The Simpsons - 'Miracle On Evergreen Terrace'
People throughout Springfield open their hearts—and wallets—after Bart claims the family's Christmas presents were stolen by a burglar.
Anxious to have a head start opening presents on Christmas, and knowing his bladder will awaken him, Bart drinks a dozen glasses of water on Christmas Eve. The low-tech alarm clock works and, the following morning, Bart slyly makes his way to the tree. Unfortunately, one of his toys sprays water onto an overloaded extension cord socket. A fire breaks out and all of the presents are destroyed. A shaken Bart douses the fire, and before his family awakens, he buries the melted remains beneath a mound of snow in the front yard. Shortly thereafter, the boy tells his family that a burglar broke into the house and stole the gifts.
Kent Brockman broadcasts a new story about the incident, and word of the Simpsons' misfortune spreads throughout town. Filled with good-cheer, a steady stream of well-wishers stops by the house. Marge shows Homer a basket filled with cash, donated by those who opened their hearts. Using the money, the family purchases a new car. But on the drive home, Homer loses control of the car. The family bails out at the last moment and the vehicle plunges into a frozen pond. Wracked with guilt, Bart awakens the next morning and confesses the truth about what really happened on Christmas. Outraged, Homer and Lisa take turns strangling the boy. Intending to produce a follow-up story on the family, Kent Brockman and a camera crew arrive at the front door. But the intense television lights melt the snow covering the buried Christmas presents. Facing the camera, Brockman labels the Simpsons' story a "putrid fraud."
The Simpsons realize they are pariahs in their own town when an angry mob pelts the house with fruits and vegetables. Mortified, Marge appears on the game show Jeopardy hoping to raise enough money to repay the townspeople, but efforts fail. When the Simpsons return home, they discover that the townspeople have stripped the house clean. Moe explains that everyone felt guilty about their anger, and in an effort to "make things right," townspeople looted their belongings.
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