Introduction[]
Mrs. Read is on the phone.
Mrs. Read: Lost??
D.W stands beside her, dressed as mashed potatoes.
D.W.: Lost?
Pal: Yowl?
The word “Lost?” appears over his head.
Mr. Read is in his workshop.
Mr. Read: Who's lost?
D.W.: Arthur, Daddy! He's lost and I never got to say goodbye!
Mrs. Read: Apparently, he never showed up for his swimming lesson!
D.W.: I know. Maybe he isn't lost. Maybe he just ran away.
Mr. Read: I'll drive over to the school and see if he's there.
Mrs. Read: And I'll call the bus company.
They leave the workshop.
D.W.: Right I'll go tell everybody.
Mrs. Read: Please stay right here, D.W. I don't need two lost children.
Mr. Read drives off.
D.W.: to Pal: If you were Lassie, you could go find him.
Pal: (whines)
D.W.: He's out there... somewhere. (sobs) Oh, Arthur! Where are you?
An aerial view of Elwood City is shown.
Title Card: Pal Searches[]
That evening, Arthur walks into the Read house.
Mrs. Read: Oh, Arthur! You're home!
She hugs him.
Mr. Read: Arthur, thank goodness!
He hugs both of them.
Mrs. Read: Are you okay, honey?
Mr. Read: We were so worried.
D.W., now in her normal dress, sits at the table looking annoyed.
D.W.: All this time you were at the bus station? We worried our heads off for nothing?!
Mr. Read: So, tell us what happened.
D.W.: What about my story?! I'm the one who answered the phone!
She follows the others into the living room.
D.W.: His part is just a boring story about being lost. Mine's about being worried.
They all sit on the living room couch.
Mrs. Read: You can tell your part when we come to it. Go ahead, honey.
Arthur: Well, I guess the beginning was back at school...
***
Earlier that day, the school bell rings and the kids come out.
Buster: Hey, Arthur! Wanna go bike riding?
Arthur: I can't. I have to take the bus to the pool for my swimming lesson. My mom couldn't drive me because she had to go to my sister's school play. D.W.’s the mashed potatoes in the Pageant of Foods.
Buster and Francine stop and stare at him.
Arthur: Hey, what's wrong?
Buster: The bus?? You're taking the real one??
Francine: The one that goes all the way to the edge of town??
Arthur: Sure, there’s nothing to it. You just pay your money and go.
Buster: I don’t know. I heard about this guy who got on a bus and it just kept going and going...
In his fantasy, Arthur sits in a fast moving bus that drives through farmland.
Arthur: E-excuse me... When's the next stop? I-I’m supposed to be at my swimming lesson now.
Driver: You got the wrong bus, kid. We don’t make any stops.
Arthur: No stops? But that's impossible!
Driver: Oh, really...?
The driver turns around revealing a squid-like head.
Arthur: Auugghh!
All the other passengers, who have been hidden behind newspapers so far, reveal themselves to be squid people.
Squid People: (laugh)
Iron plates slide in front of the doors. Rockets appear on the bus’ side and it flies off.
The fantasy ends. Buster stares at nothing.
Francine: Yeah, I heard that same story. It was in a movie on TV last week.
Buster: Oh, yeah. That's where I saw it.
Arthur looks worried now.
Francine: Don't worry. You'll be fine, Arthur. However, it's only fair to warn you about a kid I heard about.
In her fantasy, a bus stops in front of the public pool and kids get off.
Francine (narrator): He didn't have enough money, so the driver wouldn't let him off the bus.
Kids: (Bye! See ya! See you tomorrow!)
Driver: Uh-uh-uh! Where do you think you're going?
He closes the door in front of an older, ragged-looking Arthur.
Arthur: Please! Can't I just leave? I've been on this bus for forty years!
Driver: Not until you pay your fare!
Arthur: But I didn't bring any money with me. It's in my other pants.
Driver: Guess you should have thought of that before you got on the bus...old man! (mean laugh)
He drives off.
The fantasy ends. Arthur now looks horrified.
Francine: Here it comes...
The bus stops and the driver looks exactly as in the fantasy.
Buster: Well, see ya!
Arthur: Yeah, thanks a lot.
Driver: Exact change!
The bus drives off. Arthur puts money in a slot. The bus is full of people reading newspapers.
***
Arthur sits on the bus and reads a book on squids. A lady winks at him.
Arthur: "Squids and their ways..."
***
A while later, Arthur has fallen asleep.
Arthur: (snores)
He slumps to the side.
The bus stops at the pool, but Arthur does not get off.
***
Back in the present, the Reads listen to Arthur’s story.
D.W.: You fell asleep on the bus?
Arthur: I couldn't help it. I was up all night. I had a lot of reading.
Flashback: The night before, Arthur reads a comic book under the blanket with a flashlight.
Arthur: (chuckles)
Mrs. Read: Arthur, go to sleep! It's past your bedtime!
Arthur turns off the flashlight.
Arthur: Okay, Mom! I'm practically asleep!
He turns the flashlight back on.
The flashback ends.
Mr. Read: Okay, so you were tired and you fell asleep...
Arthur: Yeah. And so then... well...
***
Back in the story, the bus drives through an industrial area. Arthur is asleep on the seat.
Arthur (narrator): ...that's when it got...scary.
Arthur wakes with a start and looks out.
Arthur: (gasps) Where are we?
He turns to the lady who winked at him, who is now the only other passenger.
Arthur: Er, excuse me... Did we pass the pool?
Lady: Ages ago. We’re practically at the edge of town. Is everything okay?
Arthur: Uh... Sure. Oh, no...
***
Back in the present.
D.W.: The edge of town?? Weren't you scared?
Arthur: Yeah. I mean...no.
Mr. Read: Arthur, why didn't you say something to the bus driver?
Arthur: Well, I thought about it.
***
Back in the story, the bus stops and the lady gets out.
Driver: Last stop! Everybody out!
Arthur: Er... Never mind.
He gets out and the bus drives off. Arthur looks around.
Arthur: Why did I have to take swimming lessons anyway? I guess I'll just walk home. Only I don't know which way to go. I don't even have enough money to take the bus back!
He takes a single coin out of his pocket. A tear falls down.
Arthur: (sniffles)
***
Back in the present.
D.W.: Did you cry, Arthur? You did, didn't you?
She reaches out to pat him.
Arthur: No, I didn't cry! Well, maybe a little.
D.W.: You should have seen how much I was crying when we heard you were lost. Wasn't I, Mommy? I thought my eyes would float away. I though my head would swell up like a giant...
Mrs. Read: Why don't we let Arthur finish his story. Go on, honey.
***
Back in the story, Arthur looks into “Manny’s Diner” where a man sits with a cup of coffee.
Man: (sniffs)
Arthur: A telephone!
Arthur goes inside and puts his one coin in the payphone.
Arthur: Even if Mom and Dad aren't home, I know one person who will come and pick me up.
He imagines Thora racing her car down a freeway. She puts a flashing light on the car roof and turns on a siren. Then she speaks into a radio.
Grandma Thora: Hang on, sweetie! Comin' through!
There is a gap in the bridge she is driving on. She breaks sharply and spins the car around.
Grandma Thora: Look out!
She drives a few yards back to get a running start.
Grandma Thora: I'm coming!
She jumps the car over the gap while some workmen stare at her. Further down the road, she knocks over a sign and eventually stops in front of the diner. Arthur runs out.
Arthur: Grandma!
Grandma Thora: Hello.
They hug. Behind them, the clouds clear and a rainbow appears.
The fantasy ends. Arthur’s coin falls through the phone.
Arthur: Huh? Excuse me...
The waitress is the lady from the bus.
Lady: I know you! You're from the bus!
Arthur: Yeah. Um... your phone doesn't work. Do you have another one?
Lady: Afraid not. I keep telling Manny, that's the owner, to get that darn thing fixed! You look like you could use some refreshment. Take a seat! What ya drinkin'?
Arthur: Um... do you have milk?
Lady: Sure do! Hey, Manny, squeeze me a cow!
***
Back in the present.
D.W.: When do we get to my part of the story?
Mrs. Read: Probably about now, D.W. Go ahead.
D.W.: Well, while you were stuffing your face, Mommy and I were hard at work!
***
Earlier in the day, Mrs. Read is in the kitchen holding a large bag and a crying Kate. The phone rings. D.W. runs in in her mashed potatoes dress.
D.W.: Mom! The phone's ringing! Mom, the phone is...
Mrs. Read uses her teeth to get a packet of diapers out of the bag.
Mrs. Read: Can you get it, D.W.? I have my hands full.
D.W. climbs on a stool to reach the phone.
D.W.: What do you want?
Mrs. Read: D.W.!
D.W.: Mom, did we lose Arthur somewhere?
Mrs. Read: Arthur's at swimming lessons. In fact, it's almost time to go pick him up. The clock says 3:55. Who's on the phone?
D.W.: It's a man from the pool who says that Arthur isn't there!
Mrs. Read: What?!!
***
Back in the present, Mrs. Read cries while D.W. hugs her.
D.W.: Don't cry, Mommy. Arthur's safe. He's right here, remember?
Mrs. Read: I know. It's just... that was the worst phone call I ever got.
Mrs. Reads puts an arm around each child.
Arthur: So, what did you do when you knew I was lost?
Mrs. Read: Well, I called the bus company and they told me they’d try to find out what happened to you.
D.W.: And then we were going to call the police and send out a search party, only right then we got another phone call and..
Mr. Read: Hold on, D.W. Let's hear the rest of Arthur's story.
Arthur: Where was I? Oh, yeah. The diner.
***
Back in the story, Arthur drinks milk while the waitress prepares a hamburger.
Lady: So, you go to Lakewood Elementary? I live right near there.
Arthur: You do? How do you get home?
Lady: Well, sometimes I take a taxi but usually I just grab the bus.
She puts the burger in front of Arthur. He starts eating.
Arthur: What would you do if you didn't have any money?
Lady: Do you need me to lend you some money?
Arthur: No, thank you. (gulps) My dad says I should never accept money from strangers.
Lady: That's good advice. Erm... Probably, what I'd do then is go talk to the bus driver.
Arthur: Wouldn't he be mad?
Lady: Nah! Not Sam! Anyway, it couldn't hurt to try.
It is now 6:00.
Lady: In case you're interested, the bus usually heads back to town right about now! You might want to shake a leg.
Arthur goes, but stops at the door.
Arthur: Thanks! Oh...um...
Lady: It's on me!
Arthur: Thank you!
The bus passes the diner as Arthur comes out.
Arthur: Oh, no! Wait! Wait!!
***
Arthur runs after the bus. It stops for him and opens the door.
Driver: What do you want?
Arthur: (pants) I... I... I'm not in the right place. I was supposed to get off at the pool.
Driver: So what happened?
Arthur: I...I fell asleep. And I don't have any money left for the bus home, and... I don't even know where I am or I'd walk home, and...
Driver: Hey, kid. I've heard enough.
Arthur turns to leave the bus.
Driver: Don't sweat it. Happens all the time.
Arthur: Really?
Driver: At least once a week. Name's Sam, by the way.
He shakes hands with Arthur.
Arthur: I'm Arthur!
Driver: Now what do you say we get in touch with your folks. Just in case they're getting anxious. How's that?
Arthur: Great!
***
A while later, the bus stops in front of the Read house.
Driver: See you around, Arthur. Bye-bye!
Arthur: Bye! Thanks, Sam!
***
Later, Arthur’s parents bring Arthur to bed.
Mrs. Read: It was very smart of you to figure out what to do, Arthur.
Mr. Read: We’re both very proud of you. Sleep tight and happy dreams.
They turn off the light and close the door.
Arthur: (sighs)
The door opens again. D.W. stands there with a flashlight.
Arthur: Huh? What's going on? D.W., what are you doing?
She walks up to the bed.
D.W.: I'm making sure you're not lost. Arthur, you scared me. You'd better promise never to get lost again!
She climbs into bed with him.
Arthur: Okay. I won't.
D.W.: Do you promise?
Arthur: I promise.
D.W.: Cross your heart?
Arthur: Cross my heart. (yawns)