Arthur Read: Super Saver
Arthur wants to buy a new action figure, but his parents have had less work to do lately, so they're tight on money. He looks into ways to save money for the family.
Tropes
- The Blind Leading the Blind: Arthur gets D.W. to help him save money as well. Unfortunately, Arthur's ideas are impractical, such as using scissors to cut the grass rather than paying for gas for the lawnmower, or having Pal lick the dishes clean instead of using the dishwasher.
- Broke Episode: Downplayed. Arthur's parents both do client jobs (his mom does taxes and his dad does catering), and have been getting less work lately, so they skip out on buying a toy Arthur wants. Arthur tries to find ways to save money for them.
- Crystal-Ball Scheduling: Right after Arthur's parents tell him that "times are tough" to explain them having less money, at school the next day, Mr. Ratburn uses the same phrase while giving a lecture about the Great Depression. The hardships he describe make Arthur worry that his situation is much worse than it actually is, and start to extreme lengths to save money.
- Wants Versus Needs: The main reason Arthur wants to save money is to buy a new action figure. After helping his parents save money legitimately, he goes to the store to buy it, but sees a boy raising money to help families in need. He decides to donate his money to the charity instead.
Tibbles to the Rescue
When D.W. uses her stuffed animals to save Timmy and Tommy Tibble from a painful fall, they feel the need to pay her back.
Tropes
- Unwanted Assistance: When D.W. prevents the Tibbles from getting injured, they decide to help her back. They wind up following her around and interfering with anything that could potentially be dangerous, to the point D.W. thinks it's actually worse than them bothering her.
- Waking Non Sequitur: Tommy falls asleep while waiting for D.W. to do something potentially dangerous. When Timmy wakes him up, he shouts, "I didn't do it, Grandma! I swear!"
- What Is This Feeling?: When Timmy and Tommy get saved by D.W., they continue to bully her, but quickly notice that it isn't as fun as usual. They start to worry that they're sick and go to bed, but after their grandmother checks in on them and offhandedly mentions going to return a favor, they realize they feel guilty about not paying D.W. back. Of course, they go too far in offering Unwanted Assistance.
