Tue, Sep 3, 1996
Annie agrees to put her brand-new bike to good use by delivering cakes from her mom's bakery, but can't resist Zach's offer to race - and is angry with him when her bike crashes and the food is ruined. Plato and Aurora try to convince her that responsibility is always handy to keep around as shown in "Icarus and Dedalus" where a boy had too little responsibility to obey his father and paid for it, or the legend "King Alfred and the Cakes" where even a renowned ruler was forced to admit he neglected his simple duty. Ari tells "The Chest of Broken Glass", where a mother reminds her family what rewards responsibility versus irresponsibility bring and how much can be owed to those in a family. Even the poem "If You Were" sums up what responsibility everyone has to humanity to make the world better.
Sun, Feb 9, 1997
Annie is disheartened when her new friend Sarah decides to choose a partner other than her to go canoeing with, even though she agreed to pair up with her, just because Annie's canoe leaks. Plato reads "Waukewa's Eagle" to show how compassion is occasionally and a good heart is always found in real friendships like that of a Maliseet boy and a bird. When Annie is ready to hold too much distrust against those from cities like Sarah, Ari explains that friendship can take a lot of strength to build but it takes more to get through life without it by telling "Why Frog=child and Snake-child Never Play Together", where two creatures miss out on having a good friend. Plato reminds just how much true friendship is worth, as proved in "Damon and Pythias", where two best friends put ultimate trust in one another. Even the poem "New Friends and Old Friends" sets a good example of how long friendships should last.
Sun, Feb 16, 1997
Zach and Annie are building a go-cart out of scraps from a friend's junkyard, but don't strike gold with every piece they find right away, and are ready to blame Jake Jeeters when he kicks them out after they yell at him. Plato hears their complaints and points out that manners are important in life, just as they are in the story "Please", the results for using and not using them are different by reading "Diamonds and Toads", and everyone and everything deserves respect as shown in the Italian story "The Bell of Atri".
Mon, Sep 2, 1996
Zach is sorely tempted to touch his dad's beautiful antique camera, despite promising not to - and when he does, he breaks it and lies that it fell off its display table naturally. Plato tries to convince Zach to tell the truth by telling him the stories of "The Frog Prince", where the title character received a punishment for breaking a promise and another had to keep one made, and the legend "George Washington and the Cherry Tree", whose protagonist too broke something he promised to leave in good shape but learned his lesson in a different way. Annie even tells a family tale of "The Indian Cinderella", where an Algonquin warrior only wished for an honest companion. Even the poem "Truth" shows how good it is and how much joy it can give through life.
Sun, Mar 2, 1997
Zach and Annie have been taking lessons in karate and guitar, respectively, but now decide they don't want to stay in them anymore. On a hike, Plato tries to remind them of how rewarding persistence can be by telling the stories of "Scarface", about a Native American warrior who was rewarded based on how hard he tried for something he wanted, and "The Stars in the Sky", where a girl learned how pleasing staying with a goal was afterward. A Greek hero's story in "Ulysses and Cyclops" proved how important tenacity is in times of trouble. Even the poem "You Mustn't Quit" shows how important perseverance is through life.
Mon, Sep 2, 1996
A thunderstorm strikes the forest, knocking a tree into the rainbowl. Zach and Annie volunteer to clean it out, along with Plato, Ari, and Aurora, but Sock isn't interested in helping. Plato tells him the story "How the Camel Got His Hump", where another beast's how not working gave him trouble. When Sock agrees to help but complains of boredom, Plato tells "Tom Sawyer Gives Up the Brush", where it was learned that working is more enjoyable than laziness as long as the right viewpoint is there.
Tue, Sep 3, 1996
Emile Zigrodny, a classmate Zach barely knows, loses his house in a fire, and Zach is hesitant to show him support since their first meeting would be his giving charity. Plato and the others try to push him in the right direction by pointing out that anyone can be kind since even the least-likely are capable of it as shown in the Biblical story "The Good Samaritan", anyone can make a difference no matter how young as shown in "The Legend of the Dipper", or how it proves to have lasting effects for the giver and the receiver as shown in "Androcles and the Lion". Even the poem "The New Colossus" shows what many hope America and all people should be to the needy.
Sun, Feb 9, 1997
Zach enjoys birdwatching with Mr. Cleveland, but in climbing on a plaque to get up to a tree he breaks it and doesn't get why Mr. Cleveland is so worked up over it, especially when he shows confusion over why anyone would care about such an aged thing. Plato explains the meaning of one of the words on it, "loyalty", by telling the stories of "Yudisthira at Heaven's Gate", where a king is challenged to choose between a companion and his dreams, and "The Cap That Mother Made", where a boy is tempted with great things for something he values. When Plato remembers that the plaque was a war memorial and Zach remembers that Mr. Cleveland knew someone who died in World War II, Plato also brings up the story of the Jewess Persian queen Esther, who had to make the choice of risking life itself if she wished to save her own people. Even the poem "The Thousandth Man" shows how strong and great true loyalty is.
Sun, Feb 23, 1997
Plato learns that Annie and Zach are collecting canned goods for a homeless shelter, but their first priority is the rewards they'll get instead of helping the hungry, to the point where they argue over who should be recognized first at a celebration. He tries to explain how true giving requires selflessness, as shown in the story of "Rocking-Horse Land" where it's done between friends, and how it can be more satisfactory than receiving by telling "Old Man Rabbit's Thanksgiving Dinner". "The Gift of the Magi" is read as a reminder that even the thought of attempting to give something helps since it's the thought that counts. Even the poem "Count That Day Lost" is read as a reminder of exactly what giving, in any form, is worth in life.
Sun, Mar 22, 1998
Zach feels triumphant when he gets a high enough grade on his history test to give him a good grade on his report card and make the honor roll, until he catches a mistake his teacher didn't. He is tempted to keep it secret so he'll be rewarded for his achievement, but Plato points out that the greatest honor, and reward, come from openness as shown in "The Honest Woodsman", and how even before he became famous as president Abraham "Honest Abe" Lincoln built a great reputation for himself by always attending to matters so small they would have been easy to ignore. Even Henry Watkins' poem "The Character of a Happy Life" reveals just how much true honor is worth.