The Trouble With Trophies Arthur

# Every day when you're walkin' down the street

# Everybody that you meet

# Has an original point of view

-# And I say, hey!

-Hey!

# What a wonderful kind of day We can learn to work and play

# And get along with each other

# You gotta listen to your heart Listen to the beat

# 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

# We can learn to work and play And get along with each other

# What a wonderful kind of day, hey! What a wonderful kind of day, HEY! #

Hey, DW!

-Hey!

-Whoa!

Who doesn't love getting a trophy?

Wouldn't it be great if you could win one every day?

-Aargh!

-Congratulations, you've won the Wakey-wakey!

The daily award given for waking up.

Er...thanks.

Congratulations, you've won a Toothy!

The lifetime achievement award for outstanding dental hygiene. Speech!

-I'd like to thank my dentist and...

-Congratulations!

A Granny, for best song composed in a bathroom

overheard by your grandmother.

But I didn't compose a song.

-Nonsense! That scream was very melodic.

-Here's your Top-hat trophy,

-for having a head of suitable circumference for hat wearing!

-Ah!

-The Nose-bell Award for breathing!

-A Linty for gathering dust!

The Congressional Medal of Mammals.

The Marc Brown Certificate of Existence!

DOG BARKS

And finally, the Arthur, for just being you!

Huh?

Every year, I like to give out an award to that one student

who has demonstrated the most improvement.

This year's Thinky goes to...

George!

What?! Me? Whoo-hoo! Nice one, George!

Congratulations, George. Although, to be honest,

I thought Fern should have won.

-Really? Why?

-Because you've improved so much this year.

Your skin is better, your posture is better. You almost look pretty.

Thanks, Muffy. I don't really care about winning trophies.

What?! Of course you do. Everyone does.

Not me. Don't get me wrong, it's nice to know people appreciate you,

but it's just a piece of metal.

No, it isn't! It's a piece of metal covered with gold.

I have 21 trophies!

21 trophies?! Where do you keep them all?

-The trophy room.

-Maybe I should make a trophy room too.

Why don't you start with a trophy shelf?

Well, I don't have any. You can use one of my shelves, George. See you.

Poor Fern. She's so sad.

Really? She didn't seem sad to me.

She's hiding it. Look at her, trying to hold her head up high

despite her terrible posture.

It's enough to break your heart.

We've got to help her! Meet me at my place after school.

And then Fern said, "I...I don't have any trophies!

"Why don't you just put your trophies in my room?

"I'm worthless!" And then she said,

"See you!" And then ran out of the room.

So I called out...

Fern! I can help you! You're not alone!

-Poor Fern.

-She didn't say, "I'm worthless."

Maybe not in words, George, but trust me, it was there.

Best Hairstyle For A Pre-Schooler?

-This is a joke, right?

-It is not!

I won it at the Gold Club Beauty Pageant.

Mitzi Wedgewood was devastated.

Anyway, this isn't about me. It's about my helping Fern.

We have to think of something to give her.

How about a baked ham? That would cheer ME up.

I was thinking of a trophy.

Something big and beautiful... and gold!

-We could paint the ham!

-It doesn't matter that the trophy looks like.

It's what it's for that's important.

George is right - it has to be for something that's special about Fern.

She has really nice socks.

'It was the toughest case Chief Inspector Annabel Fauteuil had had.

'The Sapphire of Maharajapoor had been stolen.

'The only evidence Fauteuil had found was a white glove with a D on it -

'the calling card of master jewel thief, the Grey Dove.

'The guard had sworn that no-one had entered or left the room

'since the museum had closed.'

SCOTTISH ACCENT: If you be lying, I'll chib your napper, you numpty!

'And the windows showed no sign of foul play.

'So how had the Grey Dove made off with the sapphire?'

Concentrate, Fauteuil, concentrate!

TUBA PLAYS

Fern, for having the most colourful, fashion-forward footwear,

we hereby present you with the Socky!

Why are you giving me this?

You said you didn't have any trophies, so now you have one.

-Don't you feel better?

-I donated the sock!

That's, um, sweet of you guys, but really, I don't need a trophy.

Of course you don't, but admit it, you WANT one.

No, I don't. Anyway, awards should be for things you do,

like your Thinky, George, which you really earned.

My mom buys my socks. Why don't you give it to her? Excuse me.

She really doesn't seem sad to me. Annoyed, maybe.

She's just a good actress.

I feel your pain, Fern!

Hey, I have nice socks too!

My first Socky!

How about this one? What does the EE in EE Cummings stand for?

That's perfect. Only Fern would know that.

She's coming!

Hey, guys! So this is the new game you were telling me about?

Yup. It's called Poet-tree!

Get it? I knew you'd want to play.

You take turns answering poetry questions.

First poet to the top wins. Want to be Emily Dickinson?

-Can I be TS Eliot?

-Oh, I invited Binky.

He loves poetry too, remember?

-Er...OK.

-If Eliot's taken, I'll settle for Yeats or Pound.

But I'd prefer to be a modernist.

What does the EE in EE Cummings stand for?

Is it Ernest Estlin?

It's Edward Estlin! Ha!

I win!

This was supposed to be for YOU!

Ah-ha! I knew you were up to something.

How many times do I have to tell you? I don't want your silly trophies.

OK, now that was definitely anger.

What's the matter with her anyway?

What's the matter with YOU? Why do you care if she gets a trophy?

I just want her to admit that she wants one, that's all.

Whoo-hoo! So I guess this trophy's all for me.

"For excellence in Poet-tree."

Uh-oh. All of my words are coming out rhyming...

after spending a hour on this Poet-tree climbing.

NO-O-O-O!

'Chief Inspector Fauteuil had been over every centimetre of the room.

'But she was still no closer to solving the mystery.'

FRENCH ACCENT: A guarded room with only one way in and one way out.

How is it possible?

Lutefisk, ma'am?

Mon ami, this time, the great detective Annabel Fauteuil

is truly... How you say? ..blocked!

And so is the writer!

DOORBELL RINGS

Not again! OK, Muffy, you win, I accept the silly trophy.

-Happy now?!

-Yes, and you know what? You really deserve this one!

"To The Meanest Friend Ever."

Huh?!

I'm not mean. She's the one who keeps pestering me.

Quit staring at me!

That's it! "Suddenly, everything became clear to Inspector Fauteuil."

SHE SIGHS Hey, Muffy.

-Bailey said you were in here. What is this room?

-The trophy room.

Or as you would probably call it, the meaningless hunks of metal room.

I never said trophies were meaningless hunks of metal.

Maybe not, but that's what you think.

Anyway, you're kind of right. Some of these are silly.

Like this one - "World's Best Daughter."

It doesn't really mean anything.

That's not true. It means something to you. That's what's important.

There might not be such a thing as the world's best daughter,

but I bet you deserved this anyway.

Here, it's a copy of the story I've been working on.

You'll like the dedication.

"To my dear friend Muffy, who is always inspiring,

"even when she doesn't realise it."

It's so true!

'The director of the museum was frantic.

'She pestered me endlessly.'

That sapphire is our star attraction!

Ticket sales will be down by 20%. I'll have to take a pay cut.

Fear not, Madame Director, your precious jewel, it is safe.

In fact, it has never left this room.

Curses!

'Fauteuil explained how the Grey Dove had stolen the sapphire

'just before the museum had closed and then hid in the sarcophagus.

'His plan was to emerge later when the museum was open and escape.'

Great work, Fauteuil!

For recovering the sapphire, the museum presents you with this.

No, no, madame, for Fauteuil, solving the crime IS the trophy.

Not me! I'll take it!

You must admit, it was an exceptionally wicked plan!

# Every day when you're walkin' down the street

# And everybody that you meet

# Has an original point of view

# And I say, hey!

# What a wonderful kind of day! #

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