Introduction[]
(In the park, Arthur and Buster crawl through high grass with butterfly nets.)
Arthur: Shh! We're hunting the dangerous snig!
Buster: It has big horns, and it makes a terrifying sound, like this: Aroo.
Arthur: And it's really hard to find because it blends in with the trees.
D.W. (as snig): Aroo! Aroo!
Buster: I hear it! I hear it! This way!
(They run towards the sound and discover D.W. with two antler like sticks attached to a headband.)
D.W. (as snig): Aroo! Aroo!...
Arthur: (groans)
D.W. (as snig): Aroo.
Arthur: D.W., you're not camouflaged at all! It's supposed to be hard to see you.
Buster: And the Aroo has to be much scarier, like this: Aroo!
D.W.: Okay, okay.
(D.W. camouflages herself by sticking some leaves on her clothes.)
D.W.: Why do I always have to play the snig? Why can't one of them be the snig for a change? There, that should do it.
(Arthur and Buster crawl through the high grass again.)
Arthur: Once again, we're hunting the dangerous snig.
Buster: It has big horns, and...
Arthur: They know that, Buster.
D.W. (as snig): Aroo!
Buster: (gasps) I hear it!
Arthur: Let's go!
(They run to the grass where D.W. is.)
D.W.: Roar!!
Arthur+Buster: Augh!
Buster: Oh no!
Arthur: D.W., you're wearing... Aughhhh!
Buster: Poison ivy!
(The boys run away.)
D.W.: Poison ivy? I thought we were playing dangerous snig.
(The boys run and D.W. runs after them.)
Arthur: Aughhh!!
D.W.: Arthur, you can't keep changing games! Wait up!
Title Card: Buster Roars (Lion)[]
(That evening, Arthur flosses his teeth while sitting on the bathtub rim, while D.W. stands in front of the mirror, covered in red spots.)
D.W.: It itches, Mommy, it itches!
Mrs. Read: This calamine lotion will help, honey.
(She applies some lotion. D.W. looks at her face in the mirror.)
D.W.: Look at me, everyone's gonna run away from me.
Arthur: No they won't, D.W.
D.W.: You and Buster did.
Mrs. Read: It'll go away, D.W. The important thing is not to scratch. Arthur will help distract you.
Arthur: I will?
***
(The next morning, Arthur accompanies D.W. D.W. is wearing a hockey mask like Jason Voorhees from Friday the 13th and oven mitts.)
Arthur: D.W., do you have to wear my hockey mask?
D.W.: If people can't see me, they won't run away.
***
(Arthur and D.W. enter the Sugar Bowl where Buster is sitting at a table.)
Buster: Hi, Arthur! Hi, D.W.!
D.W.: I'm not D.W. I'm... uh... Otis.
Buster: Why do you have a hockey mask on, uh... Otis?
D.W.: I don't wanna get hit in the face with a puck. You got a problem with that?!
(Arthur whispers to Buster.)
Arthur: She's got poison ivy, and she thinks people will run away from her. I'm supposed to make her feel better.
Buster: Oh. Hey, Arthur, remember back in the fall when I had that really bad cough?
Arthur: What cough?
Buster: You know, the cough that started everything?
***
(Flashback: Arthur and Buster sit in the treehouse with a stack of books while it rains.)
Buster: (coughs)
Arthur: Check out these old joke books I found in the basement.
(Buster opens a book and there is a cloud of dust.)
Buster: (coughs) Hey, what did the banana say to the hippo?
Arthur: What?
Buster: Nothing, bananas don't talk.
Arthur+Buster: (laugh)
Buster: (coughs badly)
Arthur: Buster, are you okay?
Buster: Having...trouble...breathing.
(The flashback ends.)
Buster: I didn't know what was wrong with me. It felt like I was trying to breathe through a straw.
D.W.: So? I can breathe through a straw.
(D.W. takes a straw from her drink and breathes through it.)
Buster: A straw that's clogged. Allow me to demonstrate.
(He takes D.W.’s milkshake and drinks it empty.)
Buster: Ah... See? You can imagine how hard it is to breathe through a straw full of milkshake.
D.W.: No, I can't. I don't have any milkshake left!
Arthur: I remember that day. Your mom came and took you to the doctor's right away!
***
(The following scenes are flashbacks: Bitzi Baxter drives away from the Read house with Buster in the backseat. Arthur and his dad stand at the door.)
Buster: (coughs)
Arthur: This is all my fault!
Mr. Read: How could it be your fault?
Arthur: It's because I showed him those dirty books! That's what made him sick! I just know it!
(He runs back inside.)
***
(Buster sits in the doctor’s office and breathes through an oxygen mask.)
Doctor: The dust and mold from the old joke book made it hard for you to breathe because you have asthma.
Buster: Asthma? Does this mean I can't read books anymore, or tell jokes, or laugh?
Doctor: Don't worry, Buster. If you take your medicine, you can do all the things you like.
(She hands him an inhaler.)
Buster (narrator): It didn't seem like such a big deal... to me.
***
(In the school library, Arthur talks to Francine and Binky.)
Arthur: If he gets even one little bit of dust up his nose, he can't breathe! It could happen anytime!
Francine: Is asthma contagious? Shh. Here he is.
(Buster joins them.)
Buster: Hi, guys.
Arthur: Hi, Buster. Here, let me take those for you.
(He takes Buster’s book and wipes it with a handkerchief.)
Arthur: There you go, buddy, all clean now!
Buster: Uh... thanks.
(Arthur and Francine look at Buster with nervous grins.)
Francine: Has anyone seen my penicillin...? I mean, pencil and pen.
(She leaves.)
Binky: So, Buster, if your asthma goes off do you get to leave class?
Buster: Uh, maybe. Just to get my medicine.
Binky: Just to get your... medicine? He winks. I bet that could take a long time.
Buster: Uh...
***
(Buster, Arthur, Francine and Binky walk along a corridor.)
Buster: I'll see you guys in the cafeteria. I have to go to the nurse's office.
(He leaves.)
Arthur: Why does he have to go there?
Francine: Maybe they're gonna move him to a special school for sick kids.
Binky: He's probably faking it to go home early.
(They look through the door window and see the nurse give Buster an inhaler.)
Binky: See, I knew he was faking it. He's just playing the kazoo.
Arthur: That's his inhaler. He's taking medicine to help him breathe.
(Buster opens the door and the three kids fall into the room. Arthur looses his glasses.)
Kids: Oof!
Buster: What are you guys doing here?
(He hands Arthur his glasses.)
Arthur: You found my glasses! We were just looking for them. (nervous laugh) Now we can all go to lunch.
(The three leave.)
***
(Arthur and Buster stand at the cafeteria counter.)
Arthur: Watch out, Buster!
(He blows powder sugar off a donut.)
Arthur: Here you go. It's safe now.
***
(At recess, Buster swings on the jungle gym. Sue Ellen runs by with a soccer ball.)
Sue Ellen: (giggles)
(Binky crawls on the floor.)
Binky: (gasps for breath) Can't breathe! Tell the nurse! I think I have plasma!
Buster: Don't you mean "asthma," Binky?
(Buster looks annoyed. Binky looks sheepish and gets up.)
Binky: Oh, stupid word. Too many consonants all smooshed together!
***
(The kids play basketball. Buster gets a hit. Francine gets the ball, but drops it as Buster approaches a base.)
Buster: (gasps) Why did you do that? You had me out.
Francine: It was an accident.
Buster: No, it wasn't! I saw you drop the ball on purpose.
(Francine stares at him. In her imagination, green fumes come out of his mouth.)
Buster: What's wrong? Are you okay?
Francine: Stay away! Stay away!
(She runs away. Buster looks sad.)
***
(Buster watches from a window as the other kids continue the game. Francine tags Sue Ellen.)
Sue Ellen: Oh!
Francine: Gotcha!
(The nurse gives Buster a new inhaler.)
***
(Buster talks to Arthur, Francine and Binky in the classroom.)
Buster: Guess what? I'm cured!
Arthur: Really? Are you sure?
Buster: Sure I'm sure. Could I do this if I had asthma?
(He picks up a book and inhales deeply.)
Buster: Ahh... math.
Arthur: But that's not an old book.
Buster: Yeah, but it must have some dust in it. I've never opened it.
Binky: So you don't have to use that kazoo anymore?
Buster: Nope.
Francine: Well, I'm glad that's over. Now I don't have to worry about catching asthma.
Buster: Hm...
***
(Arthur, Buster, Francine and Binky walk past the nurse’s office. Buster stops.)
Arthur: What is it, Buster?
Buster: Uh...
(He sees the nurse through the window with an inhaler.)
Francine: It's Boston cream pie today. If we don't hurry, it'll all be gone.
Buster: Yeah, pie... Let's get that pie!
(He follows the others.)
***
(The kids play hockey using brooms and a soccer ball.)
Kids: (yell)
(Binky tries to block Arthur and there is a lot of dust.)
Buster: Over here, I'm open! He gets the ball and scores. (pants) Hooray! (coughs) That's one... (coughs) ...to nothing... (coughs) ...Binky.
Arthur: Are you okay, Buster? Maybe I should go get the nurse.
Buster: (gasps for breath) I'm fine... Just need a glass of water.... That's all...
***
(Buster uses an inhaler in the nurse’s office.)
Buster: (inhales) Ahh... that's much better.
Nurse: It's important to take your medicine. Why'd you skip your appointment?
Buster: I don't know. I didn't want my friends to know about it. They've been treating me really weird.
Nurse: Do you think maybe they don't understand?
Buster: Maybe... maybe that's it.
***
(George stands in front of the class and rubs two balloons on his shirt. Then he sticks them on his antlers.)
George: And that's an example of static electricity. Thank you.
(The others clap. Buster walks to the front.)
Buster: My science report is about asthma. But first, I need you to imagine that you're very, very small.
(The others look at him.)
Buster: You're not imagining it! I really want you to imagine it.
(The others close their eyes. In their imagination, they shrink on their chairs until they are about three inches tall.)
Buster: Very good. Now I want you all up my nose on the double! (inhales deeply)
Kids: Whoa!
(The kids fly into his nostrils and find themselves on a rim in the trachea. Buster appears hovering in the air, dressed like a museum guide.)
Buster: Watch your step. No flash photography, please.
Binky: I don't think I've ever been in anyone's lungs before.
George (from a distance): Help, I'm stuck in some pie!
Buster: Oh, no! George went down the wrong way! He's in my stomach!
(He flies up and retrieves George, whose legs are covered with yellow goo.)
George: Yuck! Custard pie.
Buster: Stick with the group, George. You could get lost in here!
(The kids are now in the bronchia.)
Francine: Is this where the asthma is? Is it a giant bug that'll attack us?
Buster: No, no, asthma is just a word for what happens to my lungs when I breathe in dust or mold, like this.
(Some dust flies by. The floor on which Buster stands starts rising.)
Buster: See, the walls are getting smaller! This is when I usually start to cough! Hold on!
(A deep coughing noise sends the kids flying upwards.)
Kids: (scream)
(Buster coughs. The tiny kids fly into the classroom and return to normal size.)
The fantasy ends.
Arthur: Boy, he sure is a good storyteller. That felt so real!
George: Ugh!
(His legs are still covered in custard. Francine raises her hand.)
Buster: And asthma is not contagious.
(Francine lowers her hand.)
Buster: Any questions?
Binky: Are you trying to tell us something?
Buster: Yeah, I'm still the same old Buster. I just have asthma... like I have big ears.
(The kids clap. Binky takes notes.)
Binky: "Same old Buster..." "Big ears." Oh-ho. I'm gonna ace this test.
***
(The flashbacks end. Buster sits in the Sugar Bowl with Arthur and D.W.)
Buster: Once they understood it, it wasn't such a big deal anymore.
D.W.: Hey, I bet if someone's afraid of my poison ivy, I should just explain it.
(Buster nods. D.W. removes her mask.)
Buster: Hey, you're not Otis, you're D.W.!
D.W.: Heh heh. Sorry I had to fool you.
(The Tibbles stand beside their table.)
Timmy: (gasps) Look, Tommy! D.W.'s got the chicken poxes!
D.W.: No, I don't, it's just poison ivy. It's no big deal.
(The Tibbles walk backwards.)
Tommy: Don't come any closer! We'll catch it!
D.W.: No, you won't. I'll tell l about it. Then you'll understand.
(The Tibbles run out of the Sugar Bowl, pursued by D.W.)
Timmy+Tommy: No! (scream)
D.W.: Come back here and let me make you smarter! I got it from a plant, and it'll be gone in a couple of days and the white stuff's called Calamine lotion. Hey, wait up, there's more!