♫ Just a dream away... ♫
While on his first solo overnight hike, Wembley gets caught in a rockslide. He's rescued by a Mudbunny called Mudwell, the two enjoy themselves—and then, suddenly, Mudwell gets hostile and kicks Wembley out. Upset, he returns home and, after some pressure from his friends, tells them what happened. On Gobo's advice, Wembley goes back to Mudwell and demands an explanation for his behavior.Mudwell says that the time has come and that he wanted to spare Wembley the pain, but Wembley doesn't understand. Before Wembley can ask for more of an explanation, Mudwell lies down and dies.
Wembley spends the next few days mourning him. Boober, Mokey, and the World's Oldest Fraggle devise ways to help him through the grieving process, none of which work. After hearing Gobo's story about the disappearance of his pet thimblebug, Wembley decides to return to Mudwell's home to say goodbye. When he does, he makes a new friend.
This episode contains examples of:
- Actually Pretty Funny: Wembley's and Gobo's reaction to the World's Oldest Fraggle's blunt advice.World's Oldest Fraggle: When you reach my age, you don't take death so seriously. In fact, when you've been in one place as long as I have, you can't help but look forward to a change of scenery. [Walks off, laughing.]Gobo and Wembley: Forward... forward to a change of scenery...?
[They both start to giggle.]
Gobo: Ha, ha, ha, that's a new...! That's a...!
[They crack up, and Wembley falls off the rock he was sitting on. He gets up, the two of them still guffawing.]
Wembley: I fell off the rock!
Gobo: Look forward to a change...!
Wembley: Change of scenery...! - Added Alliterative Appeal: Peach-and-pepper potage, Wembley's favorite dish. He likes it with a side of turnip toast.
- Angry Animalistic Growl: Gobo brings in the World's Oldest Fraggle, insisting that he say something to help Wembley. Before doing so—very grudgingly—he growls at Gobo.
- Bait-and-Switch Comment: The World's Oldest Fraggle makes one when Wembley says he's having trouble believing Mudwell is dead.World's Oldest Fraggle: Oh, I know what you mean. You keep thinking that your little pal is just gonna come walking through the door at any minute. Am I right?
Wembley: That's right!
World's Oldest Fraggle: Well, anything's possible.
Wembley: Really?
World's Oldest Fraggle: But I wouldn't hold my breath! [Guffaws.] - Break His Heart to Save Him: Why Mudwell kicked Wembley out. He was dying and wanted to spare Wembley the burden of his passing.Wembley: Why did you push me away?
Mudwell: Because a Mudbunny never knows when the time will come. Though that's all right with me, it's bound to hurt anyone I've made friends with when I have to say goodbye.
Wembley: Then don't say goodbye... - Cathartic Scream: Boober tries to help Wembley through the grieving process by having him sit in bed while covering his head with a blanket and screaming. Boober enjoys this, but it doesn't work for Wembley.
- Comically Missing the Point:Mudwell: [as Wembley begins coming to] There, there...
Wembley: Where, where? - Death Is a Sad Thing: After Mudwell's death, Wembley is inconsolable, until he has a heart-to-heart talk with Gobo.
- Dude, Not Funny!: Wembley's reaction to the World's Oldest Fraggle when he pretends to comfort Wembley, then cracks jokes about death.Wembley: I don't know how you can laugh. I feel just terrible!
- Five Stages of Grief: Wembley goes through denial, anger, depression, and finally acceptance after Mudwell's death.
- Get Out!: Mudwell basically says this to Wembley when kicking him out.Mudwell: [shoving Wembley's backpack at him] Here. Take your things and go.
Wembley: But, Mudwell...
Mudwell: You heard me. Go!
Wembley: I don't understand.
Mudwell: There's nothing to understand.
Wembley: But we... we were having so much fun.
Mudwell: Look, let me make this simple for you, since you seem to be having such a hard time. Leave! [He shoves Wembley.] Never darken my mud puddle again. - Horrible Camping Trip: Zigzagged. Wembley's first solo overnight hike becomes this when he's caught in a rockslide. It turns wonderful when he meets Mudwell, then horrible again when Mudwell kicks him out.
- I Found You Like This: When Wembley comes to after being caught in the rockslide, he finds Mudwell bending over him. Mudwell explains that he found Wembley unconscious under the rocks, dug him out, and took him to his home.
- Innocently Insensitive: After Mudwell kicks Wembley out, Boober offers to cheer him up by making his favorite dish, peach-and-pepper potage, unaware that Mudwell has also made it for Wembley and that Mudwell's is better than Boober's. The offer just makes Wembley cry harder.
- Leave Me Alone!: When they see him returning from his hike, Wembley's friends ask him how it went, but he says he doesn't want to talk about it.
- Lost Pet Grievance: The macaw Sprocket befriends escaped unharmed from a pet store truck after the truck crashed.
- Mayfly–December Friendship: Wembley and Mudwell are friends for only a few days before Mudwell dies.
- Meaningful Funeral: Subverted. In an effort to help Wembley through the grieving process, Mokey gives a memorial service for Mudwell. She tries to make it meaningful, but it isn't to Wembley, who just walks out in the middle of it.
- Nearly Normal Animal: In the U.S./Canada episode, Sprocket isn't the only example for a change. After the macaw Sprocket befriends has to be returned to the pet store where it belongs, it manages to lift the dog's spirits by calling him on the telephone.
- Oh, Crap!: Wembley, when large rocks start to fall on him.Wembley: This is no longer a good time...! [He loses consciousness as a slew of rocks starts to rain down on him.]
- Pinned to the Ground: Wembley's friends resort to sitting on him to make him tell what happened on the camping trip that made him so upset.
- Please Wake Up: Wembley says this when Mudwell, after telling Wembley goodbye, lies down.Wembley: Mudwell, what are you doing? This is no time to take a nap. I want to work things out!
[No response from Mudwell.]
Wembley: Come on, Mudwell, wake up! [Beat] Mudwell? - Rescue Introduction: Wembley meets Mudwell after the latter rescues Wembley from a rockslide.
- Shoo the Dog: After Wembley's healed, Mudwell kicks him out. Wembley returns, though, demanding an explanation—only to see Mudwell lie down and die.
- Soup Is Medicine: The peach-and-pepper potage Mudwell makes for Wembley while he's recovering could be considered this, though it also happens to be both Wembley's and Mudwell's favorite food.
- Talking to the Dead: After Mudwell's death, Wembley goes back to Mudwell's home and does this.Wembley: Um... I don't know if you can hear me, but... but I just want to say goodbye. We had some good times, and... and I'm gonna do my best to try and remember them.
- Tap on the Head: Wembley gets knocked out in a rockslide but is fine after a day or so.
- Thinking Out Loud: Alone and guilt-ridden after having kicked out Wembley, Mudwell talks out loud to himself. Wembley, coming back to demand an explanation, arrives in time to overhear the end of Mudwell's speech.Mudwell: [stirring a pool of mud] Why? Why did I do it? I feel so guilty. What a terrible time to go and make a friend. What was I supposed to do? Leave him buried under those rocks? Well, I didn't, and the worst happened. I had to hurt somebody that cared about me.
[Wembley enters from behind.]
Mudwell: Well, I can put that all behind me now, 'cause the time has come.
Wembley: The time for what? - Too Unhappy to Be Hungry: After being kicked out by Mudwell, Wembley has no appetite.
- Waking Up Elsewhere: A rockslide knocks Wembley out. When he wakes up, he's in Mudwell's home.
- We Interrupt This Program: North American episode. Sprocket is listening to his favorite radio program, "Pet News," when a news bulletin comes across about an accident involving a pet store truck and some exotic birds missing from the accident site.
- Wham Line: "He's dead."
- What Happened to the Mouse?: Gobo's story about his pet thimblebug, who went missing one day. Gobo never knew if his pet got lost, ran away, or died.
