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Life Trials of the Rich & Famous

Album: 35: The Big Picture

Episode: 451

Lesson/Theme: How you treat others

Bible Verse: James 2:1-7

Characters: Alex, Liz, Whit

Writer: Marshal Younger

Sound Designer: Bob Luttrell

Original Air Date: October 14, 2000

Last Air Date: October 2, 2009

Description:
It's a beautiful day at Whit's End and Whit, Sarah, Liz, and Alex are taking advantage of it by painting the porch. Nathaniel rides up on his bike to say hello, but as he leaves, he almost starts riding in the wrong direction before he takes off. Alex wonders aloud why Nathaniel never invites him to his house anymore. The three kids go to his house to suddenly find that he no longer lives there. When they go to his new address, they find the reason that Nathaniel hasn't invited them over lately. His family lives in a big new house with chandeliers and a pool. He's rich! When Nathaniel shows up at the door, the three of them ask him why he never told them. He tries to dodge all their questions and finally agrees to meet them at Whit's End. Once there, Liz seems to be falling all over him, Sarah is trying to sell him Sunshine Girl cookies, and Alex keeps giving him business advice. They're all telling him how "high class" he is and what he should do to change his life. Later when they're all in Nathaniel's indoor pool, he leaves to go up to his dad's office. He wonders if his dad likes being rich and why everyone's treating him differently. His dad suggests a clever way for him to show his friends who has really changed. At Whit's End, Nathaniel comes in, kisses Liz on the cheek, asks to buy twenty five thousand boxes of Sunshine Girl cookies (insisting that they name their troop after him), and tells Alex that his website ideas are childish. He even asks them to use the "servant's entrance" the next time they come to his house. "Who do you think you are?" they all say. Then he springs it on them. He's Nathaniel. He's still the same person that he was before he was rich and they all had changed. They all agree to treat him just like a normal person again.

Questions:
How did Nathaniel's dad suggest "testing" his friends to see who had really changed? Why do you think that Liz, Sarah, and Alex started treating Nathaniel differently when they found out he was rich? Can you think of any other events that could happen to someone that might make people treat them differently? Would you treat them differently?