THE HUNCHBACK OF NOWHERE

Featuring: The Hunchback

One of the most poinant and sensitive episodes so far! A pathetic little hunchback character is turned down at every house he goes to asking for shelter from the terrible rainstorm that is going on. He eventually ends up at the Bagge farm, where Eustace insults the Hunchback's looks ("UGLY!") and turns him away. Going to the barn to fetch Eustace's raincoat, Courage finds the Hunchback playing beautiful music with a series of bells he has. Quickly befriending the misfit, Courage and the Hunchback play the bells, and follow that with a wonderful trapeze act in the barn. Eustace shows up looking for his raincoat, telling Courage "Know what I have for you? Look at me...", and popping his eyes out with his trademark "OOGA BOOGA BOOGA!"
After Eustace leaves, the Hunchback comments about the shabby way that Courage is treated. Courage takes him back to the farmhouse, where the Hunchback is warmly greeted and served by Muriel. Eustace, however, doesn't want him there, and the two prceed to insult each other back and forth, with Courage slipping the Hunchback "cheat notes" from under that kitchen table. Banished to the barn by Muriel to eat his supper, the climax occurs when Muriel and Courage sit outside, listening to the music of the bells that the Hunchback is playing on the roof of the barn. Courage and Eustace race to the roof, where Eustace proceeds to terrify Courage once more. But the Hunchback strikes back with "You want to see REAL ugliness?"...and puts on a mask that looks like Eustace, who immediately is terrified and falls from the roof.
With everything put in its proper place, the now-happy Hunchback says his goodbyes to Courage and Muriel: "I hope I meet more people out there like you", and goes off down the road to Nowhere.

(Check out the Sounds page of this site for sounds and music from this episode!)