Bobbin

The bobbin is an object that is the main focus of the episode "What is that Thing?". The bobbin has not made any more appearances in the show. It belongs to Mr. Ratburn. Arthur notices it on the sidewalk and wonders what it does. He imagines it as a yo-yo for leprechauns and a robot's brain. D.W. sees the bobbin, and accidentally causes Arthur to drop it. The bobbin rolls down the road to Brain, who in his front yard trying to fix a model plane that has lost its wheel. Brain thinks that the bobbin is a wheel from someone else's plane, and puts it on his. It works fine, until Brain is distracted by Buster. Francine notices the bobbin hanging from a tree and uses it to hypnotize Nemo into not being scared of water. The bobbin is stolen by a bird, who drops it in front of Muffy. Muffy uses it to rescue her Artie doll from a sewer grate. The bobbin rolls away from Muffy and ends up with Buster. Buster, Francine, Muffy, Brain, and Arthur all find the bobbin at the same time and argue over what it is and who it belongs to. Mr. Ratburn comes over, stating that it belongs to him. Arthur asks him what it is, and Mr. Ratburn tells them to come to his puppet show at the library and find out. At the puppet show, it is revealed what the bobbin does; it is part of a sewing machine. Arthur then points out that Buster is the only one who the bobbin didn't help in some way. Buster tells Arthur that it actually did, and it is revealed how: he inspired an episode of The Bionic Bunny Show where the villain is a bobbin with a big nose that hypnotizes cats.