This episode is in the Avatar: The Last Airbender Book 2: Earth, Volume 3 DVD, along with The Library, The Serpent's Pass, The Drill, and The City of Walls and Secrets. (edit) Character Debuts: Madame Macmu-Ling, Kenji, Jin, Star (edit) Jin makes her first appearance in the series. (edit) It is shown that Toph has quite a large quantity of hair when she doesn't have her hair in a bun. (edit) This episode marks the first time earthbending is seen being used strictly for construction when Aang uses it to build a new zoo for the animals. (edit) The juggling trick that Zuko attempted is known as the "shower." (edit) During Iroh's story, when the children accidentally break the man's window, Iroh is voiced by an uncredited new actor.

edit:
We later find out that the uncredited new voice actor is actually Greg Baldwin. He was chosen to replace Mako to voice uncle Iroh after Mako's unfortunate passing. The reason why some of Iroh's line was partially dubbed in Mako's and Greg Baldwin's voice was to allow fans to adjust to the new voice. He is added to the main cast in season 3 as a proper replacement for Mako. (edit) This episode shows that Momo is as sad as the other group members over Appa's disappearance. (edit) Zuko turns out to be terribly inexperienced with girls. (edit) Apparently Toph doesn't like her feet touched. (edit) Aang is now able to use two bending skills at once; in this episode, you see him create a rock wall while maintaining his air scooter. The feat itself is considerably inconsistent with the series, as earthbending strictly calls for strong rooting to the ground, but may be coupled with the fact that the episode wasn't directed by the usual staff members. (edit) Translated, the picture of Lu-Ten says (from right-to-left): General Iroh, I'll see you again when we're victorious. Your loyal son, Lu Ten. (edit) Aang is able to increase the range of his Bison Whistle to a great effect by using it in conjunction with his airbending. (edit) Zuko's firebending technique makes another change in this episode. He now utilizes his fingertips much like Azula does with the only exception that his flames aren't blue like hers. (edit) This episode marks the second instrument Iroh has been shown to be able to play professionally. The first was the Sunghi Horn in The Blue Spirit, and here he plays a liuquin while singing a lullaby soothing enough to pacify a crying child. (edit) Iroh and Zuko firebend in this episode. (edit) The order of stories are as follows: Toph and Katara, Iroh, Sokka, Aang, Zuko, and Momo is last. (edit) Iroh's tale was set on his son Lu Ten's birthday. (edit) Zuko at first suspects Jin for knowing his and Iroh's real identities as Firebenders, but secretly Firebends for her on their date. (edit) Creature Debuts:
- Rabbaroo - rabbit/kangaroo hybrid
- Dragonfly-Lizards with insect wings
- Tigerdillo-Large cat mixed with an armadillo
- Large baboon mixed with, possibly, a gorilla
- Monkeys with small boar tusks
- Oxen with elk horns
- Pygmy Pumas- Pumas the size of a housecat (edit) Zuko receives his first onscreen kiss of the series; it is with an Earth Kingdom girl. It can be assumed he has some feelings for her as well since he was willing to risk fire-bending to make her happy, and he admits to Uncle Iroh that he had a nice evening. (edit) The hill on which Iroh places Lu Ten's memorial represents the hill on which Iroh would play with Lu Ten when they were younger and on which Lu Ten's grave resides. (edit) In this episode, we get a glimpse of how the Avatar crew grooms themselves:

We see Aang shave his head
We see Sokka shave off his mustache
We see Katara pinning her "hair loopies" as Sokka calls them
We see Momo licking his fur clean (similar to a cat)
We see Zuko later with his hair slicked down on his head (which looks kind of similar to Alfalfa from The Little Rascals). (edit) Toph and Katara wear makeup again. (edit) Each of the main characters' Chinese names are revealed through their tale's title card. (edit) This marks the first time Aang and Sokka are actually seen shaving. (edit) It is confirmed that truly powerful Earthbenders don't neccessarily require excessive movement of their limbs in order to perform relatively simple bending, just their faces. In Return To Omashu, Bumi was able to bend while inside a casket because "they didn't cover his face", in this episode, Toph isn't shown using her hands to bend the mud on her face. (edit) Toph and Katara are the only characters that share the same story. Everyone else has their own individual adventures, though Iroh briefly appears in Zuko's story, and Aang and Sokka briefly appear in Katara and Toph's. (edit) Iroh's story was dedicated in memory of Mako, referring to the late Makoto Iwamatsu, Iroh's previous voice actor, who passed away in late July, 2006. (edit) This is the second time Toph has shed a tear, the first being in The Blind Bandit. (edit) It is hinted that Appa may be somewhere in or near Ba Sing Se. When the Pygmy Pumas take the piece of his fur from Momo, they lead him to and lay the clump in a giant, three-toed footprint. (edit) We finally get an idea of what Lu Ten looked like at the age he died. His face is displayed on an ink painting. (edit) Appa appears in this episode in one of Momo's dreams and a brief flashback. (edit) Each of the characters' "tales" came complete with their very own title card and were even written by different "guest writers," each of whom are members of the Avatar staff. Here is the list:
Toph and Katara: Joann Estoesta, Lisa Wahlander
Iroh: Andrew Huebner
Aang: Gary Scheppke
Sokka: Lauren MacMullan
Zuko: Katie Mattila
Momo: Giancarlo Volpe, Justin Ridge (edit) The cabbage guy is shown again in this episode, during Aang's tale. (edit)

Zuko: Close your eyes...and don't peek...(while her eyes are closed he firebends the lanterns around the fountain)
Jin: Now it's time for you to close you're eyes...(leans in and kisses him on the lips softly)
Zuko: (kisses her back and then backs away and runs)
Jin: What's wrong?
Zuko: (turns around) It's complicated....(runs back to apartment) (edit) Iroh: How was your night, Prince Zuko?
(Zuko slams the door to his room. Iroh looks disappointed and Zuko slides the door open a little)
Zuko: (quietly) It was nice. (edit) Aang: (when seeing the animals destroy everything) This was so much easier in my head. (edit) Mugger: You! Give me all your money!
(Iroh looks at the man's feet)
Iroh: What are you doing?
Mugger: I'm mugging you!
Iroh: With that stance?
Mugger: What? What are you talking about? Just give me your money, old man!
Iroh: With a poor stance you are unbalanced and you can be easily knocked over...
(Iroh disarms and knocks over the man in a flash) (edit) Mugger: This is so great! No one has ever believed in me.
Iroh: While it is always best to believe in one's self, a little help from others can be a great blessing. (edit) Zuko: Uncle, we have a problem. One of the customers is on to us. Don't look now, but there is a girl over there at the corner table. She knows we're fire nation. Didn't I say don't look!
Iroh: You're right, Zuko. I've seen that girl in here quite a lot. Seems to me she has quite a little crush on you. (edit) Katara: You know what we need? (Excitedly) A girl’s day out!
Toph (Unhappily): ...Do I have to? (edit) Toph (resignedly): The Fancy Lady Day Spa? Sounds like my kinda place.
Katara: Are you ready for some serious pampering?
Toph: Sure, Katara. Whatever you say. (edit) Iroh: It is usually best to admit mistakes when they occur. And to seek to restore honor.
Angry Man (goes to window): When I'm through with you kids, the window won't be the only thing that's broken!
Iroh: But not this time. Run! (edit) Girl 1: Nice makeup.
Toph: Thanks.
Girl 1: For a clown. (starts laughing with the other girls.)
Katara: Come on Toph, don't worry about them.
Girl 2: I think she looks cute, like that time you put a sweater on your pet poodle monkey.
(they all start to laugh again)
Katara: Come on Toph.
Toph: No no, that was a good one. Like your poodle monkey! Ha! You know what else is a good one?(Earthbends a hole in the bridge under the girls.)
Katara: Now that was funny. (Waterbends the water away with the girls) (edit) Zookeeper: Then again, you should stick to saving people. (edit) Zuko: You have quite an appetite for a girl. (twiddles fingers nervously)
Jin: Um... thanks. (edit) Katara (to Toph): I know you don't really care about these things, but I think you're really pretty.
Toph: Thanks. I'd return the compliment, but I have no idea what you look like. (edit) Sokka: I am so sorry. Something struck me in the rear. I just wound up... here. (edit) Cabbage Merchant: My caaabaa... Oh forget it. (Walks away) (edit) Pretty Student: Through all the long night,
winter moon glows with bright love:
sleet, her silver tears.
Sokka (sighs) Ah, poetry.
(Gets kicked by bird-horse, and all the students gasp)
I am so sorry!
Something struck me in the rear.
I just wound up... here?
Teacher: Five, seven, then five...
syllables mark a haiku,
remarkable oaf.
Sokka: They call me Sokka
That is, in the Water Tribe
I am not an Oaf!
(Counts on his fingers)
Teacher: Chittering Monkey,
in the spring he climbs treetops
and thinks himself tall.
Sokka: You think you're so smart
with your fancy little words,
this is not so hard.
Teacher: Whole seasons are spent
mastering the form, the style,
none calls it easy.
Sokka: I calls it easy!
Like I paddle my canoe,
I'll paddle yours too!
(paddles his bottom)
Teacher: There's nuts and there's fruits,
in fall the clinging plum drops,
always to be squashed.
Sokka: Squish squash! Sling that slang!
I'm always right back at ya,
like my... boomerang! (pulls out boomerang)
(Teacher leaves, hip-hopish beat starts playing)
That's right I'm Sokka!
It's pronounced with an "Okka"
Yeah ladies, I rock ya!
(girls stop clapping, and he counts the 6 syllables)
Muscle Guy: Ah, That's one too many syllables there, bub.
(Throws Sokka out)
Sokka: ...Poetry. (edit) Zuko: We were, uh, part of this... traveling circus...
Jin: Really? What did you do? Wait, let me guess... (snapping her fingers with enthusiastic conviction) You juggled!
Zuko (throwing her an unimpressed, slightly-raised-eyebrowed look): Yes... I juggled. (edit) Katara: Oh Toph, you got a little dirt on your... well, everywhere.
Toph: You call it dirt. I prefer to think of it as a healthy coating of earth. (edit) Jin: Look at you! You look so cute! (runs a hand through Zuko's hair and proceeds to ruffle it up)
Zuko: It took my Uncle ten minutes to do my hair! (edit) Iroh (to Lu Ten): Happy birthday, my son. If only I could have helped you.
(begins to sing)
Leaves from the vine,
Falling so slow,
Like fragile, tiny shells,
Drifting in the foam,
Little soldier boy,
Come marching home,
Brave soldier boy,
Comes marching home. (edit)

When Sokka shows his boomerang during his boomerang haiku, Madame Macmu-Ling's bun is missing. (edit) The girl who is sitting in the top right corner of the Seven Five Seven Society (the one with the two pale yellow flowers in her hair) is first seen wearing a yellow scarf but when we see that corner laughing the scarf is missing and is replaced with just a light green part in her shirt. (edit) We learn that Aang shaves his head in this episode, he's not naturally bald, and that Sokka can have facial hair if he wants it. (edit) While Sokka, Aang, Iroh, and Momo are in 2 tales; Zuko, Katara, and Toph are all in only 1 tale. (edit) Katara's waterskin vanishes while consoling Toph but reappears when the camera focuses on their backs. (edit) As Sokka counts his haiku's syllables on his fingers, his pupil momentarily appears on his right index finger. (edit) In this episode, Aang was written as "Ān Áng" which means "peaceful rise". (edit) The mugger, Tycho, that Iroh gives advice to is the same that could be seen in the background carrying a large saber in City of Walls and Secrets while the gang was first touring the city. (edit) When you see the Rabbaroo hop away from the cabbage cart, to the right you can see the Cabbage Merchant sitting on a stoop, sobbing. (edit) When Toph and Katara are passing the three girls on the bridge, Toph's bangs that are tucked behind her ears are bright green like her shirt. (edit) In Sokka's poetry battle the weapon are Haikus, a poetry form originally from Japan. But the real haikus always must have an allusion to a season of the year. (edit) In the previous episode, Joo Dee was going to stay with the gang and go with them everywhere. But in this episode, she isn't seen once. (edit) Apparently Toph has issues on the way she looks because she will never be able to see how she looks. (edit) In every other episode, it has been clearly shown that Appa is the only one capable of hearing a Bison whistle (with the exception of The Swamp, where Momo seems to be able to hear it when he blows it), hence the name, but in this episode its shown that it is audible to several different other creatures. (edit)

The works of Shinichiro Watanabe is referenced once again with Jin, who's character design and the hairstyle she wore on her date appears to be based off Fuu from Samurai Champloo. She also shares the same name as one of the series' male protagonists. (edit) At the end of Iroh's tale, you see him light incense and place a picture of his son, Lu Ten. This is a Chinese tradition of praying/sending a message to the dead, called bàizǔ (拜祖). (edit) Ox Horns
In Katara and Toph's tale, one of the mean girls has a hairstyle of two spherical buns on each side of her head, this is known as the "Ox Horns", The ox horns was a common hairstyle in China up until the 20th century and can still be worn today with traditional attire. It's also easily confused with the Japanese hairstyle Odango (dumplings), the only difference between the two being that ox horns don't contain trailing strands of hair. Despite its Chinese origin, the hairstyle is used frequently for various female characters of numerous Japanese anime/manga series. (edit) The large tree in Momo's dream bears a striking resemblence to the massive banyan tree in the center of the swamp from the episode The Swamp. (edit) The young boys in the street alley that Iroh speaks to play what appears to be a variant of football (soccer) that employs earthbending. (edit) The part where Aang, Sokka and Katara were getting ready for the day in the beginning of the episode seems based off a similar scene done by Shrek and Fiona in Shrek 2. (edit) The instrument Iroh plays to soothe the crying child is a liquin, a four-stringed Chinese lute with a pear-shaped body. Small in size, it is considered to be a miniature copy of another Chinese plucked instrument, the pipa and is often confused with it. The instrument is revered in Chinese music and is usually used as an accompaniment in folk Chinese opera. (edit)