| The Berenstain Bears and Mighty Milton | |
| Season 1, Episode 2b | |
| Series: The Berenstain Bears (2002) | |
 | |
| Air date | September 11, 2002 (Treehouse TV) January 14, 2003 (PBS) |
| Written by | Peter Sauder |
| Directed by | Gary Hurst & Kervin Farla |
| Preceded by Mama's New Job |
Followed by The Berenstain Bears Go to School |
“Bullies can point out what about you is wrong, but a good friend can show you what about you is strong.”
—Brother Bear
The Berenstain Bears and Mighty Milton is the second segment of the second episode in season 1 of The Berenstain Bears. It first aired on Treehouse TV on September 11, 2002, and later on PBS on January 14, 2003. It is based on the book The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Teasing.
Summary[]
When a new cub at school is teased by Too-Tall and the gang for his lack of sporting ability, Brother takes it upon himself to help his new friend renew his self-esteem by finding value in the things he can do well. He soon learns that Milton is better at farming and soon learns that Milton can wrestle.
Plot[]
On a soccer field, Brother and a few of his friends are playing soccer against Too-Tall and his friends. Too-Tall teases Brother about how he'll never get the soccer ball past him despite being fast, but just as Brother kicks the ball, Too-Tall tries to catch it, but misses and hits the grass, then realizes that soccer is Brother's game.
Inside the Bear Country School gym, Too-Tall teases Brother about how he'll never make the shot. Just as he, Skuzz, and Smirk charge at Brother, Brother dribbles the basketball past them and makes the shot, making Too-Tall realize that Brother is good at basketball. Later, as Brother plays baseball against Too-Tall's team, he scores a double homerun. Skuzz tells Too-Tall that baseball is Brother's "other other" game, forcing Too-Tall to step off the pitcher's mound and walk toward Brother, who passes over the home base.
Too-Tall suggests to Brother that he should try wrestling, but Brother objects, saying that wrestling is more of Too-Tall's thing and not his. Angered, Too-Tall offered to give Brother his "first lesson". The next morning at Bear Country School, Brother, Cousin Fred, and their friend all walk toward the school until they see Too-Tall, Skuzz, and Smirk turn the corner. When Brother and Cousin Fred see Too-Tall and his gang charging at them, they cower until the gang races past them and surround Milton Chubb, the new cub at school. Brother and Cousin Fred stand by and watch as Too-Tall and Skuzz make Milton look in different directions.
Later in Teacher Bob's class, he introduces Milton to the class. Too-Tall calls him "Massive Milton", and Teacher Bob misconstrues Too-Tall's statement as him volunteering to read first today, to which a befuddled Too-Tall agrees to do so. During a game of baseball, Brother hits the ball toward Milton, who stands in place hiding his face as the baseball lands in front of him. Too-Tall comes up with a new nickname for Milton: "Flub-a-Dub". In the gym, Brother passes the basketball to Milton, who dribbles the basketball off his toe. Too-Tall and his gang walk by chanting "Milton, Milton, watch him go. Watch him dribble off his toe!" Brother assures Milton that it happens to everyone.
During soccer, Too-Tall coaxes Milton to kick the soccer ball into his own team's goal. Brother tries to cheer him up by saying he got the ball in, only for Skuzz and Smirk to go by chanting: "Massive Milton is his name. Every game he plays is lame!" The chant leaves Milton sad. After school that day, Too-Tall, Skuzz, and Smirk ambush Milton on the playground as he walks home for the day. Too-Tall sneaks up behind Milton and takes his textbook, to which he passes it to Skuzz then Smirk. When Milton tells them he's not good at anything, Brother walks toward Smirk and, while looking the other way, takes the textbook and gives it back to Milton. After he tells Too-Tall to leave Milton alone, Brother heads home with Milton behind him.
Later, Brother and Sister ride their bikes to Farmer Ben's farm and find Milton sitting on top of a stack of hay. He shows them around the farm by milking a cow, squirting milk into a cat's mouth, performing the "Pancake" on an escaped pig, and throwing hay at Brother. Milton expresses his like for living on the farm, stating that it's better than going to school. Suddenly, Brother gets the idea of helping Milton get better at baseball, basketball, and soccer. In return, Milton teaches Brother how to milk a cow.
During baseball, Brother hits three balls toward Milton, all of which he misses. During soccer, Milton kept bouncing the soccer ball off the goal rather than into it, and during basketball, Milton doesn't make a shot, but is exhausted and suggests that he, Brother, and Sister should take a break. On Farmer Ben's farm, Brother tries milking the cow, but gets some milk squirted into his eye. Milton cheers him up, but he realizes that he'll never get good at any sport and will always be "Flub-a-Dub Chubb" although he appreciates Brother's efforts of helping him get better.
Back at the treehouse, Brother tells Mama and Papa about how Too-Tall and his gang had been relentlessly teasing Milton because he couldn't do anything. Mama reminds him that they're bullies, and Papa adds that bullies only tease people about what they can't do. This makes Brother realize that there are some things Milton can do, then comes up with the idea of having Milton join the Bear Country School wrestling team. As Too-Tall explains to his teammates about practicing for the wrestling league, Brother enters the gym and tells Coach Grizzmeyer about Milton wanting to try out for the wrestling team. He and Too-Tall, the latter with reluctance, let Milton do so in a best of 3.
Milton then performs the "Pancake" on Too-Tall, weighing him down. When Too-Tall realizes he's been outperformed, he smiles as Milton helps him up. Milton realized that he thought badly of himself, but learned there were some good traits about him thanks to Brother. Too-Tall realizes that he, Skuzz, and Smirk didn't give Milton a fair chance and apologizes. Milton shakes Too-Tall's hand and is welcomed to the team. Brother adds that Milton is good at milking cows and squirting milk into a cat's mouth.
At a tournament, Brother, Sister, Cousin Fred and the others cheer for Milton as they chant: "Wrestling, wrestling is his game. Mighty Milton is his name! Yaaay, Milton!"
Differences from the book[]
- In the book the first part of the story showed how Brother was teasing Sister but didn’t see the error of his ways until he was teased by Too-Tall and his gang. In the show, Brother didn’t tease Sister at all, he also didn’t like it either.
- In addition the first part of the book discusses the things that Brother and Sister both like and dislike as well as what they don't agree on.