Cuddles The Genius

Starring Roles

 * 1) Cuddles

Featuring Roles

 * 1) Cub
 * 2) Giggles
 * 3) Petunia
 * 4) Lumpy
 * 5) Handy
 * 6) Nutty
 * 7) Toothy
 * 8) Guddles
 * 9) Fuddles
 * 10) Flaky
 * 11) Graves
 * 12) Ms. Melon
 * 13) Ethan
 * 14) Sidney
 * 15) Cecile
 * 16) Calvin
 * 17) Tanya
 * Ian

Appearances

 * 1) Mime (on a cereal box)
 * 2) Splendid (on a comic book)

Plot
The episode begins as the HTFs play Scrabble, in the living room, in an effort to build Cuddles’ vocabulary for his aptitude test tomorrow at school. The game ends when Cuddles cheats and makes up an imaginary word, “Kwyjibo”, and defines it as, “A big, dumb, balding, North American moose with no chin.” Lumpy is instantly angered and chases Cuddles out of the room. The next day before class, in the schoolyard, Nutty, tattles on Cuddles, for spray painting graffiti that defames Handy on the school building. Handy orders Cuddles to see him after school. As the children file into class, Flaky hands out aptitude tests to everyone. When she instructs the class on taking the timed intelligence test, Nutty raises his hand, and reminds her that Cuddles is supposed to face the window during any test so he can’t cheat. A grumbling Cuddles turns his desk to face the window and the test begins. In an attempt to figure out a lengthy math word problem, Cuddles tries to visualize the problem so he can solve it. The visualization turns into a daydream and when Cuddles finally comes back to reality, Nutty announces that he has finished his test already. Flaky sends Nutty outside to read a book, during the remainder of the testing period. While Cuddles is still taking his test, he looks out the window to see a smug Nutty sticking his tongue out at him. In retaliation, Cuddles makes faces back at Nutty; Flaky spots Cuddles making faces and looks out the window to see what Cuddles is looking at. While her back is turned, Cuddles, who is seated at the front of the class, reaches over to Flaky’s desk and steals Nutty’s test, replaces Nutty’s name with his own and then puts the test back on her desk. Cuddles then quickly fills out random answers on his own test and then writes Nutty’s name at the top and turns it in.

Later, after school, Petunia and Lumpy are called to Handy’s office for a meeting about Cuddles' behavior at school. Handy informs Petunia and Lumpy about Cuddles’ graffiti from earlier that morning. As he reaches for Cuddles’ rather extensive permanent record, and is about to suggest something along the lines of expulsion for Cuddles, his secretary buzzes in and says that Graves, the school psychiatrist is waiting to see him. Graves walks in on the meeting, and surprises everyone when he tells them that Cuddles is a "gifted child," and according to the aptitude test from earlier, Cuddles has an I.Q. of 216. Graves suggests that Cuddles’ history of bad behavior stems from a lack of interest in his school work, due to the fact that it is too easy for him. Handy wants Cuddles retested, but when Graves suggests moving Cuddles to a school for "gifted children" Handy jumps on board with the idea, and Cuddles quickly agrees when he hears that the school doesn't have much structure and that you get to make your own rules. Graves hands Cuddles some paperwork for the "gifted children" school, and he, Lumpy and Petunia leave the meeting stunned.

The next morning at the breakfast table, Petunia and Lumpy hover around their new genius child and Lumpy tells Giggles to start eating what Cuddles eats for breakfast, so she can become a genius too. However, Giggles is not fooled by Cuddles and knows that he is still just a dimwit. After breakfast, Lumpy takes Cuddles to the "Enriched Learning Center for Gifted Children". Once inside the school they find Cuddles’ class, and after peeking in, they see that all the boys are wearing ties. So Lumpy gives Cuddles the tie he is wearing, and he gives Cuddles a little pep talk about his first day at the new school and shoves him in the classroom door. Once inside the class, Ms. Melon, the teacher introduces herself and the new classmates to Cuddles and shows him around the classroom. She tells Cuddles about the independent learning and that the only rule is for him to make his own rules. Class begins with a debate on the topic of free will and the paradoxes that it creates; Cuddles struggles to understand the discussion. Later at lunch, Cuddles’ classmates realize that Cuddles isn't really that smart when he accepts their ridiculously uneven trade offers. (Ex: 1000 Pico liters of milk for 4 gills worth. A gill is much, much larger than a Pico liter.) A dejected Cuddles walks away from the lunch table as the other kids laugh at him.

After school, Cuddles relaxes in his room, when Lumpy walks in to see about Cuddles’ first day at the new school. Lumpy suggests they all go out for frosty chocolate milkshakes and Cuddles agrees. Just then Petunia walks by, and tells Lumpy and Cuddles that she bought tickets to the opera in an effort to try to help nurture Cuddles’ brain. Later during the opera, a bored and impatient Lumpy and Cuddles goof off and cut each other up, even though they are continually shushed by an upset Petunia. Cut to the next day at school where Cuddles feels even more stupid and left out when he can’t understand a calculus problem on the chalkboard. Later, as a sad Cuddles walks home from school, he passes by the playground of his old school, where Fuddles, Guddles, and Toothy are shooting marbles. When Cuddles greets them and tries to talk to them, they treat him like a nerd, call him names and tell him to get lost. Cut to later at dinner, as a depressed Cuddles eats, Petunia reminds everyone that they can’t be late for the film festival that she bought tickets for, as another way to nurture Cuddles’ brain. Cuddles is reluctant to go to the festival and Lumpy tells him they don’t have to. Just as Cuddles is about to tell Lumpy what is on his mind and confess about the false I.Q. test, Lumpy insists on going outside to play catch. After playing catch, Cuddles sees how much being a genius means to Lumpy and decides not to confess about what he has done, out of fear of disappointing him.

The next day at the "gifted children" school, while performing a chemistry experiment, Cuddles accidentally causes an explosion, which results in green goo everywhere. Cut to Graves’ office, where a green stained Cuddles meets, with Graves. They discuss the reasoning behind his recent failings at the new school, and Graves thinks that once again Cuddles isn’t being challenged enough, while Cuddles suggests that he just go back to HTF Elementary again. When Graves wants to know why, Cuddles makes up an excuse and tells Graves he would like to go undercover and study regular kids and their school environment, "to see what makes ‘em tick". Graves agrees and tells Cuddles to write up a proposal to present to Handy while he goes to talk to him. Cuddles struggles to write a proposal and instead changes his mind and writes his confession. When Graves comes back in the office and reads Cuddles’ confession he suddenly realizes that Cuddles was never a genius to begin with. Later at home, a still green stained Cuddles greets his parents and Lumpy offers to give Cuddles a turpentine bath to wash off the green. Out in the backyard, as Lumpy gives Cuddles a bath, Cuddles confesses about cheating on the aptitude test and tells Lumpy that he loves him and that he has enjoyed the extra attention from being a "genius". He tells Lumpy that he doesn’t think something that has brought them closer than they ever were before could be bad. But, Lumpy doesn’t see it Cuddles’ way, and he chases Cuddles out of the tub, trying to choke him. Cuddles is too quick for Lumpy and runs into his bedroom and locks the door. An angry Lumpy pounds on Cuddles’ door, and tries to coax him to come out, while Cuddles taunts him from inside his room. Everything is back to normal in the HTF home.

Debuts

 * 1) Nutty
 * 2) Fuddles
 * 3) Flaky
 * 4) Graves