04x03 - Goes to Mussel Beach

[bunniefuu]

[Beep beep]

Seat belts, everyone!

Please let this be a normal field trip.

With the frizz?

All: no way! Oh!

♪ Cruisin' on down main street

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[Beep beep]

Wanda: boy, this is the life.

Keesha: yep. The sun, the sand, and us.

Carlos: this is what I call a field trip.

Keesha: and what a great topic--

How animals pick a place to live.

Good thing we're animals.

And what better place to pick than the beach?

Ahh.

Ralphie: except...

This isn't the right place.

What do you mean, ralphie?

This is where we want to be. Trust me.

This spot here has everything we need.

But, ralphie, what's so great about this spot?

And how come nobody's here but us?

[People cheering]

Uh, scratch that.

Wanda: forget this!

It's way too crowded now. Let's move back to where we were.

Uh-uh. We stay here. This is the right spot for us.

You'll see.

Sorry, but I don't think so, ralphie.

There's no room to lie out or build sand castles or anything.

And it's nowhere near the water.

Ms. Frizzle: yoo-hoo!

Class!

All: ms. Frizzle!

Salutations, sun-seekers.

I see you've found the busiest spot on the beach.

You can say that again.

But this is where we're staying.

Not me.

Not only is it too crowded here, it's trash city.

Keesha's right, ralphie.

I can't think of one good thing to say about this spot.

Relax, you guys. You'll get the message soon enough.

Oh, and speaking of messages,

This just floated in with the tide.

Arnold: the tide?

Mm-hmm. The regular rise and fall of the water in the oceans, arnold.

All: huh?

I know what you mean.

There's a pier near where we go on vacation,

And when it's high tide...

Ms. Frizzle: the water rises up...

Right, tim?

Right, ms. Frizzle.

And when it's low tide, the water goes down.

Ms. Frizzle: up and down, up and down,

Twice a day every day.

Service you can count on.

Who sent the message, ms. Frizzle?

Open it! Open it!

Why, it's from my uncle shellby.

Why am I not surprised?

"Greetings, my valorous valerie.

"I'd like to finagle a favor.

"I'm off to a shell show, a meeting of mollusks

"Starring my molluscular mate mert.

"Turns out mert needs someone

"To keep an eye on his scrumptious shoreline home.

Are you game?"

Ah, a scrumptious shoreline home.

That's exactly what we've been looking for.

Ralphie: we're not looking for anything, wanda.

We've got a place here, remember?

Get real, ralphie.

This is not scrumptious,

And it's nowhere near the shoreline.

Hmph.

Oh, look!

There's even a map to show us how to get there.

Please, can we go, ms. Frizzle? Can we?

Can we? Can we? Can we?

Well, it would be nice to help out my uncle shellby.

Oh, I got his machine.

Val here, uncle shell.

Tell your friend mert we'd be happy as clams to watch his place for him.

Conch up with you later.

Hi-h*, class.

You guys go. I'm staying right here to guard our spot.

It has everything we need, right, liz?

Single file, class.

Let's see.

According to this map, mert's place should be...

Right over there!

Phoebe: you'd better double-check the map, wanda.

That place doesn't look so scrumptious to me.

Well, the map divides the shoreline into 3 zones--

High, middle, and low.

This red line goes right down through the high zone

Into the part of the middle zone,

Which is in the water. Let's go!

Tim: no way. Nobody would live down there.

Mert does. It's on the map. See?

Besides, ms. Frizzle promised.

She can't go back on her word now, right, ms. Frizzle?

Loyalty is everything, phoebe.

Why, I'd go to the bottom of the sea for my uncle shellby.

Uh-oh. Why do I get the feeling that--

Never fear. The bathysphere.

Wa-ha-ha-hoo!

Arnold: this is turning into a field trip.

Buckle up, class.

We're goin' down.

Um, ms. Frizzle?

Yes, arnold?

What do we do when we run out of air in here?

Well, in the famous words of my cousin crustacean,

[Tough voice] "when you're in mussel territory--arr--

Do what mussels do."

And what might that be?

Yikes!

Children: ya-ha! Whoo! Yeah!

Dorothy ann: whoa.

Wanda: what happened?

Arnold: what are we?

You are now mytilus californianus--

Mussels.

All: mussels?

Look--we can breathe!

Hey, yeah. We've got gill thingies, just like fish do.

Ah, yes. The thrill of a gill.

Don't you just love it?

But what's the deal with these stringy things?

Well, it's all part of what it means to be a mussel.

Mussels don't have arms and legs, you know.

Arnold: there goes my career as a concert pianist.

[Laughter]

Wanda: hey, according to the map,

Mert's place is right here.

Look! There's the sign.

Carlos: scrumptious shoreline home? Huh!

Arnold: well, this has been very interesting,

But, uh, let's go back now. Being turned into a mussel has made me hungry.

Besides, what's all this got to do with mert?

Wait a minute.

This is starting to make

Some kind of weird sense.

Ms. Frizzle?

Yes, wanda?

By any chance, is mert a mussel?

Well, my uncle shellby always did hang out with an--ha ha--

Unusual crowd.

Oh, no.

Ms. Frizzle: what better way to find out how animals pick places to live

Than to live in the place an animal picked?

I like it.

Hey, wait!

Someone's moving into mert's place.

I hate to be a crab, but it might be time to muscle in.

Time to do the mussel hustle, class.

All: whoa!

What's to keep us from falling off?

Maybe that's what these stringy things are for--

To fasten ourselves down.

Ms. Frizzle: oh, what a fascinating idea, phoebe.

I don't get what's so great about this spot.

I mean, it's just as crowded as ralphie's spot on the beach,

And what do we do for food?

Ms. Frizzle: patience, arnold.

According to uncle shellby, this is one of the finest spots on the shoreline.

Ha ha ha!

I told you, liz--this is one of the finest spots on the beach.

What was that? Hey!

Hey!

All right. All right. Don't panic.

We've got to stay calm.

Tim: you know, carlos, you're my pal and all,

But I'm not too thrilled about your living on my head.

Yeah, well, if arnold would just give me a little shell room...

At least you two don't have to bunk with species you don't even know.

Dorothy ann: according to my research, that snail is a turban snail,

And these creatures are gooseneck barnacles.

I guess they want a piece of the rock, too.

But do they have to have my piece?

Ms. Frizzle!

Ah, I see you've met an owl limpet, arnold.

Uh! Not because I wanted to.

It's pushing me right out of...here!

Me, too!

Help!

Phoebe: that owl limpet's really pushy.

What did we ever do to him?

At least now we know why uncle shellby

Needed someone to watch mert's place.

Everyone wants to move in,

Though I'm not exactly sure why.

Maybe we can find another place for mert to live

And save it for him.

Wanda: I guess that's better than giving up.

But where?

Ms. Frizzle: now that you're mussels, act like mussels.

You've got to live where you've got what you need.

Well, I want a place that's not so crowded.

A safe place where no one's going to push us around.

And wherever it is, it needs to be wet.

We are mussels, after all.

Deep thinking, class.

So where to?

Tim: I vote for the low zone. Let's go deeper.

Ms. Frizzle: a sensible suggestion, my mollusk minions.

And this time, I'll leave the driving to you.

Whoa! Way cool.

Come on, guys.

Phoebe: mussel magic.

Wanda: follow me!

Wow. This low zone is way better than the middle zone.

Mert will love it here.

Coming through. Uh!

I can feel myself getting attached to this place already.

So, what do you think, class?

Is this place great or what?

Wanda: yep. This place has it all, ms. Frizzle.

First of all, there are no annoying neighbors

Like those pushy owl limpets.

Second, it seems safe enough.

Tim: third, we're far enough underwater

That we'll stay wet, even at low tide.

And fourth, um...

Fourth...

Um...look at those pretty sea stars.

Arnold: yeah.

And they're... Coming closer!

Keesha: ew! That sea star is eating a mussel.

What if we're next?

Actually, keesha, mussels are good.

Phoebe: yeah-- good enough to eat.

Yikes!

So much for being safe in the low zone.

But we've got to find a place for mert.

There's only one place to go from here-- up to the high zone,

And we'd better go now.

Tim: hey, this high zone isn't so bad.

A little dry, maybe, but not bad at all.

There's nobody here to bother us--

Just a bunch of barnacles and periwinkles.

[Gasp]

No owl limpets to shove us around.

[Gasp]

Or sea stars to eat us.

[Gasp]

Seems to be safe, though.

[Gasp]

Then how come we're not breathing easily?

Ms. Frizzle: because mussels need water to breathe, remember?

Better save what you have inside your shells.

Clam up, class.

Carlos: what happens when the water inside our shells dries up?

I don't want to think about it.

Phoebe: I don't get it.

The dryness and the heat doesn't seem to bother these guys.

Maybe it's because those barnacles are white,

And white doesn't get as hot in the sun.

Cool observation,

D.a.

As far as I can see, this place is gold.

Mert's going to love it. Pretty soon, the tide will rise, and then--

Wanda, look out!

Wanda: help!

[Sea gull cawing]

All: wanda!

Whoa. That was close.

No wonder all the critters up here in the high zone have really strong shells.

They need them for protection.

Dorothy ann: yeah. Our shells

Don't stand a chance against those sea gulls.

Well, as uncle shellby once said,

"A mollusk is only as good as its shell."

So much for being safe up here.

If you ask me, mert knew a good thing when he saw it.

I say we go back to the place he picked in the middle zone.

Good idea. Ahem.

I'm beginning to dry up.

[Cough]

Yeah, and if we stay here much longer,

We could be sea gull lunch.

Dorothy ann: let's get out of here!

Just sit tight, liz.

We'll be able to breathe again

When they've finished digging.

This is still the best place.

Phoebe: let me get this straight.

The high zone was no good for us mussels,

Because it's too hot, too dry, and too dangerous.

And the low zone was no good because we could get eaten.

So now we're going back to the middle,

Where it's really crowded and pushy?

Do I have that right?

Oh, you said a mouthful, arnold. But don't open it yet.

Come on, class! Let's make a splash.

Carlos: speaking of water, how'd it get down there?

It was up here before.

Not only that, but these mussels

Have totally taken over mert's spot.

Look! The water's down there

Because it's low tide.

Then it's coming back up, remember?

Service you can count on.

All: whoa!

In the meantime, let's take back mert's spot.

Move over, pal.

I think we need a little help, ms. Frizzle.

Yeah. Where are the owl limpets when you need them?

Coming right up, carlos.

[Blows]

Ah, so that's why crabs can't whistle.

Hey, bus! Do your stuff!

That-a-way, bus.

Ok. Now push.

Uhh! Give them the old heave-h*.

Do it for mert.

Ms. Frizzle: ok, class. Lash yourselves in tight.

Arnold: ok. So we fought our way in here, we've got some room,

We're not in any danger, and

It's wet enough to breathe,

But-- but what, arnold?

What good is it

If we can't get any food?

What's life without lunch?

Um, guys, maybe there's something else

We should worry about besides no food.

And what would that be, wanda?

Giant waves!

All: yikes!

Ah, right on schedule.

Time and tide wait for no mussel.

Hey, that wasn't so bad.

Yeah! These shells really hold up.

And these threads keep us from getting knocked off.

[Wave rushing]

All: not again!

Whoa!

Ugh! Uhh!

No wonder those hungry sea stars stay in the low zone.

They'd get clobbered in this surf.

Ok, so we can take it and they can't,

But toughness doesn't fill a lunchbox.

Don't be so sure, arnold.

Tim: hey, look. The water's making the mussels open back up.

They're eating.

You see that, arnold?

Wanda: arnold.

What?

Arnold, what are you doing?

Enjoying this fabulous

All-you-can-eat buffet,

Delivered by the tide through the waves directly into your mouth.

[Slurp]

Make that your siphons, arnold.

Water with food goes in one siphon.

Water without food comes out the other.

Ah, yes. The treasures of the sea.

Gosh, I forgot zooplankton could taste so good.

You said it. This goose barnacle larvae is delish.

No wonder mert puts up with this place.

He's made for it. Not only is the food great,

He's built to take the pounding of the waves,

And the sea stars and sea slugs that can't take it

Live down in the low zone,

And barnacles and periwinkles

Have the high zone all to themselves,

Because they can take the heat and dryness

Till they get a splash of water and a bite to eat at high tide.

Yep. This place makes sense to me now.

What could be better than having meals

Delivered with each tasty tide?

Twice a day every day.

Man, I'll never leave this place.

Tim: I don't know.

I could sure go for some ice cream to top it off.

But we can't leave yet. What about mert?

[Telephone rings]

It's a good thing ms. Frizzle

Has her shellular phone.

Together: carlos!

Hello? Yes.

Yes! Perfect timing.

We'll be waiting.

Wanda: who was it, ms. Frizzle?

Uncle shellby-- actually, dr. Shellby, the marine biologist.

He always likes to return his specimens.

Mert's on his way down.

[Kids cheering]

So long, little fella.

Keep your foot out of your mouth.

Ha ha ha!

Welcome home, mert.

Tim: we saved your place for you.

[All cheering]

Way to go!

Ms. Frizzle: ready, class?

We're going home.

Carlos: hey, ralphie, we're back!

Wanda: and we saved mert's spot.

It was a long and difficult battle,

But I saved the perfect spot for us.

That's great, but I still don't get

Why you're so excited about being right here.

Easy. What makes a spot special?

What makes a spot so good it's worth fighting for against all odds?

Well, to begin with, there has to be enough room for yourself,

Even if it's crowded.

And you have to have the gear

To handle the place you're in.

And it has to be safe from danger.

And to be able to breathe helps.

True--all of it true.

But the most important thing that makes a spot special is...

[Bell ringing]

All: food!

And now that the ice-cream truck's here, who's first in line?

Yay!

Ice cream!

Well, as I always say,

Picking the right place does have its rewards.

[Laughter]

Is this the magic school bus?

Is this the magic school bus?

Is this the magic school bus?

Is this the magic school bus?

Magic school bus?

Magic school bus?

Magic school bus?

I want the magic school bus!

Man: hey, liz. Hey, come on.

Let's walk along the beach and see what we can find.

You'll love it. Let's go.

Chill out, liz. It's just the waves moving the water in and out.

Oh, look, at--

[Cell phone ringing]

Oh, here. Could you hold on to that?

Hello. "Magic school bus."

The things you find on a beach.

Boy: do muscles, sea stars, and barnacles

Really live in separate zones

Or were you just doing that because it made a better story?

No, it's true.

Sometimes the zones aren't as clear as we showed,

But you can still see them if you look carefully.

These zones aren't only in rocks, but on piers and pylons at the shores,

Everywhere they pick places to live

According to how well they can cope with the changes of the tide.

Thanks for calling.

Ha ha! Hey, liz, you want some help with that stuff?

I think you'd better leave that snail there, liz.

All these plants and animals are well-suited

For their particular places on the shoreline.

But humans and lizards can accidentally destroy their homes and their lives.

Better to take nothing but trash and pictures

And leave behind nothing but footprints.

Now let's go home.

Ha ha!

[Beep beep]

♪ Surfin' on a sound wave

♪ Swingin' through the stars

♪ Take a left at your intestine ♪

♪ Take your second right past mars ♪

♪ Step inside, it's a wilder ride! ♪

♪ Come on

♪ Ride on the magic school bus

[Beep beep]