Calvin receives an anonymous letter in the mail with a code and instructions to wait for further correspondence. Calvin is fascinated by his mysterious penpal, although things quickly turn sour when he starts receiving coded insults.
Tropes
- Arson, Murder, and Admiration: Calvin furiously chases Hobbes around the yard after finding out the truth, irritated at the coded messages and insults...but he admits the skull drawings were pretty cool.
- Cloudcuckoolander: Calvin turns into one after receiving the first message with the code in it, sitting at his desk at school with a blank smile on his face, completely oblivious to everything around him. Even Ms. Wormwood yelling at him fails to get his attention, and he's even transported to the principal's office without realizing it.
- Cut-and-Paste Note: The mystery writer (Hobbes) cuts out letters from magazines for the notes.
- Early Personality Signs: Played for Laughs; while excited about the note (and not noticing anything else), Calvin thinks that he'll probably become a spy when he grows up because of his skill at figuring out what's happening. Miss Wormwood drags him to the principal without him coming out of his daze.
- Easily Forgiven: After discovering that Hobbes was the one mailing him insults, Calvin says he'll never forgive him. Hobbes then suggests they play the same prank on Susie, and Calvin immediately comes around on the idea, deciding to forgive Hobbes instantly.
- Girls Have Cooties: When first receiving the initial letter, before opening it, Hobbes theorizes it might be from a girl. Calvin immediately freaks out at the possibility, getting some gloves to open it with, planning to bury it deep in the backyard and disinfect his room if Hobbes's theory ends up being correct.
- Internal Reveal: The audience figures out that Hobbes wrote the letters one strip before Calvin himself does.
- I Take Offense to That Last One: One note says that Calvin looks and smells like a baboon. As Calvin furiously questions who the mystery writer could be, Hobbes says that said writer is a truth-stretcher because Calvin doesn't look like a baboon. Calvin isn't amused by the veiled insult.
- The Reveal: Calvin is lying in bed, griping about how he'll never be able to figure out who his 'penpal' is due to him perfectly covering his tracks. The strip then cuts to Calvin's mom trying to read a magazine but finding the pages all cut up. Calvin's mom and dad obviously wouldn't waste their time on a prank of this nature, so the writer is obviously Hobbes, who can be seen rolling his eyes as Calvin gripes.
- Sickeningly Sweet: When Calvin wonders if the note is a mushy poem with the "i's" dotted with hearts, he sticks his tongue out and says that he thinks he would throw up.
- Stink Snub:
- One note tells Calvin he smells like a baboon.
- At the end, Calvin sends Susie a mystery note of his own saying that she stinks.
