"A Tale of Two Springfields" is the second episode from season twelve of the animated TV series The Simpsons. The episode was broadcast on November 5, 2000. The title is a spoof of Charles Dickens' classic book, A Tale of Two Cities.+++++++++++++++++++++++++Plot While feeding Santa’s Little Helper, Bart finds a badger in his doghouse. Bart and Lisa try to get rid of it themselves, but are unsuccessful. After Homer suggests they blow up the doghouse with dynamite, Lisa tells them to call animal control. When Homer calls them, he gets a tri-tone and a recording indicating that he did not enter the correct area code. Marge informs him that the phone company ran out of numbers, so they had to split Springfield into two area codes. One half keeps the old 636 and the Simpsons' half get the new 939. He is outraged that they changed the code so suddenly (even though Lenny and Carl say that they had weeks of advance warnings, including two weeks at area code camp). While at a town meeting, with Homer wearing a suicide belt, Lindsay Naegle shows a film (starring talking telephone Phony McRingRing) that attempts to convince the audience two area codes are better. The whole town agrees with it. However, Homer stands up, reminding them how terrible it was and points out that the original 636 code was kept by the rich side of town. When Homer fails to blow himself up, he leads a rebellion of the poor and goes off to form a new town. Homer names the town with the new 939 code "New Springfield". Homer is appointed mayor of New Springfield but shows disrespect for the office by using his sash as a napkin. Rivalry quickly ensues between the two towns. When Springfield insults the inefficiency of his half of town, Homer cuts power to Springfield. Springfield retaliates by hijacking a beer truck and dumping its contents in the river. Homer and New Springfield strike back by cutting off the river into Springfield; however this causes its inhabitants to find gold in the river and bu...