Although The Adventures of Dudley the Dragon addressed social concerns in its plots, the show was at its best when the story was vital, or life-changing, to a character.

“The Wishing Well” was such a story.

In this fifth-season episode, Mr. Crabby Tree has found a second wishing well.  But it had one iron-clad rule:  Only one wish per customer.

Dudley, our simple-minded dragon, has a simple wish.  He wants his basket to be full of dragonberries year-round.  Mr. Crabby Tree thinks bigger.  He wishes to be … a human!

Finally, after four-and-half seasons, viewers got to see the man inside the rubber tree outfit.  Actor Graham Greene was now fully exposed—with clothes, of course.  Alas, Ms. Wishing Well had poor fashion sense.  She had given him a red shirt, fatigue pants and a tacky yellow tie.

Mr. Crabby Tree at first had great difficulty walking with human legs.  But he soon adjusted.  He relished the freedom he had in wiggling his fingers and toes and hopping and swinging from vines like a demented Tarzan.  But he became frustrated (which for Crabby was not unusual).  Being human also meant being social, like eating with silverware or not sticking stinky feet on a table.  He didn’t want to move to a city where there weren’t as many trees.

Crabby had second thoughts.  He missed being strong and sturdy like a tree.  He had the body of a human but the heart of a tree.  He cried out in anguish, “I made a terrible mistake!  I want to be a tree again!”  He returned to the Wishing Well and pleaded for another wish.

Ms. Well was emphatic.  She could only give one wish per customer.  No refunds, no returns.  He could not change back.

What was Mr. Crabby Man going to do?