1. EXT. PATH - DAY ELINOR and her father walk down a forest path. MR. RABBIT carries GARDEN GLOVES. Elinor skips on ahead to blow on a DANDELION that has gone to seed - the fluff swirls away. <SFX: PUFF, GIGGLE> EliNOR I love dandelions. MR. RABBIT Yep, they’re just dandy. Elinor looks curiously at the dandelions and some yellow flowers nearby. ELINOR Dad... see the white fluffy dandelions next to these yellow flowers? Do they always grow together like that? MR. RABBIT Actually, they’re the same plant. ELINOR (surprised) They are? But they look different. Mr. Rabbit crouches down with Elinor, and the plant. Mr. Rabbit That’s because dandelion flowers start out yellow, then the flower turns into this white fluff. That’s how it spreads its seeds. ( pfft !) He blows on the seed fluff, to illustrate. ELINOR That’s SO interesting! Mr. RABBIT I think so, too. (standing up) Well, we better get going to Deputy Mouse's house. He said he needed help in his garden, right away. ELINOR Is something wrong with his garden? MR. RABBIT Well, he just came back from vacation, and it’s all overgrown. ELINOR (concerned) Overgrown? Are plants growing all over his house? THOUGHT BUBBLE: She imagines Deputy Mouse , with a suitcase, coming home to find his home encased in vines. (BUBBLE POPS.) MR. RABBIT ( laugh ) I sure hope not. ANOTHER ANGLE - as the two round a bend, they see MZ. LLAMA approaching, carrying an empty basket. *DESIGN NOTE: Both MZ. LLAMA and (later) DEPUTY MOUSE are in civilian clothes today. ELINOR Hi, Mz. Llama. Mz. llama (singsong) Good morniiing ! I hope you’re both still planning to come to my salad party, at the park later today. MR. RABBIT We sure are! I’ve already made my famous ‘carrot top’ salad to bring. Mz. llama Sounds yummy! (re. her basket) I’m just off to Farmer Bear’s to get some spinach, for my own special salad. Well, I’ll see you at lunchtime, then. ‘T a ’ for now! She waves as she exits. Elinor and her father wave back. elinor Bye, Mz. Llama! Elinor and Mr. Rabbit carry on down the path to... 2. EXT. DEPUTY JOE MOUSE'S house (YARD WITH GARDEN) The two arrive at their friend’s not-so- overgrown house . They follow the sound of grumbling to his garden. .. DEPUTY MOUSE (part os) Oh, my poor vegetables. This garden is a complete and total mess! MR. RABBIT Hi, Deputy Mouse . Your gardening crew has arrived. Mr. Rabbit ‘salutes’ with the garden gloves. ELINOR Is everything okay with your garden, Deputy Mouse? DEPUTY MOUSE I’m so glad you’re here. Everything is NOT okay with my garden. Look - it’s being invaded by WEEDS! Elinor looks. POV - his garden beds are full of DANDELIONS. A few TOMATO and BEAN PLANTS peek out here and there. ELINOR (confused) Weeds? I only see dandelions. Deputy mouse A ‘weed’ is any plant that’s growing in the wrong place. And this is my veg etable garden, not a ... dandelion farm. Deputy Mouse parts the dandelions, to reveal a struggling tomato plant. T hen, tenderly... Deputy mouse (CONT’D) My poor veg gies can’t grow properly, with dandelions taking up all the space, water and sunshine. Mr. RABBIT How can we help, Deputy Mouse? DEPUTY MOUSE By pulling up all these dandelions, that’s how! Then my vegetables will have room to grow. Mr. RABBIT Okay, we’re on it. Deputy Mouse picks up an EMPTY BUCKET and a WEEDER. DEPUTY MOUSE (relieved) Great. Thanks, Mr. Rabbit. Thanks, Elinor. I’ll start over there. (heads OS, muttering) Silly weeds. I’ll show ‘em who’s boss... Elinor turns to her Dad, confused. ELINOR Pull up the dandelions? But, Mom always says we shouldn’t pick flowers. MR. RABBIT Well, that rule is for flowers growing in the wild. It's okay to pick things in a garden, IF you have permission. CUT TO the Deputy , his hands now w rapped around the biggest dandelion in his garden. He’s struggling to pull it up. DEPUTY MOUSE And you definitely have my (grunt) permission. You really do. BACK ON Mr. Rabbit and Elinor. MR. RABBIT It's called weeding. In a garden, it’s good to 'weed' out the plants you don't need, so that the plants you want, can grow better. Elinor nods, getting it. ELINOR Oh hh . Mr. Rabbit picks up an empty bucket, and hands it to Elinor, then picks up a weeding tool to use. MR. RABBIT Okay, let’s get started. F irst, you want to loosen up the soil around the plant ... He uses the weeder to loosen the soil. MR. RABBIT (CONT’D) ...then , you get a good grip around the bottom part , and pull up . ( Oof ) He grips the base and pulls up the plant, root and all. ELINOR (impressed) Whoa, the roots came up too! MR. RABBIT That’s the idea! And the plants we pull out, go in our bucket. He puts the plant neatly in to the bucket she’s holding. Elinor looks at all the weeds in the garden. ELINOR I can do that. MR. RABBIT Great! ( grins ) Because we’ll have to do it about a hundred times. He hands her a pair of gloves and a weeder of her own. Elinor <SFX: CHUCKLES> As the two get busy weeding, we DISSOLVE TO: 3. EXT. DEPUTY MOUSE 'S GARDEN / YARD (MINUTES LATER) Elinor sings -songs to herself as she weeds a garden bed. ELINOR (sing -song ) Gardening , is my new thing, it makes me want to siiing ! Mr. Rabbit is working nearby. He grins. Elinor pulls up an especially big dandelion, revealing a struggling bean plant underneath. ELINOR (CONT’D) Hi, green bean. Look, now you have more room to grow! She smooths the soil down, then adds the dandelion to a pile in their weeding bucket. ELINOR (CONT’D) Uh-oh, it looks like our bucket is full. (calling OS) Deputy Mouse ? What should we do with the dandelions we pull up? ON Deputy Joe, popping up from behind a tall bushy dandelion. DEPUTY MOUSE Come here, I’ll show you. Bringing the bucket of weeds, Elinor follows the Deputy over to a COMPOSTER . He opens a little door on the unit. DEPUTY MOUSE (CONT’D) They go into my composter . We just open it up... dump in the weeds... (he dumps in the weeds ) ...and shovel dirt on top. He pitches a shovelful of dirt on top of the dandelions. ELINOR (surprised) Wha- why? DEPUTY MOUSE Because it helps the weeds to break down, and rot. ELINOR (grossed out) Why do you want that? DePUTY mouse Because when plants rot, they turn into compost . That’s plant food I can use to help my veggies grow. ELINOR (perplexed) Oh. Okay. Elinor goes back to her garden bed, with the empty bucket. <SFX: HMMM> She kneels back down, looking thoughtful. Her father notices. MR. RABBIT Everything okay, Elinor? ELINOR I guess. But it seems like we’re throwing out healthy plants. Are dandelions really not good for anything other than compost? MR. RABBIT I’ve never known a plant to be ‘not good for anything... ‘ Just then, a BUMBLEBEE flies between them, visiting a dandelion in the bed. Elinor brightens. ( Mr. Rabbit and Elinor both stay quite calm and still, and just observe it.) elinor It’s a bumblebee. MR. RABBIT Mm, that’s a big one. TRACK WITH the bee, as it bee flies off to another dandelion. (This one’s in the lawn.) Then another. Curious, Elinor gets up to follow from a safe distance. ELINOR It’s going from dandelion to dandelion. Elinor passes Deputy Mouse, still comically tugging at the same dandelion that just doesn’t want to come up. <SFX: RRRR> ELINOR (CONT’D) I wonder why it’s doing that? Deputy Mouse pauses to wipe his forehead. DEPUTY MOUSE The bee? It’s drinking nectar and getting pollen from the flowers. Here, you can use my - He looks around for something he can’t immediately find. DEPUTY MOUSE (CONT’D) - now, where did I put my binoculars? Oh, there they are. Finally, he spies his BINOCULARS, on a GARDEN BENCH. He gets them, and hands them to Elinor . DEPUTY MOUSE (CONT’D) You’ll get a better look, without getting too close. ELINOR Thanks! BINOCULAR MATTE - as the bee comes into FOCUS, on the dandelion. Its fuzz is covered in fluffy yellow pollen. ELINOR (os) (CONT’D) What’s all that powdery stuff on the bee? DEPUTY MOUSE It’s pollen, from the flowers. It takes that back to the nest, along with the nectar, for the young bees to eat. BACK TO WIDE - as the bee flies away. ELINOR So, bees get food from dandelions? DEPUTY MOUSE Yep. Especially in the Spring, when no other flowers are blooming yet. <SFX: Oooh> She watches the bee for a few moments. Then, a HUMMINGBIRD <WHIRS> past, seizing her attention. ELINOR (delighted) ( gasp ) A h ummingbird ! She heads out of frame to follow it . Deputy Joe push es up his sleeves and resume s his battle with the big dandelion. ANGLE ON a dandelion which has gone to seed, as the hummingbird hovers over to it. Elinor moves closer and uses her binoculars again. BINOCULAR MATTE - the hummingbird comes into focus, just in time for Elinor to see it take a beak full of white fluff. ELINOR (os) (CONT’D) It’s taking some fluffy seeds. I wonder why ? The bird zips out of frame. Elinor lowers the binoculars, excited. ELINOR (CONT’D) I need more observations. Elinor quickly follows the bird to the edge of the yard. CLOSE ON the hummingbird as it returns to a TINY NEST in the fork of a slender tree branch. It tucks the seed fluff into its nest. (The nest is already partly lined with it.) eLINOR (OS) (CONT’D) Oh, wow. It’s using the fluff to make its nest . Ooh , I bet that makes the nest soft and warm. BACK ON Elinor as her Dad quietly joins her. MR. RABBIT Looks cozy, doesn’t it? ELINOR Ye s . That’s a smart bird! Elinor looks thoughtful as she counts on her fingers. ELINOR (CONT’D) So, dandelions make food for bees, and their seed fluff is good for making bird nests? MR. RABBIT That’s right. Some birds eat the dandelion seeds, too. ELINOR It seems like dandelions are good for lots of things. Mr. Rabbit nods in agreement. MR. RABBIT It’s like I said - in nature, everything has a place. Even weeds. DEPUTY MOUSE (os, breathless) That’s true... CUT TO Deputy Mouse, who is losing patience with th e giant dandelion that is still refusing to be pulled out. DEPUTY MOUSE (CONT’D) ...but that place does NOT have to be in my veggie garden! ( strains ) Elinor and Mr. Rabbit <SFX: TRY NOT TO LAUGH> Just then - Mz. llama (os) Joe? Are you home? WIDE - they turn to see Mz. Llama approaching, still carrying a basket. She chuckles when she sees them. Mz. llama (CONT’D) Oh , hello again, Mr. Rabbit! Hello, Elinor. Deputy Mouse dusts off his hands for a moment. DEPUTY MOUSE Morning, Mz. Llama. Can I help you? Mz. llama (hopeful) I hope so. Do you have any spinach growing in your garden right now? He makes a grumpy face. DEPUTY MOUSE I wish . It’s mostly dandelions. Mz. llama (disappointed) I see. Hmm... Joe (still preoccupied with his big weed) goes back to work. Elinor notices Ms. Llama’s dismay. ELINOR What’s the matter , Mz. Llama ? Mz. llama I went to Farmer Bear’s to get spinach for my Spinach Surprise salad. But the surprise was on me. She’s all out of spinach! Mz. Llama shows them her still-empty basket. ELINOR (sympathetic) Oh, no. mz. llama And now I don’t know what to bring to my own party ! How can I make a salad, with no leafy greens? ANGLE ON Elinor. She looks down at the weeding bucket, which is brimming with picked dandelions. She gets an idea. ELINOR Hmm. ( beat ) Dad, are dandelions safe to eat? MR. RABBIT Good question! Most flowers are NOT safe to eat , so you should always ask an adult, before you eat anything in a garden. Mr. Rabbit plucks a leaf out of the bucket. MR. RABBIT (CONT’D) But as a matter of fact, dandelion leaves are safe to eat. ANGLE ON Mz. Llama, who has perked right up. Mz. llama Oh, and not just safe - they’re delicious in a salad . Elinor looks excited. ELINOR Mz. Llama, why don’t you use dandelion leaves, to make a salad? Mr. RABBIT That’s a great idea, Elinor. Mz. Llama It certainly is! But are sure Deputy Mouse has enough to spare? Elinor grins. ELINOR Let’s ask him. (calls) Deputy Mouse ? Would you mind if Mz. Llama took some of your dandelions? CUT TO the Deputy , pulling with all his might on his ‘Moby Dick’ of a dandelion. Just then, it finally comes free - <SFX: STRAIN AND RELEASE> - sending him flying backwards into big, soft clump of even MORE dandelions! He sits up, holding the bushy plant. DEPUTY MOUSE ( Oof ) Mind? I’d be thrilled! Take ‘em, please! Take ‘em all! As the friends <SFX: CHUCKLE> and Mz. Llama accepts a bucketful of dandelions with delight, we DISSOLVE TO: 4. EXT. PARK - 'SALAD PARTY' LATER THAT DAY. Elinor, Mr. Rabbit , Mz. Llama and Deputy Mouse, RANGER RABBIT, ARI, OLIVE and MRS. COW all gather in the park. Two picnic tables have been pushed together to make one long dining table. Right down the middle are a line of salad bowls , with a selection of potluck salads. OLIVE Mm, this is a great fruit salad, Ari. ARI Thanks! Mz. Llama is standing up, with a salad bowl. MZ. LLAMA Who wants the last of my dandelion salad? DEPUTY MOUSE (quickly) I do! Elinor looks at him in surprise. He smiles sheepishly. DEPUTY MOUSE (CONT’D) Can’t let it go to waste. ELINOR Speaking of waste... (Elinor indicates a third table nearby, which has a cutting board, knife , salad dressing bottles and a bowl of DANDELION FLOWERS AND STEMS.) ELINOR (CONT’D) What’s going to happen to all the flowers and stems that are not good to eat? Mz. llama Oh! I know what they’re good for... Mz. Llama brings over the bowl of flowers and stems. Mz. llama (CONT’D) I used to do this all the time, as a little girl. ( ALT: little ‘cria’ ) Ari, Olive and Elinor lean in to watch as Mz. Llama quickly ties the flowers together. (OS) Then, she holds it up. Mz. llama (CONT’D) Ta-da ! You can make them into dandelion crowns, like this. She places it on Elinor’s head, and admires her work. Mz. llama (CONT’D) My, that looks - MR. RABBIT - Dandy? It sure does. Elinor looks brightly at Olive and Ari. ELINOR Let’s make crowns for everybody! Olive / ari (overlapping) Okay! / Sure! Ari and Olive get busy knotting the flower stems into ‘crowns’ as Elinor begins to SING... SONG MOMENT: 'Dandy Dandelions' Elinor indicates the rampant dandelions in the park lawn. ELINOR (SINGS) Oh you may wonder why I care about a plant that's everywhere But it helps Nature here and there It's more than just a weed Elinor delivers a flower crown to her Mom, then to Mz. Llama. The bumblebees can't get enough They eat its tasty flower stuff She then puts a ‘crown’ on her Dad - only this one has a head of seeds on it. He accidentally inhales a fluff - And hummingbirds like its cozy fluff. Mr. Rabbit <SFX: SNEEZES> It's more than just a weed Elinor scoops up a ‘bouquet’ of dandelions from the dandelion bowl to hold as she dances on the grass, singing the CHORUS: Dandy Dandelions, you're more than just a weed 'Cause every single part of you is something nature needs Ari and Olive (now crowned as well) join her in the dance. ELINOR/ ARI/ OLIVE Dandy Dandelions, you're more than just a weed 'Cause every single part of you is something nature needs The SONG ENDS, to <CHEERS AND APPLAUSE> from the adults. Just then, Olive notices that Deputy Mouse’s head is bare. OLIVE Deputy Mouse didn’t get a crown. ELINOR We’ll make you one. ( jokes ) You can be ‘king of the gardeners.’ Elinor quickly knots him a small crown, which he puts on. mr. Rabbit He already is. Why, I’ve never known anyone so good at growing dandelions! As the Deputy’s pride dissolves into <SFX: AD LIB LAUGHTER>, we... FADE OUT.

EWW166 "Dandy Dandelions" D2 13-MAR-20

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ELINOR WONDERS WHY EP . 166 “Dandy Dandelions” By: Karen Moonah Elinor's Question: Are weeds, like dandelions, good for anything? Logline: Elinor learns that every plant has a purpose in nature, even the ones we call 'weeds'. LS3 . Understand that all animals need food to live and grow, that they get their food from plants or from other animals, and that plants need water and light to live and grow: a.) Observe ways that animals and plants get what they need to live and grow c.) Help care for living things at home or in the classroom (Elinor learns that a garden needs to be 'weeded' to thrive) LS5: Begin to understand that animals and plants depend on other living things and nonliving things in the environment to meet some of their needs: d.) Identify and observe the consequences of how plants and animals impact the environment. ( e.g . Dandelions provide food for bees, and building material for nests.) SEP7: Engaging in argument from evidence a.) Engage in discussions before, during, and after investigations. b.) Support thinking and argue ideas with evidence SEP8: Obtaining, evaluating and communicating information a.) Obtain information through discussing prior knowledge and observations with experts including teachers or knowledgeable adults Line Count: 117 Mains: Elinor, Mr. Rabbit, Deputy (Joe) Mouse, Mz . Llama Secondary: Olive, Ari Locations: Path, Joe's Yard, Park Props: garden gloves, dandelions, basket, weeding tool, buckets, composter , salad bowls, salad dressing bottles, outdoor tables OUTLINE: Jan 23, 2020 FIRST DRAFT: Feb. 14, 2020 SECOND DRAFT: March 13, 2020 Ari Ari / Olive / elinor Crowd elinor Elinor / Olive ELINOR / Olive / ari ELINOR / Olive / ARI / farmer bear / lambs Elinor / Olive / ari / others eLINOR / Olive /a FARMER BEAR G L Lamb 1, 2, 3 / beaver LamB 1, 2, 3 / BEAVER / farmer bear / Olive / ari / elinor Mrs. Mrs. Gorilla Ms. Mole Olive Olive / ARI Olive / elinor Olive. Other students ROLLIE ROLLIE’S SISTER Sr Students Tomato mascot VARIOUS STUDENTS All kids ELINOR/ari MRS. Gorilla/elinor/olive/ari Mz. Mole Ranger rabbit Mr. Hippo Mr. Beaver ARI / OLIVE / MR. BEAVER Philbert O\ PHILBERT / OLIVE / ARI! Audience Dad Ms. llama Elinor / dad dad / elinor Joe mouse Elinor / dad / ms. Llama Elinor’s dad Ms. LLAMA / joe / olive / ari / elinor Elinor / ari / olive Joe mouse / elinor’s dad / ms. Llama / elinor / ari / Olive Dad / ranger rabbit / ms. Llama / joe Mr. Rabbit Deputy DePUTY mouse Mz. Llama (V.O.) (O.S.) (O.C.) (CONT'D) (SUBTITLE) (to herself) (muffled) (os) (thoughtful) (grins) (sings) (CALLS) (SHEEPISH) (cheery) (part os) INT EXT I/E 6. EXT 1 2 A SOUVENIR STAND DROP LADDER BEAVERS' PRACTICE AREA SCHOOLYARD CLASSROOM MRS. GORILLA'S JUICE CART INT. CLASSROOM ANIMAL TOWN EXT. ELINOR'S HOUSE INT. ELINOR'S HOUSE MR. HIPPO'S STORE MR. BEAVER'S WORKSHOP FARMER BEAR'S TREE FARM ELINOR'S HOUSE INT. A 'BIG TOP' CIRCUS (FANTASY) SCHOOL PLAYGROUND PLAYGROUND DAY NIGHT AFTERNOON MORNING EVENING LATER MOMENTS LATER CONTINUOUS THE NEXT DAY MINUTES LATER ESTABLISHING KITCHEN DAY MONTAGE CUT TO: FADE IN: FADE OUT. FADE TO: DISSOLVE TO: BACK TO: MATCH CUT TO: JUMP CUT TO: FADE TO BLACK. ‘fluff’ wipe to: ‘wheel’ wipe to: