Introduction[]
Kids are leaving school. A group of third-graders stand by the bike stand.
Arthur: Sure, I can't wait. Well...
Francine walks up to them.
Arthur: There's one thing that's really important to know about Francine.
Francine: Look out! Coming through!
She pushes and the others find themselves on the ground.
Arthur: Do not get between her and her bike!
Francine lovingly pats her bike’s saddle.
Arthur: Francine was on two wheels while the rest of us were riding tricycles.
Flashback: Buster, Brain and Arthur, all about three-years-old, sit on their tricycles.
Little Brain: I decided I'd get more power if I lowered the chassis.
Little Arthur: Yeah? Well, check out this bell!
He rings it.
Little Buster: Bell, shmell! These wheels can do zero to one in sixty seconds!
Francine races past them on a small bike, covering the boys in dust and leaving them on the ground.
Little Francine: Yeah! Yippie! Whoo!
Little Arthur: Ahh!
The flashback ends. The older Arthur, Buster and Brain are also on the ground.
Arthur: There's only one problem with Francine's bike.
Francine gets on her much too small bike and rides past them.
Arthur: She's outgrown it.
Francine: Ouch! Ow! Ouch! Ouch!
Title Card: Francine Bangs Gong[]
The Frenskys are having dinner.
Mrs. Frensky: I'm sorry, honey, but we can't afford to get you a new bike. Maybe next year.
Francine: That's not fair! I'll die without a bike.
She puts her head down on the table.
Mr. Frensky: No! Not that! Anything but that! (sobs) He kneels beside her. You mustn't give up, honey! Be brave! Live, I say! Live!
Catherine walks out of the room.
Catherine: Oh, Dad. Grow up!
Mr. Frensky: Catherine's right. And besides, I have an idea.
He leads Francine away.
***
Mr. Frensky rummages in the basement while Francine sits on the stairs and goofs around with a flashlight.
Mr. Frensky: Francine, hold that light still. Hey! Watch it!
Francine: Sorry, Dad.
Mr. Frensky: Ta-da!
He presents an old kid's bike.
Francine: What is it?
Mr. Frensky: Your new bike. Well, actually, it's an old new bike. He blows off dust. But it's in great shape. It took me to school every day. Anyway, I know you'll appreciate it the way I did.
Francine looks unenthusiastic.
Francine: (sighs) Thanks, Dad. At least it's... big enough.
She pushes the bike.
Mr. Frensky: Hold on, there's one or two things I'd like to check out. You know, the brakes...
***
Later, Mr. Frensky rides the kid’s bike through the park.
Mr. Frensky: Woo-hoo-hoo! Whee-hee-hee-ha-ha! Who-ho-ho-ho...
***
The next day, Buster is chaining his bike to the stand when Francine comes on her new bike.
Muffy: What is that?
Francine: It's my new bike.
Buster: "New"? In what century?
Muffy: Too bad you couldn't get one like mine.
She presses a remote control and her bike locks itself.
Francine: I could have had any bike I wanted, but I chose this one.
The basket falls off the bike.
Muffy: But, Francine... why?
Francine looks annoyed.
***
In class, Mr. Ratburn shows slides.
Mr. Ratburn: The wheel is thought to have been invented approximately 3000 BC.
The kids look bored. Binky is asleep.
Mr. Ratburn: Can anyone tell us what these early Sumerians might have done with their new wheel? Buster shows up. Mr. Baxter?
Buster: Built Francine's bicycle?
Class: (laugh)
Muffy: Stop picking on Francine! It's not her fault she has to ride and ugly old bicycle and wear unfashionable old hand-me-downs! Just think how you would feel!
***
After school, Francine hides her bike in the bushes right behind a trashcan and a trash bag.
Francine: Don't worry, I'll come back for you.
Arthur+Buster+Muffy: Come on, Francine! Hurry up! Come on!
Francine guiltily joins Arthur, Buster and Muffy who are sitting on their bikes.
Muffy: Where were you?
Buster: Why do you have leaves in your hair?
Francine removes them.
Arthur: And where's your bike?
Francine: Oh.. um...somewhere. Anyway, I just feel like walking.
Arthur: Okay. See you at the Sugar Bowl!
The three ride off.
***
That night, Francine lies on her bed in her pajamas and bounces a basketball against the wall.
Mr. Frensky: How's the new bike?
Francine: Fine.
Mr. Frensky: Doesn't it ride great? Did you feel how it handles corners?
Francine: Yup.
Mr. Frensky: Francine, are you all right?
Francine: Dad, why couldn't you just get me a new bike?
Mr. Frensky: We don't have enough money right now. He kisses her. Meanwhile, the one I gave you works just fine.
***
The next day, Francine arrives at school and sees a garbageman put the bike in the garbage truck.
Francine: (gasps) Oh, no! She races after the truck. My bike! Oh, well. I guess that's where it belongs.
Arthur and Buster ride around her.
Buster: Hey, Francine! Wanna do some wheelies before school starts?
Francine: I can't. My bike was um... um... uh...
***
Francine sits in the classroom with Arthur, Buster and Brain.
Brain: Stolen? Are you sure?
Francine: Um...yes. No. Pretty sure. Can I draw or what?
She has drawn a horse. Muffy and Sue Ellen come in.
Sue Ellen: We just heard about your bike...
Muffy: I don't get it. Why would anyone want to steal a piece of junk like that?
Francine: I dunno. It was pretty old.
Muffy: Francine, maybe it was so old, it was an antique! Help! Police!
Buster: Let's try not to panic!
Brain: We have to tell Mr. Haney.
They all run off.
Francine: No, wait!
***
Francine sits in front of Mr. Haney’s desk surrounded by her classmates.
Mr. Haney: Let me get this straight. You were hurrying home on your bike to do your chores...
In her fantasy, Francine passes what looks like a tank with a large mechanical gripping arm on the roof. Two garbagemen operate it.
Mr. Haney (narrator): ..when all of a sudden...
The gripper grabs Francine’s bike and holds it over the truck. Francine clings on to it.
Francine: (screams)
Garbagewoman: (laughs)
Garbageman: (laughs)
Francine is lowered towards the roof of the truck which has a jaw-like crusher.
Francine: (gasps)
Francine manages to climb on the gripping arm and escape. Her bike disappears in the truck and the truck drives off.
The fantasy ends. Mr. Haney wipes his forehead.
Mr. Haney: I had no idea these kind of trucks were roaming the streets!
Francine: Um... Can I go home now, Mr. Haney? I don't feel well.
***
From the classroom, the other kids see Francine walk home.
Arthur: Did you think there was something fishy about Francine's story?
Buster: Yeah! Does she expect us to believe she was hurrying home to do her chores? How dumb does she think we are?
Muffy: I think Arthur meant the bike-eating truck was fishy, Buster!
Brain: Francine mustn’t want us to find out who really took her bike.
Muffy: Why?
Buster: Of course! Because whoever it is, is somebody we all know!
Muffy and Brain eye each other suspiciously.
Buster: And now the question is... which one of us knows how to drive a bike-eating truck?
***
Catherine, Francine and Mr. Frensky sit on the Frenskys’ couch. Catherine is doing her nails.
Catherine: Robbers in helicopters? And you believe her??
Mrs. Frensky brings popcorn.
Mrs. Frensky: Catherine, Francine's had a tough day and you're not helping.
Francine: Can we just forget about it?
She buries her face in Mr. Frensky’s arm.
Mr. Frensky: I know how you feel, hon. But, who knows? Maybe it'll find its way back to us somehow.
Catherine: Dad, it's a bike, not a dog. Anyway, there's someone in this room who knows more than she's saying.
She leaves.
***
Later, Francine brushes her teeth and sees Catherine in the mirror, standing behind her.
Francine: Go away!
She spits.
Catherine: So after you chased these robbers, then what?
Francine: Then I was lost. And I wandered around with amnesia until I hit my head on a rock and all my memory came back.
Catherine: That's from the movie we saw last week. You'll have to do better than that if you want a new bike.
***
Francine walks into the living room where her dad is looking at a phone bill.
Francine: Daddy...
Mr. Frensky: Yes, Francine?
Francine: I thought I should tell you... Um... good night.
She hugs him.
Mr. Frensky: Good night, sweetie! Something else you wanted to talk about?
Francine: No. Thanks, Dad. Good night.
She leaves.
***
Francine walks to school looking glum. She meets Muffy and Buster.
Muffy: We think we know what happened to your bike!
Francine: Huh??
Buster: These guys who swiped your bike - did one of them look like... this?
He holds up a self-made wanted poster for “Binky Barnes $1.00”.
Francine: No!
She walks off. Muffy and Buster overtake her and wait at the school steps.
Buster: It has to be Binky. Who else is big enough to steal a whole bike?
Francine: Can't you forget about it? It's not your business, anyway!
Muffy: We're only trying to help!
Francine: Well, don't!
She walks off. Muffy and Buster exchange looks.
***
During recess, Muffy shows the wanted poster to a crowd of kids.
Muffy: I say, Binky's behind it and it's up to us to make him confess!
Brain: How?
Muffy: We threaten him! Any volunteers?
The others look away and whistle.
Muffy: You are the biggest bunch of babies!
Arthur: Muffy!
He points.
Muffy: Don't interrupt! One of my best and truest friends has been traumatized, and if it takes a Crosswire to right this terrible wrong, then so be it.
Binky is walking up to them looking mean.
Kids: (gasp)
Muffy: It won't be the first time and it won't be... Binky faces her. ...the last. What do you want?
Binky: Are you telling everyone I stole Francine's bike?!
Muffy: What if I am?!
Binky: Yeah, well... He suddenly looks scared. I didn't do it.
The kids gang up on him.
Kids: (mutter)
Muffy: Then who did?!
Francine: I did.
She walks up to them.
Kids: (gasp)
Francine: I did.
Muffy: Francine?
Francine: I know, I know. I didn't really steal it. I just sort of threw it away. So leave Binky alone.
Binky: Phew.
Kids: (cheer)
Muffy: Great. Now everyone hates me thanks to you.
She walks away.
Francine: Hm.
***
Francine visits her dad at the garbage dump. He is sitting next to the bike looking thoughtful.
Francine: You found it!
Mr. Frensky: Yeah, it was right here. I guess the thieves got scared and dumped it in the trash.
Francine: Dad... it wasn't thieves. It was me.
Mr. Frensky: I know. Why'd you do it, Francine?
Francine: Because everyone was making fun of me, and I thought if it got stolen maybe you'd buy me a new one.
Mr. Frensky: I can understand how you felt. But it's no excuse for lying about it.
Francine: I know, Dad. I guess I didn't want to hurt your feelings. I knew how much the bike meant to you. I'm really sorry.
Mr. Frensky lifts up the bike. The front wheel falls off.
Francine: Did you really ride that bike to school every day?
Mr. Frensky: Uphill both ways.
Francine: Wow! Hey! Maybe we could fix it up! How about it, Dad? All it really needs is some paint.
Mr. Frensky: I say, what are we waiting for?
He picks up Francine.
***
Catherine and her mom come out of Westboro Appartments.
Catherine: This better be good!
Francine and her dad present something covered by a cloth.
Mr. Frensky: Ladies and... ladies! We'd like to present Francine's new and completely restored... bicycle!
He unveils the bicycle which has a new front wheel and handle. Mrs. Frensky claps.
Catherine: Hmph.
Mr. Frensky: And now, the moment of truth! The test drive! Francine...
Francine: You first, Dad.
She hands him her helmet.
Mr. Frensky: You sure? I wouldn't want to deprive you of the moment you've been waiting for.
Francine: I'm sure!
Mrs. Frensky: Be careful, honey...
Catherine: Dad, you're not...! Don't let anyone see you!
She covers her face.
Mr. Frensky: Don't worry! Just a little spin around the block! Just to make sure it's absolutely safe!
He rides off holding his legs high.
Mr. Frensky: Woo-hoo-hoo-hoo! Vroo-ooo-oom!