Introduction[]
Arthur opens a new refrigerator in the Reads’ kitchen.
Arthur: It's so roomy! You can control the temperature on each drawer. And best of all, instant ice! He drops some ice-cube into a glass and drinks. Ah. I think this is the best refrigerator we've ever had!
D.W.: Forget the refrigerator. Check out this!
D.W. stands beside a refrigerator-sized cardboard box.
Arthur: It's a box. Big deal.
D.W.: (sighs) That's the difference between you and me, Arthur. You see a box, I see an elevator.
In D.W.’s imagination, the box turns into an elevator. The doors slide open and D.W. gets in. Then the elevator flies up through the roof like a rocket. D.W. looks out of a porthole.
D.W.: Or it could be a mobile home for birds!
Four crows land on the box and carry it away. They drop it in a river. D.W. looks out.
D.W.: Or it could be a motor boat!
She turns on a propeller and drives the box like a boat.
D.W.: Or a submarine!
A glass roof closes over her and the box disappears below the surface. D.W. drives past some fish.
The fantasy ends.
D.W.: Or a hotel for lobsters, or a unicorn temple, or a...
Arthur: You know what, D.W.? You're right. It isn't just a box. It's a big mess waiting to happen.
He walks away.
D.W.: ...or a library of big books, or a top secret…
She runs after him.
Title Card: D.W. and Nadine drink through crazy straws[]
The box stands in the garage. Mr. Read uses a saw to make a door in it. D.W. goes in and gives him the thumbs up.
***
D.W. paints a sign in the yard while Arthur spells out the words for her.
Arthur: O-F...
***
In D.W.’s room, Arthur moves the box into position.
D.W.: A little to the left. Now to the right. Stop! Perfect! My very own office. I can't wait to get to work.
She goes inside. The sign now says “D.W.’s Office”.
Arthur: What kind of work do you do?
D.W.: Arthur, I'm too busy to explain everything to you now. If you want to know more, make an appointment.
She closes the cardboard door.
***
Later, the office contains a table, stools, a toy phone, a lamp and a flower pot.. D.W. talks to Nadine.
D.W.: Okay, Nadine, we've got a lot to get done! So let's get to it. I need ten copies of this. Nadine nods and a paper in D.W.’s hand multiplies. Staple them and file them.
Nadine staples the copies together.
Nadine: Done!
The toy phone rings.
D.W.: Could you answer that, please?
Nadine: Good morning, D.W.'s office. Someone talks intelligibly on the phone. It's the tooth fairy.
D.W. feels her teeth.
D.W.: Er... tell her nothing's wiggly. Call back in a few months.
Nadine: Sorry, Patricia, no teeth right now. But we appreciate your business.
She hangs up.
D.W.: (sighs) I guess it's time to write the checks. Nadine hands her a piece of paper and D.W. makes check marks. Check, check, check, check. And here's a check for you!
She hands Nadine a page with a large check mark.
Nadine: Can I have a raise?
D.W.: You just got here!
Nadine: And I've been working non-stop!
D.W.: Fine, fine. Here's a raise.
She adds two check marks to the page.
Nadine: Thank you! I love my job.
D.W.: Well, we love having you.
Nadine starts doing her nails.
Nadine: What now?
D.W.: Juice break?
Nadine makes two fancy glasses with crazy straws appear. They clink glasses and drink.
D.W.+Nadine: Ahh...
***
Some time later, D.W. is asleep at her desk. Arthur opens the door.
D.W.: (snoring)
Arthur: D.W.!
D.W.: Aah!
Arthur: You've got company!
Behind Arthur is Bud holding Rapty.
D.W.: Do you have an appointment?
Bud: No, I just came by to borrow some fingerpaint.
D.W.: Let me check with my partner. She addresses an empty stool. Uh-huh. Yeah. Okay. Sorry, we're all out.
Bud: Who's your partner?
D.W.: Nadine. She's what you call a silent partner. Anyway, welcome to Read and... She looks at the stool. ...Flumberghast! Funny. I never knew that was her last name. Is there anything else we can do for you?
Bud: You can get my cupcake back from that snack robber Tommy Tibble. Remember the other day when it was Emily's birthday?
Flashback: At preschool, Emily blows out four candles on a cupcake. Miss Morgan offers a tray of cupcakes to the others.
Bud (narrator): I was excited because no one had taken the one with red icing, and I love red icing.
He takes the red cupcake.
Tommy: (gasps)
Bud (narrator): Even though it tastes just like any other icing. And then Timmy asked me to hold his juice and I put my cupcake down. When I went to pick it up again, it was gone! Tommy had red icing on his mouth.
This is shown.
The flashback ends.
Bud: It may have been the worst day of my entire life.
D.W.: Don't worry, Bud. I may not be able to get you that cupcake back, but I'll at least get you an apology. Come with me.
***
D.W. and Bud talk to Tommy at the Tibbles’ front door, while Ladonna waits at the gate reading a comic book.
D.W.: You owe Bud one cupcake!
Bud: With red icing!
Tommy: No way! I didn't take his cupcake. He probably fed it to his silly dinosaur. Anyway, what do you care?
Timmy appears next to Tommy.
Bud: She cares 'cause she's my lawyer.
D.W.: I am? I mean, I am. And I demand justice!
Timmy: Oh, yeah? Well, I'm Tommy's lawyer and I say, "Prove it."
D.W.: I will.
Timmy: I can't wait.
D.W. and Bud walk off.
D.W.: (whispers:) What's a lawyer?
Bud: I'm not sure. I saw it on TV back when we had TV. Ladonna will tell us.
***
At the Compsons' house, Ladonna shows Bud and D.W. a comic book, in which an anthropomorphic cat attacks a canary and ends up in court, prosecuted by a dog lawyer.
Ladonna: And Habeas, he's the lead dog at a law firm, says, "Then how do you explain this yellow feather, Fat Cat?" It's called “Habeas Canine, Legal Beagle” and it's a great series. There's a new case in each one and Habeas always wins, except for book ten, but that's a two-parter. You want to borrow book one, “Habeas Versus Fat Cat”?
D.W.: Erm...I can't read.
Bud: We just want to know what lawyers do.
Ladonna: Well, it depends on what kind of a lawyer it is. The Legal Beagles defend clients in a court in front of a jury and a judge. Winning the case means that one side convinces the jury that what they said happened actually happened. Then the judge decides on the punishment, if there is one.
D.W.: Sounds easy enough. Let's take those Tibbles to court.
D.W. and Bud start leaving.
Bud: Yeah! We'll get two cupcakes back, one for me and one for you.
D.W.: And Nadine. Don't forget the silent partner.
Bud: Oh, yeah, sorry!
***
That evening, Arthur brushes his teeth while D.W. stands in the door.
Arthur: No.
D.W.: But it's for a good cause. Justice must be served!
Arthur: Fine, but why do my friends and I have to serve it in our backyard on a Saturday?
D.W.: Because you and your friends are so smart and fair and wise.
She follows him into the hallway.
Arthur: Still no.
He goes into his room and slams the door. D.W. keeps talking while Arthur leans against the door looking resigned.
D.W.: If you could have seen Bud today, he was a wreck. He is new here, hardly knows a soul and then, this happens. It is not right, Arthur. What if it happened to you? You'd feel so... so alone. (sobs)
Arthur opens the door.
Arthur: Okay, okay, we'll be your judge and jury. He closes and opens the door. Only for two hours, and there'd better be lunch.
He closes the door.
D.W. smiles. Nadine appears and gives her a handkerchief to blow her nose.
D.W.: How was I?
Nadine: Amazing! You had me crying, too.
She loudly blows her own nose.
D.W.: Miss Flumberghast, I think we've got this case in the bag.
***
Binky knocks at the Tibbles' door. When they open, he reads a summons.
Binky: You are hereby summoned to appear before the honorable judge Buster Baxter in Arthur's yard this coming Saturday to defend yourself in the case of Compson versus Tibble. Lunch will be served.
He hands Tommy the summons and leaves.
Timmy: Relax, Tommy, there's no proof. Just do exactly what I say. We're going to mop the floor with those two.
***
The kids have set up a courtroom in Arthur’s yard. Buster, wearing a black coat, is the judge.
Buster: First off, I'd like to say that you're all guilty!
He slams a squeaky toy hammer on his desk.
Binky is the bailiff. Ladonna, Cheikh, James and Arthur sit on a bench as the jury. D.W. and Bud sit on a table made of a handcart, the Tibbles sit at another.
Arthur: Buster, we haven't even started yet!
Buster: Oh, okay. Proceed.
D.W.: Today, I will prove to you that this poor little boy had his cupcake stolen by Tommy Tibble. It was mean and greedy and justice must be served.
Timmy: And I will show you that Tommy did not steal that cupcake. In fact, he doesn't like cupcakes. He doesn't even know what a cupcake is.
Tommy: It's a muffin, right?
Arthur: He doesn't know!
James: Amazing.
Buster: Order! Order!
D.W.: (to Bud:) Don't worry. I've got a star witness who knows for a fact that he is lying.
Bud sits in the witness stand.
Bud: Then I saw him lick the icing from his mouth. It may have been the worst day of my entire life.
D.W. hands him a handkerchief and he blows his nose.
Timmy walks up to Bud.
Timmy: Who are you really, Bud Compson?
Bud: Huh?
Timmy: What is "Bud" short for?
Bud: I-I-I'm not sure.
Timmy: Ladies and gentleman, he doesn't even know who he is.
Bud: Yes, I do! I'm me!
Timmy: How many cupcakes were on that tray, and what time exactly do you claim yours was stolen?
Bud: I-I-I don't remember.
Timmy: I'm done with this witness.
D.W.: I'd like to call on Nadine Flumbergast.
Tommy: (gasps)
Timmy: I object, she's imaginary!
D.W.: But she heard directly from Uncle Wormy, Tommy's imaginary friend, that he confessed to taking the cupcake.
Buster: Young lady, the only imaginary friends allowed in this court are my imaginary friends. You're welcome, Xenon. We will now take a long break for lunch.
He squeaks his gavel.
Bud: What now?
D.W.: I don't know. She was my star witness. Let me think. There's one more thing we can try, but it's a long shot.
***
After the break, Buster drums his fingers on his desk.
Buster: Well, Mr. Compson, where's your lawyer? We don't have all day.
Bud: She had to run an errand with her daddy, your honor, but I'd like to call Tommy Tibble to the stand.
Tommy sits in the witness stand.
Tommy: Well, what do you wanna know?
Bud: Oh, just this!
He gives Tommy his power stare.
Tommy: (gasps)
Bud: Admit it!
Tommy: Er...I... I ate... He puts on sunglasses. (relieved breathing)
D.W. comes with her dad. Both carry boxes of cupcakes.
D.W.: Hey, everyone, who wants dessert? Here you go, cupcakes for everyone. One for you and you and... She is about to give a red cupcake to Tommy. Oh, wait. That's right, you don't like cupcakes. Well, I'll just set it right down here, anyway. She puts the cupcake in front of Tommy who looks uncomfortable. (gasps) Is that a bald eagle?
Ladonna: Huh? Seriously?
Arthur: Where?
While everyone looks up, Tommy stares at the cupcake. D.W. smiles.
D.W.: Sorry. My mistake. It was just a cloud. Now let's get back to the trial.
D.W. walks back to Tommy who has his mouth full. The cupcake is gone.
D.W.: So, Tommy, you say you don't like cupcakes. Is that right?
Tommy: (mumbles)
D.W.: I can't hear you. Could you please speak up?
Tommy: (mumbles)
Buster: The court commands you not to mumble!
Tommy spits out red pieces of cupcake.
Binky: Eww!
Petunia: Sweet petunia!
Tommy: I did it! I ate it! I ate Bud's, too. It's the red icing, I can't resist it! I don't know why! (sobs)
Bud: Thank you, D.W. Those cupcakes you brought out were delicious, but justice tastes even sweeter.
They shake hands.
***
A few days later, Mr. Frensky puts the large cardboard box into the garbage truck. D.W. and Nadine watch.
Nadine: Well, there goes our office.
D.W.: Yup, shut down because of recycling day.
Nadine: Will you miss it?
D.W.: Are you kidding? It was so stressful, I'm happy to wait another twenty years before I go back to one.