Introduction[]
An anthropomorphic heart wearing glasses walks in front of a white screen.
Heart: Hello there, allow me to introduce myself. I'm Arthur's heart. I'm the guy who pumps blood through Arthur's body.
A pair of lungs, also with glasses, comes.
Lungs: Hey, we late?
Heart: No, come on. These are Arthur's lungs.
Lungs: (deep breath) Hey!
Heart: Without them, Arthur wouldn't get the air he needs to breathe.
Lungs: Whoa! They fall down. That's right, Pumpy.
Heart: Don't call me Pumpy.
Two kidneys come jumping.
Kidneys: (giggle) Did you miss us?
Heart: The twins - Arthur's kidneys.
Kidney 1: We keep his...
Kidney 2: >Hic!< ...blood clean. >Hic!<
An intestine crawls up like a millipede.
Intestine: Hey, dudes, where's the party?
Heart: This is Arthur's intestine. He helps digest food.
Intestine: I'll be in the kitchen.
He walks off. The kidneys ride on him.
Kidneys: (giggle)
Arthur’s stomach comes.
Stomach: (burps) Ah, here you guys are. (burps)
Lungs: (breath) You don't sound too happy, stomach.
Heart: Arthur eat too much candy again?
Stomach: Worse. (burps) Cake.
Heart: Ooh! Without a stomach, Arthur couldn't eat.
Stomach: See how he treats me? No respect. (burps)
Heart: Sometimes, Arthur forgets to use one thing.
Lungs: (breath) Hey, that's right, Pumpy. Where's Arthur's brain?
Heart: Don't call me Pumpy.
Stomach: I haven't seen him. Maybe we better call him.
They all search.
All: (Hey, brain. Brain! Hello! Where are you?)
Heart: Sorry about this, folks. Looks like Arthur's forgotten to use his brain again.
All: (Yoo-hoo! Brain!)
Stomach: Missed his morning brain food!
Title Card: Super Sister[]
D.W. walks into the garage with an ice-cream cone in her hand. Inside, Brain and Arthur are working on something.
D.W.: What's that?
Arthur: Only the coolest ancient history project ever.
Brain: Torque wrench.
Arthur hands him the wrench and he fastens a wheel.
Arthur: It's a chariot for a Shakespeare scene about Julius Caesar.
Pal starts licking up spilled ice-cream.
D.W.: What's a... chariot?
Brain: It's a replica... (strains) ...of an ancient horse-drawn vehicle... (strains) ...used in war and processions. Done. Let's test it.
Arthur gets in and Brain pulls him. Pal jumps in Arthur’s arms.
D.W.: But what...?
Arthur: This is how the ancient Romans used to get around.
A wheel comes loose. Arthur falls off the chariot.
Arthur: Ow!
D.W.: Did the Romans need lots of bandages when they traveled?
Arthur gets up, covered in spilled ice-cream. He holds out his glasses for Pal to lick.
Arthur: (groans)
Brain: I anticipated this type of malfunction. The bearing case is broken. We'll have to get a replacement wheel. Unfortunately, I'm supposed to go home for lunch.
Arthur: I can go get another wheel while you're gone.
Brain: Okay. We can put it on when I get back.
He rides off on his bike. Arthur gets his bike.
D.W.: Can I come?
Arthur: No.
D.W.: Why not?
Arthur: Because.
D.W.: Because why?
Arthur: Because I said so, that's why.
D.W.: Hey! Only Mom and Dad can say that. I'll ask Dad.
Arthur: Wait! I'm going to the dump to find an old bike wheel for the chariot. You don't want to go to the dump. It's all dirty and yucky and full of old, smelly junk.
D.W.: Mom and Dad said you're not supposed to go there. I'm telling!
Arthur: Okay, but then I'll have to tell on you for telling on me.
D.W.: Then I'd have tell on you for telling on me for telling on you.
Arthur: Then I'd have to... Oh, never mind. You can come, but you absolutely...can't...tell...anybody.
***
Arthur and D.W. arrive at the dump on their bikes. There is a hole in the fence which they climb through and look at the trash. A rat squeaks.
Arthur + D.W.: (gasp)
D.W.: This isn't fun.
Arthur: I told you not to come. We'll be out of here as soon as I can find a wheel. Help me look. Look, there's one!
D.W.: Down there? You're going down there?!
Arthur: Yeah, no problem. I'll climb down and get the wheel. Piece of cake.
He tries to put his foot on a metal bar, but it falls over.
Arthur: Whoa! Let's see. (pants) Here I go.
He slowly climbs down into the pit.
D.W.: I can't look. Oh!
Arthur: Whoa!
D.W.: Eeeh! (gasps) Yikes! (gasps) Ahh!
Arthur reaches the bottom.
Arthur: (sighs)
D.W. watches as Arthur finds an old bike and loosens the front wheel. With the wheel over his shoulder, he tries to climb back up.
D.W.: Ah. Watch out for that.
Arthur rips his sweatshirt on a spring.
Arthur: Ah. Oh, no!
While climbing back up, Arthur makes a toy dog fall out of a small cupboard. Eventually, Arthur stands on a barrel and tries to climb onto the rim. He scratches his leg on an old can.
Arthur: Aargh! Auugh!!
D.W. helps him up, but the wheel falls back into the pit. Arthur examines his leg.
D.W.: You're bleeding!
Arthur: Ah! I cut my knee on that lima beans can.
D.W.: I knew lima beans were no good!
***
Arthur and D.W. return home with their bikes. Arthur is dirty and his clothes are torn in several places.
D.W.: Hurry up, Arthur! I can't wait to tell Dad about lima beans really being bad for you. He was wrong about them all this time!
Arthur: You can't tell Dad. Then he'll know we were at the dump.
D.W.: What about your knee?
Arthur: A deal is a deal. No telling.
***
D.W. looks into the garage.
D.W.: Coast is clear.
Arthur pushes in his bike.
Arthur: (groans)
D.W. looks through the workshop window and sees Mr. Read decorating a cake.
D.W.: Red alert! Dad at five o'clock! Take evasive action.
They crawl under the workshop window.
Arthur: (groans)
***
Arthur cleans his knee in the bathroom while D.W. watches.
Arthur: Once I've cleaned my cut, I can fix my pants so Mom will never find out.
D.W.: Just tell her what happened. She could fix it. That's what Moms are for - laundry and stuff.
Arthur: No! Argh!
D.W.: (gasps)
Arthur: Everything's just fine. I can handle it.
***
D.W. writes a get-well card in the kitchen while Nadine watches.
D.W.: I can't read yet. What's this say?
Nadine: It says, "I haven't tattled yet. Get well soon." Maybe this is one of those times when you should tell.
***
D.W. sits on the swing set with the card. Nadine stands beside her.
D.W.: I promised Arthur I wouldn't tell. We made a deal.
Nadine: Maybe instead of telling on him, you can get Arthur to tell on himself, like you did when you climbed the tree.
D.W.: Yeah, but how do I...?
Nadine disappears as Brain arrives.
Brain: Where's Arthur?
She runs up to him.
D.W.: Brain! Thank goodness you're here! Wait till I tell you what happened to his knee.
She pulls him away.
***
Brain opens a first aid kit as Arthur lies on his bed.
Arthur: It's nothing to worry about. It's not that bad. He pulls up his pant leg. Aah!
D.W.: (gasps, sobs)
She sobs into the bed.
Arthur: Aah! Watch out!
D.W.: But you're really hurt, Arthur! What if it gets even worse, and then... and then... and then I'll have to feed Pal and do all your other chores too.
Arthur rolls his eyes.
Brain: She's right; you could get sick.
Brain looks at Arthur’s knee through a magnifying glass. In his imagination, the skin cells look like a castle wall with armed guards standing on the parapet.
Brain (narrator): See, your skin is normally your body's first line of defense against invading pathogens.
Some pathogens come running using a can as a battering ram.
Brain (narrator): If it's breached by a cut like your knee, viruses and bacteria can get inside your body.
The pathogens beat a hole in the wall. A guard blows a trumpet.
Brain (narrator): Some cells send out messages that warn other cells of the attack.
White blood cells arrive, looking like Roman soldiers on chariots.
Brain (narrator): White blood cells rush to the scene and they destroy as many of the enemy cells as they can.
Two white blood cells get on catapults and launch themselves at the pathogens. Below the ground, another cell heats an oven.
Brain (narrator): Your body temperature could rise in an attempt to wipe out the rest of the enemy.
Overheated, the pathogens jump up and down in distress and wave white flags of surrender.
The fantasy ends.
Brain: In other words, you could get a fever and be really sick. By not telling your mom, you risk tetanus, encephalitis, conjunctivitis, staphylococcus and all kinds of stuff.
D.W.: Yeugh! Arthur, remember when I was a big, brave girl and I told Mommy and Daddy about going up the tree?
She takes his hand.
D.W.: Well, now it's your turn to be big and brave. You have to tell on yourself.
Arthur: Okay, okay, you're right. Go get Mom.
***
In a physician’s examining room, D.W. watches as the doctor cleans Arthur’s wound. Mrs. Read sits on a chair.
Physician: Just about done.
D.W.: And how are we doing?
Arthur: It stings a little, but I'm fine.
Physician: Good. We'll need to give you a tetanus booster, to be on the safe side. And you'll have to take antibiotic medicine for ten days. But the worst is over.
Arthur: What's a tetanus booster?
Physician: It's a shot, but it won't hurt as much as your knee does and it'll protect you from getting sick from your cut.
Arthur: Okay.
Physician: Great. I'll be right back, then.
She walks to the door.
Physician: You know, it's a good thing you came in when you did. Sometimes, injuries can become quite serious if you ignore them and let them become infected.
D.W.: That's exactly what I said, Doctor. I told him all about Tetris and Indianapolis and all that stuff.
Physician: (chuckles) Good for you. Maybe you'll be a doctor too, some day.
D.W.: Then I can give Arthur his Tetris booster!
Arthur: Mom!
He runs up to and hugs Mrs. Read.
***
Mrs. Read drives home with the kids.
Mrs. Read: I know it was hard for you to tell us about your knee, Arthur.
D.W.: And it was hard for me too, to not tell.
They pull into the Reads’ driveway.
Mrs. Read: Anyway, I'm very proud of you for coming forward with the truth.
Arthur tries to leave the car.
Arthur: Great! I gotta call the Brain so we can finish our...
Mrs. Read: Just a minute! I'm not finished with you.
***
Some time later, Francine and Sue Ellen come to the Reads’ door with a baseball bat and mitt.
Arthur: I can't practice pitching with you guys after all.
Francine: Come on, why not?
Behind Arthur, D.W. carries a large pile of toys.
Arthur: I've decided to stay around the house, help out with some chores and stuff.
Francine: Huh? Why?
Arthur: Oh, you know, I figured I violated my parents' trust by going to the dump. I should probably think about what I did and stuff.
Francine and Sue Ellen exchange looks.
Sue Ellen: Wow, Arthur, that's really adult of you.
D.W.: Arthur! Since Mom and Dad grounded you, I've decided to ground myself too, so I can keep you company.
Francine + Sue Ellen: (laugh)
They leave.
D.W.: We could start by reading “Martha Mealy Worm” together, then we can play “Confuse the Goose”. You won't even miss Francine or the Brain or Bionic Bunny on TV or baseball...
She closes the door.
D.W.: ...any of that silly stuff, 'cause you have me!