Follow the Bouncing Ball/Transcript

(A Pteranodon flies over a prehistoric jungle and Arthur ducks as a large dragonfly passes by)

Arthur Read: Wouldn't it be cool if you could travel way back in time and see actual dinosaurs?

(Arthur watches the Pteranodon through his binoculars before Francine appeared in front of him)

Francine Frensky: Come on! You're missing the apatosaurus.

(Arthur, Buster, Brain, Francine and Muffy stand on a path marked by green beams and watch a herd of huge Apatosaurus walk by)

The Brain: The apatosaurus was among the largest land animals that ever lived during the Jurassic period. They had the smallest brains of any dinosaur and they were herbivores, meaning they only ate plants. Questions?

Buster: When's lunch?

(Muffy takes a picture with her camera)

Brain Not for another 65 million years. And ten minutes.

(Muffy walks closer to the dinosaurs)

Muffy: Yoo-hoo! Smile for the website! (takes another picture)

Brain: Remember, no flash photography and absolutely no littering. If anything falls off the time path, it could alter the future. Now over here we have a very interesting...

(He shows a nest with eggs on a tree branch while Buster searched his pants pockets)

Buster: Where are those raisins?

(He finds the pack and throws some raisins into his mouth. When he tries to put the packet back into his pocket, it falls out of the path)

Buster: Uh-oh!

Brain: Come on, Buster. Stick with the group!

Buster: Er, coming!

(He runs to catch up with the others and lizard appeared as it crawls onto the packet of raisins)

(The kids reach a portal at the base of a tree and walk through and come out of a locker in Lakewood Elementary)

Francine: That was amazing. Next time we should go to... Arthur, there's something wrong with you.

Arthur: You too!

(The characters are lizards)

Muffy: Argh! I'm all scaly! Where's my moisturizer?!

Brain: One of us must have upset the space-time continuum.

Buster: It wasn't my fault, that box of raisins jumped out of my pocket.

(Mr. Ratburn (whose also half-lizard) came out of the classroom)

Nigel Ratburn: Come inside, you five. You're late for fly-catching class.

(The kids, except Arthur, go inside the classroom with Mr. Ratburn)

Arthur: Wow! Who knew that one small action could change so much? (eats a fly with his tongue) Mmm, tasty!

FOLLOW THE BOUNCING BALL

Buster: Ready?

George: Almost. There! That's 850 dominoes.

Buster: So, George Lundgren, before you break the Elwood city record for most falling dominoes in a row, do you have any final thoughts?

George: Yes. I would like to thank my Dad who bought me the dominoes, my Mum, my dummy...

Francine: Heads up!

(Francine knocks over George's dominoes)

George: No-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o!

Francine: Coming through. You should get these off the path, someone could slip on them.

Buster: Hey! You ruined history in the making.

Muffy: [PANTING] We're on our way to the soccer field. When Francine gets a new ball, she has to get a goal for good luck.

Francine: Muffy!

Muffy: Coming! Coming! Here. For your pain and suffering.

George: 10% off wiper fluid at Crosswire Motors.

[CAMERA BEEPING]

Buster: And the camera battery just ran out. I guess we'll have to make history some other day.

Francine: OK, if I get it right between Muffy's legs...

Muffy: Would you just shoot already- Oh!

Francine: What happened? You never make a save. That's why I always do this with you.

Muffy: I blocked it?

Francine: I could have sworn it rolled here. It sure got dirty quickly. OK, that was just the warm-up kick. This will be the real one.

Alberto: Found it. Here it comes, Papa.

Arthur: 23, 24, 25. Wow, I think I've only ever gotten up to six. How did you get so good at soccer?

Alberto: I've been playing since I was four but it's not just me. El Boomerang gives me good luck.

Arthur: Why do you call your ball El Boomerang?

Alberto: Because it's signed by Carlos Salamanca, the greatest Ecuadorian player ever. He was known as El Boomerang because... Where's the signature? It should be right here!

Arthur: Maybe it rubbed off.

Alberto: Impossible! My ball's been through everything. Rain, snow, Vicita. This is not it. I must have left mine at the park.

Muffy: Francine, your ball is lost. Just accept it and move on.

Francine: It was brand new. That one has writing all over it.

Muffy: Well, it's grody, and I'm tired of holding it.

Francine: So, put it down and help me look. The sooner I find it, the sooner we can leave.

Muffy: Huh! The things I do for her.

Vicita: Hey! Who's poking me? Can't you see I'm in this bush?

Muffy: Sorry!

Vicita: Have you seen my brother's football?

Muffy: No.

Vicita: Are you lying? You smell like you're lying.

Muffy: I am not lying! That smell by the way is expensive perfume.

Vicita: You should get your money back.

Muffy: Well have you seen a soccer ball Little Miss Know-It-All? Francine lost it in this area.

Vicita: What is soccer?

Muffy: You've never heard of soccer? I thought I knew nothing about sport. It's a game where you kick a ball into a net.

Vicita: That is football.

Muffy: No. Football you play with your hands.

Vicita: So why don't they call it handball, huh?

Muffy: Because handball already is a game. It's like squash.

Vicita: Ha! Squash is a vegetable! My Papa is a cook, so I know. You ARE a liar, and maybe a thief as well. Alberto, come quick! I have la bandita!

Muffy: Get away from me! (to Francine) This park is filled with rude people. I'm leaving! Are you coming?

Francine: I guess it isn't here. Maybe whoever owns this ball has mine.

Muffy: Hmm! Call me a liar will you.

Vicita: I'm telling you, Muffy has our Boomerang. She tried to trick me into believing a football was a vegetable.

Alberto: Muffy doesn't even like sports. You're imagining things, Vicita.

Vicita: I am not. Trini was there, she saw the whole thing. Didn't you? She said, yes.

Alberto: Hmm. I rest my case. Come on, let's go home. El Boomerang isn't here.

Brain: The downward slant in the last letter indicates a very assertive personality. Judging from the angle of the letters I'd say whoever signed this was a lefty.

Francine: (sarcastically) Great, I know which hand they used. Now what's the name?

Brain: Beats me.

Buster: There she is. Francine the Destroyer. Careful with your dominoes around this one.

Francine: What are you talking about?

Buster: Yesterday, in the park. You wrecked George's domino set up and you didn't even say sorry.

Francine: They were in the middle of the path. Anyway, George didn't seem that upset.

Buster: Oh, yes he was. I have proof.

George: ...Dad, who bought me the dominoes, My Mum, my dummy...

Francine: Heads up!

Buster: Now in slow motion.

George: No-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o!

Buster: See. The shaking fists, the pained expression. This clearly indicates that George was upset. Now, let's watch it in reverse.

Francine: All right, already! I'm sorry, OK!

Buster: It's not me you should apologize to, it's George. It took him hours to set that up.

Francine: Wait, look at the top of the frame. Who's that?

Buster: It looks like Alberto and his dad.

Francine: I bet it's him! He's got my ball!

Buster: Hey, you forgot this.

Francine: Throw it to me. That was a terrible throw!

Buster: The pressure was too great. It's headed for Elm Street.

[CHASE MUSIC]

Francine: Stop that ball! Gotcha now! Argh!

Killer: Hey, look where you're going. Can't you see I'm sniffing here? You think just because I'm small I can't take you? Come on two-tone, let's rumble.

Grandma Thora: Oh!

[KILLER BARKS]

Alberto: Here you go.

Francine: I'm really sorry about your ball.

Alberto: Me too. It was special.

Francine: Why?

Alberto: It was 1959. Ecuador was playing Uruguay. They were tied. With 10 seconds left in the game, one Carlos Salamanca, the greatest player in Ecuador's history, got the ball.

[SOCCER CROWD CHEERS]

Alberto: He later perfected that move and became known as El Boomerang. That ball was signed by El Boomerang. My grandfather gave it to me.

Francine: Wow. Now I really feel bad.

Alberto: It wasn't your fault. It was just an accident.

Francine: Do you want this ball? It's new and I think it's bad luck for me.

Alberto: No thanks. I've got tonnes of soccer balls. Give it to someone else.

Francine: George!

George: Whoa!

Francine: I just wanted to say I'm sorry I ruined your domino set up. Here. This is for you.

George: Oh! Erm... Thanks.

Francine: Don't mention it.

George: Huh? No-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o!

Francine: You know what's really weird? If I'd stopped to apologize none of this might have happened. I might have found my ball before Alberto lost his.

Muffy: Maybe it'll come back some day.

Francine: Maybe. But I don't think so.