Mr. Muddle (Cartoon)/Transcript

This is a transcribed copy for the episode "Mr. Muddle (Cartoon)." Feel free to edit or add to this page as long as the information comes directly from the episode.

Previous: "Mr. Impossible (Cartoon)"

Next: "Mr. Strong (Cartoon)"

UK Dub

(The episode begins with Mr. Muddle standing in the middle of the screen, wearing shoes on his hands, and waving his arms up and down)

Narrator: Poor Mr. Muddle just couldn't get anything right. Everything he did, everything he tried,

(The camera cuts over to show the inside of Mr. Muddle's muddled house. A pitcher in the fire place, a fishbowl being used as a vase, coal out of the fireplace, the clock on the mantle on its side, drawers outside the dresser, a picture hung sideways, etc.)

Narrator: Everything he said was muddled. Totally, utterly, completely, and absolutely muddled!

(The scene transitions to Mr. Muddle about to hammer a nail into the wall. Mr. Muddle is holding the nail in his right hand (holding the pointy end instead of the flat back) and the hammer in his left hand (with the hammer part facing up))

Narrator: Imagine, for instance, something as simple as hammering a nail into a wall.

(Mr. Muddle puts the flat end of the nail onto the wall and faces the back of the hammer to the nail)

Narrator: Now what could get muddled with hammering a nail into a wall?

(Mr. Muddle starts hammering the pointy end of the nail with the back of the hammer. The pointy end of the nail ends up bent. The camera zooms in on the nail)

Narrator: Mr. Muddle could get it muddled. And frequently did.

(The scene transitions to Mr. Muddle about to put on his coat. The camera zooms out from Mr. Muddle)

Narrator: Imagine, for instance, something as simple as putting on your coat. Now what could get muddled with putting on your coat?

(The camera stops zooming out and Mr. Muddle is shown putting on his coat backwards)

Narrator: Well, see for yourself.

(Mr. Muddle finishes putting his coat on backwards)

Narrator: Only Mr. Muddle would put his coat on like that.

(The scene transitions to Mr. Muddle going for a walk. He is walking towards the right of the screen and the camera follows him)

Narrator: Imagine, for instance, something as simple as going for a walk. Now what can get muddled about.

(The camera zooms out to reveal Mr. Muddle walking towards the right but his feet pointing to the left)

Narrator: Going for a walk?

(The camera stops zooming out)

Narrator: Well, when your legs start walking one way and you start walking the other, that's a very muddily sort of a walk. Poor Mr. Muddle, walking one way and going another.

(The camera cuts to Mr. Muddle standing to the right of his house. His house, however, is unseen)

Narrator: Now, you'd probably like to know where Mr. Muddle lives.

(The camera pans to the left and the viewers now can see Mr. Muddle's muddled up house)

Narrator: In a house by the sea near a place called Seatown.

(The camera stops moving and starts zooming out to show Mr. Muddle's house in full detail)

Narrator: Mr. Muddle's house was supposed to be in the country. But Mr. Muddle, who built the house himself,

(The camera stops zooming out. Now the viewers can see both Mr. Muddle and his house)

Narrator: Had got the place muddled up! Of course!

(The scene transitions to Mr. Muddle sitting at the breakfast table)

Narrator: This story starts one afternoon when Mr. Muddle was having his breakfast. Ye-(stutters) yes, we know!

(The camera starts zooming out)

Narrator: We know you don't have breakfast in the afternoon. But you do if you get your mealtimes muddled up.

(The camera zooms out to show what's on the breakfast table. A teapot full of tea, a bowl full of sugar, a cup full of milk, a dish full of butter, a jar of jam, a plate witha slice of bread on it, and a teacup)

Narrator: Mr. Muddle was having bread and butter and jam and a cup of tea with milk,

(The camera stops zooming out)

Narrator: And sugar.

(Mr. Muddle is shown spreading the butter on the table)

Narrator: He spread the butter on the table,

(Mr. Muddle puts the butter knife down, grabs a plate, and uses another butter knife to spread the jam onto the plate)

Narrator: He spread the jam onto the plate,

(The camera cuts over to Mr. Muddle pouring milk onto the slice of bread)

Narrator: And poured the milk on the bread,

(The camera cuts over to Mr. Muddle filling his teacup with sugar)

Narrator: And then filled the cup with sugar,

(The camera cuts over to Mr. Muddle pouring tea over the bread. The tea overflows off the bread and floods the table)

Narrator: And then,

(The camera zooms in on the tea covered bread)

Narrator: Poured the tea on the bread.

(The camera zooms out from the tea covered bread to show that the breakfast table is now a mess. Mr. Muddle is still sitting at the table)

Narrator: What a terribly, muddily,

(The camera stops zooming out)

Narrator: Mixed-up breakfast!

(The scene transitions to a wide shot of Mr. Muddle's house)

Narrator: That afternoon,

(The camera zooms in towards the middle right of the screen)

Narrator: After breakfast, he went for a walk,

(The scene transitions to the beach. Mr. Muddle is walking towards the right of the screen while his feet move towards the left)

Narrator: Down the beach near his house in order to work up an appetite for supper.

(The camera zooms in on Mr. Muddle as he walks towards a man named George)

Narrator: He met an old fisherman called George, whom he knew quite well.

(Mr. Muddle stops walking and the camera zooms out to show Mr. Muddle and George in the same frame)

George: Afternoon, Mr. Muddle.

Narrator: Said George.

Mr. Muddle: Good evening.

Narrator: Replied Mr. Muddle.

(George smiles)

Narrator: George smiled.

George: How'd you like to come fishing with me?

Narrator: He asked.

(The camera cuts over to Mr. Muddle)

Mr. Muddle: Oh-ho, n-no! Oh no, please!

Narrator: Replied Mr. Muddle eagerly.

(The camera cuts over to George)

George: Help me push boat out from the beach!

Narrator: Called George.

(The camera cuts back over to Mr. Muddle)

Mr. Muddle: Right oh!

Narrator: Said Mr. Muddle. And pulled the boat,

(The camera cuts over to Mr. Muddle pulling the boat up onto the beach)

Narrator: Further up onto the beach.

(Mr. Muddle finishes pulling the boat up. The camera cuts back over to George)

George: Oh, Mr. Muddle!

Narrator: Said George. And had to show Mr. Muddle,

(The camera cuts to George showing Mr. Muddle that he was supposed to push the boat into the water)

Narrator: The difference between pulling and pushing.

(Mr. Muddle realizes his mistake as the boat splashes into the water. Mr. Muddle and George look at the viewers. The scene cuts to Mr. Muddle and George out at sea in their wooden boat. The camera zooms out from the boat)

Seagulls (offscreen): (cawing)

(The camera continues zooming out)

Narrator: However, eventually, somehow or other, they managed to get the boat out to sea.

Seagulls (offscreen): (cawing)

(The camera stops zooming out and starts bobbing up and down like a boat on the water, which is what it's trying to simulate)

Seagulls (offscreen): (cawing)

(The camera zooms in on George)

George: Now, let's fish.

Narrator: Called George,

(The camera cuts to George dropping his fishing line into the water with Mr. Muddle watching him)

Narrator: Dropping his fishing line,

(The lure plops into the water and begins to bob)

Narrator: Over the side of the boat.

(The camera cuts over to Mr. Muddle)

Mr. Muddle: Right-o!

Narrator: Said Mr. Muddle.

(Mr. Muddle lowers down until he's out of the frame)

Narrator: And dropped himself over the side of the boat.

(Water splashes into the air as Mr. Muddle lands in the water offscreen. The camera cuts back to George)

George: Oh, Mr. Muddle!

Narrator: Said George again.

Seagulls (offscreen): (cawing)

(The scene cuts to Mr. Muddle (no longer over the side of the boat) and George out at sea in their wooden boat. The camera zooms out from the boat)

Narrator: It wasn't any good. They didn't catch any fish. So they decided to go home,

(The camera stops zooming out and the sky becomes dark)

Narrator: Before it became dark.

(The camera cuts back to the beach. On the beach, George is shown calling out to Mr. Muddle)

George: Help me pull the boat up onto the beach!

(George smiles)

Narrator: Called George.

(The camera cuts over to Mr. Muddle)

Mr. Muddle: Right oh!

Narrator: Said Mr. Muddle. And pushed,

(The camera cuts to Mr. Muddle pushing the boat back into the water)

Narrator: The boat back into the water.

(The boat splashes back into the water. The camera cuts back to George)

Narrator: George was just about to say,

George: Oh, Mr. Muddle!

Narrator: Again, when he had an idea.

(George smiles)

Narrator: He smiled to himself.

George: Help me push the boat out into the sea!

Narrator: George called.

(The camera cuts over to Mr. Muddle)

Mr. Muddle: Right-o!

Narrator: Said Mr. Muddle.

(Mr. Muddle is shown pulling the boat up onto the beach)

Mr. Muddle: And pulled the boat up onto the beach.

(The camera cuts back to George)

George: Well done, Mr. Muddle!

Narrator: Said George.

(The camera cuts back to Mr. Muddle and zooms in towards him)

Narrator: Mr. Muddle smiled a smile and went home.

(The camera cuts back to George)

George: George smiled a smile,

(George walks to the left out of the frame)

Narrator: And went to tell everybody.

(The scene transitions to a wide shot of Seatown)

Narrator: The following day, in Seatown,

(The camera zooms in towards the upper left of the screen towards a small red house)

Narrator: Mr. Brick, the builder, asked Mr. Muddle to hold his coat for him.

(The scene cuts over to Mr. Muddle)

Mr. Muddle: Right-o!

Narrator: Said Mr. Muddle.

(Mr. Muddle is shown holding a ladder. The camera zooms out from Mr. Muddle to reveal Mr. Brick standing next to the ladder)

Narrator: And held his ladder for him. Which is what Mr. Brick really wanted.

(The camera stops zooming out)

Mr. Brick: Well done, Mr. Muddle.

Narrator: Smiled Mr. Brick, who had been talking to George.

(The camera zooms in on Mr. Muddle)

Narrator: Mr. Muddle was very pleased.

(The scene transitions to a woman with black hair standing in front of a wooden fence. The woman has her left arm extended out)

Narrator: Then, Mrs. Scrub at the laundry asked Mr. Muddle to pass her the soap.

(The camera cuts over to Mr. Muddle)

Mr. Muddle: Right-o!

Narrator: Said Mr. Muddle. And passed her a clothes peg.

(The camera cuts back over to Mrs. Scrub. The camera zooms out to show Mr. Muddle handing her a clothes peg)

Narrator: Which is what Mrs. Scrub really wanted.

(The camera stops zooming out)

Mrs. Scrub: Well done, Mr. Muddle.

Narrator: Said Mrs. Scrub, who'd also been talking to George.

(The camera cuts over to Mr. Muddle)

Narrator: Mr. Muddle was extremely pleased.

(The scene transitions to a man wearing a red hat standing on top of his lorry)

Narrator: And then, Mr. Black the coalman,

(The camera zooms out to show Mr. Black standing on top of his lorry, a sack of coal on the ground, and Mr. Muddle standing next to the sack)

Narrator: Asked Mr. Muddle to lift a sack of coal down from his lorry.

(The camera zooms in on Mr. Muddle)

Mr. Muddle: Right-o!

Narrator: Said Mr. Muddle.

(The camera cuts and zooms out to show Mr. Muddle lifting a sack of coal up onto the lorry to give to Mr. Black)

Narrator: And lifted a sack of coal up onto the lorry.

(The camera stops zooming out)

Narrator: Which is what Mr. Black really had wanted all along.

(The camera zooms in on Mr. Black and Mr. Muddle, talking directly to each other)

Mr. Black: Well done, Mr. Muddle!

Narrator: Smiled Mr. Black. George had talked to everybody.

(The camera cuts back to Mr. Muddle)

Narrator: Mr. Muddle was delighted. I-I-in fact,

(The scene transitions to Mr. Muddle standing in the middle of his kitchen with a proud smile on his face)

Narrator: Mr. Muddle as so delighted, he decided to go home and cook himself a large meal to celebrate!

(The camera cuts to the dining table to reveal a turkey, peas, potatoes, and gravy on the table. Mr. Muddle is standing at the edge of the table. The camera zooms out from the turkey)

Narrator: Roast turkey, peas, and potatoes, and gravy.

(The camera stops zooming out)

Narrator: He put,

(The turkey is shown in the kitchen cupboard)

Narrator: The turkey in the kitchen cupboard to cook,

(Mr. Muddle closes the kitchen cupboard. The camera cuts to a plate full of peas, peelings of said pees, and a peeler)

Narrator: He peeled the peas.

(The pot full of potatoes is shown in the refrigerator. The camera zooms out from the potatoes)

Narrator: He put the potatoes in the refrigerator to boil,

(The camera stops zooming out)

Narrator: And then do you know what he did?

(Mr. Muddle is shown holding the gravy pot in his left hand and the knife meant to carve the turkey with in his right hand)

Narrator: He tried to slice the gravy!

(Mr. Muddle looks at the viewers)

Narrator: Oh, Mr. Muddle!

(The episode ends here)