Introduction[]
Rattles and Binky arm-wrestle in the cafeteria. Arthur walks past them and finds a table.
Arthur: Sometimes stuff happens and you wonder if it'll turn out good or bad.
Next to him, Muffy combs her hair.
Muffy: (hums)
At the end of the table, Francine shows Sue Ellen how to hold a baseball bat, using a ruler.
Arthur: Like when it's your turn at bat: Will you hit a homerun or be thrown out at first?
Francine: Steady... steady... eye on the ball...
Arthur: At lunch, will the cafeteria be serving pizza or mystery meat?
On the other side of him, Buster is eating.
Buster: (swallows) Mmm.
Binky pushes Rattles’ arm down.
Binky: Haha! I won! Now you have to smell my gym socks!
Rattles: Oh yeah?! Smell this!
He uses his spoon to catapult mashed potatoes at Binky who dodges.
Binky: Ah!
Arthur: Sometimes, you just have no idea what's going to happen.
Muffy: (gasps)
She dodges the flying mashed potatoes. Sue Ellen hits it with the ruler.
Francine: Way to go!
It lands on Buster’s spoon, who eats it.
Buster: Huh? Mmm.
Arthur: So far, so good.
The PA loudspeaker crackles.
Mr. Haney (on PA): Arthur Read, please report to the office immediately.
Arthur: (gasps)
Title Card: Arthur with Umbrella[]
After lunch, Arthur sits in class and looks at a large envelope. Buster, Francine and Muffy stand around it.
Buster: And he didn't say anything else?
Arthur: No, Mr. Haney asked me to give the envelope to my mom and that's it.
Muffy takes the envelope.
Muffy: What's it say? Is it sealed?
Francine takes the envelope.
Francine: It's pretty big. You must really be in trouble.
She tosses it to Buster.
Buster: It may not be so bad, Francine. You never know.
Francine: Alright. Like Mr. Haney sends giant, secret envelopes full of good news to your parents.
Francine and Buster wrestle for the envelope. Binky takes it and they both fall down.
Francine: Oof.
Binky: I bet you flunked Ratburn's big history test.
Francine: (gasps) Binky's right. Arthur, you're gonna have to go to... summer school. (the last words echo)
In his imagination, Arthur sits at a school desk wearing a T-shirt and being surrounded by books.
Arthur: (gasps)
Mr. Ratburn eats an ice-cream. Arthur looks outside and sees Francine riding her bike in a tornado (a reference to The Wizard of Oz). Pal sits in a basket on the bike rack. Buster and Brain in front of a campfire fly by, followed by Muffy and Prunella on roller blades.
Muffy+Prunella: (laugh)
Next, Buster swims by wearing his pink oversized bathing cap.
Buster: You know what they say, Arthur. Those who don't learn their history are doomed to repeat it – repeat it – repeat it – repeat it...
Arthur: (screams)
The school is dropped by the tornado.
A cow flies by, mooing in distress.
The fantasy ends.
***
Arthur, Buster, Francine and Muffy sit in the Sugar Bowl.
A restaurant employee places a milkshake in front of Arthur.
Buster: Well, I don't wanna spend summer doing fun stuff without you. Hey... What if you accidentally lost it?
Francine: You could hide it in the laundry basket and your mom will wash it with the laundry. It'll be too messy to read, but at least you sort of gave it to her.
Muffy: No, you'll want to get it as far away from your house as possible. You could leave it in a book and then return the book to the library.
***
Arthur walks down the street with Brian and Francine.
Brain: You could drop it into a storm sewer.
He has a fantasy of the envelope floating along a sewer.
Brain (narrator): It will be discharged into Bear Lake and continue on to the Holonga River. As a result, the envelope will be carried first through the Panama Canal to the Pacific Ocean where the Alaska current will take it. Trade winds will eventually guide it to China.
This is shown on a map. The envelope eventually lies in a rice field where a woman picks it up.
Chinese Woman: (speaks subtitled Chinese:) A note from principal Haney. Eww! She throws the envelope.
The fantasy ends. Arthur, Brain and Francine reach Arthur’s house.
Francine: If you try to lose it, Arthur, you'd be in even bigger trouble for losing it. And for whatever it is that you did.
Arthur: But I didn't do anything. I'll just have to figure it out myself.
***
Arthur rinses Pal’s dog dish in the kitchen.
Arthur: Mr. Haney told me the envelope was for Mom, but he didn't actually say to give it to her.
He puts the empty dish down in front of Pal.
Pal: (barks, then whines)
Arthur: Oh, sorry, Pal.
He takes out a can of dog food.
Arthur: And he didn't say I had to tell her about it. He just said it was for Mom. Hm.
He puts the still empty dish down.
Pal: (barks)
Arthur: Oh, sorry.
He begins to fill the dish.
Arthur: I know! I'll just leave it out, but I won't say anything. She might not even notice it, and if she doesn't see it, I won't get in trouble for anything.
Pal: (annoyed barks)
Arthur thinks, then puts the envelope on the table. D.W. appears in the door.
D.W.: What's that?
Arthur: Ah- a-a... nothing! He stands in front of the envelope. Er... I mean, nothing.
D.W.: If it's nothing, then why are you acting so weird?
Arthur: I-I'm not acting weird. I-I'm worried. I mean, I'm nothing. Go away!
She glares at him.
D.W.: Are you worried, that someday you'll be too old for birthday presents? Afraid that there really is a boogieman and he's just waiting for the first night you forget to check under your bed?
Arthur shakes his head free.
Arthur: Cut it out! The principal just gave me this envelope to give to Mom. That's all. Now leave me alone.
He leaves the kitchen while D.W. looks at the envelope.
D.W.: Hm...
Mrs. Read is heard coming in.
Mrs. Read: What a day.
D.W.: Guess what? (Singsong:) “Arthur’s in trouble! Arthur’s in…”
Mrs. Read: Hi, honey.
She puts her briefcase on the kitchen table. Arthur looks worried.
D.W.: Mom, Arthur's acting weird and he brought home a...
Mrs. Read: D.W., please. Stop bickering with Arthur. I have a few calls to make, and I can't hear if you two are constantly fighting. Hm...
Her hand is above the envelope.
Arthur: (gasps)
She instead takes the full dog dish and puts it down for Pal.
Mrs. Read: Since when does Pal eat at the kitchen table?
Mrs. Reads dials on the phone while Arthur watches from the door.
Arthur: Ohh...
He slides to the ground.
Mrs. Read: Where is he? That's my third try this afternoon. Where is that man?
She starts stirring a pot on the stove. Mr. Read comes in with the mail.
Mr. Read: Mail!
He drops a few envelopes on the one from Mr. Haney. Arthur looks worried as his mom is about to pick them up. Then the phone rings.
Mr. Read: Huh?
Arthur: (gasps)
Mrs. Read takes the whole stack of envelopes and answers the phone.
Mrs. Read: Hello. Oh, hi, Leah. No, no, I was expecting a call from Herb.
Arthur: (sighs)
D.W.: Arthur! Did you tell Mom yet about all the trouble you're in?!
Arthur: D.W., be quiet!
Mrs. Read: Please, both of you! I'm on the phone. Sorry, Leah. D.W. runs out. Well, I’ve been trying to reach him all afternoon. You saw him at school, today? She starts throwing junk mail away. Arthur pretends to tie his shoe so he can listen. That's strange. Oh, I needed some paperwork from him to finish his return. The pot boils over. Oh! I’ve gotta run! Can I call you right back? Bye.
She runs to the stove and accidentally drops Mr. Haney’s envelope into the trash.
Arthur: (sighs)
***
At the dinner table, Arthur has no appetite.
Mrs. Read: Arthur, please pass the potatoes. Arthur?
Arthur: Er...
He passes the potatoes.
D.W.: Isn't there anything else you'd like to give Mom while you're at it?
Arthur: Oh yeah. Er... Thanks for the delicious dinner, Mom.
He kicks D.W. under the table.
D.W.: Ow!
She notices the envelope in the trash.
***
Later that evening, Arthur and D.W. watch TV with their dad. The screen shows two cats meowing to the tune of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”.
Mr. Read: (hums)
D.W.: Those Karaoke Kittens are crazy. (chuckles)
Arthur: I'm going to bed.
He walks to the staircase, looking sad.
***
Arthur walks into his room and gets into bed.
Arthur: (sighs)
In his dream, he hears the envelope rattling in the trashcan downstairs.
Arthur: (gasps)
Arthur comes into the kitchen and sees the envelope move.
Arthur: (gasps)
He takes the envelope, and it becomes as big as a blanket. He stuffs it in a kitchen drawer under the sink.
Arthur: (strains)
He closes the drawer and smiles. The envelope grows and pokes out of several drawers. A fountain of water comes out of the sink.
Arthur: (groans)
Arthur drags the envelope to the door. His mom calls.
Mrs. Read: Arthur, is that you?
Arthur: (gasps) I'm, er... just going back to bed.
He drags the envelope up the stairs.
Mrs. Read: Arthur, what's that noise?
Arthur: Nothing!
Arthur drags the envelope into the bathroom, puts it in the tub and closes the shower curtain. The curtain starts moving.
Arthur: Uh-oh!
Arthur runs down the stairs as the envelope knocks down the bathroom door. He bumps into his mom.
Mrs. Read: What's going on?
Arthur: Get out of the house! Quick! It's getting too big! He pushes his mom out the door.
There is an ominous rumbling, and the envelope breaks through the roof and towers over the neighborhood houses. D.W. looks out of it.
D.W.: Didn't you tell Mom yet? (her voice echoes)
The dream ends. D.W. is actually standing at the foot of the bed.
Arthur: What?
D.W.: I said: Didn't you tell Mom yet? I don't want to miss anything.
Arthur: (sighs)
***
Arthur takes the envelope out of the trash.
Arthur: It's gonna keep bothering me until I get this over with. Please don't let it be summer school.
Mrs. Read is reading on the couch.
Arthur: (clears throat) Do you have a second, Mom?
Mrs. Read: For you, Arthur, two seconds.
Arthur: Um, I was supposed to do something right away when I got home from school today, but I was worried I might be in trouble, so I didn't do it, and now I'm afraid you're gonna get mad.
Mrs. Read: Whoa, slow down, Arthur. What is it? I won't get mad.
Arthurs hands her the envelope.
Arthur: Here. This is for you.
Mrs. Read opens the envelope.
Mrs. Read: Oh, here it is. Arthur, I’ve been waiting for this!
Arthur: You said you wouldn't get mad.
Mrs. Read: Sorry, I'm – I'm not mad, just frustrated. I’ve been trying to reach Herb all day.
Arthur: But this is from Mr. Haney.
Mrs. Read: That's his first name, sweetie.
Arthur: Oh, Mom?
Mrs. Read: Mm, what?
Arthur: What's in it?
Mrs. Read: Tax documents.
Arthur: It has nothing to do with me?
Mrs. Read: amused: Did you think it was about you?
Arthur: (gasps) Of course not. (laughs)
They hug.
Mrs. Read: Even if this was about you, I need to know. Dad and I can't help you, if we don't know you have a problem.
Arthur: I guess.
Mrs. Read: Now back to bed, honey. It's late.
Arthur goes to the door and opens it. D.W., who has been eavesdropping, falls into the room. Arthur looks annoyed.
Arthur: (gasps)
D.W.: (laughs nervously) So, what's it gonna be? Are you being grounded for a year? Are you gonna have to do all my chores from now on?
Mrs. Read: Back to bed, you two.
The children go upstairs.
D.W.: Are you moving into the garage? Is Pal moving into the garage with you?
Arthur: Aww.
D.W.: Do I get your room?
Arthur: (sighs)