Buster's Dino Dilemma (episode)

Buster's Dino Dilemma is the second part of the third episode of season one in the Arthur TV Series. It was written by Matt Steinglass. The storyboards were done by Raymond Lebrun. It aired on September 16, 1996, along with it's linked episode D.W. All Wet.

Plot Outline
Arthur talks to the viewing audience about how people can get carried away with things sometimes. Like when D.W. played the Hippo Hunt video game for four days straight, when Francine tried to score a hundred baskets in basketball in a row (which she probably failed at), and  Buster has grown a large liking for dinosaurs. Cut to Mr. Ratburn's class, as Ratburn announces that they will be taking a field trip to Rainbow Rock State Park where they will find different kinds of fossils. Buster is very excited and knocks over his chair. {Title Card} The class arrives at Rainbow Rock State Park. Buster and Arthur arrive with Arthur carrying a heavy load of supplies. The whole class begins playing around until Ratburn alerts everyone to follow him. They enter the exhibition area and meet up with Ranger Ruth, who will be their fossil hunting guide. She asks the class what a fossil is and Buster answers in a very scientific manner. The show begins, and Ranger Ruth explains about life many years ago. How there were different plants, bugs, and of course, dinosaurs. She further explains how the animals would die out. During this scene, the back person of the dinosaur costume accidentally falls backwards and runs away. Ratburn has the laughing class quiet down. Ruth continues and explains about how certain parts of the bodies such as bones would last during the rotting time, and how water covered the land and eventually become rock and dirt, thus covering the remains turning them into fossils. After the show, the class head out to hunt for fossils. On the way, Ruth talks to the children about how certain layers in the cliff date how old a certain fossil is depending on where it's found. Muffy asks how they are going to search in the cliffs, but Ruth says that they will be searching in the water. In excitement, Francine rushes into the water and begins searching. Later that day, all the kids are still searching. Buster searches through many rocks but has no luck. Ratburn notifies them that they will be leaving soon. Buster, in determination, wants to keep looking until they leave. Arthur protests at this, for the other students a having soda for a lunch break, and accidentally picks up a rock, which turns out to be a fossil. Buster notices and goes through a daze. Nervously, Arthur drops the fossil into the water, but Buster jumps after it and begins digging through the rocks rapidly until he finds it. Arthur thinks it's a leaf fossil, but Buster rebukes this and sees that it is a footprint. When the kids are gathered together, Brain shows Ruth a shell fossil and she places it into a sack. Buster notices this and is surprised to see that they don't keep them. Ruth explains to him that they take the fossils to the museum. Buster is upset at this and hides the footprint in his hat. He also pretends that he and Arthur haven't found any fossils. As they leave Arthur tells Buster he should give it, but Buster doesn't yield and still wants to keep it. Ruth meets up with them and congratulates Buster for a being an excellent paleontologist and pats him on the head, where the fossil is. Because they are so nervous, they imagine Ruth as a dinosaur on the way out. On the way home on the bus, Arthur asks if they could tell someone about the fossil, but Buster denies this for e thinks it's too dangerous.