This article is about the episode. You may be looking for the book. |
- "When you see that someone needs help and you know you can help 'em, you just have to get involved!"
- — Clark Wayne
Tomato Sawyer and Huckleberry Larry's Big River Rescue | |
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Directed by | |
Produced by | |
Written by |
Phil Vischer |
Music by | |
Distributed by |
Genius Products |
Released |
July 12, 2008 |
Runtime |
49 minutes |
Previous episode | |
Next episode |
Tomato Sawyer and Huckleberry Larry's Big River Rescue (also known as Big River Rescue) is the thirty-second episode of VeggieTales.
The story is based on Mark Twain's two popular books, "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn", and "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer".
Summary
Tomato Sawyer and Huckleberry Larry's life on the lazy River takes a turn for adventure when they help a stranger in need. With unexpected twists around every bend, they discover that while helping others may not be the easiest thing to do, it's always the right thing to do.
Plot
Countertop Intro
Bob and Larry greet the kids again on the Countertop, though Larry says that he's late for his book club, which Bob is confused about. Larry then meets up with Archibald Asparagus, Jimmy Gourd, and Mr. Lunt, who are part of the book club. Larry apologizes for being late, but Mr. Lunt tells him that it's okay because they started without him, not in discussing the book, but in eating the snacks, as Jimmy says, while Archibald says that they were delicious. Mr. Lunt then says, "I would put them on par with the snacks from two months ago, but they paled in comparison to the snacks from last month." Bob then asks the group what they're reading, to which Larry answers that they're reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, with Bob saying that that's a classic, before asking them what they thought of it. The group is at a loss for words, before Mr. Lunt says, "Personally, I found the book riveting, full of flawed characters and classic American humor," before a small booklet falls out from the book he's holding. Bob then picks up the booklet, reading it as "Norm's Notes," to which Mr. Lunt explains that they're "condensed outlines of books for the vegetable on the go." Bob is surprised that Larry and the others didn't actually read the book, but rather just notes on the book, before asking them if they allow this, before three booklets also fall out from the books held by Larry, Archibald, and Jimmy, before Larry says that it does make everything go faster. Mr. Lunt then says that "Norm's got notes on every book you could ever want," explaining that War and Peace took him 15 minutes, saying that it was also riveting and full of flawed characters, but this time, with classic Russian pathos. Bob then tells Larry that they have a letter to answer, with Larry asking who it's from. Bob then answers that the letter is from a kid named Zachary Alexander who hails from the city Glen Allen in the state Virginia. Mr. Lunt asks how long the letter is, with Bob answering that it's one page, before Mr. Lunt says sarcastically that he's sure he'll find it riveting. In the letter, Zachary explains that there's a kid in his school named Joseph who gets mocked at a lot and that he feels really terrible for him, but he's afraid that if he helps him out; he'll get made fun of too and that he's uncertain about getting involved in such a matter. When Bob asks Larry what he thinks, Mr. Lunt says that he's had enough reading for one day, while Jimmy asks who brought dessert, with Archibald answering that it was his turn as he brings out a slice of cake with ice cream on it. Bob then tells Zachary that he's got a real problem, before Larry tells him to watch the story of "Huckleberry Larry," which Bob is in disbelief about, before Larry tells him that they couldn't get the rights to Finn. Mr. Lunt is surprised that they can watch the story from their book club before saying, "That's three minutes of my life I'll never get back."
Tomato Sawyer and Huckleberry Larry's Big River Rescue
On a wooden pier next to the mighty Mississippi River, an elderly gentleman named Clark Wayne (played by Grandpa George) is playing a banjo and whistling a lively tune while sitting on a rocking chair, before he greets the viewers and introduces himself as "Clark Wayne, storyteller." He then tells the viewers that it's the perfect night for a story set on the Big River. Clark then taps a case with his banjo, which causes the case to open up, before a screen then comes up from the case. Clark then explains, via the screen, that the Mississippi River is the biggest river in America, starting from the woods of Minnesota to New Orleans, also explaining that a drop of water that falls into Lake Itasca up there will be in the Gulf of Mexico 90 days later. He then says that most people like to get down the river a little quicker than that, and that this is the story about just a fellow who did just that, before saying that they're going to take a trip on the Mississippi, before he gets on a canoe being manned by a pea Indian named Chato (played by Jean-Claude Pea), who greets him with "'Allo, Kemosabe."
Clark then says that there's not a soul out at night and that they have the river all to themselves, before he starts singing a song about traveling down the Mississippi River with a trusty Indian guide, though Chato prefers the term, "Native American." A trio of female pea cheerleaders then come by in a canoe of their own before they say a cheer that goes, "Gonna take a trip on the mighty Mississipp! Gonna take a little trippy on the mighty Mississippi!", to which Clark then says, "Must be a slumber party." After the pea cheerleaders had gone down the river, Clark then resumes singing about taking a little trip down the Mississippi, though when Chato tries singing along, Clark tells him not to sing so loud, before telling the viewers that their story starts at "Dooley and Sons Lumber Camp," explaining that Mr. Dooley (played by Mr. Nezzer) was in the tree removal business and that he had a way of removing anything (or anyone) who lumbered in his way, which he demonstrates by pulling out a small sapling. Mr. Dooley then tells all of the carrot loggers to work better and harder at cutting down the trees. Four carrot loggers try to pick up a large log, but it is much too heavy for any of them, just as Otto (played by Scooter Carrot) comes up, while Mr. Dooley asks him what the holdup is. Otto explains that they're having trouble with this log, so Mr. Dooley tells him to call Big Jim, which Otto is hesitant to do, before Mr. Dooley tells him, "Now!"
Otto then whistles, just as a loud thumping sound is heard, before Clark Wayne explains that Big Jim is strong as an ox and twice as tall and that he struck fear into anyone who laid eyes on him. One of the carrot loggers then faints after that. Big Jim (played by Apollo Gourd) then asks Clark if he knows him, to which Clark tells him not to mind him because he's the narrator. Mr. Dooley then tells Big Jim that he's not paying him to stand around, before Otto tells him that he's not paying him at all. Big Jim then starts to push on the log up a ramp leading to a sluice while Clark explains that unlike the other loggers, Big Jim was not an employee of "Dooley and Sons Inc.," also explaining that 5 years ago, he was caught in Elk River, Minnesota with 1100 lbs. of stolen turkey jerky. As the sole witness, Mr. Dooley testified against Big Jim in court and that Big Jim didn't go to prison, instead he was sentenced to 3 years of community service at, of all places, "Dooley and Sons Lumber Camp." Big Jim then pushes the log into the sluice, while Mr. Dooley praises for the work before giving him a piece of turkey jerky, which Big Jim is not happy about.
The sound of someone yelling is suddenly heard after that, before another carrot logger approaches Mr. Dooley telling him that there's been an accident. When Otto asks what happened, the carrot logger says that someone named Silverstein got a splinter, which Otto is surprised to hear. Mr. Dooley and Otto then follow after the carrot logger, but not without Mr. Dooley telling another carrot logger named Steve to keep an eye on Big Jim, but unfortunately, Steve does not do as Mr. Dooley tells him so he leaves, which gives Big Jim a chance to escape from the lumber camp. When Mr. Dooley and Otto return, they're surprised to see that Big Jim is gone, before Mr. Dooley asks Clark why he didn't stop him. Clark then says, "I'm the narrator, I'm not supposed to get involved." Soon, Mr. Dooley, Otto, and Steve then start chasing after Big Jim, while some barking sounds are heard, before Mr. Dooley asks Otto if that was his dog barking, but Otto tells him that it was Steve, because he likes to bark when they chase things. The trio then continue the chase, all while Big Jim is hiding a tree before he hops off after that. Steve is then howling while standing in front of a bush, but it turns out that there was a bear hiding in the bush, which scares the trio away. Big Jim continues hopping, until Mr. Dooley, Otto, and Steve find him again before the chase resumes once again until Big Jim reaches the river. Fortunately, Big Jim grabs hold of the sign for "Dooley and Sons Lumber Camp" and uses it as a makeshift raft before he floats down the river. Mr. Dooley is angry that Big Jim has escaped, before he notices Steve drinking a smoothie.
The next morning, further down the river, Clark explains that not every day on the Mississippi was quite so exciting nor every situation so rife with turmoil. The scene then switches to two young men named Tomato Sawyer (played by Bob the Tomato) and Huckleberry Larry (played by Larry the Cucumber), who are doing some work on the land they're living on, explaining that they're homesteading. Clark then explains that when the U.S. government settled the West, they cut it into little pieces of land called homesteads and that if you could live on a homestead for 5 years without starving or getting run off by bears, the government would give it to you, also saying that Tom and Huck have been living on their homesteads for 4 years and 362 days and that, come Friday, just three days away, the land will be theirs. Tom then says that in three days, the land will be theirs while Huck says that their dreams are finally coming true. Tom asks Huck for some nails, which are in Huck's tent behind his record collection. Clark then explains that before MP3 players, there were circular vinyl discs called records. Huck's dream is to open a turkey jerky-themed amusement park, which he will call Jerkyland, before Tom berates Huck for his obscure music while carrying two of Huck's records, which are "Bobby Roberts and his Happy Monkey" and "Mama Belle and Little Jimmy," but Huck tells Tom that Mama Belle and Little Jimmy are not obscure because they sold over a million albums until Little Jimmy disappeared 5 years ago. Tom then tells Huck that the theme park business is capital-intensive and that it's hard to make any money, before Huck tells him that he's not in for the money, but for the action. Tom's dream is to open his own tax office, though Clark says, "What the tomato may have missed in his business plan is that this is 1904, and the federal income tax will not be established until 1913. For the next 9 years, he will, in fact, have the market all to himself. What he will not have is customers," before saying that he could tell Tom this, but like before, as the narrator, he's not supposed to get involved. Tom and Huck then see Clark, wondering who he is, with Huck saying, "I think it was Colonel Sanders."
However, the duo then hear the sound of barking, which surprises them, before Mr. Dooley, Otto, and Steve approach them. Huck then asks Mr. Dooley where his dog is, before Mr. Dooley tells him that Steve likes to bark. Mr. Dooley then tells the duo that they're looking for a dangerous man before he accidentally holds up an "I <3 Puppies" poster, before he acknowledges his mistake and holds up a wanted poster of Big Jim, before explaining that Big Jim tore up a factory with his bare hands and that his heading to where Tom and Huck are now, which Tom and Huck are worried about. Mr. Dooley then gives Huck a signal flare, explaining that if they see Big Jim, light it, and they'll come running. When Tom asks why Big Jim tore up the factory, Mr. Dooley answers that he was looking for something, and when Huck asks what it was, Mr. Dooley answers that it was turkey jerky, which Huck is surprised to hear. After Mr. Dooley, Otto, and Steve leave, Tom and Huck are worried about the possibility of Big Jim arriving. Otto then asks Mr. Dooley what they're going to do now, with Mr. Dooley answering that they're going to Muscatine, but Otto tells him that they have to get back to camp and that the boys won't know what to do without them. Back at the lumber camp, the carrot loggers don't know what to do until one of them suggests that they sing, so they all sing about how some men have jobs as dentists, cops, running delis, and running bicycles, but they're proud to be loggers.
Back at Tom and Huck's camp, the duo are still worried, wondering why Big Jim would come to their camp because they don't have any turkey jerky, but Huck says that he will once he opens Jerkyland. Tom then says, "Well sure, but nobody knows that now... do they?" Huck then admits that he may have put a sign or two, or 29, which Tom is shocked to hear, before asking Huck where he put them, with Huck answering along the river. Tom is even more worried, before Huck says, "It's advertising, Tom! My 'Amusement Parks for Dummies' book says I have to do it!" Tom then says, "Well, does it tell you what to do when your advertising attracts a homicidal turkey jerky-loving maniac?!?", before Huck says that he doesn't know because he's only on Chapter 3. Suddenly, the sound of bushes rustling is heard, which surprises Tom and Huck, before a flock of birds flies away, which Tom is relieved by. However, Huck then sees something behind Tom, before Tom realizes that someone is behind him before turning around to see Big Jim, which scares Tom and Huck. Big Jim then says, "Do you know the way to St. Louie? I want to sing with my mama." Huck then panics, saying that they don't have any turkey jerky, before Big Jim tells him, "I don't like turkey jerky." Tom then tells Big Jim that he and Huck don't like turkey jerky, but Huck says that he does and that he's building a whole theme park, before Tom tells him to get the signal flare.
Tom then talks more with Big Jim, about how Big Jim wants to sing with his mama, before Big Jim tells him, "In St. Louie. She said, 'Meet me in St. Louie, Louie'." Tom tells him, "But your name is 'Jim'", before Big Jim says that his middle name is Louie. Tom then tells Huck again to get the signal flare, before calling Big Jim as "Jim Louie," before Big Jim tells, "Mama Belle call me 'Little Jimmy'," which rings alarm bells within Huck, before he hops over to his tent and retrieves his "Mama Belle and Little Jimmy" record and when he shows it to Big Jim, he becomes excited as he exclaims, "Mama!" Tom is dubious, asking, "That's your mama?" before Big Jim says, "And me, Little Jimmy!" When Tom and Huck are both skeptical that Big Jim used to be the small boy on the front of the record cover, Big Jim replies, "I grew." Tom then sarcastically says, "Sure you did," before telling Huck in Pig Latin "Et-gay the are-flay." Huck then goes over to his tent while loudly proclaiming that he's going to put the record away. Tom then tells Big Jim to take a nap on his raft, while Huck tries unsuccessfully to light the signal flare that Mr. Dooley gave him earlier. Huck then goes to retrieve the matches in Tom's tent before he is able to light the signal flare, which causes it to shoot into the air while carrying Tom's tent with it, before fireworks then go off, which Big Jim is amazed by, before thanking Tom for helping him, while Tom tells him "It's the least we could do." Tom and Huck then go into Huck's tent while Tom angrily asks Huck what he's supposed to do for a tent with Huck telling him that he didn't know it was gonna do that, before Tom asks him, "What did you think it was gonna do?!?" Tom and Huck then look down at the reward poster, realizing that they can use the $100 reward money to buy Tom a new tent and to be able to open Jerkyland. However, the two then hear what sounds like singing, before they look outside to see Big Jim laying on his makeshift raft while singing in his sleep. Of course, Huck recognizes the song that Big Jim is singing before he takes out his "Mama Belle and Little Jimmy" record and places it on his record player as it starts playing the song that Big Jim is singing, which is entitled "Happy River." After the song ends, Huck realizes that Big Jim was telling the truth after all and that he really is Little Jimmy, before telling Tom that they should help Little Jimmy get back to his mama, which Tom is not happy about, saying that Little Jimmy tore up a factory, but Huck refutes this by showing Tom a record entitled "Little Jimmy Sings The 'I'm Allergic To Turkey Jerky' Blues."
However, the sound of Steve barking and howling is heard, as Huck realizes that Mr. Dooley and his posse have returned, before telling Little Jimmy to run, but Little Jimmy is still asleep. Tom is still not happy about helping Little Jimmy before Huck tells him that they have to save Little Jimmy. Mr. Dooley, Otto, and Steve have soon returned to the camp while Mr. Dooley says, "Where is that big ox?" Steve sniffs around, while Tom and Huck are still hiding inside Huck's tent, while Mr. Dooley says, "I should have known Little Jimmy would try to get back to his mama someday!". This is more proof that Huck tells Tom that Little Jimmy really is telling the truth. Otto then notices the spot where Huck inadvertently lit the signal flare while inside Tom's tent, before the tent then starts hopping before the trio notice the hopping tent and chase after them, but the tent is able to hop onto the raft that Little Jimmy is sleeping on, before the raft then floats away from the shore. When Mr. Dooley tries to get Otto and Steve to go after Little Jimmy, Otto says that he can't swim while Steve can only doggy paddle, which Mr. Dooley is frustrated about before he yells out, "I'll track you down if it's the last thing I do!" Little Jimmy wakes up when he hears this voice, asking if it's his mama, but Tom tells him that that's not his mama, before Huck adds that they're gonna find her for him. Clark then says that all Tom could think about was the $100 dollars that he just lost and the fact that if he wasn't back at that homestead by Friday when the man from the government showed up, he was gonna lose a whole lot more.
Silly Song
Act 2
Tom wakes up to find that it's morning, but when he turns over to see Little Jimmy still asleep, he becomes surprised before asking Huck where they are. Huck answers that they're coming up on Davenport, at the same time trying to keep the raft evenly balanced when Little Jimmy starts rolling over while asleep. When Huck says that they're making good time, Tom disagrees, saying that they're making terrible time because they're not supposed to be going anywhere. After keeping the raft balanced again when Little Jimmy rolls again, Tom says that they have to get back to their campsite before the government man gets there and decides that they starved or got run off by bears. Huck then tells Tom that he has it all figured out, because a couple of hours ahead is a town called Muscatine, which when they get there, they intend to put Little Jimmy on the train to St. Louis, and they can walk back to their homesteads by Thursday in plenty of time, which Tom reluctantly agrees with, saying, "Okay, Huck, Muscatine, but no further." While the trio are still traveling down the river, Tom notices that it is a lovely day on the river, before Little Jimmy rolls over again, causing the raft to capsize in the water.
Later, while the trio are still traveling down the river, Clark then starts singing about how traveling down the mighty Mississippi is a lot of fun with a friend, at the same time that they are now fishing in the river. However, when Clark and Chato appear next to the trio, Huck also sings along, but Clark stops him telling him that "this is the narrator's song," before Huck tells him, "I thought you were the chicken guy," which Chato snickers out, while Clark tells him, "Not a word, Chato." Despite this, the song then resumes, as Clark sings about how the river is his neighbor and his friend. When Tom gets a bite on his fishing pole, Little Jimmy goes over to help, but that causes the raft to tip over again, just as the song ends, at the same time that the pea cheerleaders show up again with another cheer that goes, "Spell it! M-I-crooked letter, crooked letter, I, crooked letter, crooked letter, I, humpback, humpback, I!" Huck then muses, "Must be a slumber party," before Tom sarcastically says, "Lovely." Huck then asks Little Jimmy about how the bad man in the mask dumped the turkey jerky in his arms right when the police showed up, which Little Jimmy confirms, saying that that's why he spent 5 years at the lumber camp. When Huck tells him that he only had to serve three years, Little Jimmy tells him that Mr. Dooley thought that he couldn't count. Soon, the raft then comes upon Muscatine, which Little Jimmy is happy, but just as Tom is about to tell him what they're going to do, Little Jimmy already knows what Tom is going to say about putting him on a train to St. Louis. Tom then tells Huck to run ahead and find the train station while he ties up the raft.
Huck then does just that as he gets off the raft and enters Muscatine to try and find the train station, as well as pick up some doughnuts, telling Tom that everyone deserves doughnuts for a job well done. After entering Muscatine, Huck asks an old man (played by Grandpa Gourd) where the train station is, before the man tells him to head down the street yonder. After thanking the man for these directions, Huck heads on down towards the direction of the train station while admiring all of the beautiful sights in town, such as friendly town people, shopping, baby with a signal flare- wait... Baby with a signal flare?!? Huck then notices a baby cucumber with a signal flare, before noticing that everyone in Muscatine has a signal flare, all because of the fact that Mr. Dooley had apparently been there and warned everyone about Big Jim, with Big Jim's poster up in town. Huck then flees in terror after that. Meanwhile, Tom and Little Jimmy have been hopping up the ramp while Tom asks Little Jimmy if he plays any football, adding that he has the size for it, but Little Jimmy tells him no because he was in music. Huck then runs up while calling out for Tom, just as the baby cucumber notices Little Jimmy, before he starts crying while trying to get his signal flare started. Huck then bumps into Tom and Little Jimmy, which causes the trio to tumble back down the ramp before landing in their raft again. Huck then tells Tom that they have to get out of Muscatine, and when Tom asks him what's going on, Huck tells him, "BEWARE THE BABIES!!!!" Seconds later, a signal flare then shoots into the sky, which the baby was able to light by using a magnifying glass. Tom thinks that no one noticed, but is proven wrong when more signal flares shoot off into the sky after that. Huck then worriedly says that everyone in Muscatine knows about Big Jim, because the posters are everywhere, and that even the babies have signal flares, which Tom is confused about, before Huck confirms it. However, Tom then says that they had a deal that they would go as far as Muscatine and that they have to get back home or they'll lose everything. Huck says that even if they lose everything, he wants to help Little Jimmy find his mama, which only frustrates Tom even further, before Huck says, "Let's just get back on the river and think this over."
While the trio continue on down the river, a wagon being manned by two con men known as the King of Memphis (played by Jimmy Gourd) and the Duke of New Orleans (played by Jerry Gourd) is being pushed along the side of the river, all while the baker (played by Oscar the Polish Caterer) chases after them while accompanied by a carrot policemen, telling the two con men to come back with his doughnuts. The King and the Duke manage to evade rocks while in the wagon, but when they evade a tree, their wagon ends up rolling down the side of the bank before the wagon then flies into the air, while Clark says, "Looks like these two rascals are in a heap of trouble." Tom, Huck, and Little Jimmy continue rowing down the river, until the con men and their wagon end up falling into the river in front of them after that. When the two con men think that it was close, their wagon suddenly springs a leak as the King calls out to the trio to let them come aboard, but Tom does not want to let any more passengers come aboard. Of course, the King tells them, "There could be a doughnut in it for you." Soon, the King and Duke have been let onto the raft, with Huck asking them if they really are a King and Duke, which the King confirms before Tom asks them, "Of what?" The King then says, "My good tomato, you are looking at the King of Memphis, and my good friend here, the Duke of New Orleans." Tom then says, "But we don't have royalty in America," before the King tells him matter-of-factly, "Obviously, you've never been to the South." When the King asks Tom and Huck who their "prodigious compatriot" is, which confuses Huck, before the King asks him, "Who's the big guy?" Tom then tells him that that's Jim, which the King and Duke recognize as Big Jim.
Little Jimmy then asks again, "Do you know the way to St. Louie?" before saying that he wants to sing with his mama. The King then says that St. Louis is the sight of the World's Fair before asking Little Jimmy if that's where his mama is. When Little Jimmy repeats what his mama told him, "Meet me in St. Louie, Louie. Meet me at the fair," the Duke says that he loves that song, before he immediately starts singing, "Meet Me in St. Louis," while the King says, "I thought his name is Jim," before Tom tells him, "His middle name is Louie." When the King asks the Duke which town they're coming on next, the Duke answers, "I dunno," before the King then says that he and the Duke will be kind enough to escort them to St. Louis as well as giving Tom and Huck train fare that will take them back where they came from, which Tom is happy to hear that he and Huck will be able to get back to their homesteads on time. The King then says that at the next town, they will telegraph ahead to let Little Jimmy's mama know that he will be coming home. After arriving at the next town, Tom, Huck, and Little Jimmy are waiting for the King and Duke to come back, while Tom is asking where they are because they've been gone for almost an hour. Tom wants to leave right now, but Huck wants to ride along just to be safe, but Tom says, "Have you forgotten about my tax office? And Jerkyland? Isn't that what you've always wanted?" Huck answers that it is, but he wants to help Little Jimmy too, though Tom says that he didn't hurt Little Jimmy and that he's not the one who sent him up the river away from his mama, and that he didn't hurt him so he shouldn't have to help him. Though Huck tells him, "Sometimes, not helping is the same as hurting," which Tom says doesn't make any sense, before Huck tells him that if we see someone who needs help and we can help him, that's what God wants us to do, before saying that he's gonna make sure Little Jimmy finds his mama, which only frustrates Tom even further.
At that moment, the King and the Duke come back, telling the trio that everything is arranged and the telegram is on its way and gives the 10 dollars for train fare to Tom and Huck. Huck then repeats to Tom that he's gonna make sure Little Jimmy finds his mama. After a bit of contemplating, Huck hops up to Little Jimmy while repeating the statement again, before Tom takes the money from the King and proceeds to go on his way again, but not without Tom and Huck saying goodbye to each other. "Goodbye, Huckleberry Larry," "Goodbye, Tomato Sawyer." After Tom leaves, Little Jimmy apologizes for what happened, before Huck tells him, "Let's go find your mama." Meanwhile, while approaching the train station, Tom says that there's no point in the two of them losing their land and that Little Jimmy will be just fine without him. Soon, Tom approaches the train station as he sets his fishing pole on the side of the building then comes up to the front window, just as the ticket seller (played by Mr. Lunt) asks if he can help him. Tom then tells the ticket seller that he needs a ticket, with the ticket seller asking him, "North to Dubuque, or South to St. Louis?" Tom tells him North, before two peas run by and knock over his fishing pole. Clark then hops by as Tom asks him to pick up his fishing pole, but Clark tells him, "I didn't knock it down, besides, I'm not supposed to get involved," before hopping off after that. Tom is upset that Clark didn't help him before a wagon being pulled by Chato breaks his fishing pole in half, which shocks him. Tom then angrily says, "Listen, buddy! I hope you learn that someday, not helping someone can do the same thing as hurting them!" After Tom says this, he realizes that he was wrong for not helping Huck in helping Little Jimmy. When the ticket seller tells Tom, "That will be $5.07," Tom gives him the money, but tells him that he's going South to St. Louis, before he says, "Hang on, Little Jimmy. Help is on the way!"
At the St. Louis World's Fair, Clark narrates that everyone is heading there, before he says, "What? Where'd you want the story to end? The parking lot of a Kentucky Fried Chicken?" He then tells the viewers to trust him and that it will be fine, before he notices Huck, Little Jimmy, the King, and the Duke approach the fair after that. Huck is amazed at the fair while the King tells him that most of it was built in his honor, with him being the King and all, before the Duke adds, "Yeah, me too." The King then tells Little Jimmy that it's time to find his mama, before quietly telling the Duke, "But first, we need to lose the pickle," which the Duke answers with, "I thought he was a cucumber." The King then notices the Log Ride, which Little Jimmy is amazed by, before the King tells Huck that if he looks closely, he can see his name engraved in the log coming up. When Huck looks at the log he doesn't see anything, even when the King tells him to look closer. Huck looks closer but still doesn't see anything before the Duke gives him a nudge that knocks him into the log. Little Jimmy is worried while the King says that there's so much to see at the fair. When Little Jimmy asks Huck if he's okay, Huck answers that he's fine and that he'll help Little Jimmy find his mama in a minute. The King then tells Little Jimmy, "Here comes your mama now!," but it turns out that the King and Duke had actually telegraphed Mr. Dooley, who then shows up with Otto and Steve. Little Jimmy then backs away while Huck yells out, "Leave him alone!"
The King and Duke then hop in front of Little Jimmy, with the King telling Mr. Dooley, "Before we turn him over, there is the issue of reward." Mr. Dooley then grudgingly pulls out a stack of money and throws it to the King, but it turns out that Little Jimmy had escaped and gotten into the hot air balloon which then floats away, while Otto yells out for Little Jimmy to come back. Because Little Jimmy had escaped, Mr. Dooley takes back the money from the King. When Huck asks Little Jimmy where he's going, Little Jimmy answers that he's coming to help him, before Huck says, "Oh, that's okay. I'm doing fine." The balloon ends up crashing into a part of the ramp for the Log Ride, breaking off a part of it. Mr. Dooley, Otto, Steve, and the two zucchini policeman still follow after the balloon, before Mr. Dooley tells Otto to get him a signal flare. In the Log Ride, Huck notices that he is now nearing the part of the ramp that got broken. The signal flare then shoots into the air and strikes the balloon, causing it to deflate and send Little Jimmy flying into the air. Huck then yells out, "Goodbye, mother! Goodbye, father! Goodbye, turkey jerky!" Huck then falls over the edge of the broken ramp at the same time that Little Jimmy falls out of the hot air balloon, but fortunately for Huck, he is saved at the last minute by Tom who had used his fishing pole to reel him in. Tom then apologizes to Huck for not helping Little Jimmy and that they do need to help others even when it's not easy. Tom and Huck then look up in time to notice Little Jimmy still falling until he falls into the Ferris Wheel, which then starts spinning around faster and faster, before the Ferris Wheel then throws Little Jimmy into the air, sending him flying once again, this time towards the amphitheater.
Meanwhile at the amphitheater, a female gourd by the name of Mama Belle is singing about how the river is blue because it's full of her tears and that she hasn't seen Little Jimmy in years, until Little Jimmy crashes down right next to her. When Mama Belle and Little Jimmy see each other, they become joyous, happy to be back together again. Of course, the King and Duke then approach the amphitheater, telling Mama Belle that Little Jimmy is a wanted criminal, which Mama Belle is offended by, before Mr. Dooley tells Mama Belle that Little Jimmy belongs to him. When Mr. Dooley isn't looking, Clark holds out his banjo in front of Mr. Dooley, before Mr. Dooley then trips over it, which causes a bunch of turkey jerky to fly out from his clothes in front of him. A merchant (played by Scallion #3) then runs up while telling the officer that someone ran off with all of his turkey jerky, before Clark tells the policemen to reexamine the Elk River Turkey Jerky Case and that they have a new suspect on their hands. When it's revealed that the real Turkey Jerky thief is Mr. Dooley, Mr. Dooley tries to escape, but Clark, after borrowing Tom's fishing pole, is able to reel him in. As a result, Mr. Dooley is arrested, while he angrily tells Clark, "I thought you couldn't get involved!", before Clark says, "Well, that's just it, when you see that someone needs help and you know you can help 'em, you just have to get involved."
After that, Mama Belle and Little Jimmy then sing a reprise of "Happy River" while Clark explains that things ended up pretty well and Mama Belle and Little Jimmy were making music again, even releasing a brand new album, which is entitled "Together Again! Mama Belle and Little Jimmy." Soon, Mama Belle and Little Jimmy are singing on a stage on a steamboat that is traveling down the river, while a lot of people have gathered around to hear them sing. Down below, the King and the Duke are looking for food when they approach a table that has a plate laden with doughnuts, before the same baker from before recognizes them and starts chasing after them after they have taken the entire plate of doughnuts. Clark and Chato then hop up to Tom and Huck while Clark says that everything worked out pretty well, but Tom asks what will become of him and Huck because they've got nothing left but one tent and a broken fishing pole. Fortunately, Clark tells Tom and Huck that he does have a nice piece of land down by the river and that he hardly uses it except for strumming his banjo on the dock, before asking them if they want to set up their businesses there. Huck then asks Clark, "Isn't that where you raise your chickens?" before Chato starts snickering again, but Clark once again tells him, "Not a word, Chato," before saying that it's chicken-free. Because of this, Tom accepts, saying that he'll have a tax preparation office up in no time, before Clark tells him that he's been meaning to talk to him about that. Mama Belle and Little Jimmy are still singing the song, while everyone, including the pea cheerleaders, Otto, and Steve, also sing along with the song as well, before the song ends after that, as does the story.
Countertop Outro
Back on the Countertop, Mr. Lunt says, "Personally, I find the story riveting, full of flawed characters and classic American humor." Jimmy then says, "I enjoy how the author enter-twined complicated moral dilemmas with light-hearted vegetable frivolity," which Archibald and Mr. Lunt are surprised to hear from Jimmy. Bob and Larry are standing next to Qwerty before Bob says that it's time to talk about what they've learned today. The "What Have We Learned" song then starts up, but it ends up getting sped up before coming to the end, which Bob is surprised about, before Larry tells him that it's the Norm's Notes version, before Mr. Lunt adds, "For the vegetable on the go!" Despite this, they decide to see if Qwerty has a verse for them, before Qwerty brings up the verse, but it's the Norm's Notes version, before Bob tells him, "Very funny, Qwerty," before Qwerty then brings up the full version of the verse, which is, "If you know what is right to do, but you do not do it, you sin. James 4:17." Larry then says that the Bible tells us that not doing the right thing is the same thing as doing the wrong thing, which Bob agrees with rather hesitantly, before saying that when you know what you should do and don't do it, you're actually doing something wrong. Bob then tells Zachary that it's wrong for the other kids at school to mock Joseph, but it's also wrong of him to be an innocent bystander. The right thing for him to do is to get involved and let the other kids know that it's not cool to mock other people because it hurts their feelings. Bob also instructs Zachary to tell his parents or a teacher about what's going on, so they can help out too. Bob tells Zachary that even though it'll hard for him to help out, Zachary will definitely be feeling good knowing that by helping Joseph, he has performed a good deed for a fellow student. Larry then says that it reminds him of the story. If Huckleberry Larry hadn't helped Little Jimmy, he would've been doing the wrong thing, which Bob agrees with. Bob then tells Larry that it was a nice story. Larry thanks Bob before he pulls out a slice of cake with ice cream and stuffs the ice cream into his mouth before saying that next month, they should skip the book and go straight for dessert, which Mr. Lunt agrees with, since the others also have ice cream in their mouths. Larry then says, "All in favor, say 'Mmmph!'," which the group all does, before Larry says, "Opposed?" When Bob tries to say something, Larry says, "The 'Mmph's have it!" After that, Bob, Larry, Archibald, Jimmy, and Mr. Lunt then sign off after that, ending the episode.
Characters
Main Characters
- Bob the Tomato (Tomato Sawyer)
- Larry the Cucumber (Huckleberry Larry)
- Jimmy and Jerry Gourd (King of Memphis and the Duke of New Orleans)
- Apollo Gourd (Little Jimmy/Big Jim)
- Archibald Asparagus
- Mr. Lunt (Ticket Seller)
Supporting Characters
- Mr. Nezzer (Mr. Dooley)
- Scooter Carrot (Otto)
- Barking Steve
- Grandpa George (Clark Wayne)
- Jean-Claude Pea (Chato)
- Phillipe Pea
Cameos
- Madame Blueberry
- Penelope (Mama Belle)
- Miss Achmetha
- Scallion #1
- Scallion #3
- Seymour (Pa Grape)
- Mr. Butterbun (Scooter)
- Wyatt
- Oscar the Polish Caterer
- Officer Peas
- Officer Carrot
- Officer Zucchinis
- The Banker
- Cockney Woman
- Egg Boy
Songs
- VeggieTales Theme Song
- The Mighty Mississippi
- We're Loggers
- Happy River
- Silly Songs with Larry: The Biscuit of Zazzamarandabo
- Meet Me in St. Louis (song)
- She's My Friend
- The River is Blue
- Happy River (Reprise)
- What Have We Learned (Norm's Notes Version)
Home Media
Features
Trailer Appearances
Other Languages
- إفقاذ العمر الكبير (Arabic) (Save the Old Age)
- Tomat Sawyer & Huckleberry Snurkens redningsaksjon på Mississippi (Norwegian) (Tomato Sawyer and Huckleberry Snurken's Rescue Operation on the Mississippi)
- قسمت پنجم (Persian) (1st dub) (The Fifth Part)
- فرار بزرگ در رودخانه (Persian) (2nd dub) (The Great Escape on the River)
- Спасение На Реке Томата Сойера и Черничного Ларри (Russian) (same translation not counting Huckleberry Larry's name change)
Fun Facts
Explanations
- Memphis is a major city in the U.S. state of Tennessee.
- New Orleans is a city and a metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Louisiana.
Moral
- It's hard to do what's right, but someone has to do it.
- Assist others the best you can, even when it's hard.
- Not doing the right thing is the same as doing the wrong thing.
Trivia
- This is the first episode for several things:
- The first (and only) episode to be done by Sparky Animation. However, Sparky Animation did all the 3-2-1 Penguins! episodes from 2007 to 2008.
- The first VeggieTales episode to be filmed in 16:9.
- Scallion #3's first speaking appearance in a show since The Star of Christmas. It's also the first time he's spoken overall since Brian K. Roberts began voicing him in 2006 for the DVD menu of Sheerluck Holmes and the Golden Ruler.
- The first episode where Jimmy and Jerry Gourd have villainous roles since Lyle the Kindly Viking.
- The first appearance of George since Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie.
- The first appearance of Scooter since LarryBoy and the Bad Apple
- The first episode to not have Junior Asparagus since Sheerluck Holmes and the Golden Ruler.
- The first episode to have Qwerty's light being turned off.
- The first episode to be made after The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything: A Veggietales Movie.
- This is the last episode for several things:
- The last appearance of Apollo Gourd, Baby Moses, and Cockney Woman but Apollo is mentioned in the version of The Hairbrush Song shown during VeggieTales Live! Sing Yourself Silly and Baby Moses appears in Déjà Grape.
- The last episode to use the original VeggieTales logo on the cover, although it's kept in for the next episode.
- The last episode made during the time American president George W. Bush was in office. When the next episode was released, Barack Obama was already in office.
- The last episode to feature the voices of Collen Curtis, Elizabeth Carney, and Tina Sterner.
- The last episode of the main series to not have the outsourced animation logo after the credits.
- This is the only episode where Mr. Lunt is shown with a stem.
- According to Brian and Chris, there were several deleted scenes that didn't made it to the final. (See the Easter eggs for more information.)
- There were several differences to the script and the final product:
- The episode's working title was "Huckleberry Larry." It is still referred to as such during the countertop segments.
- The episode was originally planned to be released on Spring 2008, but was rescheduled back to July 15, 2008.
- Little Jimmy/Big Jim was supposed to be in the shadows until he arrives at Tom and Huck's camp. This was changed because they want the audience to understand him more as a character.
- Buzz-Saw Louie was originally going to return, according to some concept art, but was cut from the final product for unknown reasons.
- Otto didn't want to swim because of crocodiles.
- The King and the Duke were more villainous like they were in the book.
- The list of seven towns at the train station are:
- Montgomery, Alabama
- St. Louis, Missouri
- Nashville, Tennessee
- Memphis, Tennessee
- Lombard, Illinois
- New Orleans, Louisiana
- Charleston, South Carolina
- When several compilations used this episode, its logo was a bit larger.
- This episode can be featured in Lettuce Love One Another!, Bob Lends a Helping Hand, and Growing Kindhearted Kids!.
- Consumers who buy the Big River Rescue DVD will receive a free Trip Time Fun Activity Book at the time of purchase. The activity book includes 16 pages of coloring and activity fun, a pull-out poster and a 6-song bonus CD featuring favorite VeggieTales road trip songs!
- Huckleberry Larry's scream would later become an internet meme.
Remarks
- Community Services are only done by charities and not businesses where everyone else is paid and community service is against harsh leaders.
- On the DVD release, the frame rate is lower and it's cropped to 4:3. The better quality version of the story can be seen in some later compilation specials.
- Despite Clark saying he isn't supposed to be involved, he and Chato technically did when teaching Tom a lesson.
- There's no crossing by the station, as that would be hazardous in real life.
- Though it may not be considered a goof, the saturation is slightly higher in certain shots.
- When the shot opens with the Fair, Archibald is seen with Miss Achmetha. But when at the log ride, only Archibald is there.
- Duplicate models of a majority of characters were used in the background. These include:
- Archibald
- Scallion #3
- Pa Grape and Seymour Schwenk
- Scooter
- Mr. Lunt
- George
Goofs
- In the zoom-out of George talking about Steve's ditziness, Steve is standing without touching the ground.
- In one shot when Clark Wayne talks about Huck and Tom, we see some 2D flowers at the bottom that were composited after the 3D animation for that shot was done, and we zoom in slightly, but the flowers from the bottom don't move with the camera.
- In one shot when Tom says "You know, Huck", his hat clips through his head. Also in the same scene, some white can be seen on his eyelids as he hops away (see image).
- When Huckleberry Larry goes and grabs a record from a tent, his tooth is missing.
- In one shot when Little Jimmy is in the Ferris wheel, Scallions #2 and #3 were missing their mouths.
- The closing countertop shows the jars missing.
Inside References
- This marks the first time Qwerty used the original desktop background since Lyle the Kindly Viking. Also, the Book Antiqua font is used as the verse text for the first time since the first Larry-Boy episode. This happens again in the next episode.
- George narrating the story and Mr. Nezzer being the main antagonist are both callbacks to Rack, Shack and Benny and The Toy That Saved Christmas. The only difference is that Mr. Nezzer's character does not reform.
- The cheerleaders that do the Mississippi chant are the same ones from Bully Trouble.
- The cake and ice cream the book club were having are the same ones that were in the ice cream parlor from Sheerluck Holmes and the Golden Ruler. The officers also wear the F.I.S.H. and C.H.I.PS. uniforms from that episode.
- Little Jimmy's line "Do I know you?" had been previously uttered by other characters in Josh and the Big Wall! and The Wonderful Wizard of Ha's.
- The smoothie during the Silly Song is from Gideon: Tuba Warrior.
- The King of Memphis calls Huck a pickle.
- Muscatine, Iowa was the birthplace of Phil Vischer, and the town's sign states this.
- The newspaper Clark reads is the same one Bob was reading in Lance the Turtle.
- The van in the Silly Song sequence is the same van from Larry-Boy! and the Fib from Outer Space! and Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie.
- Jerry sings "Meet Me in St. Louie, Louie" just as he and Jimmy did in The Gourds Must Be Crazy.
- The episode teaches the same lesson as The Mystery of Veggie Island.
- The can that is fished from the river during She's My Friend is the same one from Moe and the Big Exit.
- The blue paint in JerkyLand is also from that episode, as is the Bear that briefly chases Tom in one scene.
- Larry says "Mother", which he previously said in Larry-Boy and the Rumor Weed.
Real-World References
- Norm's Notes is a parody of "CliffsNotes", a series of study guides created in 1958.
- When Dooley is ordering his men, he shouts "Better! Harder! Faster!". This is possibly a reference to the Daft Punk song, "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger".
- Huck often mistakes Clark for the chicken guy. He is referring to Colonel Harland David Sanders, founder of KFC.
- Otto says that he can't swim and that Steve only dog paddles. These lines are from the 1987 Rob Reiner film "The Princess Bride."
- The van seen in the Silly Song sequence is a Volkswagen Type 2 van, normally called Station Wagon in USA.
- Goldfish food are Baked Crackers from Pepperidge Farm.
- The King and Duke's cart has "01" printed on it, which is the number of the General Lee, a car from the TV show The Dukes of Hazzard.
Fast Forward
- Another VeggieTales episode based off of Mark Twain's stories would later be made.
- The Lumberjacks would make various appearances in select VeggieTales episodes from the 2010s.