The Chips Are Down/Transcript

Introduction
''Arthur and Francine are sitting in the Sugar Bowl. D.W. and her mother are sitting at the next table.''

D.W.: Hey, you guys, I'm doing a poll.

Arthur: That's her new thing: poll doing. She saw it on TV.

D.W.: I think children should seek out the opinions of elders they respect.

Mrs. Read: Come on, D.W., you're bothering them.

Francine: No, wait. If she respects us, the least we can do is help, Arthur.

Arthur: (sighs)

D.W.: Name something you always wanted to do. Arthur first.

Arthur: I want to play a real piano concert, OK? A fantasy shows him playing a grand piano.

D.W.: That's it? That's not so exciting.

Arthur: It is if you skydive at the same time. ''The piano slides out of a flying cargo plane. Arthur continues playing as parachutes unfold. ''Ooh!

Another fantasy shows Francine getting out of a space shuttle and play ice hockey on Saturn's ring.

Francine: Sounds good. I'd like to orbit Saturn, so I could practise my drive to the net without friction or gravity.

''The fantasy ends. Binky comes in. ''

D.W.: And what about you, Big Head Kid? I'm taking a poll. Is there anything you've always wanted to do?

Binky: Um... Yeah. Hey, look out there! ''Arthur and Francine turn around. Binky takes their lemonades and drinks them.''   Ah. I always wanted to do that. Arthur and Francine exchange looks.

Title Card: Arthur in the Shower
''There's a thunderstorm over the Read house. D.W. sneaks towards the kitchen.'' Arthur: Duck! ''D.W. ducks behind an armchair. '' I've found another duck.

Arthur and Buster are sitting at the table sorting potato chips.

Buster: Ah! Look at this one.

Arthur: It kind of looks like Francine.

Buster: So which pile does it go in?

Arthur: The first pile is big ones. Then small ones, burnt ones, ones that look like a duck and ones that look like people we know. D.W. reaches out.   D.W., I told you you could have a chip when we were done.

D.W.: But I want one now!

Arthur: Wait just five minutes.

D.W.: Please.

Arthur: No. D.W. walks out.

D.W.: Mom! Arthur won't share and it's my house too because I live here and I have rights!

Arthur+Buster: Hh! Buster takes out a big green chip.

Buster: There's no category for this.

Arthur: Put it down carefully.

Mrs. Read: Arthur, would you please come here?

Mrs. Read is working on the computer.

Mrs. Read: Can't you let D.W. have one potato chip?

Arthur: We will. I already explained it to her. We're the Potato Chip Club. Before eating the chips, we must all organize them into official categories.

Buster: Mostly because it's raining.

Arthur: We'll share them with her when we're done.

''While Arthur and Buster are in the living room, D.W. sneaks into the kitchen. She grabs into the chips bag, then she sees the big green chip.''

D.W.: Hh! This is the most beautiful greeny thing I've ever seen! I want to keep it always. She eats it.

Mrs. Read: D.W., the boys will give you a chip in five minutes.

Buster: Let's call it Big Green, the eighth wonder of the world.

D.W. sneaks out of the kitchen as the boys walk in.

Arthur: Big Green is gone!

Buster: Hh!

Arthur+Buster: D.W.!

Arthur: I know how to get her to confess.

#
D.W. sits down at the top of the staircase. D.W.: I am so much smarter than Arthur. She hears voices from downstairs.

Buster: I almost ate a green potato chip once.

Arthur: You're lucky to be alive. Green chips are poison and there's no cure. Arthur and Buster are standing at the bottom of the stairs and staging the conversation.

Buster: I know. After you eat a green one, it's only a matter of time

Arthur+Buster: (giggle)

D.W.: (gulps) Hh! Nadine appears beside her.

Nadine: I can't believe you ate a green chip. There are so many others to choose from.

D.W.: It was pretty.

Nadine: Your shoes are pretty but you don't eat them.

D.W.: They're not salty and crunchy.

Arthur: I was sure D.W. would go screaming to Mom.

Buster: She probably knew you made up that thing about green potato chips being poison. Or maybe she didn't eat it. He and Arthur go back to the kitchen.

Arthur: Yeah, I guess Pal ate it.

Pal: (whines)  He looks insulted.

#
''D.W. looks out of the window in her room. Nadine sits on D.W.'s bed.''

Nadine: You'd better tell your mom.

D.W.: I can't. She told me not to do it. If these are my last days of life, I don't want Mommy mad at me. Hey! Maybe Arthur was fooling. Do you know if the green ones are really poison?

Nadine: I don't know anything you don't know.

D.W.: Right. I've got to find out. I've got to ask someone who'd know.

#
''D.W. meets the Tibbles at the sandbox. Binky is on the swings behind them.''

Timmy: Hi, D.W. That big kid's trying to swing up over the bar. He's cool.

D.W.: Yeah, right, sure.. What do you guys know about green potato chips?

Tommy: You mean the poison ones?

D.W.: Oh-h-h! She falls backwards into the grass.

Binky: Hey, Arthur's sister. What's that you said about green potato chips?

D.W.: They're poison. Binky jumps off the swing.

Binky: What?! I ate a green one two days ago.

D.W.: Then you have even less time left than I do. The empty swing hits Binky in the back.

Binky: Hey, who are you pushing?! Oh. He sits down on the swing.

D.W.: Is that how you want to spend your last moments of your life? Just swinging?

Binky: Not just swinging. I'm trying to ride up over the bar.

D.W.: But your life is almost over. Soon this will be you. She lies on her back and sticks out her tongue.

Binky: (giggles) That's what my dad looks like when he sleeps.

D.W.: Big Head Kid, this is like a tragedy. You've heard of death? From now on, I'll act like every day is my last day. Because it might be.

Binky: Hey, this is serious, huh? He follows her.

#
''Binky and D.W. fly a kite. D.W. hands Binky another roll of string which he ties to the kite string.''

D.W.: How much string is that? Binky: Five rolls.

D.W.: I can't see it. You sure it's still up there?

Binky: I don't know. Something's holding the string up.

D.W.: Oh yeah. Then we did it. This has to be the highest any kite ever flew. ''They shake hands. The kite pulls the last bit of string off the roll. ''Well, there's a lot of other things I want to do.

#
''Binky and D.W. float little boats in the park. / They swim in a lake. / They watch fireworks at night. Binky lifts D.W. on his shoulders. / They carve Jack o' Lanterns. / They jump into a pile of leaves. / They build a snow castle. / They walk along a street at sundown.''

D.W.: Boy, it's amazing what you can do in one day if you try real hard.