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"Grandpa Dave's Old Country Farm"
Season/Series: 1
Number in season: 15B
Original Airdate: United States October 25, 1996[1]
Canada January 24, 1997[2]
Germany January 2, 2002[3]
Credits
Written by: Matt Steinglass
Storyboard by: Jean Pagan &
Norm Roen
Episodes
Previous
"Arthur's Family Vacation"
Next
"Arthur and the Crunch Cereal Contest"
Read transcript

"Grandpa Dave's Old Country Farm" is the second half of the fifteenth episode in the first season of Arthur.

Summary

Arthur and D.W. spend a week at their grandfather's farm, which isn't quite as Arthur remembers it.[4]

Plot

Arthur is at his desk, looking at postcards. He tells the viewers that vacations sometimes don't go as well as expected. Like the time his family went to Lurid Caverns, where D.W. ended up hanging from a stalactite. Another time was when the family visited the state capitol and Arthur got bored to death listening to the tour guide. But there is one place that he really likes to go to for a vacation — Grandpa Dave's farm! The farm has animals, a swimming hole, and delicious food! He also states that Grandpa Dave is great to have around. 

Grandpa Dave's Old Country Farm

We now see Arthur and D.W.'s parents in white overalls since they are repainting the house. Jane is holding Kate. Arthur, D.W. and Grandpa Dave wave goodbye to them, and they wave back. Then they take off for the country! Already, D.W. thinks about her parents and wonders what they would do without her and Arthur; she daydreams about them dancing at a club. Arthur can't wait to go to the country, and Grandpa Dave tells him that it will be great. The activities they will do will be fishing, swimming, and cook-outs! Arthur mentions the county fair. D.W. excitedly spots a cow, and Dave is surprised that the kids like country life. As Arthur excitedly continues to talk about the country, they arrive at a country store.

Dave asks if anyone wants candy, and D.W. says so. Grandpa Dave's friends Ed, Bill, and Tom, are sitting outside the store and Dave greets them as he walks inside. Eli, the store manager, greets Dave and says that the lumber he ordered came in. Dave says that he'll pick it up later. Meanwhile, D.W. makes her selection of candy. Then, the kids carry the bags to the truck while Ed talks to Dave. Ed calls the kids Dave's "farm hands". He asks if they're gonna help fix up Dave's place, but Dave gets angry and says, "Horse feathers, Ed!"

D.W. then asks her grandpa what Ed meant. Dave replies that Ed is just goofing with him, and that for some reason, he thinks he needs help to fix the farm. The kids then arrive at the farm, where they see that the barn and the other buildings are worn out. Arthur considers the place different than he expected, and D.W. points out that stuff is falling off the house. Dave admits that he hasn't really gotten around to fixing up the farm, but he suggests that everyone should go swimming. Arthur and D.W. approve and they head over. Arthur swings on the rope while D.W. and Dave dive into the water.

Later that night, after Dave tells a story about how the farm was started, the cuckoo clock sounds, which means it's time for bed. The kids don't want to go to bed, but they go anyways. After D.W. and Arthur wish each other a good night, D.W. screams and runs into Arthur's room. She tells him that her room is full of chickens. Arthur doesn't believe D.W. and tells her to go back to sleep, but she convinces him to check. Arthur shines a flashlight on things around D.W.'s room to reassure her, but he finds the chickens on top of the dresser. Dave forgot that he put them there after the hen house roof fell down. Arthur and D.W. sleep together in one room, but D.W. complains to him that his foot is touching hers. She suggests that they should tell Dave to fix the hen house tomorrow and that she wants her own bed. Arthur agrees with D.W.'s comment.

The next day, the kids and Dave have just finished breakfast outside. Arthur suggests that they should go get the lumber so that the hen house can be fixed. But Dave says he'd rather go fishing instead. Arthur thinks that sounds like fun, and they go fishing. We now see the three in the boat trying to catch fish. D.W. catches a very big fish, but the boat is balanced improperly, which causes Grandpa Dave to fall.

Back at the general store, Dave gives ice cream to the kids. D.W. still asks about the lumber to fix the hen house. Ed offers to help Dave, who angrily replies that he doesn't need any help. Dave then storms into the store and asks Eli where the lumber is. That night, it gets very windy, and D.W. tells Arthur to shut the window since she's cold from the breeze. However, the window is stuck. They decide that they have to get their grandpa to fix the farm up.

The next day, Ed arrives and takes the kids hiking on Mount Springle. They reach the top, and Arthur is amazed at the view, which he wishes Dave could see. Ed assures him that Dave's seen it plenty of times. D.W. asks Ed why Dave can't keep the farm fixed up, and Ed says that since Dave's older, it's a much bigger job for him. However, he's still a great independent man, and doesn't want to accept help from people. Ed and the kids munch on trail mix.

When the kids and Ed get back to Grandpa Dave's farm, they see that the hen house is not quite finished yet. D.W. believes that Dave didn't do anything, but he says that he started out on the roof, but then realized some of the walls would first have to be replaced. He got too tired, so he called it a day.

During another windy night, D.W. suggests to Arthur that they should help Dave because he's old and he can't do the work by himself. It doesn't matter if he's independent or not- someone has to help him. The next day, while the kids are eating breakfast, Dave announces that it's time to go to the fair. Arthur wants to go, but D.W. reminds him about what they talked about last night. He then restates his comment, by saying that they should build the hen house. Dave doesn't think he should have the kids be working, and brings up a fact he's proud of- that the farm's been his family's for 150 years. D.W. points out that she and Arthur are his family. Dave realizes that she does have a point and that he "could use some... assistance... for a while." So they finally get to work on fixing the hen house; Dave ends up accepting Ed's help, too.

After two days of hard work, the hen house is completed. D.W. wants to build a shower for the chickens' bath tub. Dave says maybe next time they can do that. Jane and David arrive and Arthur shows them the hen house. His parents note that there appear to be quite a few things still to fix up. Dave says that there is no end of work on a farm. Ed again suggests that he help, and Dave initially replies how the farm "has been in our family for 150 years", but stops and says that "it's about time we got some decent help around here" (meaning that Ed is more than welcome to help out with the farm after all). Jane tells the kids it's time to go home, but Arthur begs to stay at the farm for "just one more day."

In the last frame of the episode, we see the farm all fixed up.

Characters

Major

Minor​

Cameo

Trivia

  • Moral: Swallow your pride and be willing to accept help from those who are willing to offer it, especially when it's your family or a good friend.
  • This is the first time Arthur and D.W. go somewhere without their parents coming along.

Cultural references

  • The event of a run-down farm and chickens living in the house could either be referencing the classic movie, The Egg and I, or an episode of The Andy Griffith Show.
  • Arthur's fantasy about his parents dancing is a reference to Pulp Fiction.

Errors

  • When D.W. and Arthur go to bed, Arthur somehow gets into his bed just a second after closing the door.

Episode connections

Home Video

VHS:

DVD:

Gallery

Screenshots

References


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