The Cheating Scales of Bullamanka

Infobox Hollywood cartoon
cartoon_name = The Cheating Scales of Bullamanka
series = Big Idea Productions/3-2-1 Penguins!


caption =
director = Ron Smith
story_artist = Tod Carter
Luis Contreres
Everett Downing Jr.
animator =
voice_actor =
producer = Jon Gadsby
distributor = Big Idea Productions
release_date = 10 May, 2001 (USA)
color_process = Technicolor
runtime = 30 min (video)
movie_language = English
imdb_id = 0414795

"The Cheating Scales of Bullamanka" is a 2001 Big Idea Productions 3-2-1 Penguins! cartoon featuring a visit to down under for the galactic Squid-Tac-Toad tournament.

Plot synopsis

While visiting their Grandmum (Kymberly Mellen), Michelle (Melissa Peterson) and Jason (Mark Marten) play a championship tournament of Squid-Tac-Toad (see below). Each of them wins two games, and in the final tie-breaker, Michelle distracts Jason and cheats in order to win. Jason graciously accepts her victory but Michelle finds it empty. While trying to justify her actions to herself, her grandmother hears her talking about cheating and teaches her Proverbs 16:11, "A just balance and scales belong to the Lord".

Michelle is suddenly drawn into the Penguin spaceship and races off to save the Bandicoot King at Space Base Bullamanka. The Lizard has captured the Bandicoot King and is calling himself the champion through forfeiture (since his opponent can't play). Michelle quickly recognises the game as a version of Squid-Tac-Toad which she is champion of on Earth. The Lizard hears her name, recognises her as the well-known champion and offers to play against her in return for freeing the Bandicoot King -- or the Bandicoot King, the Penguins and Michelle will all go down "the gurgler".

Michelle and the Lizard have a competitive game that finally ends up with each of them having four pieces in a row, and needing position A1 to win the game. They both spin, but the Lizard distracts Michelle and switches her spin from Squid Hopper to Toad Roller, allowing her to play the winning move, but him to knock her piece away and replace it with his own, making him the final winner.

Michelle challenges the Lizard with the scripture she has learnt and the empty feeling she has experienced, and the Lizard confesses his cheating and relents from sending everyone down the gurgler. Michelle returns home and confesses her cheating to Jason and asks for his forgiveness.

quid-Tac-Toad

Squid-Tac-Toad is an enhanced version of Tic-tac-toe. Instead of a 3x3 grid, players either play on a 4x4 grid (on Earth) or a 5x5 grid (on Bullamanka).

Each player has two spinners. One side of the board spins for a letter (A-D/E) and a special piece ("Squid Hopper" or "Toad Roller"). The other spins for a number (1-4/5) and a player piece (red-naped duck "ib" or yellow-capped tadpole "Whopperdinghy"). Each player also has a disposal chute for captured pieces.

The centre of the playing board is the checkboard grid. The letter plus number defines where on the board the player piece will be placed, eg. A1 would put the piece in the top left corner, D4 (or E5) would put it in the bottom right corner.

If a special piece is spun, then the owner of that piece gets a chance to knock off one of the existing pieces on the board. If it is knocked off, it is then disposed of in the chute. The Whopperdinghy side gets the "Toad Roller" and the Ib side gets the "Squid Hopper" as their special piece. In either case, it projects a ball/boxing glove-like object tied to a piece of string.

When a player gets four (or five) in a row, they win the game.

External links

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