The Blizzard/Transcript

(A snowstorm is happening a creature is barely visible through the snow)

Arthur Read: You know what this is a picture of? Give up? it's a polar bear eating a marshmallow in a snowstorm.

(Polar bear growls)

(Arthur grunts and pants while shoveling snow, wind blows)

Arthur: Hey! I'm over here! Hello! (He finds Pal) There you are!

(Arthur places Pal on his head)

Arthur: You know what's worse than walking your dog in a snowstorm? Walking your dog in a blizzard! But you have to walk your dog. If you have a dog, you know what I mean.

D.W. Read: Arthur! (Her head is visible when she jumps)

Arthur: What?!

D.W.: Your Mom says "come inside"!

Arthur: (resumes shoveling snow) I'm trying! D.W.?

(D.W.'s head pops up near Arthur. Arthur screams)

D.W.: Hey! Did you see a polar bear eating a marshmallow out here?

Arthur: Don't be silly. There are no polar bears in this part of the world.

(A penguin rolls around in the snow in front of Arthur and D.W., who are both surprised.)

Arthur: I've been hoping for snow, but this is ridiculous.

(The scene fades to black, then fades to the title card reading "The Blizzard" with the Read family taking a picture)

Announcer: The Blizzard.

(The title card fades to black, then fades to the exterior of the Reads house in a falling snow)

Dr. Jake: And we'll be getting a light dusting of snow overnight.

(Cut to Arthur's room. Arthur is looking out his window)

Arthur: It's snowing! Maybe school will be closed and I'll be forced to play in the snow all day.

David Read: The weatherman says it will just be a light dusting. Now get back into bed!

Arthur: (Groans) Who wants just a dusting of little snow?

(Fade to black, then fade to the exterior of the Reads' house, with snow still falling. There's a deep blanket of snow everywhere outside. We hear the dog bark in the distance. Cut to the radio inside; Jane adjusts the tuner knob. Arthur is still in his pajamas)

Arthur: (Excited) There's snow everywhere! And it's still snowing!

David Read: Why aren't you dressed?

Arthur: Maybe school is closed.

Dr. Jake: (on radio) The snow will stop soon and it'll be a sunny day! No school closings to announce.

Arthur: Why do weather men never say the right thing?

(Cut to the exterior of Lakewood Elementary School, with snow still falling)

(Rattles struggles to ride the bike in a snowstorm. Fade to the classroom, with Arthur, Buster and Francine, all looking out the window)

Francine: I was hoping school might be cancelled. I can't finish my dumb history report. (She shows Arthur her report with only one sentence written)

Arthur: You couldn't finish a one-page history report about the pioneers?

Francine: The pioneers didn't have cars, or electricity or television! Those people were D-U-U-U-U-L-L-L-dul-l-l-l-l-l!

Mr. Ratburn: (enters the classroom) Sorry I'm late. Let's jump right into work.

(Suddenly, the school building loses power)

Mr. Haney: (enters the classroom) Bad news. The storm is getting worse. The building's lost electricity, so the school is closed!

(The students cheer as Mr. Ratburn gasps in shock)

Francine: All right! Now I'll have extra time to do my history report!

Mr. Ratburn: As you exit, hand in your history report on the pioneers.

(Francine closes her eyes in shock)

Mr. Ratburn: I could give you an "F", but I won't.

(Francine smiles in relief. Cut to the exterior of Lakewood Elementary School, with students running and playing in the snow)

Arthur: (to Francine) Why are you mad? He's not gonna give you an "F", right?

Francine: No, but I have to write a three-page report while everyone else gets to play in the snow!

Buster: (in his snow angel) That wouldn't have happened if you did it when you're supposed to.

(A snowball gets thrown onto Buster's face)

Buster: (spits out some snow) Hey!

(Cut to Francine's bedroom. Francine is reading the book on his computer desk)

Francene: "The pioneers crossed the country and had hardships like bad weather." (She closes the book) So what? What if they would stay where they would and invent airplanes then cross the country? (Pan to Francine's window) Duh!

(Cut to David Read shovelling snow and Jane read using the snowblower; snow still falling)

D.W.: Wow! It's so deep!

David: This is nothing. I remember one time when we had snow over my head. (He raises his hand above her head)

Jane: (with carton of gasoline) Wasn't that when you were younger than D.W.?

David: (laughing) Oh, yeah, right. (The winds starts gusting) The storm's getting worse! Everybody, inside!

Arthur and Buster: (in the snow castle) Aww!

(Cut to Kate and Pal looking out the window. Fade to Kate's mind with Pal pulling the sled to Santa at the North Pole)

Santa: (laughing) Welcome to ToyLand, Kate! (He opens the door; lots of presents inside. Fade back to Kate, then pan to Pal, panting)

(Fade to Pal's mind with Kate pulling the sled to Santa at the North Pole.

Santa: Dinnertime, Pal! (He walks out of the way to show meat cooling on the barbecue grill)

(Fade back to Kate and Pal, still looking out the window. They sigh)

(Cut to Francine doing her homework on her computer. Suddenly, Francine's house loses power)

Francine: Daddy, power's out! Can't finish my report without the computer! I'm going to build a snowman!

Oliver: (hands Francine a pencil and a few sheets of paper) Keep working.

Francine: (disappointed) I bet I'm the only person in town not having fun!

(Cut to Mr. Ratburn, working on his car in a snowstorm)

Mr. Morris: You fellas can't leave!

Mr. Ratburn: I must go or I'll never get tomorrow's lesson plan prepared.

Mr. Haney: (inside his car) And I'm hungry!

Mr. Morris: By the power vested in me, by Local 12 Maintenance Workers and Gym Teachers Union, I'm declaring janitorial law! You gotta help me drain the pipes! If they freeze, the school will be closed for a full month.

Mr Ratburn: (gasps in horror) No! We can't let that happen!

Mr. Haney: (horrified) Oh!

(Cut to Prunella, giving the psychic reading to Brain)

Prunella: There's gonna be much more snow and you're gonna meet a tall, dark stranger.

Brain: If you don't mind, I prefer an expert opinion. (He turns on the radio)

Female announcer: (on radio) Another weather update from our meteorologist, Dr. Jake.

(Cut to Dr. Jake in the station studio)

Dr. Jake: There's gonna be much more snow and you're gonna meet a tall, dark stranger. Back to you, Brenda.

(Brain is surprised by those exact words, then turns off the radio)

Brain: Mom, can we go home now?!

Brain's mother: No, our electricity's out.

Prunella: Wanna know your grades in college?

Brain: No!

(Cuts to the kitchen with Ratburn, Morris and Haney. Mr. Morris is looking at the pail of water and Mr. Haney turns the valve)

Mr. Haney: (grunts) The only way to ever be sure the pipes don't freeze would be for us to stay here all night.

Mr. Morris: That's the spirit! I appreciate your volunteering.

Mr. Haney: What? No, I-I didn't mean-I...I'm hungry!

Mr. Morris: I got plenty of beans for us all! (He winks)

(Mr. Ratburn and Haney stick their tongues out in disgust)

(Cut to Arthur and Pal looking out the window)

Dr. Jake: (on radio) Don't worry! There's a zero percent chance of freezing rain.

(However, the weather changes from snow to freezing rain, and the power transformer begin to freeze. Oliver Frensky gets stuck and struggle to keep plowing)

(The electrical pole breaks down and crushes a parked car, setting off its horn)

(Cut to the transmission towers near the power station. One of the transmission towers collapses due to the weight of the ice, causing numerous power outages throughout Elwood Town. Cut to D.W.'s bedroom)

D.W.: Mommy! Daddy! The town is exploding and it's very pretty!

(Fade to Francine's apartment where the family are in robes, trying to keep warm. Oliver and Laverne are drinking coffee.)

Oliver: I've tried all night, but the plow's stuck. None of the roads can get plowed now.

(Francine comes in holding her pencil, shivering)

Francine: Daddy. Look it's too cold to write. I have to stop doing my report.

(Oliver shakes his head, then dials the Read residence, who still have power)

David: Yes we still have power, Oliver. Francine can work on her report here. I'm gonna pick up food. I'll get enough for everyone.

(Fade to David at the Supermarket)

Female Supermarket Announcer (on the P.A.): The power is out across most of the country, and food supplies are little.

(David tries to pick up the last loaf of bread, but Ed Crosswire beats him to it)

David: Is that all the milk, eggs and bread there are?

Ed: Yep. No deliveries can get through. Lucky for me I got the last loaf. First come, first serve. Sorry.

(Ed snickers as he walks away with his cart of groceries.)

(Fade back to Mr. Ratburn, Mr. Haney, and Mr. Morris in the Cafeteria Kitchen, where Ratburn and Haney are cooking the beans by holding lighters underneath the cans)

Female announcer (on radio): The storm shows no sign of stopping. Things are going to get worse before they get better.

Mr. Haney: Why eat beans when we have all this food?

Mr. Morris: I wouldn't eat that junk if I was you. Besides, it's all froze.

(Mr. Haney frustratedly tries to open a pack of frozen hot dogs, but with no success.)

Mr. Haney: (as he bangs the hot dog pack on the table) I. HATE. SCHOOL!

Mr. Ratburn: (aghast) Mr. Haney! (to the ceiling) He didn't mean it!

Mr. Haney: I wanna go home. (scornfully) Beans!

(Cut back to Ed Crosswire coming home, where the power is out. Muffy comes running up to him, holding her hair dryer)

Muffy: Daddy! My hair dryer is broken and the TV is broken and the light from the kitchen is broken.

Ed: (checks a light switch) Nothing's broken, Muffin. Our electricity is out.

Muffy: Make it be fixed, Daddy.

Ed: I can't, Poochie-face.

(Millicent Crosswire walks up behind Muffy to put on Muffy's jacket to keep her warm)

Muffy: (laughs) Very funny. Make it be fixed, daddy. Pay someone.

Ed: This is something money can't fix, honey wallet.

(Muffy's jaw drops in shock. Cut to David walking up to Grandma Thora's house, knocking on her door)

David: Mom! Ready to go?!

(Thora is shown shoveling her driveway)

Thora: I'll be ready to go as soon as I'm finished with the driveway, hon! (she whistles)

(Cut to Buster's neighborhood where freezing rain is still pouring down. David and Thora past Buster, who's standing on the upper balcony)

Buster: (calls down) Hey! Do you guys have any heat at your house?

David: (calls up) Yeah. Come on!

(Francine and her family are walking through the icy streets, when they see David, Thora, Buster and Bitzi coming toward them)

Francine: I never that just walking would be one of the hardest things I've ever did.

(Arthur sees the group working their way back to the Read house. He opens the door allowing everyone in.)

Arthur: There's more coming. Mom invited anyone who needed to get warm.

David: I couldn't buy any food, but everyone brought what they had. I'll mix it all up and make stew.

(Fade to the living room, where D.W. is watching "Mary Moo Cow" on the TV, while Arthur and Buster play checkers on the floor, Francine is sitting on the couch with her pioneer's book in her lap. The rest of the townspeople are huddled around in the living room as well)

Francine: I have less ideas than ever for this dumb report.

Buster: Our house was freezing. I tried to practice the tuba and my lips got stuck to the mouthpiece for two hours.

(Suddenly, the Read house's power goes out. Everyone gasps.)

D.W.: (worriedly) We have no power. This is the most horrible time in my whole life. We're all gonna die in a heap.

David: Thank you for that vote of confidence, D.W. I could still cook on the camp stove outside and in the fireplace.

D.W.: (relieved) Oh, good. We won't starve. (gets worried again) We'll just freeze!

Oliver: Put on your coat and mittens and huddle together near the fire...

Buster: ...And don't try to practice the tuba.

Jane: (holding a short stack of logs) The radio says power's out everywhere. Should we check on the Crosswires?

David: If you want, but I'm sure they found some way to get warm that we can't even afford.

(Cut to the Crosswires running around their house, screaming in panic. They stop when they hear the phone ring)

Ed: I'll get it. (picks up the phone, while Muffy and Millicent continue screaming) Hello?

(Transition to the Crosswires arriving at the Reads' House)

Muffy: No service, no electric blanket! The weather is so rude.

David: (to Ed) Did you bring any of the milk, eggs, and bread that you bought?

Ed: Uh, no. Why?

David: No reason. I'm sure we have enough stew for everyone.

Arthur: (looks at Francine's pioneer book, and notices a woman on the title front, then at Francine) Hey, that looks just like you when you showed up earlier.

Francine: (amazed) Wow, we must've been freezing. No electricity. Just fire for heat. Kinda like us. How do they ever do it?

(A montage of the stew being prepared, everyone having it, and being warmed-up is shown, while a voiceover of Francine is heard, symbolizing what she's writing for her report)

Francine (voiceover): "I don't think I ever could've survived as a pioneer. They had to be the toughest people in the world to live like this. Every day of their lives and they didn't know what tomorrow would bring. They had no weathermen or anything."

(Prunella is once again giving a psychic reading for Brain, using her bowl of stew over her psychic board)

Prunella: The storm's going to end soon.

Brain: (getting tired of this) Oh, give me a break!

(D.W. looks out the window to see no more snow falling. The sky finally cleared up and we see the stars and the moon)

D.W.: Hey, it stopped snowing. We're not gonna die in a heap.

(Everyone chatters happily, while Prunella chants, "I told you so!")

Oliver: It's time to dig out. Who wants to help?

(Most people raise their hands, Francine continues her report, while scenes of everyone clearing up the storm damage and Rattles still struggling to get home on his bike is shown)

Francine (voiceover): "But I think I know how they might've done it. See, a bunch of people work together and do stuff that no one could do alone. Like survive some tough times and start new countries and stuff."

(Scenes of everyone continuing to have stew is shown; Arthur plays the piano while the Frensky parents dance; Ed, goes to his house to pick up his groceries; David and Oliver are shoveling Lakewood Elementary and as they open the door, Mr. Haney, Mr. Ratburn, and Mr. Morris come out. Mr. Haney throws his arms around David and sobs while David comforts him.)

Francine (voiceover): "I bet the pioneers were people like us. We all still kinda need each other's help, but just sorta forget it a lot of the time."

(Francine is shown sitting the Read's living room, alone, finishing the last of her report)

Francine: I'm finished!

(At that point, the power comes back on with the TV coming on, showing Dr. Jake on the air.)

Dr. Jake: If your power's out, keep watching this station, and we'll tell you when we expect it to turn on again.

(D.W. walks in)

D.W.: (happily) The power's back on!

(From this point on, scenes from "D.W.'s Snow Mystery" are shown. First Arthur and D.W. are shown playing in the snow. Then D.W. goes into the house with a snowball)

Jane: Hold it, young lady! A snowball doesn't belong in the house!

D.W.: But I wanna freeze it.

Jane: Why?...

D.W.: Because this was the best day of my life and I always want to keep a piece of it.

Jane: Okay, but let's put it on a plate so it doesn't stick to the freezer.

(Jane puts the snowball on a blue plate, sticks it in the freezer and closes the door, fading to black)

THE END