Arthur's Lost Library Book/Transcript

(Arthur shows us around the Elwood City Library...) Arthur: The library's great. It's got all kinds of music to listen to... (walks past Mr. Haney dancing to some 50s-style rock music playing from a headset) ...story time for kids.

(We see Mr. Ratburn putting on a puppet show, reenacting the painting "The Sleeping Gypsy"...)

D.W., Bear, Rabbit: AAAAAH!

Nigel Ratburn: (as the lion, coughs) Whoa! I'm not eating that. It's spoiled! (the kids laugh)

Arthur: And books for everybody! (he approaches his friends reading)

Brain: Did you know that chalk is derived from fossilised seashells?

Francine: I'm reading about sports rules so I know officially how much better I am than everybody else. Unless you would like to challenge me?

Arthur: Sorry Francine, Buster just called me. (dashes off)

Buster: No, I didn't. (laughs as he reads a joke book)

Arthur: What are you reading?

Buster: A joke book. Hey, what do you call two banana peels?

Arthur: I don't know.

Buster: A pair of slippers! (he and Arthur enjoy a good laugh)

Arthur: I love it here, but last week I never thought they'd let me in again.

Paige Turner: (from off-screen) Shhh!

(The title card plays, and then a mysterious green monster hand with yellow warts takes a book off a library shelf...)

Monster: Chapter 1. Arthur Goes To The Library.

(Arthur and his friends arrive at the library, and Arthur begins selecting books to take out...)

Arthur: I'll get this one and....Wow! I'll have to read that! This too.

Francine: Why don't you just take one?

Arthur: One? I wanna read them all. And this one too. (goes to the check-out desk)

Paige Turner: You're one under the limit.

Arthur: You mean I can take one more?

Paige Turner: The new Scare Your Pants Off is in.

Arthur: (takes a look) Wow! The Mysterious Hand. (other kids overhear Arthur and rush to grab the book) It's brand new! No-one has ever opened it! (takes it)

Francine: Come on Arthur, you have enough books already!

Buster: You can't read them all in two weeks.

Sue Ellen: No, give it to me.

(They chase Arthur to the check-out desk, but it's too late; Arthur has checked it out.)

Arthur: I wanna read it first, then you can. (takes his books, dons his bicycle helmet and leaves)

Buster: Don't be a pig!

Francine: That's too many!

Brain: You already have enough books.

Arthur: This isn't too many. You're mad 'cause you were too slow. (takes off on his bicycle)

All: Oh, man!

(But as Arthur rides, trying to balance all his books, a tree branch knocks The Mysterious Hand off the top of the pile without noticing. We see a boy's hand picking up the book...)

(The "Mysterious Hand" rips a week's worth of pages off a calendar...)

Monster.: Chapter 2. One Week Later.

(Jane is doing laundry, but finds one of Arthur's library books.)

Jane Read: Arthur!

Arthur: What? What, Mom?

Jane Read: I found this in the laundry. You have to be careful with library books.

Arthur: I AM careful.

Jane Read: Aren't they due soon?

Arthur: Next week. I still have a couple left to read.

(In the treehouse, Arthur and Buster are trading baseball cards...)

Arthur: I'll give you two of these for one of those, and two more for that one.

Buster: Is that one of your library books?

Arthur: Oh, yeah. How did it get out here?

Buster: Was The Mysterious Hand good?

Arthur: Oh, wow! I forgot I had that one.

Buster: Well, nobody else did. There's a waiting list to take it out after you return it.

Arthur: I'll start it tonight.

(Arthur gathers the rest of his library books, but can't find The Mysterious Hand book. He looks under his bed...)

Arthur: Hmm!

D.W.: What are you hiding from?

Arthur: I'm not. I'm looking for The Mysterious Hand.

D.W.: There it is.

Arthur: (bumps his head) Ow! Where is it?

D.W.: Over here! (she makes a shadow of her hand with Arthur's nightstand lamp)

Arthur: D.W.!

D.W.: (running out of the room) Mom, Arthur's chasing me!

Arthur: Where did I put it?

(A montage shows Arthur looking for the book in the laundry basket, in the living room, and in David's catering kitchen...)

David Read: I looked at those books when you brought them home. You didn't have that one.

Arthur: I didn't? Someone could have taken it when I was leaving the library. This calls for detective work. I have to call Buster. (walks out of the garage with Pal) Wait! I can't call Buster. He's a suspect. Everybody's a suspect. No, not everybody. There's one person who would never want to read that book, or any book.

(In their classroom, Arthur comes up to Binky...)

Binky: You want me to help you find out who took some dopey book?

Arthur: You're the only one who can help me, Binky. You don't even read comic strips.

Binky: (making a weird face) If they were good, they'd be on TV. What do you want me to do?

Arthur: We have to cleverly narrow down the suspects.

Binky: Do I get a badge?

<p class="MsoNormal">Arthur: No.

<p class="MsoNormal">(A "Private Eye" badge swirls towards the camera on a purple background...)

<p class="MsoNormal">Monster.: Chapter 3. The Investigation.

<p class="MsoNormal">(The Mysterious Hand moves the "Private Eye" screen down to reveal Arthur Binky towering over some kids...)

<p class="MsoNormal">All: AAAAAAAaaaaAAAAAAAh!

<p class="MsoNormal">(No luck. Arthur and Binky confront George in the cafetorium reading a book, but he doesn't have it. Outside the school, Arthur watches The Brain in a tree, but falls off the branch...)

<p class="MsoNormal">Arthur: Uh... (chuckles nervously) Hi, Brain.

<p class="MsoNormal">(Later at the Sugar Bowl, Arthur shows three drawings of suspects to Binky as they have hot chocolate and donuts...)

<p class="MsoNormal">Arthur: I've narrowed it down to three suspects - Buster Baxter, Francine Frensky, and Sue Ellen Armstrong. How did you do?

<p class="MsoNormal">Binky: Everyone I talked to was afraid. Very suspicious.

<p class="MsoNormal">Arthur: Why don't I focus on my suspects and you focus on yours?

<p class="MsoNormal">Binky: Right.

<p class="MsoNormal">(They get up and leave, but Muffy gives a suspicious look from the other booth. In Lakewood Elementary's art classroom, Arthur shows Sue Ellen a drawing he made of the book cover of The Mysterious Hand...)

<p class="MsoNormal">Arthur: Do you like my drawing?

<p class="MsoNormal">Sue Ellen: This looks like The Mysterious Hand. (holds up the book) I just finished reading it.

<p class="MsoNormal">Arthur: I should've known it was you! (tries to grab the book out of her hands) Just give me the book back and I won't tell anyone.

<p class="MsoNormal">Sue Ellen: It's MY book. I had to BUY it because you had the library's only copy! (Arthur legs go, and Sue Ellen falls backward)   Hey!

<p class="MsoNormal">(In the playground, Arthur talk to Francine as she swings...)

<p class="MsoNormal">Francine: Arthur, I didn't take that book.

<p class="MsoNormal">Arthur: What do you mean?

<p class="MsoNormal">Francine: Muffy says you think I stole it. But I think you lost it. I told you you had too many books.

<p class="MsoNormal">(In another part of the playground, Binky confronts George...)

<p class="MsoNormal">Binky: Where is it?

<p class="MsoNormal">George: What?

<p class="MsoNormal">Binky: Come on, hand it over. (George runs off)

<p class="MsoNormal">Arthur: Hey, Binky. You have to tell them WHAT you want.

<p class="MsoNormal">Binky: If they took it, they'll know. There's another suspect. Hey, you! (he runs off)

<p class="MsoNormal">Buster: (approaches Arthur) Arthur, Francine says you think I stole The Mysterious Hand.

<p class="MsoNormal">Arthur: It's gone. You wanted it.

<p class="MsoNormal">Buster: You probably lost it.

<p class="MsoNormal">Arthur: I've looked absolutely everywhere.

<p class="MsoNormal">Buster: Maybe giant mutant mole people took it!

<p class="MsoNormal">Arthur: Oh, right...

<p class="MsoNormal">(Underground, we see two mole people with tracking equipment...)

<p class="MsoNormal">Giant Mutant Mole Woman: I don't have it. You got it?

<p class="MsoNormal">Giant Mutant Mole Man: No.

<p class="MsoNormal">(Above ground...)

<p class="MsoNormal">Buster: All I can say is, you'd better find it because we all want to read it. (walks off)

<p class="MsoNormal">(We see the Mysterious Hand pulling a curtain open...)

<p class="MsoNormal">Monster.: Chapter 4. It's Lost, OK? Face it. You lost it.

<p class="MsoNormal">(Arthur is moaning in his sleep, and is having a nightmare where scary ghoulish creatures are outside his house...)

<p class="MsoNormal">Echoey Voices: 'We know you're in there! We know you're in there!

<p class="MsoNormal">Arthur: Aaaaah!

<p class="MsoNormal">(Police cars and a helicopter are outside the house.)

<p class="MsoNormal">Police officer (over loudspeaker in helicopter): Throw out the book gently, son, and no one will get hurt. You can't escape the long arm of the law!

<p class="MsoNormal">(A literally long, giant arm goes through the front door, grabs Arthur and pulls him through town into the library)

<p class="MsoNormal">Arthur: AAAAAAAAAAAH! YEOWWWWWWW! AAAAaAAAAAAAAAH! Whoaaaaaaa! Oh, no!

<p class="MsoNormal">Paige Turner: We have special rules for little boys who lose library books.

<p class="MsoNormal">(A little later in Arthur's dream, the parents notice a chain going into Arthur's room.)

<p class="MsoNormal">David and Jane Read: Huh?!

<p class="MsoNormal">(They see Arthur reading The Mysterious Hand with a chain attached to it.)

<p class="MsoNormal">Jane Read: Arthur, what's this?

<p class="MsoNormal">Arthur: It's how I have to check out library books now! (the chain suddenly moves, taking Arthur and the book on it) Whoaaaaaaa! AAAAaAAAAAAAAAH!<p class="MsoNormal">Paige Turner: (reels Arthur in on the chained book) Next time, don't make me use the crank!<p class="MsoNormal">(Arthur finally wakes up and screams, his mouth shutting to the beat of the creepy music. The next morning at breakfast, Arthur, tired, tries to eat his cereal.)

<p class="MsoNormal">D.W.: You're not going to find the book in your cereal.

<p class="MsoNormal">David Read: You'll have to pay for the book.

<p class="MsoNormal">Arthur: $15?! That's three action figures! Ohh!

<p class="MsoNormal">(Later, at the library, Arthur is returning his books...)

<p class="MsoNormal">Paige Turner: Did you enjoy all the books?

<p class="MsoNormal">Arthur: All except the one I lost - The Mysterious Hand. I guess I'll have to pay for it.

<p class="MsoNormal">Paige Turner: It's not lost. Here it is. (holds it up) That boy just returned it. (points to Binky)

<p class="MsoNormal">Arthur: Huh? Binky, you found it! You found it! Who had it?

<p class="MsoNormal">Binky: A boy from school.

<p class="MsoNormal">Arthur: Which boy?

<p class="MsoNormal">Binky: (looking ashamed) Me.

<p class="MsoNormal">Arthur: (laughs) Very funny! No, who really had it?

<p class="MsoNormal">Binky: (seriously) Me! (a flashback shows Binky picking up the book and reading it) I found it on the sidewalk. I started reading it. It's really good. (the flashback ends) I never thought it was the one you lost because you'd never throw a library book on the ground. But when no one else had it, I figured it might be the same one.

<p class="MsoNormal">Arthur: Why didn't you tell me?

<p class="MsoNormal">Binky: I thought you'd laugh at me.

<p class="MsoNormal">Arthur: I wouldn't laugh at you.

<p class="MsoNormal">Binky: You just did.

<p class="MsoNormal">Arthur: (ashamed) Oh, yeah. Sorry.

<p class="MsoNormal">Binky: (threateningly) Don't blab it around that I'm reading books...or else! (makes a fist)

<p class="MsoNormal">Arthur: (goes back to the check-out desk) Since I didn't read that book, can I check it out again?

<p class="MsoNormal">Paige Turner: Sorry, you can't renew it because there's a waiting list. (shows a very long list)

<p class="MsoNormal">Arthur: Ohhhh!

<p class="MsoNormal">(We see the "Mysterious Hand" monster was really D.W. wearing rubber monster gloves and speaking through a cardboard tube...)

<p class="MsoNormal">D.W.: The End! (does a creepy laugh) Scared you, didn't I? (in a spooky voice) Wooaah!