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TheGongHeard’RoundTheHouse3
The Gong Heard ’Round the House
Directed by

Tim Hodge

Written by

Eric Branscum

Music by

Terry Scott Taylor
Robert Watson
James Covell

Released

2014 (Production year) January 30, 2015

Runtime

11 minutes

Previous episode

Larry's Cardboard Thumb

Next episode

 When the Dust Bunnies Came to Town

The Gong Heard ’Round the House is the first half of the seventh episode from the first season of VeggieTales in the House.

Plot

Bob and Larry are holding a monster truck race between Archibald and Ichabeezer, to see which one of them will have their name on the new generosity shelter. Bob is not sure that this is a good idea, but Larry thinks that it's a great idea. Archibald then says, "My name deserves to go on that." Ichabeezer then says, "You're all talk, Mayor! When I win, it's my name that'll go on that shelter!" Bob thinks that this is silly, before Larry points out to him that he's holding a clipboard without hands, to which Bob realizes that Larry has a point, before starting the race, as Archibald and Ichabeezer both start roaring down the street in their monster trucks. Archibald pulls out in front of Ichabeezer, because he had a turbo-charged hemi dropped into his monster truck, but Ichabeezer has some tricks of his own too, before telling Rooney to hit the nitrous oxide, which Rooney does, as Ichabeezer then drives up next to Archibald. The two racers zoom past Bob and Larry, making them spin around, before the two racers reach the edge of the street at the same time. Ichabeezer thinks that he won, but Archibald tells him that he won, before they both approach Bob for the results. Bob then tells them it was a perfect tie, while Archibald then dejectedly says that he'll have to come up with some other way to find a name for the shelter, with Ichabeezer saying that it's a rip-off.

Of course, Bob then thinks that a shelter name after him would be a good idea, before telling Archibald, "You could name it after me." Larry thinks that that's a great idea, saying that "The 'Me' Shelter" has a nice ring to it, with Bob telling Larry that that's silly. Of course, Archibald thinks otherwise, realizing that Bob gave him an idea, saying that they can name it after the most generous, helpful person in town, before going off to spread the word about it. Larry then tells Bob that it's a great idea to have a whole building named after someone, before asking who they know that is generous and helpful. Bob then says, "Larry, you're looking at him," before asking if "The Bob Shelter of Generosity and Hope" has a nice ring to it. Larry then says that his bathtub has a nice ring to it, which Bob is frustrated to hear. Archibald then approaches Laura, who is sweeping the ground, as he thanks her for being ever so kind.

Back home, Larry is trying to take apart two video game controllers that got stuck together with gum that he put on one controller and put the other controller on top of the other, to no avail, while Bob says that he is generous and that he does things for people all the time, before wondering how to get everyone else to believe that. When Larry explains to Bob about what happened and asks him to help, Bob takes the opportunity to help out as he takes the controllers from Larry and tries to pull them apart. After a while, Bob is able to pull the controllers apart before giving them back to Larry. When Bob asks Larry if that was super-generous of him, Larry answers that he can't shrug any harder, which frustrates Bob yet again. Bob angrily says to himself that that was really generous but no one saw it, before asking himself how people will know if he's generous if they can't see it, and that he needs something that will get people's attention. Bob then notices a gong that Larry apparently either bought or found in a dumpster, since he can't remember which one it was. Bob then takes the gong with him before he leaves the house after that. After Bob leaves, Larry then blows a gum bubble that lifts him up into the air, before he drops the video game controller afterwards.

After Bob has entered town while carrying the gong, he then notices Pa Grape who is having trouble trying to reach a window to wash it but Bob is able to reach the window for him. After washing the window, Bob then bangs the gong, which gets everyone attention, as he then announces to everyone that he he has helped Pa clean his window, telling them to remember this when it comes time to name the shelter, before he then bangs the gong repeatedly after that. After Bob has finished banging the gong, Pa asks him if he thinks that's what true generosity looks like, saying that real generosity doesn't seek attention, but Bob cuts him off saying, "Exactly!" before poking Pa in the nose with his gong stick. From a distance, Ichabeezer notes that everyone in town will know that Bob is the most generous, so conspires to find a way to let everyone know that his amazing name needs to go on the building. Jean-Claude and Phillipe also need their names on the building, saying that they need to get something more "gong-ier." Because of this, Phillipe offers to walk Larry's guppy, while Jean-Claude is walking a corn man's pet lobster. Jimmy and Jerry also desire to have their names on the building since they think that they are the most generous and helpful.

At Ichabeezer's home, Ichabeezer is playing the piano while singing about how he is generous, helpful, and humble, before he hears his door knocking as he goes to answer it. Ichabeezer then explains to Rooney that he ordered a boom box that will play a loud song about his generosity that would surely put Bob's gong trick to shame. However, when Ichabeezer opens the box, the boom box that came in it is incredibly tiny, while he quips that "it looked much bigger online." Back in town, Granny Asparagus is about to cross the street, when Jimmy and Jerry pick her up and carry her across. After the Gourd brothers put her down again, Jimmy says, "Look at us be kind and generous," before he and Jerry start playing saxophones off-key as they leave. Junior then also helps Granny across the street, despite Granny's insistence that she doesn't need any help, just as Junior then starts playing an electric guitar after that. Captain Mike tries helping Granny Asparagus across, but Mr. Lunt also tries helping her across, since he also wants his name on the building. Madame Blueberry wants a turn to help, offering to help Granny Asparagus cross the street, to which Granny Asparagus then faints after that.

Archibald then starts singing about whoever wants their name on the building, and all of the generous acts that are to be done, such as cleaning someone's car, taking out someone's trash, and mowing their lawn, among other things. During the song, Mr. Lunt plays a drum, Jimmy and Jerry play their saxophones, and Madame Blueberry plays a trumpet. After the song ends, everyone then hops off while Archibald tells everyone to start looking for that extra generous person. Back at Ichabeezer's home, a carrot delivery boy brings in a large package before holding out a clipboard for Ichabeezer to sign for the package, but Ichabeezer refuses to sign for it because it's too small. Ichabeezer then offers to pay the delivery boy two gold bars to delivery "the biggest, most outrageous boom box known to vegetabledom," wanting it delivered by cargo helicopter. Bob then notices that a corn woman has dropped her bag of groceries so he quickly rushes over and helps pick up her groceries again. After Bob has accomplished his good deed, he bangs his gong again, before he hears the sound of Madame Blueberry playing her trumpet. Bob then bangs the gong once more, before the sound of Jimmy and Jerry playing their saxophones cuts him off once again. When Bob bangs his gong again, Mr. Lunt starts playing his drum again, just as the air is filled with dissonant music, which prompts Bob to enter Pa's store, telling Pa that he just wanted people to see how generous he was.

Pa then tells Bob, "How about a trumpet?", which Bob is confused about, before Pa tells him a verse, which is, "So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets." Bob then asks what that has to do with him, before Pa tells Bob that he owes him a dollar fifty for a can of root beer, but Bob forgot his wallet back home. Fortunately for Bob, Laura comes up to him and gives him a dollar fifty, but Bob tells her that he can't take it, though Laura tells him to take it and that she wants him to have it, which proves Pa's point. Meanwhile, Ichabeezer and Rooney look up as the large boom box that Ichabeezer ordered is being lowered into the center of town via helicopter. After the boom box has been lowered to the ground, Ichabeezer then says, "With this device, I'm just one, small, loud step away from the Ichabeezer Center becoming a reality." After turning on the boom box, with the volume turned up all the way loud, Ichabeezer then starts singing about how he wants a building with his name on it, with the high-decibel music blowing everyone across town, before the loud music also knocks over the generosity shelter, just as the song ends. Pa then quips that Ichabeezer's loud music knocked the shelter over, while Ichabeezer replies that he was just following Bob's lead. Larry then suggests that knock the rest of the world over so that it would match the shelter. Archibald then says, "Look what we have caused," while Jimmy, who has somehow landed in a dumpster during the whole ordeal, says, "We can't even use this shelter. How will we be generous now?", before Bob then adds how they will lift the shelter back up. Because of this, Archibald and Ichabeezer have both come up with an idea on how to atone for the wrong that they did.

Soon, the solution is that Archibald and Ichabeezer are to drive in their monster trucks, with ropes tied to the monster trucks, while the other ends of the ropes are tied to the shelter in order to lift the shelter back up once again. After the shelter has been lifted back up, everyone is fixing the mess, just as Laura comes up and offers lemonade to Madame Blueberry and Archibald. Archibald then realizes that they still need a name, wondering who they're going to name the building after, while Mike sadly admits, "None of us deserve it." Jimmy then says that it should definitely not be called "The Jimmy and Jerry Shelter of Jimmy and Jerry's Generous Generosity, and also Ice Cream, Hot Dog, and Donut Stand Brought To You By, Yep, You Guessed It, Jimmy and Jerry. And in addition, The Super Monster Truck Covered in Caramel Sauce and Sprinkles Shelter, For the Benefit of All Mankind to Eat More Snacks, Like Beef Jerky, Assorted Nuts, Monkey Bread, and Happiness Shelter, Without Forgetting About Playing with Lots of Action Figures, Collecting Stamps, Whatever They Are, and Loving Your Mom and Dad and Stuff Shelter," before saying, "Not that I've thought about it or anything." Archibald then says that there must be someone who is truly generous. Bob then says that there is, before asking Laura who she thinks should have their name on the shelter, before Laura suggests "The Everybody in Town Shelter," which everyone is happy to hear.

Characters

Songs

Fun Facts

Explanations

  • The episode's title comes from "Shot heard round the world," which is a phrase referring to several historical incidents.
  • Monkey bread is a sweet pastry served in the United States for breakfast or as a treat. It consists of pieces of soft bread with cinnamon sprinkled on it and is often served at fairs and other parks.

Trivia

  • This marks the first appearance of Ichabeezer's Mansion.

Goofs

  • James Covell was not credited for the episode.

Fast Forward

  • A flashback from this episode would be used in Glued at the Hip.
  • Archibald would later call Laura "Miss Carrot" again.

Transcript

Gallery

TheGongHeard’RoundTheHouseTitleCard

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