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The episode begins with all the Honeybees inside the Recreation Center, talking to each other at their desks.
"Bees! Give me your listening ears!" commands Mrs. Gibbons. "It's time to grab some planks, because today we're going to build barrels!"
"Um, why? Don't they have construction workers for that?" asks Portia.
"Because we're expanding beyond taffy! As part of Miriam Breedlove's Green Bee initiative, we'll start selling surplus honey by the barrel!"
Bessie is very excited by this news. "Awesome! Honey makes the world go round, and we all know bees are great for the environment! Gotta love our little plant pollinators."
"My purse loves it too." replies Mrs. Gibbons.
Happy sighs, in response to Bessie's statement.
"Don't worry, boy! You'll be my taste tester!"
Happy licks at the thought of eating honey.
Penny raises her hand. "Ooh, ooh, I have a question!"
"Yes, Penny?" acknowledges Mrs. Gibbons.
"Do we get to swim in the honey?"
"Yes. Be sure to bring your snorkel." replies a sarcastic Mary Frances.
"Alright!" Penny lets out a light laugh.
"Anyway, now is as good a time as any to earn: the Grin and Barrel It badge!" Mary Frances shows off the badge, taking it out of her purse.
Bessie looks on in amazement.
Later, the girls are all working on their barrels to varying degrees of success. Millie is using a hammer, with nails in her hand. There is wood on her desk, which she proceeds to pound on.
"Ow!" shouts Millie, in searing pain after accidentally hitting her thumb with the hammer. She sucks on it as if it were a pacifier.
Next, Penny simply places her pieces of wood on top of each other, as if they were building blocks. However, they fall down seconds later.
"I'm gonna have the prettiest woodcastle!" exclaims Penny.
The scene transitions to Portia, who is struggling more than the other girls.
"Mommy!"
Overhearing her daughter, Mary Frances approaches her. "What's the matter, dear?"
"My nails are falling off!" Portia shows them off, as her press-on nails are hanging by a thread. "Can't I just, I don't know, not do this anymore or whatever?"
"Portia, darling, try to work with me here. Mommy works too hard for you to give up so easily. Besides, I can get you an appointment at the salon tomorrow if you finish this today!"
Encouraged, Portia rapidly gets to work on her project.
"Okay, girls! Let's see if your coopering skills are up to snuff!" announces Mrs. Gibbons.
She passes by the Honeybees one at a time, starting with Millie's barrel simply being separate pieces of wood with nails in them.
"What is this?" asks a stern Mary Frances, dropping one plank on the ground.
"Um, I'm allergic to wood!" claims Millie.
"So am I."
Moving on, she sees Penny's, which looks like a miniature castle.
"Welcome to Penny's Paradise! It'll look even better once Chicken Little is inside it." smiles Penny.
"Hmm. Brilliant architecture, Gorgeous windows and excellent battlements, but there's no drawbridge to enter." critiques Mary Frances.
"That's no problem at all! I taught Chicken how to fly." replies Penny.
Shaking her head, Mrs. Gibbons simply walks up to Portia's display.
"So, is my barrel boss or is my barrel boss? No wrong answers." says a confident Portia.
Mrs. Gibbons examines it closely. "Looks like a barrel. Smells like a barrel." She proceeds to lick it, getting splinters all over her tongue. "And tastes like one too!"
Portia grins slyly, sure to earn the Grin and Barrel It badge. Only for the structure to fall apart, seconds after Mrs. Gibbons licked it.
"Portia, how many times do I have to tell you? You need a good foundation for everything, not just your face. Sorry, no badge for you."
"Like I care! I didn't want that stupid badge anyway." says Portia, with scorn.
"You should have just passed mine off as your own! I got the Hammerhead badge for a reason!" adds Gwen.
In response, Portia simply rubs her temples.
Mrs. Gibbons approaches Bessie's desk, where she's hard at work constructing her barrel.
"Does somebody need a little more time?" asks a condescending Mary Frances.
Bessie's head pops out from the barrel. "Almost done, Mrs. Gibbons! It's been taking a while 'cause Happy's helping me build it!"
Happy is heard saying something, in an annoyed voice.
"Haps, we've been over this! Telling me to go left isn't helpful! Your left is my right! It's all subjective!" insists Bessie.
Happy responds to Bessie, barking at her.
"Okay, yeesh! I swear, you get a masonry license, and suddenly you know everything!"
Bessie's dog proceeds to groan at her.
"Knowing 85 ways to cure bacon does not mean you know everything! You're making me look bad in front of Mrs. Gibbons!"
Mary Frances, having overheard their argument, knocks on the outside of the barrel.
"I hate to interrupt... whatever this is, but it's clear you're not ready to earn the Grin and Barrel It badge. There's always next year!"
Just as Mrs. Gibbons is about to place the badge in her purse, Bessie stops her by holding onto Mary Frances' right arm for dear life.
"Mrs. Gibbons, I promise if you give me just a little more time, I can earn that badge today!" offers Bessie.
"It's just a badge, Bessie. Not the end of the world."
"Not the end of the world? But I can't fail Miriam Breedlove! Or the bees! Or the Earth! Or Happy! Or-"
"Okay! I get the point!" snaps Mrs. Gibbons. Composing herself, she continues with, "Finish that barrel by the end of the day, and this badge is all yours."
Mrs. Gibbons takes Bessie off her arm, and turns Bessie into the size of a ball, tossing her into the barrel. The camera changes to the barrel's point of view, showing Bessie and Happy inside.
"You hear that, Happy? I still got a chance to earn the badge!" exclaims Bessie, back to her regular form.
Happy seems disinterested, however.
Back to the desks, Portia takes notice of Bessie and Happy inside their barrel. She then smirks, before tapping on Gwen's shoulder and whispering into her ear.
"Ooh, that's dirty!" says a shocked Gwen.
"I know, but it's totes a great idea!"
The two tiptoe towards Bessie's barrel, looking around to ensure everyone is too busy to notice them.
Meanwhile, Bessie and Happy are still inside the barrel.
"Just one more nail, and this barrel will be good to go!"
Before Bessie can use her hammer, however, she hears a nail being pounded.
"Thanks, Happy!"
Happy raises his arms in confusion, saying "Wasn't me" in his dog-like voice.
Seconds later, Bessie and Happy look up to see the top of the barrel is now covered, using Portia's wood and Gwen's nails. The latter two are heard chuckling, before Portia kicks the barrel with her wedge sandal, causing it to roll out of the Recreation Center.
"Ta-ta!" says Portia, laughing in her signature goat-like voice.
"Hasta la vista!" adds Gwen.
"Bon voyage, and whatever!"
Portia and Gwen high five each other.
The barrel containing Bessie and Happy rolls down the hill, as the two go into the city. A closeup shows the duo flailing about as the barrel moves.
Donald the Postman is seen walking around town, putting packages inside mailboxes.
"This is great! It's a beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky, and the best part is: no Bessie! I'm as cool as a cucumber."
Seconds later, the barrel arrives and flattens the postman.
"Sorry, Donald!" shouts Bessie.
Returning to his regular form, Donald lets out a shrill scream before literally mailing himself inside a mailbox, changing shape again to fit inside.
Now at the park, Anton is seen drinking Shirley Temples with his doll, Geneva.
"More Shirley T, Geneva?" asks Anton.
Holding the doll's head, he replies in a girlish voice, "No. A girl's gotta watch her calories!"
Anton guffaws. "Oh, Geneva. You are so health conscious!"
As Anton indulges in his own Shirley Temple, the barrel containing Bessie and Happy passes by, trampling on his foot. This causes Anton to spit out his beverage, coating Geneva's hair in red.
Anton gasps. "Geneva! My wondrous winter is now an abominable autumn!"
Eventually, the barrel hits a tree on the sidewalk, stopping its momentum. Inside the barrel, Bessie and Happy are both woozy, and start to regain their composure.
"Happy, are you okay?" inquires Bessie.
"Yeah." replies Happy.
"Good, because I'm not. The darkness, no air. A cask with no life. You would think oak would provide us oxygen, but no! Oh, Happy, how can honey stand it in here? Where's a paper bag when you need 'em? I better conserve my breath!"
Bessie scratches the top of the barrel with her nails, as Happy simply looks at the audience in annoyance. However, Bessie's action gives him an idea.
Using his right claw, Happy opens up a hole at the top of the barrel, and grabs Bessie. Their heads are now visible outside of the barrel, Bessie's on the right and Happy poking out through the left side.
"Phew. Thank you, Happy. I only had a minute and eleven seconds left in my lungs." Bessie breaths in and out, regaining her composure. "Good ol' O-2."
Now recovered, Bessie offers "Now, do that leg thing you do and we can break out of here!"
Happy replies, smiling with a laugh.
"Not that, Happy! I meant when you kick the walls, or something. The secret agent stuff!"
The dog explains to Bessie he cannot do that.
"Ugh, just our luck! Your bad back had to flare up at a time like this." says a disappointed Bessie.
Happy argues with his owner.
"Happy, I've told you a quadrillion times! A recliner is out of my price range right now!"
The blue dog responds to her claim.
"But I need my distilled water! It cleans my badges better than the tap! Regular water would just make them all damp and faded!" insists Bessie.
Happy changes the subject.
"Well, Mr. Hindsight, it seems obvious now, but I didn't think I needed my Bee Berry inside a barrel!"
Happy grumbles.
"Look, I'm not happy about this either." Bessie stops for a second, and proceeds to laugh. "Oops! Didn't mean to make that pun! Funny though, right?"
Her dog is clearly not amused, dismissing her.
"Fine, you little sour sport! Lucky for you, I earned the Kangaroo Hop badge a few years back. Follow my lead."
Bessie and Happy proceed to hop away successfully.
At the Recreation Center, the other Honeybees are sitting down, listening to Mary Frances speak in the background.
"Hey, has anyone seen Bessie?" asks Millie.
"She's right over there." replies Penny.
"Um, no she's not."
Mary Frances approaches Millie's desk. "Ahem! Just what is so important you had to interrupt my lesson about beeswax and lipstick?"
"Bessie went missing!" explains Millie.
"Are you lying for attention again, Millie?" questions Gwen.
"Gwen, I swear I saw a goldfish in a tutu named Gillian!" Millie pronounces "Gill" as the word gill.
Mary Frances inspects Bessie's desk, and finds her absent.
"Hmm. Millie's right, girls. No Bessie in sight."
"Maybe she got sick." posits Millie.
"Yeah, well I know I'm sick of her face!" retorts Portia.
"Ooh!" replies Gwen, as the duo high five each other.
"Or she needed a snack! I know I can't focus without one." adds Penny.
"Yes, well. Why waste this rare opportunity?" asks Mary Frances.
"You're not concerned?" inquires Millie.
"If that Grin and Barrel It badge was so important to her, she would have stayed. Oh well, guess it won't be hers after all. Anyway, who wants free lipstick samples, courtesy of Patty Faye?"
Most of the girls rush towards Mrs. Gibbons, piling over her like football players.
Millie and Penny, however, have something else on their minds.
"I'm worried about Bessie. We should go find her!" suggests Millie.
"Ooh, ooh! Good idea! Maybe we can find my Dad, too!"
The duo leave the Recreation Center in search of Bessie.
Meanwhile, Bessie and Happy are still hopping about throughout San Francisco. They come across The Hippie, who was talking to a dead end at an alley.
"Concrete bricks? Far out! You're gonna be so killer when I get my spray paint!"
Bessie and Happy approach him.
"Hippie! You're a sight for sore eyes!" says an exuberant Bessie.
The Hippie simply stares at the two, before saying "Whoa. What are you?"
Happy raises an eyebrow, and explains the situation.
"Yeah, what he said." adds Bessie.
"Nope! You can't fool me! You two might look like Hapmeister and sassy lassie, but I know the truth! You're the first ever human-dog hybrid! You guys should take off that barrel and be the freaks you were born to be!"
"Hippie, it's Bessie!"
"And Happy." says the dog, in his signature growling voice.
"I dig the impressions, but you gotta be your true selves. Say, you two need some help getting out?" asks Hippie.
Bessie and Happy both enthusiastically shake their heads in the affirmative.
"Welp, I don't know how! But I hope you can be the hog you were meant to be! Stay groovy, my little weirdos! Peace!"
Hippie leaves the alley, leaving Bessie speechless and Happy frustrated.
"I think our best shot is to go home, boy. Okay, so if we leave now, we should be able to find our house in 58 minutes if we hop fast enough, an hour and 25 if there's lots of traffic. And then-"
Tired of listening to Bessie, Happy begins to hop like the wind, causing the barrel to move.
"Happy, hold your horses! I still haven't figured out the worst case scenario!" claims Bessie.
Millie and Penny are searching around the latter's house.
"Bessie? Bessie?" shouts Millie.
"She must be really good at hide and seek." opines Penny.
"No, that's Chester Turtleton." Millie sits on the ground, and sighs. "If only he were here. He's really good at finding things."
Just then, Mr. Lefkowitz looks out at the open window.
"Chicken!"
"There you are, father." Penny curtsies for him.
"What are you doing home so soon? Your Honeybee meeting doesn't end until 12." Mr. Lefkowitz looks at his watch to make sure.
"It's an emergency! Penny's dad, have you seen Bessie?" asks Millie.
"Oh, of course! She was here just last night having a sleepover with my princess." replies Mr. Lefkowitz.
"I mean, today! She disappeared from the meeting, and we're trying to look for her!" explains Millie.
"Hmm, that I don't know. Where was she last? It always helps to retrace your footsteps."
"I just told you, at the meeting!" responds Millie.
"Sorry, my bad! There's a reason I'm a romance novelist, not a mystery writer!" replies Mr. Lefkowitz.
"Except for your Fuzzy Bunnies of the World series! That's my favorite of yours!" says an ecstatic Penny.
"Thanks, chicken. Sorry I couldn't be of more help, girls."
"It's okay. Come on, Penny!" urges Millie.
However, Penny is too preoccupied eating a worm.
"Even better than the gummy ones!" opines Penny.
Mr. Lefkowitz looks on lovingly at his daughter. "That's my chicken!"
The barrel chested Bessie and Happy continue venturing throughout San Francisco.
"You know, Haps? I know a great way to pass the time!"
A curious Happy inquires about what Bessie has in mind.
"I'm glad you asked! Prepare for the musical stylings of Bessie Higgenbottom."
Happy groans, bracing himself for what's next.
"I'm running with the rainbow unicorn! Don't you wish you were me?" Bessie sings in a tone deaf voice, her voice breaking upon shouting unicorn.
Happy closes his eyes, clearly in pain from Bessie's singing and unable to cover his ears. The dog then pleads for Bessie to stop.
"Hmph! And I was going to sing a verse about you, but I don't feel like it anymore." says an annoyed Bessie.
Happy responds to Bessie's comment.
"You think you can do better? Prove it!"
A smirking Happy complies, as an operatic voice escapes from his mouth. Upon reaching a high note, a nearby traffic light gives out, causing several cars to crash into buildings and swerve on other sides of the road.
Happy smiles, as Bessie looks on at the wreckage.
"Well, that's one way of fixing congestion." remarks Bessie.
"I gotta hand it to you, Happy."
Happy replies to Bessie.
"Hand, paw! You knew what I meant! Where'd you learn to sing like that?"
A confident Happy answers her question.
"You sure are one renaissance dog, Haps."
Just then, an angry mob approaches the duo.
"Hey! There's the urchin and mutt who busted my muffler!" shouts a burly man, wearing a white t-shirt.
"You wouldn't hurt a precocious girl and her middle-aged puppy, would you?" asks Bessie, as she and Happy both flash puppy dog eyes at him.
"No, of course not." replies the man.
"Phew." says Happy.
"That's a relief! I'm glad cooler heads prevailed." adds Bessie.
The man suddenly grabs Bessie and Happy. "I'm gonna roll ya downtown instead!"
Bessie and Happy look at each other in fear.
"Uh oh." says a scared Bessie.
"Roll 'em! Roll 'em! Roll 'em!" chant the townspeople, as the man proceeds to do just that.
He dusts off his hands in pride, as the crowd all shout "Yay!" in unison.
Bessie and Happy, on the other hand, go down San Francisco's signature steep street, far faster than before they were rolled by Portia.
"It's okay, Happy! Van Gogh wasn't appreciated in his lifetime either!" shouts Bessie.
The scene changes to show Millie and Penny, both still on the lookout for Bessie. Though the looks on their faces show otherwise.
Millie sighs. "I sure hope Bessie is alright. You don't think she?"
Penny covers her ears. "No! No, no, no, no, no! Don't even think about that! There's no way she'd give up on the Honeybees!"
"You're right. I just wish we had some clues to where they are." says Millie, pondering over what to do next.
As Penny and Millie think, Bessie and Happy pass by them screaming, but so quickly as to avoid being identified.
"Bessie's the one I can always count on to watch my slideshows with." reflects Millie.
"And my Pineapple buddy. Mm, pineapple." Now hungry, Penny begins to open up her taffy.
"She's more fun than getting a bingo!" adds Millie.
"Or Pizza Padoodles." Penny eats her taffy while talking.
Penny offers her some taffy. "Want some?"
A closeup shows hair and dirt over the piece of taffy in question.
"Um, no thanks. I snacked earlier so I wouldn't get hypoglycemic." answers Millie.
"Okay, but you don't know what you're missing!" Penny happily eats the taffy.
"Hmm..." As Millie continues to brainstorm, she sees something shiny on the ground.
"Penny, look!"
"Is that what I think it is?" asks Penny.
"Glitter!" declare both girls, in unison.
It becomes apparent the glitter leads to something, forming a trail in the street.
"But why would there be glitter around here?" wonders Millie.
"We know it can't be a unicorn." says Penny.
"And no self respecting girl would just abandon it on the street." adds Millie.
Suddenly, Penny starts rubbing her temples. "Ow! My head hurts."
"What's wrong?"
"It must be Portia's! Maybe she was jealous of Bessie's barrel making skills, so she sabotaged her." posits a surprisingly eloquent Penny.
Millie examines the glitter, putting some on her index finger. "It does look like Portia's..."
"And then she put Bessie in a barrel, sending her off without anybody noticing." concludes Penny.
"You're a genius!"
"No, I'm not! My name is Penny! Like the coin." replies Penny. "Let's go find Bessie!"
Penny runs for it, using an inhaler to help her breath. However, Millie stays behind, admiring the reflective glitter.
"Aren't you coming?" asks Penny.
"Oh, right! Sorry." Millie lets out a nervous laugh.
She makes sure to follow Penny, but collects all the glitter and puts it in her socks.
Focusing on Bessie and Happy once more, the duo trek throughout the town, against their will as the barrel rolls indefinitely.
Bessie's head keeps hitting Happy's due to the force of the barrel. He eventually snaps at Bessie, yelling at her.
"I can't help it, Haps! Don't you think I would if I could?" asks Bessie.
Happy makes an accusatory remark towards Bessie.
"My fault? You can't blame a girl for wanting to become the Mighty B!"
Happy responds to her.
"Don't blame the oak, blame the maker! You're the one who helped design this thing!" claims Bessie.
Her blue dog disagrees.
"It is so! You've always been so picky! Remember when you didn't like the neckerchief I made for you?" asks Bessie.
Happy clearly does, spitting in the air at the memory.
"How was I supposed to know you thought flannel was tacky? It's a very comfortable and stylish piece of fabric!"
Happy says one more thing to his owner.
Bessie gasps. "Happy Walter Higgenbottom, we do not insult the Honeybee uniform! One more remark like that, and I'm gonna talk to Mom about revisiting soy bacon."
The dog simply blows a raspberry at her.
Suddenly, the barrel hits a parked car, sending Bessie and Happy flying while inside it.
In mid air, Bessie begins to look remorseful.
"Oh, I'm sorry for yelling at you Happy! You were right, it was my fault!"
Happy responds, also apologizing and insisting he was at fault.
"I love how picky you are! It just means you have refined taste!" opines Bessie.
The dog responds to Bessie's comment.
"Thank you, Haps! My gap is pretty cute, huh?" asks Bessie.
Having made up, Happy licks his owner's face. However, their reconciliation is interrupted by the barrel heading straight for Portia's window.
"Ah!" screams Bessie, as the barrel breaks the glass completely. The force of destroying it causes the barrel to hurdle towards Mr. Wu's Restaurant.
Mr. Wu himself is at his desk, about to give a woman two boxes of Chinese food.
"Moo shu for two! That'll be 22 dollars, please!"
Bessie and Happy break in seconds later, as Happy uses his teeth to grab both boxes.
"Sorry, Mr. Wu! I'll pick up the tab later, Honeybee's honor!"
Mr. Wu simply shakes his head. "Kids today and their fashion trends."
The barrel then rolls outside the restaurant's front door, going back into the street. Happy indulges in one box of moo shu pork, using his tongue to reach inside.
"Happy, now is not the time for moo shu pork!" scolds Bessie.
Happy uses his tongue to give Bessie the other box. She takes a bite of it.
"You got me there. We really are having it to go, huh?" laughs Bessie.
Happy groans.
"You just don't understand the art of puns." retorts Bessie.
The barrel then goes out of control, bouncing off the dead end alley from earlier. The previously bare bricks now feature a spray painted Bessie and Happy on it, complete with the barrel itself.
Before the two know it, they land right on the doorstep of Hilary's Cafe, hitting the front door and causing the barrel to land safely. Ben walks out of the door seconds later.
"Bessie? Happy?" says a surprised Ben.
"Don't let the barrel fool you, it's us!"
"Come on, guys! I know Mom forgets to do the laundry sometimes, but this is ridiculous!" exclaims Ben.
"Ben, we're not naked! Well, I'm not anyway!" says Bessie.
Happy corrects Bessie.
"Oh, you're right, Happy! I forgot you wear fur! They really make some great coats." Bessie then shakes her head, having gotten off track. "Ben, do you know how to open a barrel?"
"No, but I can try!"
"Great! Be a great sidekick and find something in the house!" commands Bessie.
Ben salutes his sister. "On it! As your sidekick, I promise you two will be freed!"
Running back inside, Ben is heard tripping. "Oof! Still on it!"
While Bessie and Happy wait, Millie and Penny arrive.
"Bess!" shouts Penny.
"Pen-Pen! Mill! Boy, am I glad to see you two!"
"You're telling me! We wondered where you went. How are you feeling?" asks Millie.
"Oh, ya know. I've had better days. You could say I'm at the bottom of the barrel."
Happy grunts at that joke.
"Can you blame me, Haps? How many chances does a bee have to make that joke? Huh?" asks a defensive Bessie.
"How are we gonna get them out?" inquires Penny.
"Easy. Nana taught me how to do it."
Millie removes the ribbon holding her hair in place, as she maneuvers it underneath the barrel hoops. This causes the hoops to fall off, giving way for the wood to collapse, thus dismantling the barrel.
"Finally! We're free, Haps!" declares Bessie.
Happy barks in happiness, his tail wagging.
Bessie proceeds to stretch her arms and legs. "I've been wanting to move these babies for ages!"
"If you're quick enough, you can make a new barrel and earn the badge!" claims Millie.
"Nah, I can always earn it another day. Nothing's more important than my best friend."
Bessie pets Happy on the head, causing him to smile.
"Besides, I just earned a different badge to make up for it! Over the Barrel badge, here we come!" says an excited Bessie.
Happy stops her, telling Bessie something.
"Oh, alright. I'll give you a deep tissue massage on the way there, okay?" winks Bessie.
"Last bee to make it to the Rec Center is a dead flower!" says Millie.
"Hey, no fair! You guys got a head start!" responds Bessie, as she drags Happy by his paw while running.
Happy gives his owner a knowing smile, looking at her as he disappears from the screen.
Back at the front door, Ben returns.
"Okay, guys! I finally found the crowbar in Mom's clos-" before realizing Bessie and Happy are nowhere to be seen. "Oh, come on!"
The episode then fades to black.