fairy Tale Free-for-All: Humpty Dumpty, Little Bo Peep, the Crooked Man, Old Mother Hubbard, and others all live in Storyland as neighbors.
- Fractured Fairy Tale: Because Old King Cole is no longer a merry old soul, every other nursery rhyme has been turned upside down. Jack can't jump over the candlestick, Old Mother Hubbard's cupboard is full of bones, Little Bo Peep can't get her sheep to stop following her...
- Honest Advisor: Rupert is the only person with the courage to stand up to the king and tell him he's wrong and needs to change for the sake of his family and kingdom.
- In the Hood: Kristen uses this disguise when saving Podgy and Rupert and looking for Fred.
- Inexplicably Identical Individuals: Podgy initially mistakes Mother Goose for the librarian Mrs. Gooseberry.
- It's All My Fault: Once Rupert figures out all the nursery rhymes are malfunctioning because Old King Cole is no longer merry, Kristen blames herself for making him so upset.
- Love Hurts: Fred ran away because it was too painful to be around Kristen anymore when there's no hope for them to be together. Kristen goes looking for him because it's too painful for her to be without him.
- Luminescent Blush: Rupert gets one when Kristen gives him a kiss on the cheek as thanks for arranging her marriage and saving her kingdom.
- Mass "Oh, Crap!": The entire Royal Court gasps in horror when Rupert steps up to the king and tells him he has to let Kristen marry Fred.
- The Matchmaker: Rupert eagerly helps Kristen find Fred, encourages them not to give up, and eventually convinces the king to allow Fred and Kristen to get married.
- Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane: Did Podgy just lose his bearings in the room that holds the Portal Book, or did the door really disappear...?
- Mr. Exposition: A page tells the Backstory about Kristen's and Fred's forbidden love and the king's outrage over it to Rupert and Podgy.
- No Antagonist: The opponent is the conflict between the king and his daughter more than it is the king himself. Although the king is solely responsible, he's suffering as much as anyone and needs help just as much (if not more so) than his daughter. Like many Rupert episodes, the conflict is framed as two sides needing to be reconciled rather than as one side being "the good guy" who needs saved and one being "the bad guy" who needs defeated.
- Portal Book: Technically, it's the spot behind the book on the shelf that forms the portal you step through.
- Princesses Prefer Pink: Kristen always wears a pink dress whenever she appears in the throne room with her family. (When she wants to go incognito, she switches to dark purple.)
- Pull a Rabbit out of My Hat: This is one of the tricks the jester does to try to cheer up Kristen.
- Related in the Adaptation: In this version, Old King Cole's fiddlers three are brothers. By the end of the story, they're all his sons-in-laws.
- Scary Librarian: Mrs. Gooseberry, but only to Podgy.
- Skipping School: The plot starts when Podgy drags Rupert along when he slips out of class while they're in the library.
- Spooky Silent Library Room: Not wanting to get caught sneaking away, Rupert quickly shoves Podgy into a room where everything's covered in cobwebs and dust, as if it hasn't been used for years. The portal to Storyland is in here, and the door into the room may or not may not have a habit of vanishing...
- Star-Crossed Lovers: Kristen and Fred because of her father's and his king's hatred of the match.
- Stupid Sacrifice: Kristen accepts there's no way for her and Fred to be together and that they have to give up for the sake of the kingdom, since nothing will be right again until her father's happy. Rupert explains to everyone that this isn't going to work — even if Kristen and Fred give up and submit to the king, they can't force themselves to feel happy, which means the king won't be happy either as long as his daughter's unhappy.
- Suspect Is Hatless: When the king's men sent to bring back the king's missing fiddler, their only criteria is apparently "has a fiddle."
- Uptown Girl: Princess Kristen falls for the lowly fiddler Fred.
- Warrior Therapist: Rupert's able to get the two lovers together, unite a broken family, and save a kingdom from chaos, all by talking openly, honestly, and logically with the king.
- Weddings for Everyone: Once Old King Cole gives Kristen and Fred permission to marry, their siblings all reveal they're in love, too. Despite the King's surprise, they all end up getting married.King Cole: I certainly didn't bargain on having an entire band in the family.
