The Gold Rush

"The Gold Rush" is a Season 3 episode of Rugrats.

Characters Present

 * Tommy
 * Chuckie
 * Phil
 * Lil
 * Angelica
 * Big Kid
 * Cynthia

Synopsis
''After Chuckie finds a nickel in the local playground sandbox, the Rugrats dig for more, thinking there might be buried treasure. Of course, when Angelica finds out about this, she tries to claim the treasure all for herself.''

- Description from Klasky Csupo

Plot
The Rugrats are at the park, playing in the sandbox. After Angelica pours sand on Chuckie's head, she and the other babies find a nickel which makes them all very excited. At first Tommy and Angelica argue about who keeps the nickel until Chuckie says that it should all own it.

Angelica then says that there might be more nickels under the sand just waiting for kids to find. Phil and Lil agree saying that if Chuckie could find one nickel then maybe there are more.

Chuckie asks them why they need any nickels when they have everything they want anyway. But both Angelica and Phil and Lil say that with the nickels they can have more of everything, even having their eyes sparkle greedily.

Chuckie immediately says how much he doesn't like where this is heading, but Tommy assures him that everything they find they will share. Angelica agrees but secretly still wants the one nickel for herself, so she hastily tells them to give her the nickel so that she can hide it.

Phil and Lil object saying that the nickel should be somewhere where they can all see it. Angelica then says that anyone could take it, if they don't hide it. Tommy then decides to hide it under a bucket where only they will know where it is and they set to work, each splitting up with Tommy and Chuckie on one side of the sand box, Phil and Lil on another and Angelica by herself on the last one.

Phil and Lil argue about where they are digging and Chuckie tells Tommy that he now regrets finding the nickel and that they would be having fun instead of digging. Tommy insists that they keep digging because when they find the nickels then they will have fun.

Meanwhile Angelica starts getting paranoid when she hears the babies talking to each other and confers with Cynthia whom she is digging with that they may be after the riches for themselves and doesn't trust them.

Phil suggests that they see if their nickel is still there. Lil however is afraid of Angelica getting mad, but he assures her that just a look and not touching won't hurt.

But as they are looking, a big kid tries to look too but is luckily scared off by Angelica who tells him there is baby stool under it.

Afterwards Angelica hides the nickel under the sand with an X and convinces Phil and Lil that they should leave Tommy and Chuckie out of what they find.

Tommy and Chuckie are still digging and Chuckie is starting to get hot and tired from digging. Tommy persuades Chuckie to keep going. Angelica however is plotting to get them for herself and will only share them with Cynthia.

Lil asks Phil that they should tell Tommy and Chuckie about Angelica's plan, but Phil gets the same paranoia as Angelica and insists that they can't be trusted.

Tommy and Chuckie don't find any nickels (although they do find a $100 bill, a gold watch and gold ring, but Tommy calls them "Old Junk" as he doesn't understand how valuable they are) and Chuckie has had enough saying that there aren't any nickels and that Angelica made the whole thing up.

Tommy then sees that the bucket has been turned over and the nickel is gone. Tommy is upset but Chuckie insists that it is only one nickel. But Tommy insists that they find Angelica to solve their problem. Angelica then makes Tommy and Chuckie believe that Phil and Lil took it and that any nickels they find, they bring them straight to her without telling the twins. Tommy agrees but Chuckie is now wishing that he had never found the nickel in the first place. Angelica continues to gloat that the nickels will be all hers and breaks her promise to Cynthia of sharing them with her earlier.

After seeing Tommy and Chuckie talking with Angelica, Phil and Lil realize that they may of dug up some nickels but haven't told them. Tommy continues to dig, but Chuckie finally puts his foot down saying that he is glad the nickel is gone and that finding it in the first place has turned them all into greedy distrusting monsters.

Not convinced, Tommy accuses Chuckie of making him stop so he can gather all the riches for himself, much to Chuckie's shock.

Phil and Lil confront Tommy and Chuckie about what has happened and are shocked when Tommy accuses them of stealing the nickel. They finally realize that Angelica had lied to them the whole time.

A still paranoid and greedy Angelica still thinks the babies are keeping all the nickels for themselves and marches up to them demanding them all at once, not convinced that they haven't found any and are just jealous of her being the oldest. Tommy confronts Angelica about the missing nickel and demands it back.

Angelica takes them to the place, but the X is gone. Angelica frantically digs to try to find it and so do the others except for Chuckie who starts laughing hysterically.

When the others ask what's so funny, Chuckie explains that after all the trouble they went through to find more nickels, the wind came along and took the only one they had in the first place and now they don't even have the one they started with.

Tommy and the twins start to see the funny side of it and laugh too and soon all four are laughing themselves silly. While they are all laughing their heads off, Angelica tells them that she will keep digging and find the missing nickel and even more, screaming that she will be rich. But the babies are all laughing so loudly, that they can't hear Angelica's screaming.

The babies walk away still laughing, and Chuckie is glad that his friends are all back to normal again. Tommy agrees with Chuckie that it was wrong of them to make such a big deal out of one nickel. Chuckie then asks what they want to do now. Lil suggests they play in the sand, but Phil objects as he points out that Angelica's nickel obsession would spoil it.

Lil then suggests they play on the slide. So they leave Angelica behind who is still digging in the sandbox and laughing maniacally to herself. The missing nickel is seen a few yards away from her which the wind blows under the sand, hiding it once again.

Trivia

 * The background changes from an ordinary sandbox to a western desert throughout the episode.
 * This episode is a parody of the 1948 John Huston film , which starred Humphrey Bogart.
 * This episode marks the first mention of Angelica’s middle initial (“C”).
 * Moral: Don't let greed take over.
 * No adult characters appear in this episode.