From: Bart the Mother (Season 10, Episode 3) A trait of Bart's that is often overlooked is his nurturing side. Despite Lisa being a vegetarian, Bart is the real animal-lover in the family, with a strong connection to his dog as well as his other one-shot pets including Stampy the Elephant. Perhaps the best example of Bart caring for critters comes when he looks after a nest of bird's eggs. At least, he thinks they're bird's eggs... After being dared by Nelson, Bart shoots a bird with a BB gun, accidentally killing it. Feeling bad, Bart takes the eggs home and looks after them until they hatch.. into a pair of lizards. The lizards are declared dangerous to Springfield's ecosystem and must be put down, but Bart has not given up his motherly impulses and frees the lizards. It turns out this is for the best when the lizards rid the town of its pesky pigeon problem. And then proceed to infest the town themselves. Well, at least Bart's heart was in the right place, right?
14. Is Bart Smarter Than A Hamster?
From: Duffless (Season 4, Episode 16) It may not be the most enlightening, or most flattering, for Bart's character on this list but one of Bart's absolute funniest moments occurs due to Lisa's experiments on her brother for the Science Fair. In a project titled 'Is My Brother Dumber Than A Hamster?', Lisa tests her hamster and Bart in exactly the same way to determine, once and for all, if her brother has the intelligence of a rodent. At first she tests them to see if they can work out how to get food that is out of reach (the hamster does, Bart doesn't) but the fun really starts when she wires some cupcakes to electrocute them to see if they learn not to touch them. While the hamster quickly realises, Bart keeps trying to eat them. It's the sort of slapstick that Homer usually corners on the show but the loss of dignity Bart endures here proves that he really is his father's son. D'oh!
13. Woodrow Loves Mrs Krabappel
From: Bart the Lover (Season 3, Episode 16) Bart and his fourth grade teacher Mrs Krapabbel (a character sadly now retired from the series following voice actor Marcia Wallace's untimely death) have had a love/hate relationship over the years. This is no clearer than in one of Bart's meanest practical jokes, he pretends to be her pen pal and potential lover. Finding Edna's ad for companionship in the paper, Bart embarks on a love(letter) affair with her under the name 'Woodrow' and arranges to meet her at a fancy restaurant. Bart goes to see the punchline of his prank only to realise his actions have reduced Mrs Krapabbel to tears. With the Simpson family's help, he creates one last letter from 'Woodrow' to end their 'relationship' in a way that won't hurt her. As with the heart of the earlier seasons of the show, this episode shows Bart as as fiendish as ever but also with a decency and, in the end, a respect for his teacher. It's sad to think of this ultimately friendly relationship when Bart writes on his chalkboard, over twenty years later, 'we'll miss you Mrs K.'
