Introduction[]
Arthur as Robin Hood climbs up the walls of a medieval castle at night.
Arthur Hood: (struggles)
He looks down at the drawbridge. Binky as a soldier rides over the bridge. Pal is prisoner in a tower. Arthur reaches the window of his cell.
Arthur Hood: (pants) Pal! Ssh! Come here, boy.
Pal barks and climbs between the window bars. Arthur shoots an arrow with a rope into a tree across the moat. Pal ties the rope to the bars.
Arthur Hood: Hang on tight.
Pal hangs on to his shoulders and they slide down the rope.
A soldier runs up to two soldiers by the portcullis. All three look like Binky.
Binky Guard: Open the gates! They're escaping!
The portcullis goes up. Arthur stands on the other side of the moat holding Pal.
Arthur Hood: Where's Friar Buster with our escape vehicle?
Buster arrives in a 1930s-style motorcar. He is dressed like a monk and holds a chicken leg.
Friar Buster: Jump in!
Arthur Hood: Buster, there were no cars in Robin Hood's time!
The fantasy ends. Buster sits at a table next to the treehouse holding a chicken leg. Arthur holds Pal.
Buster: Oh, yeah. Right. Um... it's a wagon.
The fantasy continues. Arthur, Buster and Pal sit on a horse-drawn wagon with barrels. The guards come running over the drawbridge.
Binky Guard: They got away! After them!
Arthur and Buster drive the wagon through the forest.
Arthur Hood: We're a perfect team, Friar Buster.
Friar Buster: Verily.
Binky Guard: I'll get you yet!
Arthur+Buster: (laugh)
Title Card: Pal Searches[]
Arthur and Buster read a book together in the treehouse.
Buster: Oh, no. I can't stand it. This is horrible.
Arthur: Buster, cut it out! I'm trying to read.
Buster: I'm ready to turn the page.
Arthur: Just a minute.
Buster: Oh, I can't take the suspense. He's about to get...
Arthur: Buster, would you...? Oh, man! I can't believe it. Okay, I'm turning the page. "The End." Wow! Robin Hood was the best.
Buster: (sighs) I was in such a hurry to finish, but now I'm sorry it's over.
Arthur: I wish there were more books.
In his imagination, King Richard and some other people wave goodbye as Arthur and Buster ride off.
Arthur (narrator): I bet that after this story ended, they rode off to have even better adventures.
Buster (narrator): Yeah. I can imagine all the great adventures they could have.
The fantasy ends. Arthur and Buster look dreamily.
Arthur: I can think of a hundred.
Buster: Hey, why don't we write our own adventure book? Then it doesn't have to end.
Arthur: Yeah!
In their imagination, grappling hooks are thrown up at the treehouse.
Buster: Brigands attacking from every direction. There's no escape!
The brigands, all looking like Binky, climb up the ropes.
Binky Brigands: Yo-ho! Yo-ho! Yo-ho! Yo-ho! (laugh)
Arthur writes down the story as it unfolds.
Buster: Are you writing this down?
Arthur: "…climbing ropes." Any on hang-gliders?
Buster looks out and sees more brigands.
Buster: Yeah. There's four on hang-gliders and two riding a dinosaur.
Binky Brigands: (yell)
Arthur and Buster are now in the library studying books.
Arthur: Slow down! How do you spell apatosaurus?
Buster: "Our heroes escaped the deadly tree house, but there was more danger awaiting outside."
Two Binky guards climb through the library window.
Binky Brigand: After them! Woohoohoo!
Arthur+Buster: (gasp)
A Binky brigand swings down on a rope while more Binky guards burst through the door.
Binky Guard: Ahahaha!
The dinosaur lifts off the library roof and roars.
Miss Turner is having her lunch when she hears the shouting.
Miss Turner: Ssh!
The various Binkys disappear. The dinosaur looks around confused.
Dinosaur: Huh?
Miss Turner: Ssh!
The dinosaur disappears.
Arthur: It takes a huge bite out of the roof, and...
He notices Miss Turner and several other people looking at him.
Arthur: Oh! Sorry.
***
Arthur and Buster sit on a swing set and study their manuscript.
Buster: This is great so far.
Arthur: We'll write more after school tomorrow.
***
The next day, Buster, Francine and Brain sit in class looking glum. Arthur comes in with the manuscript.
Arthur: Buster, I came up with a new chapter last night.
He notices the mood.
Arthur: I think you'd better tell some jokes. Francine and Brain look sad. Buster! Hello? What's wrong with everybody?
Buster: I'm going to stay with my dad.
Arthur: Oh. Read the pages.
Francine: Arthur! Don't you even care?
Arthur: About what? Buster spends the weekend with his dad all the time.
Buster: This time, I'm going to stay.
Arthur: What??
In his imagination, he and Buster ride the wagon as Robin Hood and Friar Buster.
Arthur+Buster: (laugh)
***
Above the Read yard, clouds looking like Arthur and Buster are blown away by the wind. Arthur and Buster lie under a tree.
Arthur: We can't take this lying down. A couple of months is... practically forever.
Buster: I don't wanna go, but I kinda do. Since my parents got divorced, I’ve never spent a lot of time with my dad.
Arthur: I’ve got a plan!
He jumps up.
Buster: What? What?
Arthur: We'll do exactly what the heroes in our book would do.
Buster follows Arthur to the house where Arthur gets two shovels.
Arthur: We'll dig a pit under my house, and you'll live in it. They'll never find you.
Arthur starts digging.
Buster: I'll live in a pit?
Arthur: (pants) Yeah. And I'll sneak you leftovers from the table. Buster stops. Dig! Dig!
Buster: You know, Arthur, seeing my dad is more fun than living in a pit.
Arthur: (pants) But you don't want to go. Do you?
Buster: I guess I sort of do wanna go.
In his imagination, Arthur as Robin Hood climbs a rope up a cliff. Buster holds the rope but suddenly lets go.
Friar Buster: Oh, I’ve got to go. See ya!
Arthur Hood: Ahhh!
He falls into the water.
***
Arthur sits at the dinner table and stares at his food.
Mrs. Read: If you don't feel like eating now, Arthur, we can you something for later.
D.W.: I'll eat his dessert!
Mr. Read: D.W.!
Arthur: Is it okay if I just go to my room?
Mrs. Read: Sure. If you want I'll come up a little later and we can talk.
Arthur leaves the room.
D.W.: Now can I eat his dessert?
***
Arthur and Francine ride on the seesaw. Sue Ellen is on a swing nearby.
Arthur: I thought he was my best friend, but he wants to go.
Sue Ellen: I bet he doesn't want to go.
Arthur: He could have stayed and lived in a pit, but he said no. What does that tell you?
Sue Ellen: Try thinking how Buster will feel. You're losing one friend, but everything else stays the same for you.
Arthur: Yeah? So?
Sue Ellen: Buster's losing all his friends and going to a place where everything is new. It can be scary. I know. We moved a lot because of my father's job. It's hard.
Arthur: Buster probably needs a best friend now more than ever.
He gets off the seesaw, causing Francine’s end to come down.
Francine: Aaah! Ow!
***
Buster sits in his room and looks sadly at his bike. Arthur looks in.
Arthur: Hi! What'cha doing?
Buster: Saying goodbye to my bike. Want to come with me while I say goodbye and stuff?
Arthur: Y-yeah...
***
Arthur stands beside Buster as he waves to Lakewood Elementary, the library, Jack’s Joke shop, and the soccer field where Binky waves back.
***
Buster waves at a milkshake he has in the Sugar Bowl with Arthur, Francine and Brain. Then he drinks the shake.
Buster: Ahh...
***
Arthur and Buster sit in the treehouse. Buster waves at the town.
Buster: Goodbye, Elwood City.
Arthur: Sue Ellen says going somewhere new is tough. So... it's okay if you're scared.
Buster: Thanks.
***
The Baxters’ car stands in front of their condominium. Mrs. Baxter and Buster are inside while Arthur stands beside it. They look at the treehouse.
Buster: I bet I'll never find another tree house like that one, that can fly to outer space and go back in time and become invisible like that one.
Arthur: It'll still be here when you get back.
Buster: Yeah.
The car drives off. Arthur runs after it.
Arthur: Goodbye!
Buster: Goodbye, Arthur.
The car disappears.
Arthur: Goodbye, Buster. (sniffs)
He walks home.
***
That evening, the Read parents sit in the living room reading newspapers. Arthur is heard upstairs.
Arthur: Oh, no!
Mr. Read: What is it?
Mrs. Read: What's wrong?
Arthur comes downstairs in his pajamas, holding the manuscript.
Arthur: We forgot to talk about how we'd finish writing our book. Oh, man! I can't believe he's gone.
He walks back up.
***
The next day, Francine calls Arthur at home.
Francine: Hi, Arthur. Want to go to the Sugar Bowl?
Arthur: Yeah. I'll call Buster and see if he wants to go... Oh. I forgot.
***
Arthur plays roller blade hockey against Molly. He is about to hit the ball when a robed Buster appears at his side.
Jedi Buster: Use the force, Arthur.
Arthur: What are you talking about?
Jedi Buster: Oh, I don't know. I just thought it was funny.
***
Arthur visits Mrs. Baxter with an envelope.
Arthur: I wrote a letter to Buster, but I need the address.
Mrs. Baxter: I can give you the address, but he's not at home now.
Arthur: What do you mean?
Mrs. Baxter points to a photograph of Buster and his dad in front of a plane.
Mrs. Baxter: Well, since his dad's a pilot, Buster's doing some travelling with him.
Arthur: So he'll never get my letter?
She puts an arm on Arthur’s back.
Mrs. Baxter: He will eventually. I know how you feel. I miss him, too. But he'll be back. He's not gone forever.
***
Arthur sits at the dinner table looking glum while hid dad makes pancakes.. D.W. comes in with a package followed by her mom with Kate.
Arthur: He's gone forever. I know it.
Mrs. Read: This package came in the mail for you, Arthur.
The package is addressed to “Arthur Ried, 1125 Main St., Elwood City”.
Arthur: It's from Buster. He always spells “Read” wrong. He can read all right, but he can't write “Read”.
Arthur opens the package and finds a letter and a model plane.
Arthur: This is a plane just like his dad flies. Cool!
He takes out a model of the Empire State Building.
Arthur: And he went to this building, and... he wrote the next chapter of our book.
He takes out a manuscript.
Arthur: And a list of places he's going so I can get letters to him. Paris, New York, Walla Walla...
D.W.: Walla Walla? Where's Walla Walla? What's Walla Walla? Walla Walla?
***
In his imagination, Arthur Hood and Friar Buster are flying a small helicopter over Mount Rushmore and are being chased by Binky guards on hang-gliders.
Binky Guard: There they go! After them!
Friar Buster: Aahh!
Arthur and Buster climb up the Empire State Building using suction cups.
Arthur+Buster: (pant)
They look down. Then they look up and see the dinosaur roaring on top of the antenna. A helicopter flies past it.
Arthur and Buster are in a cable car being pursued by Binkys in another car.
Binky Guard: Surrender! Fools! You can't escape us! (laugh)
Arthur throws a grappling hook and they climb over to the next car.
Arthur, Buster and some other people are doing a tour inside a chocolate factory, when two Binky guards and one Binky brigand pop out of a large tub of melted chocolate.
Guide: This is how chocolate is made...
Binkys: (yell)
All except Arthur and Buster run away.
Arthur Hood: We have to save the tourists!
Friar Buster: And the chocolate!
The fantasy ends. Arthur is reading Buster’s manuscript on the living room floor while the rest of the family watches TV.
Arthur: This is the best chapter yet. It happens in all the places he went. I feel like I was there myself.
***
Buster and his dad sit in a sidewalk café in Paris. Mr. Baxter is hidden behind a newspaper while Buster looks at a manuscript.
Buster: It's the next chapter from Arthur, and all the places he wants me to check out for our story.
Mr. Baxter: That sounds fun.
Buster: Where are the sewers?
***
Arthur’s parents stand in his room. Mrs. Read looks at August 30th, which is marked on the calendar.
Mrs. Read: You'll be surprised how fast time goes. Buster will be back soon.
Arthur: Well, I do miss him, but I don't mind if he doesn't come back for a long time.
Mr. Read: You don't??
There are photographs on the wall of Buster in front of the Empire State Building, Mount Rushmore and a cable car. Arthur adds one of Buster in front of the coliseum.
Arthur: No. He's having a lot of fun. And besides, I've just had an idea for our second adventure book. There's a lot more places he has to go to!