D.W.'s Perfect Wish/Transcript

Introduction

Arthur crosses out February 28^th on a calendar in his room.

Arthur: It's not hard to make your own calendar, then you can draw your favorite cool things for every month. This is a big year, so I drew big stuff. January - Bionic Bunny moves a huge iceberg. February - Bionic Bunny versus a giant Valentine that wrecks buildings and makes everyone fall in love. Ee-vil!

He looks disgusted.

Arthur: March - Bionic Bunny brings a manic birthday cake because D.W.'s birthday is on March the 1st. D.W. sure loves her birthday. Last year, she never stopped reminding us it was coming.

Flashback: The Reads sit at the breakfast table.

D.W.: Speaking of birthdays...

Arthur: Who's speaking of birthdays?

D.W.: No one, but now that you mention it, mine is coming up.

Flashback: Arthur is reading on the couch.

D.W.: Don't forget my birthday's coming!

Arthur: Yah! Oof.

He falls off the couch.

Arthur: Aww...

The flashbacks end.

Arthur: This year will probably be worse.

He turns the calendar to March.

Arthur: Hey, today is D.W.'s birthday, but she hasn't said a word. Impossible!

Arthur walks into D.W.’s room where she is sitting on her bed, holding a unicorn and looking sad.

Arthur: D.W., did you forget that your birthday's today?

D.W.: No. How could I forget about my own birthday? Now leave me alone!

She throws her unicorn at him, so he quickly closes the door.

Arthur: Aah! How could D.W. not be excited about her birthday?

Title Card: Arthur Hides from D.W.

Arthur opens D.W.’s door again.

D.W.: I said, leave me alone. Please!

Arthur: I will after you tell me why you're not excited about your birthday.

D.W.: (theatrically:) You really want to know? Do you think you really want to know?

Arthur: Um... yeah.

D.W.: Oh, okay. Just checking. It all started when I told Daddy what kind of birthday cake I wanted.

***

Flashback: D.W. watches her dad put icing on a cake. At first, the icing spells “2 days ago”.

D.W.: For my birthday - which is coming soon, you know - I want a normal cake.

Mr. Read: You sure? How about a big, purple...

D.W.: Normal. White frosting on top. White cake inside. No crunchy stuff. No cachuette layers. No lam...

She notices that the icing on the cake looks like Mount Rushmore.

D.W.: No surprises.

Mr. Read: You sure you don't want to try my Aloha Coconut Blizzard cake with peach and banana packed-in filling?

D.W.: Daddy!

Mr. Read: I'm joking! Normal. Got it.

He looks disappointed.

***

Flashback: D.W. and Emily play “Confuse the Goose” on the table in the yard.

D.W.: I can't wait for my birthday. My Daddy's gonna make me a normal cake with...

Emily: You know, turning five is a very big step.

D.W.: Yeah? ...with white icing on top and...

Emily: D.W.! I am five years old already. Listen to me. When you're five, you cannot do the same things you when you were only four.

D.W.: What do you mean?

Emily: I mean, you have to leave childish things behind. You wil be going to real school - kindergarten.

D.W.: Kindergarten.

Emily: You will never be a little kid ever again! (her voice begins to echo)

***

The flashbacks end.

D.W.: And now, here it is, my birthday. They're gonna give me normal cake, and then - whammo - I'm five.

Arthur: So?

D.W.: So I don't know if I'm ready. I'll never be four again, you know. Did I do everything I could? Did I waste my fours?

She grabs Arthur’s collar.

D.W.: Did I frivol away my childhood?!

Arthur picks her up and puts her back on the bed.

Arthur: No.

D.W.: No?! That's it?! A simple three-letter-word like "no" doesn't exactly make me feel better, Arthur. (sighs)

She lies back.

Arthur: Oh, come on! You did plenty of great stuff, D.W.!

D.W.: Yeah? Like what?

Arthur: Like...

Flashback from “D.W. Tricks the Tooth Fairy”: D.W. runs into the kitchen with a handful of coins.

Arthur (narrator): You fooled the Tooth Fairy and got money.

D.W.: Look! Look what the Tooth Fairy left me! I tricked the Tooth Fairy! I tricked the Tooth Fairy...

Flashback from “D.W. All Fired Up”: The Reads look at a plan of their house.

Arthur (narrator): And beside that, you taught us all about fire drills.

D.W. leads her family down the stairs.

D.W.: No talking! Remain calm! Faster, people, there's a fire in here!

The family rushes out of the house and sits down on the lawn. D.W. checks a stopwatch.

D.W.: What's it say?

Arthur: (pants) Three minutes, nine seconds.

D.W.: Not bad! But we've got to get it down to fifty-eight seconds!

She goes back inside.

Arthur+Mr.+Mrs. Read: Aww...

Flashback from “Attack of the Turbo Tibbles”: The Tibbles and their grandma walk to the hospital.

Arthur (narrator): And you got to go to the hospital and get stitches.

The Read parents stand in front of D.W. who is sitting in an examination room.

Mrs. Read: You were very brave, D.W. It doesn't look so bad.

The side of D.W.’s mouth is swollen and her words are slightly muffled.

D.W.: Well, it feels bad.

The flashbacks end. D.W. lies on her back.

D.W.: These are the golden memories of my childhood? A buck, a fire drill and a fat lip?

Arthur: Okay, I'm sure there was more. Erm... yeah, remember when you learned to do flips...

Flashback from “D.W. Flips”: D.W. climbs on the balance beam.

Arthur (narrator): ...on the balance beam?

D.W. (narrator): Not exactly, Arthur.

Tommy: She's too scared to do it!

D.W.: Whoa!

Kids: (gasp)

Timmy: Yeah, she's gonna chicken out!

Behind them, Emily runs off.

D.W.: Whoaaa! Am not!

She nearly loses her balance.

D.W.: Whoa! (screams)

Emily runs in with Mrs. Read and Miss Morgan who blows her whistle. D.W. jumps into her mother’s arms.

D.W. (narrator): I learned I was too young to do flips.

Flashback from “D.W.’s Deer Friend”: Walter eats leaves near the tent.

Arthur (narrator): Oh, well... I know. You made a deer friend when we went camping.

D.W.: Hi!

The deer runs away.

D.W. (narrator): But I couldn't bring him home.

Flashback from “Arthur Meets Mister Rogers”. Mr. Rogers sings a lullaby while D.W. falls asleep.

Arthur (narrator): No, but Mr. Rogers came to our home.

Mr. Rogers: (sings:) “There are stops along the way / for thoughts of all the soft things…"

D.W. (narrator): That song put me to sleep.

Arthur (narrator): It was supposed to. It's a lullaby.

D.W. (narrator): But I was asleep so it's not one of my memories.

Flashback from “D.W. Goes to Washington”. D.W. looks at the painting of a horse.

Arthur (narrator): You weren't asleep when you met the President in the White House.

President: Beautiful horse, huh?

D.W.: Yeah! Do you work here?

President: I’ve worked here for a couple of years now.

D.W.: Then maybe you can help me. My family got lost. They're with another tour guide.

President: Come on, follow me. I bet I can get you back where you came from.

He takes her hand.

D.W.: Are there more paintings with horses?

President: Oh, lots. I'll point them out on the way.

The Reads eat pizza with the president.

D.W. (narrator): So I met some people. How hard is that? I didn't do anything.

Flashback from “Grandpa Dave’s Old Country Farm”: Arthur and D.W. help to build a chicken coop.

Arthur (narrator): Sure you did. You helped build the chicken coop at Grandpa Dave's house.

D.W. paints over Grandpa Dave’s and Ed Billings’ pants. They all look at the finished coop.

Flashback from “Play it Again, D.W.”: The Reads sit in the audience. Arthur is disguised.

Arthur (narrator): And went to Crazy Bus Live.

Flashback from “Arthur’s Chicken Pox”: Thora sees D.W.’s spots.

Arthur (narrator): And caught chicken pox from me.

D.W. (narrator): That wasn't fun.

Arthur (narrator): But I bet you'll never forget it.

Flashback from “D.W. Thinks Big”: D.W. gets the ring out of the organ.

Arthur (narrator): And you rescued Cousin Lucy's ring to save her wedding.

Aunt Lucy: Thank you, D.W. We couldn't have done it without you!

She kisses D.W.

Flashback from “D.W.’s Baby”: Arthur’s friends are visiting.

Arthur (narrator): And you took good care of Kate when she was born.

D.W.: Everyone stand back! I know what she wants!

Flashback from “D.W.’s Snow Mystery”: D.W. looks into the freezer.

D.W. (narrator): I just thought of something else I did. I saved a snowball in the freezer and somebody took it.

D.W.: (gasps)

The flashbacks end. D.W. looks accusingly at Arthur.

Arthur: It wasn't me! Can't you forget that and look at all the cool stuff you did? It was a great year.

D.W.: Except for the snowball.

She suddenly gives Arthur a big hug.

Arthur: What's this for?

D.W.: Because you made me remember how great I am.

Arthur: You're my little sister. I want you to have a happy birthday.

D.W.: I'm gonna be the world's coolest five-year-old!

Arthur: Don't forget to make a good wish when you blow out the candles on your cake.

D.W.: That's right. And I know the perfect thing to wish for.

Arthur: You can't wish for a million more wishes. It's against the rules.

D.W.: Oh, you're such a spoil sport. Well, I'm going to really make this wish count. I'll get ideas from Mommy and Daddy.

***

D.W. and Arthur walk downstairs. Everything is dark and quiet on the first floor.

D.W.: Mommy, I... Mom? Dad?

When she enters the dining room, her parents and grandma pop out from behind the table with a cake and presents.

Mr.+Mrs. Read+Thora: Happy birthday!

Grandma Thora: Make a wish and blow out your candles.

D.W. thinks. The others look expectantly.

Mr. Read: Go ahead and blow ‘em out, honey.

D.W.: I don't know what to wish for, Arthur.

Arthur: What did you wish for last year?

Flashback: D.W. sits in front of her fourth-birthday-cake and her family sits and stands around her. Mrs. Read is visibly pregnant.

D.W. (narrator): That's right, before Kate was born. I remember making a wish and blowing out the candles.

D.W. blows out the candles.

The flashback ends.

D.W.: But I can't remember the wish! What if I accidentally wish for the same thing again? I’ll waste it!

Arthur: Hurry up, that cake looks delicious.

D.W.: It has to be the perfect wish. You don't get this kind of power every day. It must be used wisely.

Mrs. Read: Why don’t you wish for a happy year?

D.W.: Mommy, there has to be something in it for me.

Mr. Read: Why don’t you wish for a new pair of sneakers?

D.W.: You don't wish for clothes, Daddy. Clothes just happen. Wishes are for big things... like a pony.

The parents look uncomfortable.

Mrs. Read: I have to advise you not to waste your wish on a pony.

Mr. Read: Yeah, that's not a great idea. It won't come true, er, trust me.

Arthur looks at the shrinking candles.

Arthur: I am not gonna eat cake with wax all over it. Hurry up! Look, Kate's starving!

Kate bangs her spoon on her highchair.

Kate: (laughs)

Arthur stares at the cake while D.W. paces.

D.W.: Think, think... Think, think...

Grandma Thora: D.W., you don't have to fret over your wish like this.

Flashback: A waiter at ‘Once Upon A Restaurant’ serves the Reads a cake full of candles.

Grandma Thora (narrator): Because on my birthday, I wished that you and Arthur had happiness and everything you need.

Grandma Thora: (draws breath)

She points at the candles. The waiter uses a dragon-shaped lighter to light them. Then Thora blows them out.

The flashback ends.

Grandma Thora: And a grandma's wishes for her grandchildren always come true!

D.W.: So, you mean, it's like I'm already covered wish-wise?

Grandma Thora: Uh-huh.

D.W. hugs Thora.

D.W.: Wow! Who else but Grandma would give up her own birthday wish for us?

Arthur: Do we have to keep hugging so much here?

Mrs. Read: Shh!

D.W.: I know exactly what I'm gonna wish for now.

She blows out the candles and everything goes dark.

Arthur: Finally!

***

A while later, the Reads are eating cake.

Kate: (laughs)

Pal jumps at her highchair to get some cake.

D.W.: Ah, that's the best normal cake I ever had, Daddy.

Arthur: So what did you wish for, D.W.?

D.W.: It won't come true if I tell.

Arthur: Well, will you tell me after it does come true?

D.W.: Oh, you'll know.

Pal jumps up and sends Kate’s bowl flying.

Mr. Read: Look out!

Arthur ducks and the bowl hits the floor.

All: Phew!

Arthur: What? You didn't think I would let that big old mushy cake hit me in the face, did you?

He steps on Kate’s spilled food, spins around and falls headfirst into the rest of the cake.

Arthur: Whoa!

Mr.+Mrs. Read+Thora: (gasp)

Kate: (gasps)

Pal: (barks)

D.W.: (laughs) Boy, that was fast!

Arthur: What was fast?

D.W.: Oh, nothing. (giggles)

Arthur: Hey, was this what you wished for?

Pal tries to lick cake off Arthur’s face.

D.W.: You're not supposed to tell a wish, remember? (to the audience) Even if it does come true.

Arthur: Hey, Pal. (giggles) Cut it out! (laughs)