21x02 - The Master Builders

Episode transcripts for the TV show "Arthur". Aired: October 7, 1996 - February 2022.*
Watch on Amazon Merchandise Toys


Arthur demonstrates to kids how to deal with challenges as homework, teachers and bullies.
Post Reply

21x02 - The Master Builders

Post by bunniefuu »

HELP ALL KIDS LEARN
AND GROW WITH PBS KIDS.

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING
YOUR PBS STATION.

♪ Every day when you're
walking down the street ♪

♪ Everybody that you meet
has an original point of view ♪

(laughing)

♪ And I say hey ♪

Hey!

♪ What a wonderful
kind of day ♪

♪ If we could learn
to work and play ♪

♪ And get along
with each other ♪

♪ You got to listen to your
heart, listen to the b*at ♪

♪ Listen to the rhythm,
the rhythm of the street ♪

♪ Open up your eyes,
open up your ears ♪

♪ Get together
and make things better ♪

♪ By working together ♪

♪ It's a simple message,
and it comes from the heart ♪

♪ Believe in yourself,
for that's the place to start ♪

♪ And I say hey ♪

Hey!

♪ What a wonderful
kind of day ♪

♪ If we could learn
to work and play ♪

♪ And get along
with each other ♪

Hey!

♪ What a wonderful
kind of day ♪

Hey!

♪ What a wonderful
kind of day ♪

Hey!

Hey, D.W.!

Hey!

Whoa...

(crash)

MUFFY:
, Happy Hamster mansions
by Friday?

Sure we can handle that.

Thank you for your business.

Oh, hello!

I'm Muffy Crosswire,
president of Skywire Industries.

You're probably wondering

how a charming little
eight-year-old

started this huge company...

(door opens)

Are you giving the interview
without me?

She didn't tell you she started
this company, did she?

Well, it's the truth!

No way!

I was the inspiration
behind the whole thing!

Was not!

BUSTER:
Hey guys!

We have our next big product:
inflatable dog houses!

When you take a dip,
bring the Skywire Dog Ship!

Oh, an interview!

Hi, Buster Baxter here.

Chief inventor.

Chief inventor?

What do you mean?

I designed our first product.

But only because I asked you to.

Quit fighting.

You're making my company
look bad.

It's not your company,
it's our company!

What are you talking about?
It says in our charter...

None of this would exist
if it weren't for me!

(overlapping arguing)

Don't listen to them.

I'm the brains behind
Skywire Industries,

and I can prove it to you.

Just watch.

The Master Builders.

BUSTER:
Reporting for lunch,
Colonel Langley!

FRITZ:
At ease, Private Baxter.

Grab a stump.

I brought you some greens
from the community garden.

Hallelujah.

The cook in this retirement home

thinks ketchup counts
as a vegetable.

Well, peel my parsnips--
they're back!

Who's back?

See these holes?

That's the work
of the cabbage butterfly.

What's a cabbage butterfly?

The sneakiest garden pest
north of the Rio Bravo.

It was years ago,

but I remember it
like it was yesterday.

I had just staked
the tomatoes

when I noticed one.

Looked innocent.

Cute even.

Then I saw what he was doing
to my cabbages...

Before I knew it he had called
for reinforcements.

The garden was swarming
with them!

It was a full-scale invasion!

I tried every remedy
I could find.

(spritzing)

Nothing worked.

No!

(crying):
No!

My beautiful garden
was being turned into

a rotting pile of compost,

and there was nothing
I could do.

What happened?

The Purple Martin saved the day.

"The Purple Martin"?

Is that a superhero?

Do we call him
on the purple phone?

It's a bird--
a swallow to be precise.

And it likes to eat
cabbage butterflies.

You and I

have to build a birdhouse,
Private Baxter.

The fate of the garden
depends on it.

(doorbell rings)

Happy birthday!

My birthday isn't for
another three months.

I know, I was going
to save it but...

I think you should have it now.

Ta-da!

Now we can be bracelet twins!

Put it on!

Do I have to?

It looks like a creature
is growing out of your wrist.

Oh c'mon,
you could use a little flair.

Hey, it's really stretchy.

Betcha I can hit that apple.

Francine!

No!
You're going to...

Oops.

Well that's the last time
I buy you

a before-your-birthday
birthday present!

I'm really sorry.

I'll fix it.

(meowing)

Nemo!

Let go!

Nemo!

Bad kitty!

No playing with high fashion!

(meowing)

Weird.

I've never seen Nemo
so into a toy before.

It's not a toy.

Or is it?

Hey, did you see this month's
issue of Mini Mogul magazine?

I think mine
was lost in the mail.

Well, the cover story
was all about this guy

who built a business
selling dog toys.

"From Wags to Riches:
the Buck Benders Story."

What does this
have to do with us?

What if we've just stumbled upon
a great invention?

We could start
our own company.

Cat toys?

You really think
those would sell?

(purring)

There's your proof.

Ooh!

(meows)

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

Nice work, Baxter.

I wish I was
a Purple Martin.

It looks so cozy!

Thunderation!

I got to go.

I'm the bingo caller tonight.

There's one last thing to do:

put four bolts in the base
to secure it.

Can I count you?

Yes, sir!

(whistling)

Hmmm... no ratchet.

Hmm...

(phone ringing)

Oh, hey Arthur!

Guess what I did today!

Finished with Model # ?

Yep, let's test it out.

(meowing)

Hmm, I'd say he's jumping
about three feet.

That's the highest
he's gone so far.

(meowing)

(laughing):
Wow.

And he ran away with it

in four seconds--
his best time yet.

I think we've found ourselves
a winner.

What should we call it?

Something that says
cute, but lively.

What if it was a combination
of our names?

Like the Fruffy.

I love it!

And our company will be...
Frenscross.

No!

Skywire!

That sounds better.

Skywire Industries...

Yeah!

Watch out, Buck Benders.

There's a new player
in the pet toy business!

(chirping)

Hey, Mom.

Boy that was some storm
we had last night.

I could hardly sleep
with that howling wind and...

(gasps)

I forgot to put the bolts
in the base of the bird house!

Aw, it's ruined!

What am I going to do?!

I guess you better
call Fritz.

I can't tell Fritz!

He gave me a direct order
and I didn't follow it.

You don't do that
to Fritz Langley.

I'll...

I'll just build another one.

You can't build that!

Why not?

I remember everything
he told me.

"Measure once, cut twice..."

No, wait,
that might be wrong.

Okay, I'll just...

I'll make a different
bird house.

Don't worry, cabbages!

Buster's going to save you!

A cat toy, huh?

Sorry,
I got a million of 'em.

But you don't have
the Fruffy.

The "Fruffy"?

Sounds like a non-dairy
dessert topping.

Forget the name,
this product is guaranteed

to make the laziest of felines
go wild with excitement.

Oh really?

Let's see if you can get
a reaction out of Potato.

FRANCINE:
Come on, Potato.

Play with the Fruffy.

What on earth
do you feed him?

Other cats?

Please, Potato.

I'm begging you.

Give me a sign.

Do something!

(meows)

That's it?

Actually, that's a lot for him.

He hasn't done that
since he was a kitten.

Okay, I'll take by Friday.

We split the profits / .

Deal!

FRANCINE:
How can we make

Fruffies
by Friday?

It took us almost the whole day
just to make one.

We'll just have to step up
our production.

(dialing phone)

Daddy?

I have a business proposition
for you.

There!

It's not so bad.

Purple Martins!

Your house is ready!

(thunder rumbling)

(gasps)

What?!

No!

Aw, it's melting!

I guess using cardboard
wasn't such a good idea...

You may have won this round,

but I'm not through!

(doorbell rings)

I have $ . ,
half a salami,

and a flashlight that works
if you shake it.

Will you build me a birdhouse?

Got any mustard?

Okay.

Yes!

MUFFY:
But all I want is one small,
little factory!

Sorry, Muffin.

No can do.

Well, could you lend us
some of your employees?

It's just till Friday.

Don't get me wrong, I think it's
great what you two are doing.

Reminds me of when I sold
used in-line skates as a kid.

But business is all about

problem-solving
and determination.

You have to figure a way
out on your own.

Well, it looks like
that might be the end

of Skywire Industries.

No.

We can't give up.

But...

Francine,
we have a purpose.

This city is filled
with bored, overweight cats

and, by golly,
we are going to amuse them!

Now let's roll up our sleeves
and make some Fruffies!

And now a word from us kids!

My name is Rowan, and this is
my second grade class.

Buster, Francine, and Muffy

were all trying to make
different things.

And we're making things, too.

We're making pinwheels.

GIRL:
The pinwheel is going to be
a label for our plants

in the garden.

ROWAN:
Our art teacher is Miss Ellen.

MISS ELLEN:
You guys are going to make

an assembly line to put together
the garden pinwheel.

Each group is going to make a
different part of the pinwheel.

ROWAN:
An assembly line is a way
to make a series of things

that are the same.

Each team is working on
one step of the garden pinwheel.

Everybody has a fun job to do.

My team is making an X
across the pinwheel material...

BOY:
...to show the other team
where to cut.

GIRL:
Our team is cutting the plastic
where the first team made lines.

We cut up to the notches on it.

My team was hole punching
the left side of each piece.

ROWAN:
My team is making

the decorations
for the pinwheels.

I pass this paper
with the shapes drawn to him,

so he can cut it out,

and then he passes the shapes
to him so he has the plastic.

And my job is to stick
these things on.

Our team is making labels
for the plants outside.

For example,
this is a shape of a bean.

My team's job
is to write the sign.

Could you pass me that hammer?

Sure.
Thank you.

It's all done
except for one step.

GIRL:
My team is putting the ribbons

on the pinwheel to decorate it.

ROWAN:
That's all the steps

of the assembly line.

GIRL:
Each pinwheel is a label

for the plant that is
in that part of the garden.

ROWAN:
My class loves to make stuff
because we all work together,

and it always turns out
beautiful.

And now back to Arthur!

Where am I?

I wonder if this is
an alien planet...

Whoa!

That is some carrot!

Mm...

Fritz!

Who are you?

Huh?

It's me, Private Baxter.

Hey, you look
a little different.

Did you get a haircut?

Private Baxter?

Oh yes!

I remember you:
the kid who ruined the garden!

Well,
it's not completely ruined.

I just passed a huge carrot.

It wasn't huge.

You're just small, like me.

Three inches to be precise.

I'm only three inches tall?!

What's wrong
with three inches?

It's a very good
height indeed!

How did I shrink?

The cabbage butterflies
took over the place

and infected all the vegetables.

One bite turns you
into a caterpillar.

Oh no!

I'm feeling squirmy!

(cries out)

Purple Martins!

Come save us!

No!

You don't want to call them now!

They'll think we're lunch!

(Purple Martins chirping)

(screaming)

(gasps)

I thought it'd be nice

to have multiple
little houses,

sort of spread out
like a city.

This is amazing!

I love it!

How long will
it take to build?

Mmm...

about a month.

A month?!

The garden will be destroyed
by then.

I might even have turned into
a caterpillar.

Well, I didn't take this job
to build any old birdhouse.

Maybe you should
find someone else.

No, please.

You're all I've got.

I just need it by Friday.

I'll throw in
another salami.

I don't want
your luncheon meat.

I want to make
something beautiful.

Okay, okay, you can make
whatever you want.

Just keep it simple.

(sighs)
Okay.

Nemo!
You're not helping!

Here's more supplies.

I've made three Fruffies so far,
but my fingers are cramping up.

And our assistant
keeps stealing the merchandise.

I'll take over.

You can unpack.

Wow.

You spent a lot.

Francine, our Fruffies are made
with only the finest materials.

Skywire Industries
has a reputation to maintain.

Yeah but how much will we have
to charge to make a profit?

Oh.

I hadn't thought of that.

Let's see: raw materials, labor,

% markup,
plus the pet store's cut...

About $ per Fruffy.

$ ?!

Who's going to pay $
for a cat toy?

Mm...

We can say they're deluxe.

One-of-a-kind.

Signed by the artist.

What "artist"?

"Pi-cat-so!"

There's no such person.

That's false advertising.

Well, work with me here.

We have to do something.

(groans)

Why didn't we think of this
earlier?

You better clean all this up
before Mom and Dad get home.

I want it to look nice
in here.

Is it some special occasion?

No.

I just want to show off
our new vase.

Where'd you get that?

I designed it
and printed it

on my school's D printer.

They're so cool.

You can make anything on them.

Wait a minute!

That's it!

What's "it"?

The D printer

at Catherine's school.

We can print the Fruffies on it.

It'll be so much cheaper.

Yeah, but there's one problem
with that idea.

What?

We'd have to work
with Catherine.

What makes you think
she'll help us?

You seem like
a shrewd business woman,

so we'd like to offer you
the opportunity of a lifetime.

"Business woman"?

I want to be a designer.

That's why I'm going
to a CTE school.

What's that?

It stands for "Career
and Technical Education."

It's a high school where you
also learn the skills you need

for jobs like construction,
culinary arts,

or fashion design.

So?

You can still be a designer.

But you'll be a rich one.

You can save your breath.

I'm not interested

in going into a cat toy business
with you two.

I know I'm going
to regret this.

I'll do all your chores
for a month.

What?

Okay, two months.

That's my final offer.

Please?

We really want this.

Meet me after school
tomorrow.

Oh, and you can start
by changing

Nemo's litter box for me.

(purring)

(knocking)

George?
Are you in there?

George, open up!

(door opens)

Oh.
Hi, Wally.

Is George in there?

George is very busy right now.

Can I take a message?

Will you ask him if the
birdhouse will be ready soon?

I'm visiting Fritz tomorrow

and I'd like to tell him
the garden will be okay.

George says he's working
as fast as he can

and these interruptions
don't help.

But did you bring any snacks?

Thank you for your business.

First we design what we want
on the computer

using D modeling software.

It needs to have
more wiggly hairs.

Ooh, and make
the eyes bigger!

CATHERINE:
Next we make sure
the printer is loaded.

This printer uses plastic,

but other ones use wax, steel,
sometimes even chocolate.

Now here's the really
exciting part.

(beeps)

We start printing...

Whoa!
Oh!

Okay, that's the first batch--
Fruffies.

We'll have to do
another round later.

That's all the time I have
on the printer today.

Let's get them
to the pet store right away.

Great idea!

I bet they'll all sell out
before the weekend.

(sighs)

This is it.

The very last cabbage.

(phone ringing)

Hello?

GEORGE (on phone):
It's ready.

(gasps):
I'll be right over!

You asked for simple
so I made it simpler.

Great, great!

I would've liked to put in
a few balconies,

maybe even a slide...

Just show it to me already!

Behold:
the Lundgren Bird City!

Whoa!

It's amazing!

It's much larger
than I thought it would be.

Yeah, my dad and I
kind of got carried away.

In fact,
we couldn't even lift it.

What?

How will we attach it
to the top of the pole?

Um...
I could build a smaller one?

It'll only take five days.

It'll be too late by then!

Colonel Langley,

I hereby resign my post
as community gardener.

Take me to the stockade.

Sweet sassafras,

what in the blazes are you
talking about, Baxter?

Well, it all started when
I forgot to put those bolts in

like you told me...

And now it's all ruined.

That cabbage is all that's left.

I'm really sorry.

Well, I can't say
I'm not disappointed.

But buck up, son,
we'll just start a new garden.

Huh?

Here's the first half
of the order.

You'll have the second half
by tomorrow.

Oh, right!
The Frumpy.

Sorry but I just got
a shipment in of these.

(gasps)

It's the exact same design
as the Fruffy!

Someone stole our idea!

Sorry to break it to you but I
think it was just a coincidence.

"Creating the Purrrr-fect
Cat Toy:

The Buck Benders story--
Part II."

You were right, though.

It really was a good idea.

Just look at Potato go.

All that work for nothing.

Two spring smoothies,
Brain.

And don't skimp
on the strawberries.

Hey.

Hey.
Hi.

What's in the box?

Cat toys.

Why do you have a cabbage?

I'm going to carry it around
with me always to remind myself

of how I destroyed
the community garden.

It was my fault, too.

I should've made
the birdhouse smaller.

It's okay, George.

It sure was beautiful.

Why do you have
a box of cat toys?

We were going to start
a business making pet toys,

but our idea was scooped.

I guess we'll donate them
to the animal shelter.

And now I have to do
all those chores for Catherine

for using that D printer.

(all sighing)

Hey, do you think a D printer
could make a birdhouse?

I don't see why not.

Catherine said they could make
just about anything.

Why?

There might just be a way
to save Skywire Industries.

Gentlemen,
I have a proposition for you...

(chirping)

FRITZ:
That was made

on a D printer?

Yep.

The best part is
the Purple Martins

really seem to love it.

(chirping)

For Skywire Industries'
next product

I think we should branch out
into other pet homes.

How about...
hamster mansions?

I like it!

I wonder what it'll be like

when we're all
in business together.

Do you think we'll have fun?

(overlapping arguing)

You know, on second thought,

maybe we should
wait a little while

before we start
our own business.

Yeah!

Makes sense.

Who wants more
of my homemade cole slaw?

BUSTER:
To watch more Arthur

and play games with all
the Elwood City friends,

You can find Arthur books
and lots of other books too

at your local library.
Post Reply