The Short, Quick Summer/Transcript

Arthur Read: It's the last day of school. When that bell rings, summer starts!

Miss Sweetwater's class: (singing) Summer is fun / It's just begun / There's lots of sun / We'll play and run / Summer is number one / La la la la la...

Mr. Ratburn: Only two minutes left in the school year, there's time for one last math problem.

(Arthur takes a paper labeled "SUMMER STUFF" out of a book.)

Arthur: This is my list of all the great things I plan to do this summer.

(Fade to a calendar. The month shown on it is June. The top image shows flowers, which are zoomed in and revealed to be in Arthur's yard, where he and Buster are playing badminton. Arthur hits Buster in the head with the shuttlecock.)

Buster: Ow! Hey, watch the birdie!

Arthur: Sorry, Buster.

(The calendar switches to July and shows a beach. Arthur and Buster are playing volleyball. Sue Ellen is playing the saxophone and Binky is singing on a stage.)

Binky: Rocking at the beach! Rocking at the beach!

(The calendar switches to August. Arthur, Buster, and Francine are watching the clouds.)

Arthur: I see a hippo.

Buster: I see a train racing an octopus.

Francine: That is the most ridiculous- Hey! He's right!

(There, in fact, is a train-shaped cloud chasing an octopus-shaped cloud. Fade back to school.)

Mr. Ratburn: The answer is seventeen and a half. Have a good summer!

(The kids run out of school.)

Arthur: Summer is here!

(Title card)

THE SHORT, QUICK SUMMER

Written by: Joe Fallon—Storyboard by: Denis Banville

(Bird singing, thunder crashing)

Binky Barnes: (V.O.) The Short, Quick Summer.

(We now return to the story)

Arthur: (yawns) It's another perfect summer day, Pal. What should we do? We could go to the park, or go swimming, or play—

Jane Read: How about shopping for back-to-school clothes?

Arthur: Yuck! Why would I want to do that?

Mom: Because you start school next week!

Arthur: (gasps) It's the last week of summer already?! It can't be! It is impossible! It feels like summer just started and it's already over!

(In the living room)

D.W. Read: Are we playing cave?

Arthur: We're not playing anything. I'm looking for my list.

D.W.: What list?

Arthur: The list I made when summer started of all the things I wanted to do! And I don't think I did any of them yet!

D.W.: Was losing the list on the list? You did that.

(In Arthur's room)

Arthur: I only have one week left to do all the things on my list!

D.W.: (screaming) A ghost! A hairy ghost! Aw, it's just your dopey dog.

(Outside)

D.W.: (playing in the sprinkler and laughing)

Kate Read: (giggles)

Mom: Where's Arthur? He's missing all the fun.

Arthur: (searches for his list in a trash can) If I were a list, where would I be? (grunting and yelling)

Dad: Arthur, you could get hurt playing like that.

Arthur: Who's playing? I'm not having any fun at all!

(In the treehouse)

Buster Baxter: Come on, Arthur, let's play Kangaroo Court. Sue the kangaroo ???? in a kwazy courtroom! And it's just fun, not educational. Can't beat that.

Arthur: I've gotta find it! Summer's almost over and I hadn't done anything!

Buster: Sure ya did. What about the carousel?

(Flashback)

Buster: What are you doing, Gunky?

Gunky: This old carousel's done its last go-round, boys. I'm outta business!

Buster: Why? Everybody loves the carousel!

Gunky: Mr. Crosswire has bought it and I hear he's a-rippin' it down.