Homer gets a letter from the library telling him about an overdue book. He checked it out when Bart was born to have something to read his child. Lisa suggests that he read them some stories from it now. Homer starts by telling the tale of the



Odyssey

Homer is Odysseus, who delivers a Trojan horse to the King. After his troops are victorious, Odysseus ticks off the gods by refusing to make a sacrifice. They take their revenge upon him when they blow him and his crew off course, where they almost meet the Sirens and finally Circe, who turns his men into pigs. After Odysseus eats his men, he has to cross the river Styx to return home. When he arrives he takes out the trash.



Joan of Arc

Lisa is Joan in this retelling of the story of Joan of Arc. Joan sets out to help lead the French army to victory against the English, which she does, until she is captured. Joan is found guilty and is about to be burned at the stake, when Marge, not much for tragic endings, changes the ending so that Joan lives.



Hamlet

Bart is Hamlet and Homer asks him to avenge his death. Moe (as Uncle Claudius) had Homer killed so that he could marry the queen (Marge) and take over the kingdom. Hamlet discovers the king's treachery and goes to avenge his father's death. When he kills the wrong man, he must duel with Laertes (Ralph). When Laertes dispatches himself, Hamlet kills Uncle Claudius, then himself. Rather than clean up the mess, the queen also dispatches herself. Everyone is dead.



Bart can't believe how boring the last story was, but Homer reminds him that is also became a great movie called Ghostbusters. The family dances as the theme to that classic film plays in the background.

Unable to find a full-time teaching job, Peggy agrees to go to work with Hank at Stickland Propane. An idea that Hank is much fonder of than Peggy. When the opportunity arrises for Peggy to teach full time, she lies about her religion, to teach at a Catholic school.

The FBI comes and questions Sydney about her connection to a 500-year old Rambaldi prophecy. Vaughn and Jack have to rescue Sydney, before SD-6 finds out. While Sydney is escaping, she realizes how her mother faked her death 20 years ago.

After a car accident, Reyes finds herself in a very gray area, while Doggett desperately denies doctors' diagnoses about his partner, who witnesses a strange disappearance.

The detectives investigate a slain bank robber and check out his sister, who is involved with a bogus United Nations economist. As the detectives close in on the suspect, Goren learns the suspect wants his children's approval and must stop him before any more murders.

The husband of a psychic dies, making for some interesting conversations around Fisher & Sons. At Robbie's urging, Ruth enrolls in "The Plan", a marathon self-actualization seminar, and is changed. Claire is angry that Gary, her high-school guidance counselor, has betrayed her confidences about Gabe; she later turns to Keith when Gabe's personality becomes increasingly unstable. Having passed his funeral-director exam, Nate joins his brother for his first LA Independent Funeral Directors lunch. Deciding to take a few courses at college, Brenda ends up walking out of a biogenetics class after dissing the teacher.

Michael is distraught over the comic book death of his hero (Captain Astro) and sets out on a holy quest (petition) to bring him back to life. Debbie is shocked to discover the body of a boy Justin's age in a dumpster behind the diner. She is even more shocked however when she sees how little regard the others are all paying the situation. Michael soon begins to realize how shallow they are all being and begins to mourn the death of the nameless boy.

When Bender is accidentally swept away into a space vacuum, he becomes spiritually inclined and makes some devastating decisions. Meanwhile, Fry, Leela and Professor Farnsworth frantically search for Bender as he floats through space, and learns an important lesson from his journey.