The Funtastic World of Hanna Barbera

7. A Piece of Pie

June, 1982

Summer had just begun in the Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera. Every summer, the Funtastic World chose two residents to help in the Sunny Side Up Diner for a whole month. This year, the two lucky helpers were Huckleberry Hound and Snagglepuss. The duo were very different from each other, but no matter what, they were the best of friends. They lived in the city of Hill Street Neighborhood, and their houses were right next door from each other.

On their first day on the job, they were asked to make several pies for customers who came to the diner. Pie was one of the diner's signature desserts. While the duo was busy in the kitchen, Huck's nephew, Hector, was busy out on the ground with Huck's two pets, Pudgy the puppy dog, and Mimi the little kitten, making pies of their own: mud pies. Pudgy dug up some soil, while Hector added the water. Mimi didn't like getting dirty, so she remained behind. She just liked to watch Hector and Pudgy.

"Take some soil," Hector said to himself, "add some water, and you get... mud pies!"

The little hound dog giggled as he put his hands in the mud pies. Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Huck and Snag were donning their baker's aprons making one of their favorite pie flavors.

"Take some pie crust..." Snag began, as he set up the pie crust.

"Add a cherry filling..." Huck went on, as he added the cherry filling. "And you get..."

The duo then put the pie into the oven. "Cherry pie!" They both said together, then they both shared a laugh, and high fived each other. Huck then went up to the oven to smell the pie baking inside. 

"Mmmmmmm," he beamed. "This is gonna be one of the best pies we ever baked!"

The diner was teeming with hungry customers, many of whom were there to enjoy sandwiches on freshly-baked bread, or to experience the wondrous taste of the many varieties of pie that were being sold. Mystery Inc. happened to be there having lunch, and having eaten at least five eggplant parmesan sandwiches, Shaggy and Scooby were now gorging themselves silly on pie. They had at least ten slices of each flavor piled before them while Fred, Daphne and Velma each only had one. Huck smiled as he peeked out at the dining room and watched his friends.

"Man, I think our pies are a hit with Scooby-Doo and Shaggy!" he told Snag. "Look at em!"

"They've been chowing down on our pies since we gave them an apple pie just an hour ago!" Snag said with a chuckle.

They weren't the only ones. Many of their friends made daily trips to the diner to enjoy some pie, including Yogi Bear and Boo-Boo, Quick Draw McGraw and Baba Looey, Snooper and Blabber, Augie Doggie and Doggie Daddy, Wally Gator, Peter Potamus, even Secret Squirrel and Morocco Mole! Sometimes Top Cat and his gang would make the trip all the way over from Hoagy's Alley if they had scraped up a little cash to spend, and of course, when they dropped in from their respective eras in time, the Flintstones, the Rubbles and the Jetsons would always stop in as well.

"Who do you think loves our pies the most?" Snag asked. "Anyone who could give Shaggy and Scooby a run for their money, even?"

"I bet that would be Yogi," Huck laughed. "You know how big of an appetite he's got!"

"Yeah, and just looking at him, he's found himself in pie heaven! In bliss, even!"

Huck smiled. "I'd send one home with him to give to Cindy, but he'd probably eat it on the way!"

The duo happily giggled, but just then, they heard the oven beeping. "IT'S READY!!!!" they chorused.

They ran to the oven, took the pie out, and set it to cool for a couple of minutes. Several minutes later, they took it over to Shaggy and Scooby's table. "Who ordered a cherry pie?" Huck called.