Buster's Amish Mismatch

Summary
Inspired by a field trip to Amish country, Buster vows to forgo all modern conveniences when he gets back home—but that's easier said than done.

Plot
The episode starts with Mr. Ratburn's class riding through grass-fields with Arthur telling the viewers about how Buster always brings home a souvenir from all of their class field trips. For example taking a dinosaur fossil at Rainbow Rock State Park, and the time he accidentally took a detective's badge from the police station, and during their trip to the fudge factory, he brought home a bad stomachache. Arthur wonders what Buster will bring home from this field trip.

Buster's Amish Mismatch Buster takes a look out the bus window and sees a tractor and gets amazed. He daydreams about driving one himself and has a built in bread-maker. While getting ready to eat one, aliens show up in their saucers, daring Buster to chase them. Buster turns the tractor into a space vehicle and chases the aliens into space just as Mr. Ratburn interrupts his dream.

Mr. Ratburn announces that they are now in Amish country. Buster confuses this as there being an actual country called Amish. Mr. Ratburn asks if he was paying attention in class yesterday to which Buster replies, "That's a trick question, isn't it?" Mr. Ratburn explains that the Amish are immigrants from Northern Europe who wanted to live free on their beliefs. Arthur asks what kind of beliefs. Mr. Ratburn tells him to look out the window to see for himself. Arthur notices they aren't using the tractor machine to harvest; instead they're using wagons and rakes. Mr. Ratburn explains they don't rely on the modern conveniences that they do, and asks the class why. Buster replies "Because they don't have enough money to buy them?" Brain answers that it's actually because they choose not to use them, or any other kinds of electricity. Arthur and Buster are surprised that they can't use television.

They approach a house where Mrs. Lapp and her son walk out to greet the class. She explains that the "outside world" has changed dramatically while her family farm hasn't. She invites them into the house. Buster greets himself to the son, who introduces himself as Daniel. Buster says he likes Daniel's hat.

Inside, Mrs. Lapp says that the Amish make their own furniture and they don't play any musical instruments. Next, they go into a room where the Amish are quilting clothes. Daniel points at Buster's jacket and says he's not allowed to wear buttons because they're "too fancy" and can't wear zippers either. In the kitchen, Mrs. Lapp explains that they make their own food with gas and wood. Buster gets interested in the butter-turner, but Mr. Ratburn moves the class along. Daniel stops Buster to give him a taste of Apple Butter, which Buster thinks is delicious, but Mr. Ratburn isn't pleased.

Outside, the Amish are performing a barn-raising. Buster asks if they can help. Mr. Ratburn says they're a little ahead of schedule, so the kids help with the barn-raising.

Later that day, everyone is heading back onto the bus. The Brain comments it would have been easier if they had used a power saw. Buster asks Mr. Ratburn if they could come back tomorrow and help put the roof on, but Mr. Ratburn says they can't. Daniel thanks Buster for the help of the barn-raising. Buster thanks Daniel, saying he never made anything with his own hands before, and that the Amish really know how to live. Daniel says he doesn't have to be Amish to live the way they do, and he can try it at home, and gives Buster his hat to help him get started.

On the bus, Buster tells Arthur his new hat is his inspiration to live the Amish way and use everything with his own two hands. He asks who is with him? Arthur is too busy playing a handheld video game, and Muffy is complaining to her dad on her cell phone that she chipped a nail on a saw. Brain explains that it's virtually impossible to function in "their world" without technology. Arthur reminds how Buster couldn't handle going one week with no TV. Buster says he's through with that junk, before giving Arthur his jacket because it has buttons.

Back in Elwood City, Buster is walking home instead of riding in the car with Bitzi. She asks why he doesn't want to ride; Buster explains that it isn't the Amish way to ride in cars. Bitzi asks what he would like for dinner. Buster answers that he would like "a stew of corn meal ground up by hand and fresh kale and sweet potato smoked cooked over a wood burning stove." Arthur drives by looking out his window which Buster waves.

At Buster's condo, he and his mother are done eating pizza. Buster suggests they should make their own by growing their own tomatoes and make their own dough. Bitzi says that it would be difficult because she has to work, but loved Buster's idea of a candlelight dinner. She turns the light on which Buster quickly jumps from the table to turn it off, saying they can't use electricity. Bitzi replies "of course we can". Buster says that it isn't the Amish way. Bitzi says that they aren't Amish, to which Buster replies that they should be because they really know how to live. Bitzi says she isn't prepared to live that way. Buster is. Bitzi says Buster can be Amish in his room. Buster is disappointed about going it alone.

In his room, Buster is reading about barn-raising when Bitzi brings him a self-powered flashlight that is cranked by hand. Bitzi notes how cold it is in his room. Buster explains he had to turn the heat off because it's electric. Bitzi gives him some extra blankets and asks if he could be just a little Amish, which Buster refuses.

The next morning, Buster is running late because he can't find any clothes that don't have buttons or zippers.

At school, Buster asks Mr. Ratburn if they could build a barn in Elwood City. Mr. Ratburn says he doubts anyone needs a barn raised in town, to which the class laughs. Brain explains that with the lack of farm area, no one will need a barn.

At recess, Buster is sewing a quilt, and pokes his finger.

At lunch, Mrs. MacGrady is serving the kids a tuna surprise. Brain questions if it's "Amish enough" for Buster to eat it because it was made in an electrical oven. Buster just takes an apple instead, stunning Mrs. MacGrady who thought she would never see Buster turn down food.

After school, Buster walks miserably through the rain.

In his room that night, the crank flashlight begins to die out, with Buster getting tired of charging it and tiring out his arms. Bitzi comes in with organic vegetables. She takes a sniff and smells something odd. Buster shows her that he was trying to make butter in a bucket, but thinks it's mayonnaise. Bitzi is finally fed up, partially because of her son's weird Amish activities and partially because of the fact that he was trying to make butter in his room, and takes the bucket away. Buster protests, but Bitzi shoots him down, and says that he will be sleeping with the heat on that night.

That night, Buster has a dream where he finds himself in a very cold room with a candle as his only source of warmth and light. It gets blown out when he sneezes and the aliens from earlier show up. Buster tries to give chase on a mule, but it won't go anywhere and the aliens get away.

In school the next day, Mr. Ratburn tells his class that their report on their favorite educational TV program is due on Monday. Buster tells Mr. Ratburn that TV is against his beliefs, and the class laughs. Mr. Ratburn says then it can be a report about his favorite educational book instead, and it can't be a picture book.

At lunch, Buster is sitting alone eating radishes when Mrs. MacGrady comes over with a bowl of soup, saying she made it herself for “the boy who used to be my best customer”. She tells him she spent a lot of time with the Amish, and what Buster is doing isn’t Amish. She explains that Amish can ride in cars and eat whatever they want. She eventually gets Buster to point out that he’s feeling miserable and the people at Lapp farm were happy because they had each other. Mrs. MacGrady leaves him with the message of “It’s no use cooking dinner for six, if you end up eating alone”.

After school, Buster walks by Arthur's house and sees that Arthur is practicing the piano, he thinks of himself playing the tuba along with him. When Buster gets home, he gives up being Amish and uses the phone to call Arthur, saying he wants to do something Amish with everyone.

At Arthur’s house, the gang is shown building a dog house for Pal. Bitzi comes by with pizza, with Buster noting it’s the best pizza he ever tasted. Bitzi says it's because she made it from scratch. Buster grabs a napkin, and saves it as the first pizza ever made from Baxter hands.

Major characters

 * Buster Baxter
 * Daniel Lapp
 * Alan Powers
 * Bitzi Baxter

Minor characters

 * Arthur Read
 * Muffy Crosswire
 * Leah MacGrady
 * Mrs. Lapp
 * Nigel Ratburn
 * Aliens

Background characters

 * Binky Barnes
 * David Read
 * Fern Walters
 * Francine Frensky
 * George Lundgren
 * Jane Read
 * Jenna Morgan
 * Sue Ellen Armstrong
 * Alex
 * Maria Pappas
 * Jessica
 * 3rd Grade Male Dog (Number 3)
 * Molly MacDonald

Episode connections

 * Buster taking the fossil in "Buster's Dino Dilemma" is mentioned.
 * Buster took too many fudge samples, like D.W. did in "Arthur's Family Vacation."
 * Arthur mentions when Buster almost couldn't keep away from TV for a week in "Arthur's TV-Free Week".

Errors

 * At the end, Buster takes a bite from his slice of homemade pizza, but when he holds it up it is still whole and lacking any bite marks.

Storyline analysis

 * Buster says it was the first pizza made by Baxter hands, which means this episode takes place before "The World Record".