03x12 - Metaphor Monday

[bunniefuu]

I can't do this.

If only I hadn't been talking
to Jennifer during class.

-[Dinah meows]
-We had some important stuff to discuss.

Okay, so we were just talking
about getting ice cream after school.

Because we were a couple
of chattering squirrels,

I didn't hear the teacher talk
about metaphors.

Metaphors are figures of speech that...

well, I'm not exactly sure.

That's what's wrong.

I've got a mountain of homework
that I don't understand.

Well, before I try to tackle this problem,

I think I'll take a time out.

[theme music playing]

♪ Hold on to your seat
Let's go for a ride ♪

♪ Now that we're here on the other side ♪

♪ Use your imagination
And you'll understand ♪

♪ It's an adventure in Wonderland ♪

♪ Every day is something new ♪

♪ With music, rhyme and a dance or two ♪

♪ It's a curious place
With a wonderful crew ♪

♪ And you're never quite sure
What they will do ♪

♪ Use your imagination
You'll understand ♪

♪ It's an adventure in Wonderland ♪

♪ Adventure in Wonderland ♪

♪ Adventure in Wonderland ♪

And so I hereby declare,
that Metaphor Monday has officially begun.

Oh, yeah!

Metaphor Monday? What's that?

It's a day set aside
especially for metaphors.

It's the best day in the whole
grammar-week celebration.

It's better than Pun Sunday.

Exactly. Because at the end of the day,

everyone gathers
for the Metaphor Ball where they...

Wait a minute. Where is that bunny?
Rabbit!

Oh. Oh!

Sorry. I have a casserole
in the oven and pickle radish topping--

Just read the rules for the Metaphor Ball!

-Yes, so sorry.
-Come on.

I put it somewhere.

Oh!

Now then, let's see.

That's here somewhere.

"Whereas a metaphor is comparing
two things without using 'like' or 'as.'

All subjects must come
to the Metaphor Ball

dressed as their favorite metaphor.
Be it hereby resolved that..."

Blah, blah, blah.

Etcetera, etcetera.
So on and so on and so--

Hold it!

Now that the rules are clear,
I'll see you all at the ball.

[upbeat music playing]

♪ Bowls of punch and decorations ♪

♪ How I love these celebrations ♪

♪ Party lights and music playin' ♪

♪ Listen close to what I'm sayin' ♪

♪ Oh, I see you at the ball ♪

♪ Just wear something off the wall ♪

♪ It's okay to be screwball ♪

♪ 'Cause it's a free for all ♪

♪ Oh, how I love to celebrate ♪

♪ To dab some pound cake up on my plate ♪

♪ Oh, I love to party down ♪

♪ And put on our fancy costume gown ♪

♪ Oh, I'll see you at the ball ♪

♪ Just wear something off the wall ♪

♪ 'Cause it's a free for all ♪

♪ And last but not least of all ♪

♪ I'll see you at the ball ♪

[all laughing]

Wait, Your Majesty.
We need to elect a judge

to award the prize
for the best metaphor costume.

Oh, good point, Rabbit.

The nominations for
the costume judge are open.

-I nominate Hare.
-I decline.

-I nominate Tweedle Dee.
-I decline.

I nominate Alice!

-All in favor say "Aye."
-[all] Aye.

Congratulations, Alice, my dear.

Being the official Metaphor Ball
costume judge is a great honor.

If it's such a great honor,
why doesn't anybody else want to do it?

The judge doesn't get to wear a costume.
And what fun is that?

The person with the best costume
wins the prize.

And this year, the prize is a real plum.

A real plum? Isn't that a metaphor?

Yeah, and it means
the prize is really great.

Now hold it. I can't be the judge.

I don't understand metaphors.

Hey, if you need metaphor advice,
come to me.

My metaphor costume has won
first prize three years in a row.

When it comes to metaphors, I'm top dog.

You see, Alice? That's a metaphor.

Dee compared himself to a dog
without using the words "like" or "as."

Right. Top dog has nothing to do with
climbing canines. It means, I'm the best.

You were best, brother.

You might say this year my costume is,
uh...

a broken drum.
In other words, you can't beat it.

Give me a break.
That's what you said the last three years.

Prepare to be amazed.
When you see my costume,

you'll be green with envy.

When you see my costume,
you'll be feeling blue.

More like you'll be red with embarrassment

when you see how much better I look.

So check it out.

I'm a proud peacock.

[Dum] Really? I'd say you're a copy cat!

[squawks]

[laughs]

I'd say copy bird was more like it.

No way!
This proud peacock costume was my idea.

In your dreams! You're not the only one
who knows his metaphors!

Dum, if you know as much
about metaphors as I do,

pigs have wings.

[squawks]

Come on, guys.
Birds of a feather flock together.

Why don't you both go as proud peacocks?

No can do! That plum of a prize
is going to be mine alone!

My brother will have to change.

Forget it. I came up with it first!

Fine! Keep your bird brain idea.

I'll come up with another metaphor
that's better!

Fine. Maybe I'll do the same thing.

-Fine!
-Fine!

Such a flap over a couple of bird suits.

So long my fine feathered friends.

[laughs]

Oh.

-Wasn't it a beautiful ceremony?
-Oh.

I was so proud of the little guy.

Me too. What a great accomplishment.

Hi. What's the great accomplishment?

We've just returned from Dormouse's
mice school graduation.

I graduated at the top of my class!

He sure did.

Dormouse is a regular wise owl.

[upbeat music playing]

♪ This occasion calls
For congratulations ♪

♪ It's graduation day ♪

♪ This is a time for cheer
We're smiling ear to ear ♪

♪ Because it's graduation day ♪

♪ You really did it right
You studied day and night ♪

♪ And now it's graduation day ♪

♪ You know how to read
You know how to write ♪

♪ You know how to spell
You're such a delight ♪

♪ You know how to add, how to multiply ♪

♪ You learn so many things
You're such a groovy guy ♪

-♪ You're nobody's fool
-You work hard in school ♪

♪ To get to graduation day ♪

♪ You tried your best
You passed every test ♪

♪ And now it's graduation day ♪

♪ You really make us proud
You make us shout out loud ♪

♪ Happy graduation day! ♪

That's great, Dormouse.

Since you're a brain, maybe you can
help me with a metaphor costume.

Don't you already have one?

I did until my brother
came up with the same idea.

Now I need a new metaphor to beat him
and I can't think of a thing.

Have no fear. Hare?
I keep a bowl of metaphors handy

for this sort of emergency. Thank you.

Now that's a fine kettle of fish.

How true that is.
It's not what I was looking for.

There it is! My bowl of metaphors.

I'm sure we'll find a good costume idea.

Let's see. Here's one.

Your chickens have all come back
to haunt you.

I don't get it. Chicken ghosts?

No, don't you see?
You've mixed your metaphors.

I wouldn't say "mixed."
I might've given them a stir.

You have metaphors stuck together
that don't belong.

The saying should be, "Your chickens
have come home to roost."

Meaning problems
that you ignored have returned.

Or your problems
have come back to haunt you.

Which is a metaphor
comparing problems and ghosts.

Let's try another.

"You've got to take the tiger
by the horns."

Tigers don't have horns.

Crystal! Maybe you can help us out here.

[Hare] That's another mixed metaphor.
It should be, "Take the bull by the horn."

[Hatter]
Or you've got the tiger by the tail.

[Hare] Yeah, that's it. Right, right.

This is just great.

I'll never beat my brother
if I use one of these goofy sayings.

No, that would be letting
sleeping dogs bark up the wrong tree.

You don't have to tell me.
I wasn't just born

on the turnip truck yesterday.

Right. Well, thanks anyway.
I guess if I don't want to lose to Dee,

I have to come up
with something on my own.

-Buh-bye.
-Bye.

Don't just sit there
like a sore thumb in a log.

-We have to unmix these metaphors.
-Yes.

[humming]

Ah.

Ooh! Tweedle Dee!

-Caterpillar.
-What are you reading?

The latest Metaphor Magazine.

I'm having trouble thinking of
costume ideas for the Metaphor Ball.

-I thought metaphors were your cup of tea?
-Sure. I'm usually great at metaphors.

Unfortunately, my brother was lucky enough

to come up with the same
costume idea as I did.

So I need a new one.

You should see him. He's so jealous of me.

Not that I can blame him.
After all, I am the best.

Sounds to me like a case
of sibling rivalry.

You see, a sibling is a brother or sister.

-And rivalry--
-Means we're trying to outdo each other.

I know. But I'm not just trying.
I'm going to outdo him.

Yes, well, I think you should
listen to this story first.

"This is a tale of a cow named Lucy
and her sister Olga,

who were stars
on the barn yard basketball team.

But they were also sibling rivals.

Sisters who always competed.

If Olga made an udderly amazing shot...

Lucy wouldn't rest until she made one
that was even more dazzling.

If Lucy scored 30 points,

Olga wasn't happy unless
she scored at least 31.

In fact, the sibling rivalry

was really a case of dribbling rivalry.

As the season went on,
Olga and Lucy kept competing

and the team kept winning.

Finally, it was time for the big game
against Dairy Farm High.

Everyone in the barn yard thought
with Olga and Lucy on their team,

they couldn't lose.

But Olga and Lucy's rivalry

had gotten out of hand.
Or should I say... out of hoof.

They spend so much time
competing with each other,

that they forgot to worry
about the other team.

And so, because of Lucy
and Olga's sibling rivalry,

not only did their team lose,

but instead of being
the heroes of the game,

the two sheepish cows were the goats."

Good story.
Too bad my brother didn't hear it.

You mean, because then both
of you would know better

than to constantly keep competing
with each other?

No, because then he would know
better than to compete with me!

[laughs] After all, I'm bound to win.

So long, Caterpillar!

I've got to come up with a costume.

Your Majesty.
May I talk to you for a minute?

Certainly, Alice.
I was just looking at pictures

from last year's Metaphor Ball.

That's what I wanted to ask you about.

I'm not sure I know enough
about metaphors to judge the contest.

Alice, please!
Surely you know that as a contestant,

I am not allowed to discuss
metaphors with the judge.

-We can't talk at all?
-Well, we can talk about the weather.

My, it certainly is a nice day today,
wouldn't you agree?

Actually,
my future's looking pretty cloudy.

And you said
you didn't understand metaphors.

Such a clever girl.

What do I do?

I'm really up a creek without a paddle.

[upbeat music playing]

♪ I'm in a quandary about what to do ♪

♪ I'd like the information
To see this through ♪

♪ I'm tossed afloat without a clue ♪

♪ There's just one thing I wish I knew ♪

♪ I'm on a horse without a saddle ♪

♪ I'm really up a creek without a paddle ♪

♪ I've got to get some answers fast ♪

♪ Or else it's me who will come in last ♪

♪ I'm tossed afloat without a clue ♪

♪ There's just one thing I wish I knew ♪

♪ I'm on a horse ♪

♪ Without a saddle ♪

♪ I'm really up a creek without a paddle ♪

-Aha!
-"Aha" what?

You compared your problem
to being in a boat

with no way to control
where you're going

and you didn't use the words
"like" or "as."

[laughs] That's a metaphor!

Whoa. Did someone just say metaphor?

I used a metaphor?

Sure. In fact, it was the cat's meow.

[Cheshire Cat meowing]

Hey, that was a metaphor!

Wait, so if I mean
something didn't cost much,

and I say, "It's just chicken feed."
That's a metaphor?

Alice, you're a smart cookie.

Smart cookie!

Now, that's a great idea.

Smart cookie is a metaphor too.

It's a good thing you came along.

-Thank you.
-In fact, you could say I'm a lucky dog.

Hmm. I wouldn't put it like that.

[both] Not again!

I'm the smart cookie and that's that.

-I'm not changing.
-I don't know how this happened

but I'm not going to the ball
looking like you.

Fine. I can fix that.

Now we don't look alike.

You're mistaken, brother.

-We do!
-No, we don't.

Yes, we do!

-Don't.
-Do!

-Don't! Don't! Don't!
-Do!

[both] There. Now are you satisfied?

Hi, Mr. Dum. Hi, Mr. Dee.

Are you excited
about the big metaphor party?

-Oh, sure.
-We can't wait.

Me either. I finally
figured out metaphors.

I'm looking forward to judging.
I can't wait to see your outfits.

You can't? Why?

Everyone in Wonderland says
that when it comes to costumes,

the Tweedle brothers can't be beat.

-They do?
-Sure.

Mr. Rabbit said that even though Mr. Dee

has won the last three contests,
Mr. Dum's costumes were just as good.

-Rabbit said that?
-Mm-hm.

I better get going. See you at the ball!

I'd sure hate to miss that ball.

Me too.
But that's the way the cookie crumbles.

Of course, we could always...

-Nah.
-What were you gonna say?

That we could drop
this sibling rivalry and work together.

But forget it. It's a bad idea.

-Right. A bad idea.
-Right.

Even if we did that,

there'd only be time
to finish one costume.

Exactly. Why bother?

After all, who would wear it?

So then I said, "Hey,
who are you calling a chicken?"

People can be so cruel!

Great party, Your Majesty.
These cookies are really good.

You know what they say
about the Metaphor Ball.

Come for the food, stay for the metaphors.

And the real fun
is trying to figure out...

Trying to figure out...

what each person's metaphor is.

And speaking of that,
it's time to judge the costumes.

Ooh, are you sure?
You know the Tweedles haven't arrived.

Well, too bad.
I've got better things to do

than stand around
in this cheesy costume waiting for them.

All right, everyone. Line up.

[indistinct chatter]

Wait, wait.

-That's really neat, Mr. Hatter.
-Thank you.

Did you have a hard time making it?

-No, Alice, it was a--
-Piece of cake!

-I see!
-Yeah! You got it.

Yours is easy. You're a big chicken.
Is that your favorite metaphor?

No. But my lucky duck costume
is at the cleaners. Bok!

Let's see, you look like a big book.

-I can't figure out the metaphor.
-Somebody ask me a question.

Oh. How much does it rain in Wonderland?

[clearing throat]
The average rainfall in Wonderland

is 22.4 inches per year.

Which accounts for the region's
excellent agricultural industry.

I get it! You're a walking encyclopedia.

So they say.

Your costume's easy to figure out.

After all, you're the most
important person in Wonderland.

The big cheese.

Don't you forget it.
Alice, which one of us is the winner?

Yes, who gets the plum of a prize?

I don't know.

I wish I didn't have to decide
without seeing the Tweedle's costumes.

But since I do, I pick--

Wait! Stop the contest!

No fair! She was going to pick me!

Sure, and chickens have lips.

-Where have you two been?
-Sorry we're late.

But we had a little sibling rivalry going.

And we got so caught up
in trying to outdo each other,

we almost both missed the contest.

But we're here now.
Do you get our metaphor?

I'll give you a hint.

We came up with the idea when we realized
we both had the same problem:

-No costume unless we worked together.
-The same problem.

I get it, you're in the same boat!

[Red Queen & Hatter] Oh!

A simple metaphor, yet elegant. I like it.

Me too. If it's okay with everyone else,

I'd like to name two winners.
Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum!

[all cheering]

Congratulations! And here's your prize!

[Dee] Um, it's a plum.

-Mm-hm.
-Wait a minute, Your Highness,

I thought that when you said
the prize was a real plum,

you meant it was something special.

Just because it's Metaphor Monday

doesn't mean everything
has to be a metaphor.

Do you know how hard it is
to get fresh fruit this time of year?

Hey, the prize may be small,
but winning is still sweet.

♪ When you hear opportunity knocking
Upon your door ♪

♪ You better make sure you've got
The right metaphor ♪

♪ It take two to tango
And two heads are better than one ♪

♪ We almost argue till the cows
Came home but we nipped it in the bud ♪

♪ For that sweet victory, sweet victory ♪

♪ Give me sweet victory
The taste of sweet victory ♪

♪ Sweet victory, sweet victory ♪

♪ Sweet victory, sweet victory
Sweet victory ♪

♪ A little blood, sweat and tears
And a lot of elbow grease ♪

♪ To the victor go the spoils
That's the nature of the beast ♪

♪ Instead of a smile
I could've had egg on my face ♪

♪ But with our noses to the grindstone
We came out in first place ♪

♪ For that sweet victory, sweet victory ♪

♪ Oh give me sweet victory
The taste of sweet victory ♪

♪ Sweet victory, sweet victory ♪

♪ Sweet victory, sweet victory
Sweet victory, sweet victory ♪

I think I know how to do my homework now.

In fact, it should be a breeze.

Good metaphor, huh?

And speaking of metaphor.

From now on, if I don't want
to get in trouble in class,

I better stop talking and start
being more of a quiet mouse.

I knew that metaphor
would get your attention.

[theme music playing]

♪ That's all for now
But we'll see you again ♪

♪ Come back real soon
Now that we're all friends ♪

♪ Where every day is something new ♪

♪ With music, rhyme and a dance or two ♪

♪ Use your imagination
And you'll understand ♪

♪ It's an adventure in Wonderland ♪

♪ Adventure in Wonderland ♪

♪ Adventures in Wonderland ♪