The Buttercups

"The Buttercups" is the fifteenth episode of the Disney Junior series Sofia the First, which aired on August 2, 2013.

Synopsis
Sofia and her Girl Scout troop, The Buttercups, are having a meeting at the castle. Ruby's mother Helen, the Buttercup troop leader, bring in two new recruits the twins Meg and Peg and Sofia gives them their Buttercup vests. Helen announces that tomorrow they will be going on a hike through Peppertree Forest. Sofia is very excited about the hike because she is only one badge away from finally earning the Sunflower Medallion, a great honor Sofia has been looking forward to since she was very small. After the Buttercups leave, Sofia welcomes her father home and tells him about the hike tomorrow. But almost immediately she wishes she hadn't spoken because Roland is against Sofia going into the forest stating that it isn't "a proper place for a princess" and is so concerned that something could happen to her. But Miranda steps forward and tells Roland there's nothing to worry about because of Sofia's Buttercup experience and because Helen Hanshaw will be there to provide any supervision. Baileywick also supports Sofia going, stating his experience as a Groundhog, the Buttercups' Boy Scout counterpart, and how it gave him skills he uses as the castle steward. Hearing this, Roland decides to make Baileywick Sofia's royal escort, telling him to go with her and make sure she comes home without a scratch and sternly states "And I mean not a single scrach" despite Sofia's protests that such a thing is unnecessary.

The next day Sofia is all ready to go on the hike but Baileywick overdoes the packing in a way that ensures that he and Sofia both arrive extremely late. The hike begins and, along the way to their first stop, Baileywick starts to baby Sofia much to her chagrin and when they arrive Baileywick scoops Sofia into her "throne away from home" Sofia gets out off the chair stating that she can sit on the ground with everyone else but Baileywick just scoops her back into it and hands her some ice water much to Sofia's embarrassment. Helen assigns the troops on their first badge-earning project: building birdhouses. Baileywick butts in and starts to build a birdhouse for Sofia despite her protests that she can do it herself. Helen refuses to give Sofia the birdhouse badge because she knows Baileywick built it when Sofia was supposed to do it and tells Baileywick that scouts only get badges if they do a good job on their own. Sofia is miffed that she missed out on earning a badge because of Baileywick's interference but because she understands that Baileywick was only trying to help she keeps her fury to herself.

At the next stop Helen gives the troops their next badge-earning project: gathering wood for their cookout. Sofia finds a log with a squirrel on it and politely asks the squirrel to let her have the log when he's done eating. But Baileywick interferes once again and states grabbing all the logs he can carry. Sofia tries to stop him and get her own wood at the same time but Baileywick is too fast for her. Once again Helen refuses to give her the wood gathering badge and once again tells Baileywick that a job well done only counts when Sofia and the others do the job themselves. Ruby and Jade can see that Baileywick's mollycoddling is bothering Sofia, so they urge their friend to tell him to stop butting in. When the cookout begins Baileywick grabs Sofia's hot dog and begins to cook it for her. Sofia, who has had enough of being treated like a baby, tells Helen that she'll talk to him and proceeds to tell Baileywick that the Buttercup projects are things she can and must do by herself and reminds him he promised her she would have a good time.

At the troop's next stop Helen gives the troops their next badge-earning project: flower gathering. Once again Baileywick interferes but this time it backfires in a way that affects only him: The flowers he ends up picking for her are the very flower he was trying to protect her from: Meddelsome Myrtle, a poisonous flower whose poison takes affect when it's inhaled through the nose. Sofia leads the way back to the castle so Baileywick can receive treatment. Sofia's leadership earns her the leadership badge which earns her her Sunflower Medallion along with Ruby and Jade.

Songs

 * The Buttercups

Cast

 * Ariel Winter as Sofia
 * Sara Ramirez as Queen Miranda
 * Tim Gunn as Baileywick
 * Travis Willingham as King Roland II
 * Diamond White as Ruby Hanshaw
 * Isabella Acres as Jade
 * Fiona Bishop as Meg and Peg
 * Viola Davis as Helen Hanshaw

Trivia

 * This episode introduces Ruby's mother into the series.
 * The first time Sofia is seen in scout uniform.
 * This is the second time Roland shows he's very protective of Sofia, the first was in "Let The Good Times Troll".