"A Circle of Friends" is an episode of Strawberry Shortcake's Berry Bitty Adventures.
Summary[]
The Berry Girls work on special designs for the Glimmerberry Gathering - but after Raspberry worries her design was stolen, the girls begin to grow suspicious of each other.
Episode Review[]
The Berrykin cleaning crew is busy doing work for the upcoming Glimmerberry festival and preparing plans. After finishing they pile the dead leaves and make plans to leave- until the wind suddenly blows them away.
Meanwhile at Strawberry's cafe, Strawberry has put together pretty table ornaments for First Frost. While cleaning up she happens to spot a box beneath the counter. She pulls it out to find a book she used to read prior to moving to Berry Bitty City, then decides to call her friends to read it with them. She then takes off to run into Orange and Lemon, followed by Raspberry who is in the middle of a pile of swatches. After locating a specific piece Raspberry joins her to explain how excited she is about an idea, and how she plans to make it the best one yet. Strawberry then brings up her plans and instructs Pupcake and Custard to come with her to
let Raspberry finish working.
That evening everybody in town shows up for the story and Strawberry thanks them. She has them sit down while Princess Berrykin expresses how happy she is to have been invited. Strawberry sits with her and begins to read, until Plum suddenly interrupts to express surprise in knowing the Glimmerberry carving tradition. This ends up distracting everyone and they decide they want to partake in this as well and soon take off before strawberry can finish the story. Strawberry then feels that the girls didn't think the story was important and apologizes to Princess Berrykin, but Princess Berrykin suggests that perhaps the time wasn't right and reassures Strawberry that one day she'll help them see the real reason for the gathering.
Meanwhile, Raspberry is busy with work and later, Lemon shows up hoping to take a peak. Raspberry refuses and Lemon asks to borrow some drawing paper before she goes.
That following morning, the girls are gathering their Glimmerberries in order to carve them. Raspberry hurries home when she sees the girls all heading to Strawberry's to show each other their designs, but they stop to ask if she will join them. She does, but she decides not to show off her design yet, instead observing their own. To her surprise, all of their designs match hers and she accuses Orange of stealing her idea. The girls are sure this is untrue though, but frustrated with how much effort she put into her design Raspberry storms off, stating that she won't be carving a glimmerberry this year.
Over the day, the girls begin to accuse each other in private. Plum later goes to Strawberry and mentions that she agrees with the others that copying has been going on, and now nobody wants to carve together. Strawberry is very upset by the news and pays the Princess Berrykin for support, although she mentions having no choice but to cancel the festival if this continues.
Disappointed in this, Strawberry starts to put the box she kept the book in away until spotting something. Upon realizing what's going on she quickly calls the girls to straighten things out.
Strawberry then proceeds to finish the story about the first glimmerberry gathering; that during the first winter in Berry Bitty City, despite the community's best efforts, the grove would not survive harsh winter until the littlest berrykin suggested that they carve out frozen glimmerberries and put glow-bugs in them so they would keep the plants warm. Initially everyone scoffed at the idea, but they knew they had to at least try, because if the plants died the city would have no food or power, so they did and it worked, the plants were saved, but only because everyone brought a lantern to warm the berry plants. Therefore the lesson of the story and the reason for the gathering is that everyone must depend on each other and work together for the good of the community.
Strawberry then shows everyone the box the book was in and the design on it. Apparently they all saw the same design on it and got the same idea, so nobody stole the others ideas at all. Realizing this Raspberry apologizes for what she did, along with the others. With everyone in better moods they hurry to carve their Glimmerberries and join everyone else to partake in the festival.
A montage plays as everyone marches through Berry Bitty City with raised, carved Glimmerberries to form the shape of the design.
Quotes[]
Lessons[]
The girls learn a lesson in making accusations without solid proof. Raspberry had rushed to judgment in accusing Orange because of prior frustration and the effort she put into her work, being unable to recall where she got the inspiration from and believing her idea was stolen. This led to the other girls all accusing each other of the same thing and nobody was getting along until Strawberry helped them realize they lost the spirit of the upcoming celebration and just had to investigate to see the truth to their mistake.
Trivia[]
- When everyone gets together, Orange, Lemon, and Plum were next together, while Strawberry sat with the Princess Berrykin. Raspberry stood next to Pupcake and Custard.
- Blueberry was the only berry girl whose seat is not visible.
- The lesson the girls learned in this episode is very similar to that from "Vanishing Violets". However, unlike that one, all of the girls had began making accusations, not just one.
Goofs[]
- During the montage at the end of the episode, Mr. Longface is shown with a yellow lantern; as everyone is forming together, his lantern is now the same color as Raspberry's.
External links[]
- A Circle of Friends at the Internet Movie Database