"The Berry Long Winter" is an episode of Strawberry Shortcake's Berry Bitty Adventures.
Summary[]
With the temperatures dropping, the Berry Bitty City folk prepare for the seemingly harsh winter ahead of them.
Episode Review[]
One late evening, Blueberry Muffin is telling a story she wrote to the baby berrykins. It takes place on a winter day, not night, and it was very warm and almost like spring, but nobody was happy since winter had come and gone much too soon.
It begins as Raspberry laments the lack of winter as she begins to take down her winter fashions display in the window of her Boutique. A few of the berry girls come by to ask if she's made any spring fashions yet, but realizing she must hurry, Raspberry rushes off to get started and have them ready in time to display them.
Meanwhile, everybody else seems upset and they go to Strawberry's Cafe. She asks them why they seem upset, as she doesn't see any problems with an early spring, but they explain how they didn't really get to enjoy winter. They didn't get to play any games, or enjoy the winter fashions, and due to the lack of winter products being sold some of them are overstocked. In hopes of cheering them up Strawberry tells them that they can still play their most favorite game "Capture the Snowman's Nose" but when they ask how it's possible, she points them to the snow cone machine on her counter.
With some help from Berrykin Bruce they manage to make some snow with the machine, enough for everyone to enjoy a snow day without the concerns of freezing. They have a
snowball fight, build two snowmen for the game, play pranks, and have all sorts of fun. But as they prepare to play their snowman game, the girls realize the numbers are off. Strawberry offers to be the referee and after she changes the game begins with the six remaining girls.
Raspberry and Lemon trick the other three while Cherry goes to get the carrot and she quickly runs back to their snowman. Cornered, she and Lemon quickly think and manage to score the first point with some quick switching. Everybody congratulates Cherry for being so good at the game, especially since it's her first time. Soon some Berrykins show up and ask to play, but to make it fair, they stay on one team while the berry girls form the other.
But soon, the girls begin to believe the Berrykins are playing unfairly when they repeatedly score several points. They ask Strawberry for a ruling, but she points out they didn't actually make any yet. However she does find it unfair, so she decides she will make some, then asks her friends if they have any. Berrykin Bloom, who was watching suggest that the only rule should be "Anything that's fun". That way, win or lose it's always fun. Everyone agrees, and they resume playing. In the end the berrykins seem to be winning but the berry girls manage to tie the game until the Berrykins respond by using some springs to play the game- which the girls find unfair. Strawberry then suggests that the teams split up so that they both have a nice, even mix of players. They will both be fair and have the same advantages, which everyone agrees with. But just as they go to play the snow begins to melt.
Hoping to remedy this, they try to form more snow from the machine but Berrykin Bruce tells them that it's too warm to make more snow since the machine can't keep its cool so it looks like the fun is over for now. Disappointed, everyone prepares to go until Strawberry suggests that because it's warming up, they could substitute the snow for something white that won't melt. Plum jokingly suggest mashed potatoes, but Strawberry thinks it's a great idea so they decide to try that out. Everyone goes back to Strawberry's Cafe and they work together peeling, mashing, and forming a whole bunch of mashed potatoes and make snowmen. Unfortunately, the weather grows chilly and because it's so late, they decide to remain there for some hot cocoa and play the following day.
That evening, something is seen stealing the carrots.
The very next morning, Strawberry and the others find out that all of the carrots have gone missing. Blueberry examines the "crime scene" to try to find some clues and she is able to
determine that squirrels took the carrots. Something that the others had already figured out by this point.
Strawberry suggests that everyone should share their food supply with the squirrels to avoid having such an incident repeat, but this causes several people to grow concerned. A lot of people in Berry Bitty City believe this is a foolish idea and they think it's not worth even attempting out of worry that if the winter gets worse they won't even have enough for themselves. To end this dispute they decide to hold a voting process, and Strawberry comes to the sad realization it falls on her shoulders after she sees she is the only person not to vote. She tries to figure it out but struggles, knowing that in the end, one side will be happy but the other won't be, and she doesn't want that. However, she decides to follow her heart and hopes that everyone will pick the right decision. After she gives her vote, they all go through the ballot slips.
Later that night, Strawberry expresses her guilt and worry to Cherry, terrified that if something bad was to happen and they all run out of food then everyone will get mad at her. But Cherry
manages to assure her that she thinks she did the right thing. Everyone loves Strawberry, so even if something like that did happen then they might get a little upset at first, but they care about her too much to get angry, and will soon get over it.
Suddenly they hear a bunch of Berrykins and go outside to see what they want, Strawberry believes the worst and thinks they're just going to tell her off but in fact its the total opposite. They came by to inform her that they all agreed to share their extra food and they want to put Strawberry in charge of supplies. After sharing a hug with Cherry, Strawberry agrees.
The next morning, Strawberry is asked if they could play the game again when she suddenly sees a giant blue squirrel! Everybody looks and they find out that the baby squirrels weren't hungry, they just wanted to play the games with the girls and the berrykins! As they do not see a problem with this they all agree to play together and the episode comes to an end as she blows her whistle and the others play the games...
Quotes[]
- (Raspberry packs the winter clothes)
- Raspberry: (sighs) I barely got these wonderful winter fashions designed and then displayed, and no one even barely saw or tried them on, and now I have to take them all down.
- (Lemon and Cherry enter the Boutique)
- Lemon and Cherry: Hi Raspberry!
- Raspberry: Oh, hi! Did you come to buy some wonderful winter fashions?
- Lemon: Well, we were looking for something a little more...
- Cherry: Springy.
- Raspberry: (sighs) That's what I was afraid of...
*~*
- Blueberry: I, having read all one hundred-twenty Patty Persimmon books.... or was it one hundred-thirty?
Lessons[]
Everyone learns that even if something may have a time limit, there are ways of changing it to keep enjoying one-self. Such as their winter themed game, which they thought they could only play during the winter. But with some quick thinking, they realized they could switch out the snow for something else and keep playing.
When facing a moral dilemma, following what your heart tells you is the right thing to do, even if nobody else shows approval or agrees. Staying right to one-self is more important than going with the popular vote.
Trivia[]
- This is the first time Blueberry tells a story.
- Both this time and the second begin with Raspberry.
- We get a hint as to how many Patty Persimmon books there are: Blueberry states she's read at least 120 of them and implies there are more.
- The Comcast description implies the episode is about something that actually didn't come up until the last 5-to-10 minutes of the episode.
- This episode marks the first time Strawberry wears her referee suit, preceding "The Berry Big Relay Race".
Goofs[]
- Strawberry said that everyone in town should vote. According to the clipboard she held, there were 30 votes (without hers). However, in "Berry Best BerryFest Princess" there were 151 voters.
- A blue Berrykin with the Berry girls has a wrong colored face. It was deep blue, when it should have been pale blue.
External links[]
- The Berry Long Winter at the Internet Movie Database