"Scruple's Sweetheart" is a Season 6 episode from the Smurfs cartoon show.
Summary
Painter takes Smurfette, Jokey, and Clumsy into the forest for an art lesson, teaching them how to capture art in motion. He shows them an example by quickly painting the picture of a bird that briefly lights upon a branch before departing. Then Painter spots a bunny hopping along, telling his fellow Smurfs to paint the image quickly. They try to do so with their portable canvases, but after seeing their results, Painter suggests that maybe they should try their hand at a still-life. They suddenly hear crying nearby, which turns out to be Brenda the little witch. Smurfette asks her what's wrong, and Brenda answers that nobody's taking her to the Broomstick Ball. Painter tries to cheer her up by saying that she looks enchanting, but Brenda admits that she feels more plain and ordinary. Smurfette offers to take Brenda to the village where the Smurfs can help her become beautiful and charming, with Jokey adding "and funny, too".
Scruple takes Brenda to the Broomstick Ball.
Meanwhile, out in the forest, Gargamel is fussing over not only being a chaperon to the Broomstick Ball, but also having to bring along a bunch of stinkberries, a thought that also repulses Azrael. Overhead, Brenda is carrying the four Smurfs along on her broomstick, which she is not used to doing, when Smurfette tells her to look out for a branch with a bird's nest on it. Brenda barely misses it, but in so doing her four blue passengers drop off her broom. Down below, Gargamel is busy at work collecting stinkberries while holding his nose, saying that he'd rather be picking Smurfs than stinkberries. Then suddenly four Smurfs bounce off Gargamel's head, which attract the evil wizard's attention as he gives chase. Scruple steps out of the bog with the bag of stinkberries when he sees Brenda hovering down on her broomstick calling out for the Smurfs. Then Brenda sees Scruple and finds herself falling in love with him. Scruple repeats his question to her about looking for Smurfs, and she forgets that she is as she asks Scruple if he's from Wizards' School. But then her attention is diverted back to the Smurfs she is looking for as they head into a tree to escape Gargamel.
The evil wizard looks into the hole of the tree that the Smurfs ran into, taunting them by asking if they think they're safe from him in there. Behind Gargamel, Brenda swirls her magic wand and causes a tree branch to break and fall upon the wizard, knocking them down long enough for the Smurfs to leave the tree and escape. Scruple watches Brenda with her magic wand and was impressed by its power. After Brenda takes off with the Smurfs, Gargamel tells Scruple to go get some more stinkberries, but the young apprentice's mind is on that magic wand.
Back in the village, Brenda tells the Smurfs that she has met a boy who is so handsome and so fun. Smurfette says he's the one who will take Brenda to the Broomstick Ball. Her fellow Smurfs are so eager to give Brenda advice on what she should do to make a boy like her, but Smurfette decides to take Brenda aside for some private talk, telling her the best way she can make a boy like her is to simply be herself so he can appreciate her just the way she is. Brenda is eager to find that boy again and soon flies off on her broomstick to do that, thanking Smurfette for the help.
Back in the bog, Scruple is complaining about getting stuck with digging up slime fungus while his master Gargamel gets ready for the ball. He says that if he ever gets his hands on Brenda's wand, he will make sure to bury Gargamel in a pile of slime fungus. Then he hears that he has splattered a girl behind him in slime fungus, so he turns and sees that it is Brenda. He apologizes for what he has done and offers to help her freshen up, but Brenda just simply holds up her magic wand and instantly restores her appearance. She asks Scruple if he's going to the ball tonight, and Scruple takes a moment to think that if he does take her to the ball, he can get his hands on her magic wand, so he asks her if she's willing to go with him, which she says yes. Scruple says he will meet her at the door at moonrise, which makes Brenda fly off happy and eager to tell Smurfette, but Scruple just wants to make sure she takes her magic wand along with her.
In Gargamel's castle, the evil wizard is all dressed up for the Broomstick Ball and ready to leave Scruple to do house chores while he and Azrael are gone. But Scruple has no intention of staying home, as he produces an outfit of his own to attend the ball with, saying that he's got a date with "the wand of [his] dreams".
In the Smurf Village, Brenda is given a beautiful outfit to attend the Broomstick Ball with, with her hair all nicely combed. The other Smurfs are stunned by the beautiful young lady that Brenda has become, as she thanks the Smurfs for their help, yet she still feels so nervous. Smurfette and the other Smurfs offer to come along with Brenda to the ball, with Jokey saying they wouldn't miss it for the world.
At Witch Haven Conservatory, Brenda drops the Smurfs off at a window and tells them to wish her luck as she flies down to join the other guests at the Broomstick Ball. Painter sees that Gargamel is serving punch to the party-goers, fussing over the job he has to do. Smurfette warns her fellow Smurfs that they will have to be extra careful with Gargamel around. But as Clumsy tries to get a closer look, he tumbles and falls, only to grab onto a curtain before he falls further. He then sees Brenda among the crowd, and with her is the "boy of her dreams"...which turns out to be Scruple! Smurfette fears for Brenda, and so the four Smurfs go into action to warn her.
As Scruple tries to dance with Brenda while he keeps stepping on her feet, Gargamel finds himself distracted when he sees that his apprentice is at the ball. He is ready to teach Scruple a lesson about ditching his dirty duties, but as he goes to find his apprentice, he is distracted by the sight of Smurfs hiding out in the party and soon he chases after them. Brenda is aghast at the sight of Gargamel going after her friends again, so Scruple tells her he will handle this as he takes her wand and causes the dance floor to turn to ice, making Gargamel and Azrael slip across the room and crash. Brenda is smitten by Scruple playing the hero, saying that he is so clever and brave. Scruple adds "and so cunning, too" as he is ready to take the wand for his possession, but then he gets into a tug-of-war with Gargamel over the magic wand, causing its power to go out of control.
Finally Gargamel has control over the wand and is ready to catch Smurfs with it, but the wizard students confront him over wrecking the ball. Gargamel shows the students he means business when he uses the wand to turn the boys into frogs. He then finds the Smurfs and chases the Smurfs into a room where a broom manipulated by magic sweeps them toward the evil wizard and into a jar that he captures them in. However, only Smurfette escapes capture and now has to find Brenda.
Speaking of whom, she is sitting by herself crying. She tells Smurfette when she finds her that Scruple doesn't really love her, and that all he cares about is the wand. Smurfette tells Brenda to forget about Scruple and focus on helping her friends. At that same moment, Gargamel is leaving the ball with his captive Smurfs, and Scruple following behind him, saying that the magic wand is his wand, which is why he took that "silly little witch" to the ball. Brenda, upon overhearing this, decides it's time to get even with Scruple and takes Smurfette along.
Outside the ball, Smurfette attracts Gargamel's attention, telling him he's forgotten one little thing -- her. As Gargamel heads back up the stairs to the conservatory, Brenda dumps a barrel of water filled with apples down the stairs and washes the evil wizard and his apprentice back down, letting loose the jar of Smurfs that Gargamel was carrying. Scruple tries to pounce on the magic wand, but Brenda gets to it first and then uses it to turn Gargamel, Scruple, and Azrael into pigs for one whole day. After restoring the boy wizards who have been turned into frogs, Brenda was cheered by the rest of the ball guests. Smurfette knew that Brenda would be the hit of the ball.
Back in the Smurf forest, Brenda thanks the Smurfs again for their help. Smurfette feels sorry that her friend's date with Scruple didn't turn out better, but Brenda says she's forgotten about him already. Now she has a group of boy wizards who are following her, which makes her say that she won't be missing the Broomstick Ball for a long time.
Background information
- Papa Smurf is not seen in this episode.
- This episode is Brenda's final appearance.
- Brenda's voice is slightly different from her debut episode "The Littlest Witch", because she is voiced by Russi Taylor this time around. She has also gained a wand since her debut.