Read and Flumberghast

"Read and Flumberghast"
Season/Series:	16
Number in season:	5b
Original Airdate:	October 19, 2012; April 12, 2013 ;
	Credits
Written by:	Peter K. Hirsch
Storyboard by:	Robert Yap
	Episodes
Previous; "Night of the Tibble"	Next; "The Last Tough Customer"
	Read transcript

"Read and Flumberghast" is the second half of the fifth episode in the sixteenth season of Arthur.

Summary[edit]

A cupcake has been stolen! The primary suspect: Tommy Tibble. D.W. gathers a jury and demands that justice be served.

Plot[edit]

Arthur is talking to the viewers about the new refrigerator that his family just got for their kitchen, and thinks that it is the best refrigerator that they have ever had. D.W. then tells Arthur to come and look at the box the refrigerator came in. D.W. says that she can see the box being all sorts of things, including an elevator, a mobile home for birds, a motorboat, a submarine, and more. Arthur, on the other hand, sees "a big mess waiting to happen".

Read and Flumberghast

After the title card, Arthur and Mr. Read are seen helping D.W. make her own office out of the empty refrigerator box, and they put it in her bedroom. D.W. is excited to have her own office, and Arthur asks her what kind of work she does, but D.W. tells him to make an appointment if he wants to learn more about D.W.'s office.

After D.W plays office with Nadine for a while, Arthur comes in to D.W.'s room with Bud, who asks D.W. if he can borrow some finger paint. Bud also asks D.W. if she can help him get his cupcake back from Tommy Tibble, who stole his cupcake with red icing when it was Emily's birthday the other day at preschool. D.W. says that she can't get his cupcake back, but she will at least get him an apology.

D.W. and Bud go to the Tibbles' house to get an apology, but Tommy says that Bud is not truthful, and probably fed the cupcake to Rapty instead. Timmy states that he is Tommy's lawyer, and Bud states that D.W. is his lawyer, but D.W. and Bud don't know what lawyers are, so they decide to ask Ladonna about it.

At the Compsons' house, Ladonna teaches D.W. and Bud about lawyers and what they do, also showing them a book about Habeas Canine: Legal Beagle to explain what she means. After learning about lawyers, D.W. and Bud decide to take the Tibbles to court.

That evening at the Reads' house, as Arthur is getting ready for bed, D.W. asks Arthur to hold a trial, but he refuses. After D.W. explains to him that it's for a good cause, Arthur agrees to hold a trial in his backyard, but only on the condition that it will only go for two hours, and that lunch will be served.

The next day, Binky shows up at the Tibbles' house, and informs Tommy and Timmy to come defend themselves in the court case of Compson vs. Tibble on Saturday in Arthur's backyard. Binky also states that lunch will be served.

On the day of the trial, Buster, who is the judge, tells everyone, "You're all guilty!" and squeaks a toy hammer onto the table. Arthur is annoyed with Buster, and tells him that they haven't started yet. Then the trial begins. After a while, they take a long break for lunch. During this time, D.W. and Mr. Read bring in cupcakes for everyone, including Tommy, despite the fact that Tommy claimed to not like cupcakes or know what a cupcake was earlier in the trial. D.W. distracts everyone for a moment, and then they look to see that Tommy has the cupcake in his mouth. After being told not to mumble in the court per Buster's orders, Tommy spits out the cupcake in front of everyone. Tommy also proves himself guilty of eating Bud's cupcake the other day, claiming that he can't resist red icing, and doesn't know why.

Later on, D.W.'s office is recycled, but D.W. is happy to wait another 20 years before she goes back to one someday. The episode then ends.

Characters[edit]

Trivia[edit]

Nadine's last name, "Flumberghast," is revealed for the first time.
Timeline: D.W. says that Bud is new in town. He and his family had moved to Elwood City in "Based on a True Story."
Moral: Dont steal for your own benefits.