D.W. & Bud's Higher Purpose

"D.W. & Bud's Higher Purpose"
Season/Series:	18
Number in season:	1b
Original Airdate:	October 1, 2014 February 23, 2015 October 1, 2014
Credits
Written by:	Peter K. Hirsch
Storyboard by:	Jeremy O'Neill
Episodes
Previous "The Tattletale Frog"	Next "The Friend Who Wasn't There"
Read transcript

"D.W. & Bud's Higher Purpose" is the second half of the first episode in the eighteenth season of Arthur.

Summary

D.W. and Bud can't wait to ride "The Buzzard", Wonder World's newest rollercoaster. Will they make it past the persnickety ticket taker...or will they come up short?

Plot

Arthur begins the show by talking of some of D.W.'s crazy schemes, like selling used tissues or pretending to be French. He says that her schemes have gotten even loonier since she met Bud. Meanwhile, D.W. and Bud borrow Arthur's things to build a boat to sail to Jamaica.

D.W. & Bud's Higher Purpose

Mr. Read takes Arthur, D.W., Ladonna and Bud to Wonderworld. The older kids talk about a roller coaster called The Buzzard and Bud and D.W. make a pact to ride it.

While Mr. Read and the younger kids wait in line, Mr. Read gets a call from Mr. Crosswire and spends most of the rest of the episode explaining how to prepare cocktail weenies. Meanwhile, Bud and D.W. spend a long time waiting in line. When they finally reach the entrance, the ticket taker will not let them ride, because they are both shorter than a wooden monkey’s hands are high.

Emily invites Bud and D.W. to ride bumper cars, but they think that those are for babies.

Bud and D.W. try to fool the ticket taker. First, they get money for food from Mr. Read and fasten waffles to their feet with scrunchies. Next, they try hats made out of newspapers. Then, D.W. sits on Bud's shoulders wearing a long raincoat. The ticket taker sees through all of their tricks.

Finally, D.W. unsuccessfully pulls at Bud's legs to make him taller. D.W. wants to give up. Bud has Rapty explain that a pact cannot be broken, while Nadine argues that it can, provided that both kids agree that it is impossible to fulfill. While they argue, James stumbles dizzily by. He has ridden The Buzzard, thanks to being slightly taller. D.W. now wants to beat the system again.

Bud and D.W. play at various booths to win a disguise and a toy hammer. While D.W. distracts the ticket taker, Bud tries to make the monkey smaller, but it will not budge. Meanwhile, the ticket taker is replaced by a colleague who lets Bud and D.W. through without checking their height.

When Bud and D.W. reach the cars, some kids are just getting out looking nauseous. Bud and D.W. get on, but then they agree to cancel the pact and scream to be let out.

They get their tickets back and end up riding the bumper cars.

Characters

Major

• D.W. Read
• Bud Compson

Minor

• David Read
• Ticket taker
• Arthur Read
• Ladonna Compson
• Emily
• James MacDonald
• Rapty
• Nadine Flumberghast
• Ed Crosswire (voice only)
• Francis Haney

Cameo

• Marie-Hélène
• Big Kid 2
• Nancy
• Slink
• Mr. Bevel
• Rattles
• Helen
• Mrs. Barnes
• Big Kid 1
• Phil
• Mr. Morris
• 3rd Grade Female Bear (Number 3)
• Mr. Armstrong
• Madison Compson
• 3rd Grade Male Dog (Number 5)
• Ramón Molina
• Steve
• Maria Pappas
• Chip Crosswire
• Catherine Frensky
• Lucy's mother
• Molly MacDonald
• Slink
• Prunella Deegan
• Brain
• Sue Ellen Armstrong

Mentioned

• Bailey

Trivia

• Bud's middle name is revealed to be Tucker.
• It is revealed, that James MacDonald is three weeks younger than D.W. and is slightly taller.
• Timeline: D.W. mentions training for the Hurl-a-Whirl in “D.W.'s Imaginary Friend."
• Moral: Dont try to do something you are too young for.

Errors

• Big Kid 2 is seen in the line at the same time he is on the roller coaster.
• The title card spells D.W.'s name without periods.

Production notes

• This episode was first announced in May 2014 when a fan sent and email to 9 Story Entertainment, asking for Season 18 episode titles, and received four of them.

Cultural references

• French D.W. mentions her brother Frère Jacques, which is a French children's song about a monk (Friar Jacob).
• Rapty mentions Pinocchio.
• The ticket taker compares Bud and D.W. to Tweedledum and Tweedledee from Alice in Wonderland.

Gallery

:Main article: D.W. & Bud's Higher Purpose/Gallery