From your friends at PBS Kids! Music To the listeners of the Arthur Podcast, I'm in the middle of a big disaster. I'm locked inside the library at night! Francine is here, but we're in a big fight. I don't even know where she is right now. Okay, okay, okay. Let me back up. I'll tell you how I got here. So it all started yesterday when Buster and I were walking to school. Music Pew! And then Bionic Bunny was trapped, and you'll never believe what he did next. What? Arthur Reed! Hey Francine! Did you tell everyone I looked like a marshmallow? Um, I, um, well... Yeah, don't you remember? You did call her a marshmallow, Arthur, when she was wearing that goofy white sweater. You better apologize or you're gonna get it, Arthur Reed. I am not joking! Wow, she's loud. You got a thing? Come on, we gotta get to class. Music I can't believe you told Francine what I said! This is all your fault, Buster! My fault? You're the one who called her a marshmallow? Whistle Oh, Francine threw you a note. Here. Dear Arthur, this is your final warning, because you're in big trouble. And I mean big. Yikes. She drew a really frowny emoji on the bottom. Attention, please. Mr. Baxter, perhaps you could be persuaded to focus on class today? Question. What makes a hero? And are you born with heroic characteristics, or are they something you develop? That is the question I want you to think about over the weekend. Your homework is to make an oral report on the hero of your choice. You'll be working in pairs... Yes! ...that I will assign. Aww. George, you're with Ladonna. Brain, you're with Jenna. Binky, I've paired you with Suella. Muffy, you'll be working with Buster, and Arthur with Francine. What? But she's really mad at me. Chat with your partners for the last few minutes of class to make a plan for your project. I can't believe you got Francine. She threw you another note. Here, Arthur. Dear Arthur, I will meet you at the library tomorrow at 3 o'clock at Miss Turner, the librarian's desk. But don't say one single word to me because I'm not speaking to you. From your enemy, Francine. Wow, this emoji has a total scribble mouth and horns. She's really mad. Good luck, Arthur. Well, podcast listeners, we're here at the library. To be with my partner Francine, I thought if I brought you, maybe she'd yell at us. Think there's any chance she's not mad at me anymore? And Miss Turner, it was just a bloody white slip. Oh boy. Which is why I still mad. Oh, hello, Arthur. Francine was just telling me about your... report on heroes. What sort of hero are you two looking for? Well, maybe a man who... A woman. Or a woman who, like, did something famous? Okay. Arthur, why don't you start with Joan of Arc, horses, battles, exciting stuff. The books on Joan are downstairs. And Francine, you could look into Harriet Tubman, the brave creator of an underground railroad. You'll find her upstairs. But don't forget, the library closes promptly at... We know. Five o'clock. Arthur, I'm putting my headphones on, so don't even try to talk to me. Quit being so bossy. We're not even going to the same floor, Francine. Here you go. Headphones on. Podcast listeners, you heard it here. She is definitely still mad. Let's see. Joan of Arc, Joan of Arc, Joan of Arc. Okay, here are the books. Joan of Arc, France's favorite martyr. And Joan, the maid of Orleans. Wait, is she a martyr or a maid? Guess I gotta read the books to find out. Podcast people, if you have to be in a fight with your friend, the library isn't such a bad place. Soft chairs, warm sunlight through that window. It's kind of cozy. Okay. Shhh. What? I was having the weirdest dream about a french fry. And it... Wait. Why are the lights off? What's happening? I'm in the library. And it's dark. Really dark. Ah! That chair was too comfy. I totally fell asleep. Oh no. I gotta see if anyone is still here. Hello? Miss Turner? Miss Turner? Anyone? Hello? I can barely see anything. Let me try the doors. Oh no. The doors are locked. I think I hear someone. They're coming closer. I don't know if I should wait or run. Or wait or run. Run! Ah! Arthur! Why didn't you tell me what time it was? You got us locked in. Me? I fell asleep. Why didn't you tell me what time it was? I told you I had my headphones on. I couldn't hear the announcements. I have no time for childish bickering, Arthur. I have to get out of here. Fine. And by the way, I'm still not talking to you. And I'm not listening either. Fine. But you probably need to know that the doors are locked. The end is here. There is no way out. And I just remembered something. What? Today is Saturday, which means the library is closed until Monday. Oh, great. Well, I guess I can live without food. That was my stomach. Maybe not. And our families will be worried sick. Not DW. She's probably moved all her stuffed animals into my room already. I can't even rename pal to rainbow fluffy or something. Poor puppy. Wait a minute. I've got it. Wait for me. Why are we in the self-help book section? How to escape from a stuck elevator. How to escape from a desert island. How to escape from an escape room. No. It should be here. How to escape from a library. Somebody must have checked it out. But who would need a book on escaping from a library unless they were already in a library? Oh, great. I got so mad my ears are ringing. Mine too. Wait, that's not our ears. That's the phone. On Miss Turner's desk. Hello? Hello, Miss Turner? This is Muffy Crossfire. I haven't had the chance to get to the library today. I was wondering if you could need a book signing. Muffy, listen, it's me. Red Scene? Oh, sorry. I must have called the wrong number. No, wait. She hung up. What did you do? How could you let her hang up? I couldn't help it. It's Muffy. Don't freak out, Arthur. We still have the phone. I'll call my mom. Before placing a call, you must enter the correct user code. Please hang up and try again. So we can't call our parents? Nope. Okay. We're doomed. Would you relax? We'll figure it out. We can't call. We don't have cell phones. No one will hear us if we yell. But maybe there's another way to send a message. Wait, I got it. We'll just email them. Is it working? No. We need a code to use the computer after hours too. Any other great ideas? That does it, Arthur Reed. If I have to spend the weekend here, I am not spending it with you. Fine. Fine. Well, podcast listeners, now you know how I got here. Stuck by myself in the library. Except for Francine, who's mad at me. The thing about Francine is that sometimes she's impossible. The first time I met her, she stuck a lollipop in my hair. Well, we were only three years old, and she did share the lollipop with me afterwards. I guess you could say she's always stuck by me. She's practically my best friend. Except for Buster. Maybe I should say sorry. Oh no, someone screamed. It's Francine, she's in trouble. Francine, don't worry. I'm coming. You're with me, podcast people. Francine! Francine! Whoa, Francine! Are you okay? Of course I'm okay. You interrupted my meeting. Just a movie? I heard you scream. I was afraid you were hurt or something. Why would you care? You're the one who called me a bossy marshmallow. Not at the same time. Wait a minute. What did you just say? You said you were worried about me? Of course I was. And you know what? I don't think you look like a marshmallow. And I'm sorry I said it. I really am. Oh Arthur, that's nice. It's nice that you were worried. Thanks for coming to check on me. Well, you're welcome. Wait, Francine, do you smell pizza? Yeah, I found it in the freezer and microwaved it. Here, you want some? Yes, please. I'm starving. Hmm, this is good. Hey, pizza in the library? Where are we? It must be where the librarians hang out. But it's totally great. They've got fizzy water and pretzels and raisins. And they've got a TV for scary movies. And look, someone left a Bionic Bunny comic book too. Cool. We should get locked in here every weekend. Yeah, this is the best. No chores, no homework, and no D.W. Arthur Reed! D.W., how did you get here? Mom and Dad and Miss Turner are right behind me. And you're in big trouble. So, podcast listeners, I stopped recording after D.W. found us. Because you did not want to hear the lecture we got. I'm pretty sure D.W. was the only one who enjoyed that part. But anyway, it's Monday now. Francine and I finished our report on Harriet Tubman yesterday. And I'm just waiting for her to... Arthur! Ah! Francine, you rode right through that puddle and sprayed me. Now I've got muddy water all over me. Hurry! You were standing right by the puddle. But I didn't mean to spray you. Come on, we don't want to be late for our report. Harriet Tubman is counting on you. Come on, Arthur! That's Francine. It's hard to stay a manager. Do you have a friend like that? Someone who drives you nuts? But it always works out. I'm checking my inbox to see what you have to say. My friend Erlene when we play games, she destroys everything I make and then they have to rebuild it. But I still know her since I was five months old and I don't want to end the friendship. My brother, he used to noogie me. I would noogie him back. My brother, Cretchen, drives me crazy when he cries to get his way. My dog, Limeflock, she's just like, ah, wah, wah, wah, wah. So annoying, but I really love her. I totally understand. No matter what, I can always count on Francine. Arthur Reid, enough with the podcast. Get in here. This is what I'd say if I was being bossy, but I'm not. Gotta go. Here you next time. Coming, Francine! You've been listening to the Arthur podcast. Hey, parents, do you want your kids to answer my next inbox question? First, go to the Arthur website at PBSkids.org to find out what I'll be asking. Then email me a voice recording of your child's response to Arthur at WGBH.org. Your child's answer might even be featured on a future podcast. That's the show podcast, people. If you liked it, ask or grown up to subscribe so you don't miss any new episodes. You can listen to all our podcasts, play games, and more at PBSkids.org. The Arthur podcast is produced for PBS Kids by GBH Kids in partnership with Gen Z Media and distributed by PRX. Thanks for listening and have a wonderful kind of day. And I say, hey, what a wonderful kind of day. If you could learn to work and play and get along with each other. You got to listen to your heart. Listen to the beat. Listen to the rhythm. Open up your eyes. Open up your ears. Get together and make things better. By working together. From PRX.
