Bats in the Belfry

Summary
Grandma Thora's attic becomes the perfect clubhouse... that is until Arthur finds a bat!

Plot
Arthur is seen talking to the viewers about how some things can be too good to be true, like not having any homework in Mr. Ratburn's class, but instead having a whole lot more reading. Then he tells the viewers about a time when he got a brand-new computer game, only to find out that it didn't work on their computer. "Like always, if something seems to good to be true, it's usually because it is", Arthur says to the viewers. Then finally, D.W. tells Arthur that they're going to the amusement park, and that they will do whatever she wants. Arthur ends the introduction by saying "See what I mean?".

Bats in the Belfry

Arthur and D.W. clean out their Grandma Thora's attic and once it's all empty, she gives it up it to her grandchildren. They both have their own ideas. D.W. wants a castle in her attic. Arthur wants a pirate ship in her attic.

Grandma just asks them to agree on one thing. They go to Muffy for advice. She suggests they do a timeshare. Arthur likes the idea and invites Buster to use the attic as a clubhouse. But the two of them run into commotion when they are uncertian what day to use the attic.

Then D.W. came and told them that it's her turn and show them the calender. Arthur thinks she have the month and day wrong, but Buster said that it's September and she's right. D.W. said was supposed to have a sleepover with Emily but she couldn't make it. But she offered them to use the attic too if there was no scary stories involved. After a while, Arthur and Buster want to play a game of "No Guessing". D.W. disagrees and wants to play a "Mary Moo Cow" game.

They play it anyways and D.W. wins. Then it's bedtime.The lights go out and before the two know it, D.W. is sound asleep and they want to tell scary stories. When Buster begins, Arthur sees something fly by. Buster didn't believe it so he continued.

It came by again, but this time, Buster came to take a look. He spots nothing, but an old rag doll that D.W. had when she was a baby. Buster panics, but Arthur just laughs. Then he takes a look and spots something unusual. It was a bat! The two scream and run downstairs.

They leave the flashlight on waking D.W. up. Buster is afraid the bat was a vampire bat and if it ate D.W., she would turn into a bat. Buster wants to find garlic, but does find garlic salt. Back in the attic, the two spot D.W. following the bat with a flashlight.

Buster pours the salt over D.W. who is annoyed. D.W. changes the subject by telling a story called "Starry Moony". A book with a bat named Starry Moony mom read to her. Arthur goes back to bed and Buster sprinkles salt around the sleeping bag and zips it up tight. Arthur continues shining the flashlight and the bat flies away.

The next morning they all tell Grandma Thora about the bat. Grandma Thora told them that bats could carry rabies. D.W. wonders what it is and Grandma Thora explains it. D.W. then blames Arthur for leaving her in the attic.

Arthur calms her down by telling her the bat was just wandering around. Thora says that she doesn't want the kids sharing the attic with one. Arthur frowns saying "There goes our clubhouse." Grandma tells them it's not necessarily going away. Then David builds a bat box, but Buster brings garlic (just in case!) Arthur sees two bats fly into the new bat box. Then the two bats disagree about the space they have so the boy bat (Arthur) suggests a timeshare. Then they disagree again over the week they use it and the episode finishes.

Major

 * Arthur Read
 * D.W. Read
 * Thora Read
 * Buster Baxter

Minor

 * Starry Moony (character)
 * Muffy Crosswire
 * Nigel Ratburn
 * Nadine Flumberghast
 * Binky Barnes
 * David Read
 * Bat D.W.
 * Bat Arthur

Cameo

 * Unknown Male Dog (Number 7)
 * Jenna Morgan
 * The Brain
 * Maria Pappas
 * Alex
 * Sue Ellen Armstrong
 * Fern Walters
 * George Lundgren
 * Francine Frensky
 * Bailey

Mentioned

 * Emily

Trivia

 * One of the images is in wide-screen. Very rare for that to happen.
 * Timeline:
 * Arthur says he has never seen a bat before in this episode, but in "The Cave," he was in a cave full of them so this episode could've taken place before "The Cave."
 * D.W. doesn't know what rabies is, but in "The Making of Arthur," she knew what it meant, so this episode might've taken place before "The Making of Arthur."

Episode connections

 * No Guessing! from "Arthur the Loser" makes another appearance.

Cultural references

 * Starry Moony is a parody of the book.
 * Buccaneers of the Bahamas is a parody of.