Introduction[]
'A TV documentary shows an Egyptian tomb with a mummy inside a sarcophagus.
Announcer (on TV): The mummy of the Egyptian ruler was surrounded by his finest treasures.
Arthur and D.W. are watching from the couch.
Arthur: If I was a mummy, I know exactly which of my treasures I'd want.
In his imagination, Arthur stands beside a sarcophagus as an incompletely rolled-up mummy. Servants carry treasures past him.
Arthur: Nah! Ick! Nope.
A servant brings a tray with Bionic Bunny action figures.
Arthur: Yes! That's it!
The fantasy ends.
D.W.: Some treasures. I'd have real treasures!
In her imagination, Nadine and Emily fan D.W. as she opens a chest and takes out her treasures.
D.W.: All the paper from my Christmas and birthday gifts. My favorite stuffed animals. My acorn collection. My button collection. I had a snowball, but somehow it disappeared!
Arthur the mummy briefly looks in.
Arthur: That won't even happen for another 3,448 years.
D.W.: I am now mummy ready!
The parents come in and see the kids asleep. Arthur lies on the couch dressed like a pharaoh while D.W. lies on the carpet, rolled up like a mummy.
Mr. Read: If we walk out quietly, we won't have to ask.
Mrs. Read: Good idea.
They sneak out.
Title Card: Family Photo[]
In Grandma Thora's living room, D.W.tries out an old hat with a feather. More old things are lying on the coffee table.
D.W.: You have so much cool stuff, Grandma, but my most favorite thing is this.
She walks to a doll in a cabinet.
Grandma Thora: You mean Clarissa? I've had her since I was your age.
She takes the doll and gives it to D.W., who hugs it. A car horn beeps. Thora sees Jane Read waving from the car.
Grandma Thora: There's your mother. We'd better get you ready to go.
She takes off D.W.'s hat and D.W. brings the doll back to the cabinet. She puts Clarissa on the shelf and then picks her up again.
D.W. (sadly): Goodbye, Clarissa.
Grandma Thora: Maybe Clarissa would like a vacation from that musty old cabinet. How would you like to take care of her for a week, D.W.?
D.W.: Oh, thank you, Grandma!
D.W. hugs Thora.
Grandma Thora: I know you'll treat Clarissa like the treasure she is. Now you two have fun!
***
Mrs. Read reads Mother Goose to D.W. and Clarissa. D.W. turns to Clarissa and laughs.
***
On her bed, D.W. brushes first her own hair, then she gives Clarissa an odd hairdo.
***
At the dinner table, Clarissa sits in a chair and D.W. "feeds" her. Some food falls on Clarissa's dress.
***
D.W. has a tea party in the yard with Clarissa, a bunny and a teddy bear. She hugs Clarissa, whose dress now has a large stain.
***
Emily plays in the preschool sandbox. D.W. hands Clarissa to her, so the doll's dress gets even dirtier.
***
While D.W. plays in her room, Kate drags Clarissa away. D.W. grabs one of Clarissa's shoes, which comes off.
***
D.W. slides down the preschool slide and lands on top of Clarissa.
***
D.W. and some other preschoolers watch a puppet show in the library. D.W. is holding a very dirty Clarissa.
Mr. Ratburn (as prince): Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!
Puppet Rapunzel does and falls off the tower. Her head falls off.
Kids: (gasp)
Mr. Ratburn: There will now be a brief intermission.
***
Shortly afterwards, Arthur comes with a book and sees Mr. Ratburn working on the puppet. Arthur walks over to D.W.
Arthur: Is the show over?
D.W.: No. Intermission. Rapunzel fell out of the castle and broke her neck. This is much more exciting than the version Mom told me.
***
Later, D.W. puts Clarissa and other toys on the edge of her bed. Then she jumps on it causing the toys to bounce.
D.W.: I am Rapunzelaria, princess of the second layer of sky! I am flying to my cloud castle! Watch me fly away, loyal followers!
Meanwhile, Mrs. Read takes some clothes out of a closet and gives them to her husband.
Mrs. Read: Can you give these to D.W.?
Mr. Read walks into D.W.'s room, just in time to see D.W. land down hard in a sitting position on the bed, which causes all the toys to fall off the bed, including Clarissa.
D.W.: Here I go! Disappearing into-
Mr. Read: No!
Clarissa hits the ground and part of her face breaks off.
D.W.: Oops!
Mr. Read: D.W., what have you been doing to this doll?! Didn't Grandma Thora tell you to be careful with her?
D.W.: She told me to treat her like a treasure, and I've been treating her like my best treasure of all.
Mr. Read: But, D.W., she's a mess!
D.W.: Yeah, I've played with her a lot. Maybe we should get Grandma a new one.
Mrs. Read comes in.
Mrs. Read: But, D.W., Clarissa's old!
D.W.: Then she won't mind that it broke! Oh, good.
Mr. Read: No, she's old old - unique - and very special to Grandma Thora. Here, I'll show you.
He leads D.W. out of the room.
***
In the living room, Mr. Read opens a photo album while D.W., Arthur, Kate and Mrs. Read are gathered around him. The first photograph shows a street scene.
Mr. Read: Now, when Grandma Thora was your age, D.W., the world was a very different place.
Arthur: She must have lived in a really small town.
Mr. Read: That's right here in Elwood City. That's Grandma Thora with her brothers.
A photograph shows two parents, three boys and a girl of D.W.'s age on a couch.
D.W.: Everyone in our family got stuck with brothers. How sad!
Arthur looks hurt.
Mr. Read: Actually, Thora's brothers are part of the reason she ended up getting Clarissa. You see...
***
Flashback: A photograph of a small store comes alive. Thora and her brothers sit at a table, eating ice cream. Thora walks up to her mother, who is paying at the counter.
Thora: Mama, may I go across the street and look in the toy-store window?
Thora's mother: Why, of course, Thora, dear.
D.W. (narrator): Her mom let her go by herself?!
Mr. Read (narrator): Things were different then, D.W.
Thora steps out of the store. A man raises his hat.
Mr. Jensen: How you doing, Thora?
Thora: Hello, Mr. Jensen.
Thora crawls under the legs of a man who is sleeping in a tipped-back chair with his legs on a railing. She comes to an intersection.
Lady: How are you today, Thora?
A policeman is guiding the traffic.
Policeman: This way, young Thora!
A motorcar and a horse-drawn carriage stop as Thora and the lady cross the street. The policeman notices a zeppelin passing overhead. The man who was sleeping and the lady also look up.
Lady: Again? I can't believe we're under the flight route for that zeppelin! It's getting so a person can't have any peace and quiet!
They reach the toy store at the other side of the street. Thora looks at Clarissa in the shop window.
Thora: (sighs)
***
Later, Thora plays with two tin soldiers in her room, which she has dressed in skirts and wigs. A wooden fort serves as a doll house.
Thora: Victoria, how nice of you to come. Guinevere, your castle is beautiful. Much nicer than mine.
One soldier's wig and the other soldier's skirt fall off. She throws them aside.
Thora: Hmph!
Thora's middle brother comes in with a toy horse tied to a toy plane.
Brother 1: Thora, you said you wanted a horse-drawn carriage. So here it is.
Thora: This is an airplane!
Brother 1: Right! See, Victoria's actually a spy, sent to destroy Guinevere's castle.
He knocks down part of the fort.
Brother 1: (makes plane noises)
Thora: Argh!
Their mother comes in.
Thora's mother: Is something wrong, honey?
Thora: I hate playing with my brother's hand-me-downs. Why can't I have my own toys?
Thora's Mother: Maybe when you're older. Toys are expensive, Thora, and girls your age aren't very careful.
Thora: Oh, I'd be very careful, Mother!
Thora's oldest brother comes in with a crude stick puppet with a potato for a head.
Brother 2: Thora, I've made you a fairy-godmother doll.
Thora: I'm not playing with a potato!
She walks out in a huff.
Brother 2: Gee, I think it's a good idea.
Thora's mother: Hmm.
***
On Thora's fifth birthday, the family sits at the table. Thora blows out the candles.
All: Happy birthday, Thora!
Thora's mother hands Thora a present.
Thora's mother: And now that you're one year older...
Thora opens the present and takes out Clarissa.
Thora: A doll! A real doll!
***
Thora's mother reads the same stories to Thora and Clarissa that Jane Read read to D.W. and Clarissa. Thora turns to her doll and smiles.
***
Thora brushes her hair, then straightens Clarissa's bow.
***
Thora has a tea party on the front lawn and puts down a blanket for Clarissa to sit on.
***
When Thora's youngest brother tries to hold the doll with his hands dirty, she refuses until he wipes them on his trousers.
***
Thora slowly rides down a slide, holding Clarissa very carefully.
Thora: I'm going to take care of you for the rest of my life!
***
The flashbacks end. D.W. looks at a photo of young Thora holding Clarissa. D.W. is crying.
D.W.: Grandma kept Clarissa perfect her whole life, and I wrecked her! What am I going to do?!
Mrs. Read: Let's try the doll hospital.
***
Later, D.W. and her mother walk up to the doll hospital downtown. Clarissa is wearing a bandage around her head. There is a sign on the door.
Mrs. Read: "Gone on vacation. See you in a month. Bill."
D.W.: What kind of a doctor goes on vacation when there are dolls in trouble?!
***
Later, Mrs. Read sits at her computer while D.W. stands beside her.
Mrs. Read: Good news! I searched the internet and I've found another place that fixes old dolls. I e-mailed them.
D.W.: We're saved!
Mrs. Read: And there's a six-month wait.
D.W.: Oh, no!
Mr. Read: Grandma Thora called. She's dropping a travel column off with Bitzi Baxter and thought she'd stop by for dinner.
D.W.: But we can't get Clarissa fixed by tonight! Now Grandma Thora will find out what a bad granddaughter I am! She'll probably fire me.
She sadly walks away with Clarissa.
***
Arthur comes into D.W.'s room as she is tying a ribbon around Clarissa.
D.W.: Look! I tied this ribbon around Clarissa's head, like a headband. Maybe Grandma won't notice!
The broken part of Clarissa’s face falls off again.
D.W.: If only there was someone who could fix my doll.
Arthur looks sympathetic. He thinks, then smiles.
Arthur: Come on!
He pulls D.W. away.
***
Mr. Ratburn is fixing the Rapunzel puppet next to his car outside the library.
Mr. Ratburn: Rapunzel, you sure are accident-prone.
Arthur comes running with D.W.
Arthur: Mr. Ratburn!
Mr. Ratburn: What's the rush, Arthur? You know, your geography report isn't due until Thursday.
Arthur: I was wondering if, um, maybe you, uh, could, uh, um...
D.W.: Please, save this doll!
Mr. Ratburn takes the doll and examines it."
Mr. Ratburn: Oh dear. It looks like she had quite an accident!
D.W.: Can you help her?
Mr. Ratburn: Hm. This material really isn't too different than what I use on some of my puppets. Yes, I think I can. Let me take her to my workshop. Come by in a couple of hours.
D.W.: Oh, thank you! Thank you! Gee, I don't think you're scary at all!
Mr. Ratburn looks surprised.
Mr. Ratburn: Huh?
Arthur: Let's go, D.W.!
He quickly pulls her away.
D.W.: Hurry, you only have two hours!
***
Later, Mr. Read drives Arthur and D.W. to Mr. Ratburn's house.
D.W.: It's been two hours! Hurry!
The car stops in Mr. Ratburn's driveway, and the kids get out. The sound of machinery is heard from inside.
D.W.: (gasps) He's killing her!
She runs into the garage and sees shelves full of assorted puppet parts. Over D.W.'s head, a thought bubble appears, which contains Mr. Ratburn standing over Clarissa.
Mr. Ratburn: (maniacal laughter)
He is about to use a buzzsaw on Clarissa. The bubble disappears.
D.W.: Aughh!!
Mr. Ratburn comes in wearing goggles on his forehead.
Mr. Ratburn: Oh, hello, there.
D.W.: What have you done to my grandmother's doll?! Huh?
She looks around.
Mr. Ratburn: I was working on a new desk. Note the six-compartment separator for graded papers. And here... is your doll.
He lifts a cloth to reveal Clarissa looking as good as new.
Arthur Wow!
Mr. Ratburn: What do you think, D.W.?
D.W.: She's perfect!
***
That evening in the Reads' living room, D.W. hands Clarissa to Thora.
D.W.: Here she is, Grandma!
Grandma Thora: Why, she almost looks prettier than when I lent her to you! You took good care of her.
'D.W. looks guilty.
Grandma Thora: Arthur, you were going to let me read that A-plus report of yours.
Arthur runs out of the room. D.W. keeps looking at Clarissa. Arthur returns with the report.
D.W.: I confess! I broke Clarissa, and Arthur's teacher, who's really nice, and not scary like Arthur says, fixed her. But it's wrong to lie, so I'm telling you. Even though you'll never trust me again and... That's all. I'm done.
Thora: D.W., Clarissa's broken many times over the years, and I've had her fixed, just like you did.
D.W.: Really?
Thora: Your getting her repaired shows that not only are you trustworthy, but you're also very responsible.
D.W.: Well, yes! That's exactly right!
Thora: And that's exactly the kind of girl Clarissa needs to take care of her... all the time.
She hands Clarissa to D.W. who hugs her grandmother.
D.W.: Oh, thank you, Grandma!
The final shot shows Clarissa sitting on D.W.'s windowsill between photographs of D.W. holding her and young Thora holding her.