To Kill a Ladybird

Infobox Television episode
Title = To Kill a Ladybird
Series = King of the Hill


Caption =
Season = 4
Episode = 9
Airdate = January 9, 2000
Production = 4ABE07
Writer = Norm Hiscock
Director = Wesley Archer
Guests =
Episode list = List of King of the Hill episodes
Prev = Not in My Back-hoe
Next = Hillennium

"To Kill a Ladybird" is the 70^th episode in the FOX animated situation comedy "King of the Hill" and is the 9^th episode of the fourth season. The name of the episode is taken from the Harper Lee novel "To Kill a Mockingbird", which contains a pivotal scene where Atticus Finch must shoot a rabid dog.

Plot

With Ladybird's advanced age, she is no longer as playful as she was once was with Bobby, so Bobby adopts a raccoon who he names Bandit. Bandit gets trapped under the Gribble's house and when Dale attempts to kill it Bandit scratches Dale, escapes and then bites Ladybird, who chases it.

Dale soon becomes convinced he has rabies and takes to the woods. Soon Hank hears a report that Ladybird has been spotted. Hank learns that animal control intends to shoot Ladybird (also thinking she's contracted rabies) so he and Bobby rush out to find her.

Before locating Ladybird, Hank and Bobby happen upon Dale who is delirious after consuming psilocybin mushrooms. Dale duct tapes the two to a tree and reveals a plan to drain Hank's blood to replace his supposedly rabid blood. Hank offers to slit his own wrist, ostensibly because of Dale's squeamishness at the sight of blood. He uses this ruse to get his pocketknife so he can cut himself free. As he frees himself, Ladybird approaches and chases Dale up a tree. Bobby takes the gun and aims and shoots, missing Ladybird and hitting his target Bandit who was going to bite Hank.