Introduction[]
Arthur and D.W. watch workers carry furniture out of their neighbor Mr. Sipple’s house. Mr. Sipple walks up to them with a fake fish mounted on a board.
Mr. Sipple: You two have always been good neighbors to me, so I wanted you to have...Thelma.
Arthur presses a button and the fish starts moving.
Thelma: “Row, row, row your boat gently down the stream. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, you have caught a bream.”
Mr. Sipple gets in the moving truck and waves.
D.W.: Goodbye, Mr. Sipple! (sniffs)
Arthur: It's hard to believe I feel sad that Mr. Sipple is leaving. When he first moved next door, I couldn't wait for him to go!
Flashback: A smell wafts through Arthur’s open window at 12:01.
Arthur (narrator): Mr. Sipple loved to barbecue fish, especially late at night!
He puts on his glasses and looks out the window holding his nose. Mr. Sipple is standing at a barbeque.
Mr. Sipple: How about a little midnight snapper, lad?
Arthur: (coughs)
He closes the window.
Arthur (narrator): And he liked to sing in the shower really loud!
Flashback: D.W. dances and sings to the radio in the living room.
D.W.: “I'm a moo, you're a moo, everyone's a moo-moo...”
Singing is heard from outside.
Mr. Sipple: “...every inch a sailor. Five-and-twenty years a whaler...”
D.W. goes to the window. Mr. Sipple’s silhouette under the shower can be seen next door.
D.W.: Hey, keep it down out there! It's nine in the morning and some of us are trying to hear ourselves sing!
The flashbacks end.
Arthur: But I guess, we'll always have something to remember him by.
D.W.: Watch out! That's not a toy! That's my pet you're holding.
Arthur: It's not a pet, D.W. It's a plastic singing fish!
D.W.: Don't listen to him! He's jealous because he has to walk his pet!
Arthur rolls his eyes.
Title Card: Arthur Swims[]
Arthur and D.W. stand in front of the garage and stare at each other. Arthur blinks.
D.W.: I win! I am the stare master!
She does a victory dance.
Arthur: No, you didn't! You cheated! You were half-blinking!
D.W.: Was not!
They notice that Pal and a big dog are barking at each other.
Arthur: Pal, be careful!
He picks up Pal. The big dog licks D.W.’s stocking.
D.W.: Ahh! Arthur, he licked me! Call the veteran! I might need rabbit shots!
A man walks over.
Mr. Molina: That's just Amigo. Don't worry. He wouldn't hurt a fly. Hi. We're the Molinas, your new neighbors.
Arthur: Hi, I'm Arthur.
D.W.: I'm D.W. I'm four.
Mr. Molina: What good luck. My daughter Vicita is three and a half. We also have a son, Alberto, but he's thirteen. A bit older than you, I think.
Arthur: Um, yeah. Five years older.
Mr. Molina: Please tell your parents that we would love to have you all over next weekend, after we move in. ¡Vamos, Amigo!
He leaves with the dog.
D.W.: Three and a half. I remember when I was that age. So innocent. This Vicita is gonna need someone to show her the ropes.
She walks off.
Arthur: Great! The only thing Alberto and I have in common is that we live on the same block.
***
Buster looks through his binoculars from Arthur’s window and sees Alberto practicing Kendo moves in the Molinas’ driveway.
Alberto: Ya!...
Arthur: That's him: Alberto Molina.
Buster: What's he doing?
Arthur: Practicing kendo - the ancient martial art of fencing with bamboo sticks. He does it every morning. He's probably a master.
Buster: Cool! Maybe he'll teach it to you.
Arthur: Are you kidding?! He's thirteen. He won't want to have anything to do with me. I'll be lucky if he doesn't give me a wedgie.
Buster: What's that?!
Arthur: I don't know, but I don't wanna find out!
He looks through the binoculars.
***
D.W. looks through her game collection in her room. Nadine sits on the bed.
D.W.: Let's see. First I'll teach Vicita “Tower of Cows”. “Confuse the Goose” is much too complex. She probably doesn't even know what a goose is. Ah, we're gonna have so much fun!
In her imagination, D.W. pushes Vicita on a small bike with training wheels.
D.W. (narrator): I'll show her how to ride a two-wheeler.
Vicita crashes into the garage door.
D.W.+Vicita: (laugh)
D.W. (narrator): And how to be a good little sister.
Vicita pours herself cereal at the breakfast table. She knocks over the milk and points at Alberto.
Vicita: He did it!
Alberto: It wasn't me!
D.W. give Vicita the thumbs up from the window.
D.W. (narrator): And best of all, I'll be in charge for once!
D.W. and Vicita stand in the Reads’ yard.
D.W.: We're gonna play rodeo. I'm the cowboy, you're the cow.
Vicita: Hey! That sounds like fun! Here's the rope to tie me up with!
The fantasy ends. D.W. looks at Kate sleeping in her crib.
D.W.: It'll be like having another Kate, except she'll talk and walk and won't live in my room!
***
On the weekend, the Reads walk over to the Molinas' wearing their best clothes.
Arthur: I don't see why I have to wear this bow tie just to go across the yard. I bet Alberto's not wearing a bow tie...
D.W.: Why can't I bring Thelma? She used to live next door. She'd like to see what they've done to the place.
Arthur: The only people who wear bow ties are nerds and waiters and that science guy on TV.
D.W.: Arthur's dog got to meet their dog. Why can’t my fish meet their fish?
Mrs. Read: Would you two settle down?! This is going to be fun, understand? She rings the doorbell. quietly to her husband: If I pull my ear, it means the kids are exhausted and we have to go home.
Mr. Read: Gotcha.
Mr. and Mrs. Molina open the door.
Mr. Molina: Welcome!
***
The Reads sit in the Molinas’ living room. The Molina parents serve food and drink.
Mr. Molina: We lived in Youngstown for five years, but originally we're from Ecuador. Hors d'oeuvres?
Mr. Read tries one.
Mr. Read: Mmm! This ceviche is fantastic! Where on Earth did you get it?
Mr. Molina: I made it. If you come down to my new café, the Café con Leche, I'll give you the recipe.
Vicita: I'm Vicita. I'm three-and-seven-eighths. You're gonna be my friend!
She pulls D.W. away.
***
There are still some moving boxes in Vicita’s room. Vicita searches a drawer.
D.W.: Ahem. Vicita, because you're new here and not quite as mature as me, I have decided that I'm gonna be your teacher.
Vicita gets a bucket from the drawer.
Vicita: First, we'll play Pick-Up-Ticks. You have to pick up as many ticks as you can before the sand goes from here...to here.
She empties plastic insects on a board that looks like a miniature soccer field and turns over an hourglass.
Vicita: Go!
D.W.: Er...Okay.
Vicita has got her goal full of ticks while D.W. only has one.
Vicita: I win! You're a great friend!
D.W. looks dumbfounded.
***
Arthur and Alberto sit side by side on the couch.
Mr. Molina: Alberto, why don't you show Arthur your room.
Alberto: Sure. Why not?
Arthur follows Alberto up the stairs.
Arthur: (thinks:) This silence is terrible. You gotta say something, Arthur! (loud:) Er...pretty cool stairs. Alberto stops and gives Arthur a look. (thinks:) I just said the dumbest thing in the world! I know what it'll be like! Posters of rock groups or, even worse, posters of girls!
He imagines such a room.
Alberto opens the door to his room.
Alberto: Here we are.
The room is full of Bionic Bunny articles.
Arthur: Wow!
Alberto: Yep, but I still have more to unpack!
***
A while later. Mrs. Read and Mrs. Molina look at a crystal bird over the fireplace.
Mrs. Read: I had a crystal bird just like that, but the kids got to it...
Alberto and Arthur play chess.
Alberto: Checkmate.
Arthur: Aw.
Mr. Molina and Mr. Read are having sundaes on the couch.
Mr. Molina: Youngstown was very nice, but, oh, those winters! And all the snow!
Mr. Read: Well, it would be great for skiing...
Vicita and D.W. are playing “Hot Tomato” on the other couch. The timer runs out while D.W. is holding it.
Vicita: You're the hot tomato! I win again! Ha ha, ha ha!
D.W. walks off annoyed. She goes to her mother.
D.W.: Can we go home now? I can't play any more games.
***
The Reads and Molinas say goodbye outside the door.
Alberto: Here's some Spanish Bionic Bunny comics I brought with me from Ecuador. I don't read them much, so you can borrow them.
Arthur: Bionic Bunny fights a giant train? I've never seen this one!
Alberto: Actually, that's Tortuga Mala, the giant tortoise who turns into a train. His first appearance was in issue 892.
Arthur: Thanks!
Alberto: Whatever.
Arthur: Bye!
All: Goodnight!
The Reads walk home.
Mrs. Read: They're very nice! I never even had to pull my ear!
Arthur: Nice? Alberto was so cool!
***
D.W. jumps on the Molinas’ trampoline while Vicita and Mrs. Molina watch.
D.W.: The secret to a good flip is knowing the right time to start flipping. She flips and falls on her back. Oof.
Vicita: Look what I can do!
She gets on the trampoline and starts jumping and spinning.
D.W.: Yeah, that's very nice, but we’re doing flips and that's not a flip!
Arthur and Alberto stand nearby with Bionic Bunny walkie talkie.
Arthur: Since you lent me those comics, I thought I'd give you something. When you want to talk to me, just push this button. Music sounds. Pretty cool, huh?
Alberto: Um...right. Thanks.
***
Alberto is doing homework in his room when he hears the jingle from the walkie talkie.
Alberto: Hello?
Arthur: Alberto, look out the window. Alberto sees Arthur waving. Sorry to bother you. I just wanted to see if it works.
Alberto: It works.
Arthur: Great! What ya doing?
Alberto: Algebra.
Arthur: Cool! Hey, what does Connay-joe Bee-onnico mean?
Alberto: Conejo Biónico. Bionic Bunny.
Arthur: Thanks! Over and out!
Alberto puts the walkie talkie away. After a few seconds it jingles again.
Alberto: Yes?
Arthur: Hi, it's me - Arthur.
Alberto: I know.
Arthur: What does “el” mean?
Alberto: (sighs)
***
D.W. and Vicita sit in Vicita’s room.
Vicita: Wanna read my picture book? Toldi's Llama?
D.W.: No! Today I'm teaching you how to play Tower of Cows. Now, listen closely. It's very tricky. You have to put all these cows on top of each other. Let's see. It's easier the first time if you do it on something hard. She gets a checkerboard. (gasps) Vicita has put all cows on top of each other. She gives D.W. a big smile. That's it! I'm going home!
She topples the cow tower and starts putting the cows back in the box.
Vicita: You said to put the cows on top of each other, so that's what I did!
D.W.: You were supposed to let me teach you how to do it! You're the worst student I've ever had!
She leaves. Vicita looks sad.
***
Arthur walks Pal past the Molinas’ yard. Mr. Molina is barbecuing while Alberto plays with two boys of his age. He goes into his house.
Arthur: Hey, everyone. There's a party at the Molinas! I'll just change my clothes!
Mrs. Read: Arthur, I think it's a private party.
Arthur: What do you mean?
D.W.: It means we're not invited! Probably because you're always bugging Alberto!
Arthur: I don't bug Alberto... Do I?
Mrs. Read: Maybe they just wanted to see some other friends for a change.
D.W.: I don't care if I ever see that Vicita again! Some people are so bossy! No, Kate, like this!
She takes Kate’s rattle and shows her how to shake it.
Arthur and his dad look out of the window.
Arthur: Alberto's showing off some kendo moves. I bet they look really cool!
Mr. Read: Smells like chicken. I wonder what Ramon's seasoning it with.
Mrs. Read: Why don't we go to the movies?
She closes the window.
***
The next day, Arthur plays with a basketball in the yard. Alberto comes with a bag.
Arthur: Oh, you probably want your comics back. Wait here.
Alberto: You can hold onto them.
Arthur: Was it a fun party? It sure sounded fun.
Alberto: It was okay. My grandparents and cousins came to see our new house. Here's some leftover chicken.
Arthur: Thanks. I'll give it to my dad.
Alberto: Cool! See you later! He starts leaving. Oh yeah, there's something in there for you, too.
Arthur immediately drops the ball and takes a present out of the back.
***
A while later, Arthur sits on the couch with a Conejo Biónico comic and the dictionary that was in the present.
Arthur: "Te tengo"? What's that? He picks up the walkie talkie, then checks the dictionary instead. Ah! “Te tengo" - I got you!
He continues reading the comic.
***
D.W. leaves the house pulling Thelma the fish on a rope behind her.
D.W.: Come on, Thelma! We're going for a walk!
Next door, the Molinas are sitting at the garden table.
Vicita: Ahhhhhhh! Waaaaaah!
Mr. Molina: What's wrong? What's wrong?
Vicita looks at her plate with a chicken leg, mashed potatoes, and peas.
Vicita: The peas are touching the potatoes!
Alberto: That's the way peas are, Vicita. See? They roll!
He moves her plate.
Vicita: Aaaaaaaiiiiyyyyyyyyeeee!
D.W. runs up.
D.W.: Stand back! Quick! I need a knife!
Vicita: Ahhhhhhhhhhh! D.W. puts a knife between the potatoes and peas. Oh. That's better.
She eats a pea.
D.W.: Green and white foods can never touch each other. It's a three-and-seven-eighths thing.
Vicita: How did you know just what to do?
D.W.: Because the same thing happened to me when I was your age.
Vicita: Really! Wow! She leads D.W. away by the hand. Will you show me how to blow bubbles and how to whistle and how to tie your shoes...
Pal and Amigo sit in the driveway at night and bark at the moon.
Amigo: Ruff! Is that right?
Pal: No, “woof”! It's an "oo" sound. How's this? ¡Guau!
Amigo: Not bad, but it's a silent G like this!
Amigo+Pal: Ruff! Woof! Woof! Woof! Ruff! Woof!