The Tell Tale Poem is the first segment of the first aired episode of Growing Up Creepie. It's followed by the second segment "Creepie Meets Tarantula Boy". Both aired on the ninth day of September in the year 2006. The premise of the show is relayed in it's intro; as a baby Creepie was left on the doorstep of an old Victorian style home that was actually abandoned. It's residents where not Human but rather a community of bugs with the chiefs among them deciding to raise her. As she got older and curious about the world beyond the home the two that had taken on parental roles towards her decided it was best to attempt to integrate her into Human society. In this short subject Creepie's Mother's Day poem piques the concerned curiosity of her principal, who decides to meet her mother. The segment was written by Carin Greenberg.
Plot[]
The episode opens with one of Creepie's brothers, a gnat named Matt, flying into her classroom to check up on her. The teacher is having students read aloud a mother's day poem to the class. Creepie's friend, the gentle giant known to his friends as Fudge is the first to read his poem. The short though heartwarming poem is one Matt finds repulsive. Feeling annoyed at Matt for being over dramatic about her friend's poem Creepie tries to shoo him away only for the gesture to be taken as her volunteering to read hers next.
Creepie wrote a poem about her mother's strength, particularly about her ability to take what she wants with 'crunch' as a repetitive word in the poem. The content of it causes her fellow students to feel queasy and when the bell rings the teacher decides to bring the poem to the attention of the school's principle. The principle agrees with the teacher, Professor Papus, that the content is alarming and in private tells Creepie that she's concerned for her developing psyche. She administers a blot test to which Creepie responds with insect related terms as the first thing to come to her mind. After the test she tells Creepie that she may go and once Creepie has left the office the principle looks up Creepie's file and finds the number to call the household. There she hears a rather odd answering machine message left by Creepie's mother before leaving a message on the machine.
Once Creepie arrives home the entire community welcomes her back with excitement. Creepie's father is a mosquito and her 'mother' is a Praying Mantis named Caroleena who reminds one of Creepie's siblings not to speak with his mouth full of caterpillar. Creepie is asked about her day, tells them it didn't go so well, and community gives her a collective hug.
Back at school the principle, still having heard nothing from Creepie's family watches Creepie to get a better idea of how she's doing with other students. In doing so she is terrified to come across the sight of Creepie in the Gym's rafters and fears that Creepie's trying to take her own life when in reality she was just getting her brother Matt out of a sticky fly trap. So caught up in doing so Creepie doesn't even hear the principle before jumping down from the rafters much to the old woman's shock which turns to relief as Creepie lands on her feet unharmed. So emotional is the woman's concern that she embraces Creepie still thinking the girl was contemplating something terrible. The embrace is much too tight for Creepie whose use to lighter embraces. Seeing Creepie's situation as far worse than she thought the Principle decides to take Creepie straight home to speak to her parents.
Matt, hearing this buzzes off to inform the rest of the family. On the car ride back to Creepie's home the principle asks Creepie to tell her a bit about her mother as the poem makes her sound fierce and overbearing. To which Creepie tells her; "Only if you're small." The principle asks if she's saying the her mother makes her feel small to which Creepie informs her that Creepie's the tallest in her family. Once they arrive at the house Creepie feels the need to try to prepare the principle for meeting her family. She tells her that she herself doesn't look anything like the rest of her family to which the principle assures her that regardless of how they look she'll see them for who they are. They pass a locked growling door that startles the Principle. Creepie assures her that it's just Auntie Rose whose frustrated by a low carb diet. Once they are in the living room Creepie's anxiety about the meeting grows and she's about to tell the principle that her parents are insects before her mother's voice is heard.
Having heard the answering machine message and been informed of the principle's approach by Matt Creepie's mother organized the other insects to fill some human clothing and try to appear Human as best they could. She apologizes for her shabby appearance while making use of shadows to hide, expressing that she's been a bit under the weather from German Cockroach Measles and it'd be best of she kept her distance. The principle, being a bit of a germaphobe remains on the couch and informs the mother of the reason for the visit. Creepie's mother has a good chat with the principle and by the end of the discussion they both agree that it's important for young girls to have have strong female role models and that the poem was merely Creepie conveying such as how she sees her mother, to which her mother is deeply flattered.
While leaving the principle suggest a local exterminator due to Caroleena's fib about German Cockroach Measles and due to the bugs around the place being plentiful. Caroleena makes note of the potential threat while continuing to maintain an amiable impression as the principle leaves. It's only after she's driven off that the disguise is abandoned and Creepie realizes that Auntie Rose isn't around. Auntie Rose it's revealed had gotten out of the locked room and snuck into the back seat of the principle's car.
Bug Bite[]
The segment ends, as all segments do, with Creepie giving a little bug fact. She states that she exaugurated about her mother just a little. The Praying Mantis doesn't bite whole heads off prey, rather they bite the thorax to paralyze their prey and then munch the head down to bits. Fortunately "mother's on a no friends or family diet."