It's almost time for the annual Inventors' Fair, which the Professor has won 27 years in a row. He's finally finished the machine he invented for this year — the BIGsmall Machine, which can make anything it fires at shrink or grow. Unfortunately, this is the year his arch rival Domina has decided she's sick of coming in second 27 years in a row. While the Professor goes to join the Bears for a picnic, she breaks into his lab and starts helping herself to his inventions. Her bumbling sidekick accidentally activates the BIGsmall machine, which shrinks Rupert and Podgy. In between dodging stampeding insects, hungry frogs, and giant spiders, they have to stop the thieves from making off with the machine, or they'll be shrunk forever!
First of only two episodes to feature a female antagonist.
This episode provides examples of:
- Always Someone Better:Domina: How do you think it makes me feel being second best for 27 years in a row...?
- Comically Missing the Point: Podgy seems to believe that the Bigsmall machine changes the size of everything in the world except him rather than the other way around.
- Continuity Nod: The Professor mentions Old Finley Manor.
- Don't Be Ridiculous: After Podgy zips by in a model plane.Domina: Who's flying that thing?Otis: It looked like a... like a... pig-spider.Domina: Don't be ridiculous. Pig-spiders can't fly.
- Evil Laugh: Domina loves indulging in these.
- Incredible Shrinking Man: Complete with all the usual obstacles and threats, from giant spiders to dialing a phone.
- Mistaken for Prank Call: A shrunken Rupert manages to dial the operator and get connected with Constable Growler on the phone, but Otis picks it up before he can say anything. Since Otis is a total ditz, Growler assumes it was his poor idea of a joke.
- No Ending: The plot stops just as the oversized Podgy is being shrunk down to normal. While it's likely the thieves were caught and obvious the Professor was able to return himself and Rupert to normal size, we never see how it all resolves.
- Rival Turned Evil: Domina's gotten so sick of being beaten by the Professor that she's now willing to steal his inventions and kidnap him to get some glory for herself.
- Second Place Is for Losers: After finishing second place 27 years in a row to the Professor in every science fair, Domina is so bitter she now plans to steal his inventions and first place by force.
- Shrink Ray: The BIGsmall Machine.
- Stupid Crooks: The villain’s sidekick Otis. Ex. He introduces himself on the phone as "Otis the Thief."
- Suspiciously Specific Denial:Domina: (seeing Otis hanging up the phone) Otis, who were you talking to?Otis: No one! Certainly not the police, in any event.
- Visual Pun: The villain is a female dog. She's a real bitch.
