♪ Every day when you're walking down the street ♪ ♪ Everybody that you meet has an original point of view ♪ (laughing) ♪ And I say hey ♪ Hey!

♪ What a wonderful kind of day ♪ ♪ If we 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, 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 ♪ ♪ If we could learn to work and play ♪ ♪ And get along with each other ♪ Hey!

♪ What a wonderful kind of day ♪ Hey!

♪ What a wonderful kind of day ♪ Hey!

Hey, D.W.!

Hey!

Whoa... (crash) MUFFY: 1,000 Happy Hamster mansions by Friday?

Sure we can handle that.

Thank you for your business.

Oh, hello!

I'm Muffy Crosswire, president of Skywire Industries.

You're probably wondering how a charming little eight-year-old started this huge company... (door opens) Are you giving the interview without me?

She didn't tell you she started this company, did she?

Well, it's the truth!

No way!

I was the inspiration behind the whole thing!

Was not!

BUSTER: Hey guys!

We have our next big product: inflatable dog houses!

When you take a dip, bring the Skywire Dog Ship!

Oh, an interview!

Hi, Buster Baxter here.

Chief inventor.

Chief inventor?

What do you mean?

I designed our first product.

But only because I asked you to.

Quit fighting.

You're making my company look bad.

It's not your company, it's our company!

What are you talking about?

It says in our charter... None of this would exist if it weren't for me!

(overlapping arguing) Don't listen to them.

I'm the brains behind Skywire Industries, and I can prove it to you.

Just watch.

The Master Builders.

BUSTER: Reporting for lunch, Colonel Langley!

FRITZ: At ease, Private Baxter.

Grab a stump.

I brought you some greens from the community garden.

Hallelujah.

The cook in this retirement home thinks ketchup counts as a vegetable.

Well, peel my parsnips-- they're back!

Who's back?

See these holes?

That's the work of the cabbage butterfly.

What's a cabbage butterfly?

The sneakiest garden pest north of the Rio Bravo.

It was years ago, but I remember it like it was yesterday.

I had just staked the tomatoes when I noticed one.

Looked innocent.

Cute even.

Then I saw what he was doing to my cabbages... Before I knew it he had called for reinforcements.

The garden was swarming with them!

It was a full-scale invasion!

I tried every remedy I could find.

(spritzing) Nothing worked.

No!

(crying): No!

My beautiful garden was being turned into a rotting pile of compost, and there was nothing I could do.

What happened?

The Purple Martin saved the day.

"The Purple Martin"?

Is that a superhero?

Do we call him on the purple phone?

It's a bird-- a swallow to be precise.

And it likes to eat cabbage butterflies.

You and I have to build a birdhouse, Private Baxter.

The fate of the garden depends on it.

(doorbell rings) Happy birthday!

My birthday isn't for another three months.

I know, I was going to save it but...

I think you should have it now.

Ta-da!

Now we can be bracelet twins!

Put it on!

Do I have to?

It looks like a creature is growing out of your wrist.

Oh c'mon, you could use a little flair.

Hey, it's really stretchy.

Betcha I can hit that apple.

Francine!

No!

You're going to... Oops.

Well that's the last time I buy you a before-your-birthday birthday present!

I'm really sorry.

I'll fix it.

(meowing) Nemo!

Let go!

Nemo!

Bad kitty!

No playing with high fashion!

(meowing) Weird.

I've never seen Nemo so into a toy before.

It's not a toy.

Or is it?

Hey, did you see this month's issue of Mini Mogul magazine?

I think mine was lost in the mail.

Well, the cover story was all about this guy who built a business selling dog toys.

"From Wags to Riches: the Buck Benders Story."

What does this have to do with us?

What if we've just stumbled upon a great invention?

We could start our own company.

Cat toys?

You really think those would sell?

(purring) There's your proof.

Ooh!

(meows) ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Nice work, Baxter.

I wish I was a Purple Martin.

It looks so cozy!

Thunderation!

I got to go.

I'm the bingo caller tonight.

There's one last thing to do: put four bolts in the base to secure it.

Can I count you?

Yes, sir!

(whistling) Hmmm... no ratchet.

Hmm... (phone ringing) Oh, hey Arthur!

Guess what I did today!

Finished with Model #6?

Yep, let's test it out.

(meowing) Hmm, I'd say he's jumping about three feet.

That's the highest he's gone so far.

(meowing) (laughing): Wow.

And he ran away with it in four seconds-- his best time yet.

I think we've found ourselves a winner.

What should we call it?

Something that says cute, but lively.

What if it was a combination of our names?

Like the Fruffy.

I love it!

And our company will be... Frenscross.

No!

Skywire!

That sounds better.

Skywire Industries... Yeah!

Watch out, Buck Benders.

There's a new player in the pet toy business!

(chirping) Hey, Mom.

Boy that was some storm we had last night.

I could hardly sleep with that howling wind and... (gasps) I forgot to put the bolts in the base of the bird house!

Aw, it's ruined!

What am I going to do?!

I guess you better call Fritz.

I can't tell Fritz!

He gave me a direct order and I didn't follow it.

You don't do that to Fritz Langley.

I'll...

I'll just build another one.

You can't build that!

Why not?

I remember everything he told me.

"Measure once, cut twice..." No, wait, that might be wrong.

Okay, I'll just...

I'll make a different bird house.

Don't worry, cabbages!

Buster's going to save you!

A cat toy, huh?

Sorry, I got a million of 'em.

But you don't have the Fruffy.

The "Fruffy"?

Sounds like a non-dairy dessert topping.

Forget the name, this product is guaranteed to make the laziest of felines go wild with excitement.

Oh really?

Let's see if you can get a reaction out of Potato.

FRANCINE: Come on, Potato.

Play with the Fruffy.

What on earth do you feed him?

Other cats?

Please, Potato.

I'm begging you.

Give me a sign.

Do something!

(meows) That's it?

Actually, that's a lot for him.

He hasn't done that since he was a kitten.

Okay, I'll take 30 by Friday.

We split the profits 50/50.

Deal!

FRANCINE: How can we make 30 Fruffies by Friday?

It took us almost the whole day just to make one.

We'll just have to step up our production.

(dialing phone) Daddy?

I have a business proposition for you.

There!

It's not so bad.

Purple Martins!

Your house is ready!

(thunder rumbling) (gasps) What?!

No!

Aw, it's melting!

I guess using cardboard wasn't such a good idea... You may have won this round, but I'm not through!

(doorbell rings) I have $7.65, half a salami, and a flashlight that works if you shake it.

Will you build me a birdhouse?

Got any mustard?

Okay.

Yes!

MUFFY: But all I want is one small, little factory!

Sorry, Muffin.

No can do.

Well, could you lend us some of your employees?

It's just till Friday.

Don't get me wrong, I think it's great what you two are doing.

Reminds me of when I sold used in-line skates as a kid.

But business is all about problem-solving and determination.

You have to figure a way out on your own.

Well, it looks like that might be the end of Skywire Industries.

No.

We can't give up.

But... Francine, we have a purpose.

This city is filled with bored, overweight cats and, by golly, we are going to amuse them!

Now let's roll up our sleeves and make some Fruffies!

And now a word from us kids!

My name is Rowan, and this is my second grade class.

Buster, Francine, and Muffy were all trying to make different things.

And we're making things, too.

We're making pinwheels.

GIRL: The pinwheel is going to be a label for our plants in the garden.

ROWAN: Our art teacher is Miss Ellen.

MISS ELLEN: You guys are going to make an assembly line to put together the garden pinwheel.

Each group is going to make a different part of the pinwheel.

ROWAN: An assembly line is a way to make a series of things that are the same.

Each team is working on one step of the garden pinwheel.

Everybody has a fun job to do.

My team is making an X across the pinwheel material...

BOY: ...to show the other team where to cut.

GIRL: Our team is cutting the plastic where the first team made lines.

We cut up to the notches on it.

My team was hole punching the left side of each piece.

ROWAN: My team is making the decorations for the pinwheels.

I pass this paper with the shapes drawn to him, so he can cut it out, and then he passes the shapes to him so he has the plastic.

And my job is to stick these things on.

Our team is making labels for the plants outside.

For example, this is a shape of a bean.

My team's job is to write the sign.

Could you pass me that hammer?

Sure.

Thank you.

It's all done except for one step.

GIRL: My team is putting the ribbons on the pinwheel to decorate it.

ROWAN: That's all the steps of the assembly line.

GIRL: Each pinwheel is a label for the plant that is in that part of the garden.

ROWAN: My class loves to make stuff because we all work together, and it always turns out beautiful.

And now back to Arthur!

Where am I?

I wonder if this is an alien planet... Whoa!

That is some carrot!

Mm... Fritz!

Who are you?

Huh?

It's me, Private Baxter.

Hey, you look a little different.

Did you get a haircut?

Private Baxter?

Oh yes!

I remember you: the kid who ruined the garden!

Well, it's not completely ruined.

I just passed a huge carrot.

It wasn't huge.

You're just small, like me.

Three inches to be precise.

I'm only three inches tall?!

What's wrong with three inches?

It's a very good height indeed!

How did I shrink?

The cabbage butterflies took over the place and infected all the vegetables.

One bite turns you into a caterpillar.

Oh no!

I'm feeling squirmy!

(cries out) Purple Martins!

Come save us!

No!

You don't want to call them now!

They'll think we're lunch!

(Purple Martins chirping) (screaming) (gasps) I thought it'd be nice to have multiple little houses, sort of spread out like a city.

This is amazing!

I love it!

How long will it take to build?

Mmm... about a month.

A month?!

The garden will be destroyed by then.

I might even have turned into a caterpillar.

Well, I didn't take this job to build any old birdhouse.

Maybe you should find someone else.

No, please.

You're all I've got.

I just need it by Friday.

I'll throw in another salami.

I don't want your luncheon meat.

I want to make something beautiful.

Okay, okay, you can make whatever you want.

Just keep it simple.

(sighs) Okay.

Nemo!

You're not helping!

Here's more supplies.

I've made three Fruffies so far, but my fingers are cramping up.

And our assistant keeps stealing the merchandise.

I'll take over.

You can unpack.

Wow.

You spent a lot.

Francine, our Fruffies are made with only the finest materials.

Skywire Industries has a reputation to maintain.

Yeah but how much will we have to charge to make a profit?

Oh.

I hadn't thought of that.

Let's see: raw materials, labor, 50% markup, plus the pet store's cut... About $22 per Fruffy.

$22?!

Who's going to pay $22 for a cat toy?

Mm... We can say they're deluxe.

One-of-a-kind.

Signed by the artist.

What "artist"?

"Pi-cat-so!"

There's no such person.

That's false advertising.

Well, work with me here.

We have to do something.

(groans) Why didn't we think of this earlier?

You better clean all this up before Mom and Dad get home.

I want it to look nice in here.

Is it some special occasion?

No.

I just want to show off our new vase.

Where'd you get that?

I designed it and printed it on my school's 3D printer.

They're so cool.

You can make anything on them.

Wait a minute!

That's it!

What's "it"?

The 3D printer at Catherine's school.

We can print the Fruffies on it.

It'll be so much cheaper.

Yeah, but there's one problem with that idea.

What?

We'd have to work with Catherine.

What makes you think she'll help us?

You seem like a shrewd business woman, so we'd like to offer you the opportunity of a lifetime.

"Business woman"?

I want to be a designer.

That's why I'm going to a CTE school.

What's that?

It stands for "Career and Technical Education."

It's a high school where you also learn the skills you need for jobs like construction, culinary arts, or fashion design.

So?

You can still be a designer.

But you'll be a rich one.

You can save your breath.

I'm not interested in going into a cat toy business with you two.

I know I'm going to regret this.

I'll do all your chores for a month.

What?

Okay, two months.

That's my final offer.

Please?

We really want this.

Meet me after school tomorrow.

Oh, and you can start by changing Nemo's litter box for me.

(purring) (knocking) George?

Are you in there?

George, open up!

(door opens) Oh.

Hi, Wally.

Is George in there?

George is very busy right now.

Can I take a message?

Will you ask him if the birdhouse will be ready soon?

I'm visiting Fritz tomorrow and I'd like to tell him the garden will be okay.

George says he's working as fast as he can and these interruptions don't help.

But did you bring any snacks?

Thank you for your business.

First we design what we want on the computer using 3D modeling software.

It needs to have more wiggly hairs.

Ooh, and make the eyes bigger!

CATHERINE: Next we make sure the printer is loaded.

This printer uses plastic, but other ones use wax, steel, sometimes even chocolate.

Now here's the really exciting part.

(beeps) We start printing... Whoa!

Oh!

Okay, that's the first batch-- 15 Fruffies.

We'll have to do another round later.

That's all the time I have on the printer today.

Let's get them to the pet store right away.

Great idea!

I bet they'll all sell out before the weekend.

(sighs) This is it.

The very last cabbage.

(phone ringing) Hello?

GEORGE (on phone): It's ready.

(gasps): I'll be right over!

You asked for simple so I made it simpler.

Great, great!

I would've liked to put in a few balconies, maybe even a slide... Just show it to me already!

Behold: the Lundgren Bird City!

Whoa!

It's amazing!

It's much larger than I thought it would be.

Yeah, my dad and I kind of got carried away.

In fact, we couldn't even lift it.

What?

How will we attach it to the top of the pole?

Um...

I could build a smaller one?

It'll only take five days.

It'll be too late by then!

Colonel Langley, I hereby resign my post as community gardener.

Take me to the stockade.

Sweet sassafras, what in the blazes are you talking about, Baxter?

Well, it all started when I forgot to put those bolts in like you told me... And now it's all ruined.

That cabbage is all that's left.

I'm really sorry.

Well, I can't say I'm not disappointed.

But buck up, son, we'll just start a new garden.

Huh?

Here's the first half of the order.

You'll have the second half by tomorrow.

Oh, right!

The Frumpy.

Sorry but I just got a shipment in of these.

(gasps) It's the exact same design as the Fruffy!

Someone stole our idea!

Sorry to break it to you but I think it was just a coincidence.

"Creating the Purrrr-fect Cat Toy: The Buck Benders story-- Part II."

You were right, though.

It really was a good idea.

Just look at Potato go.

All that work for nothing.

Two spring smoothies, Brain.

And don't skimp on the strawberries.

Hey.

Hey.

Hi.

What's in the box?

Cat toys.

Why do you have a cabbage?

I'm going to carry it around with me always to remind myself of how I destroyed the community garden.

It was my fault, too.

I should've made the birdhouse smaller.

It's okay, George.

It sure was beautiful.

Why do you have a box of cat toys?

We were going to start a business making pet toys, but our idea was scooped.

I guess we'll donate them to the animal shelter.

And now I have to do all those chores for Catherine for using that 3D printer.

(all sighing) Hey, do you think a 3D printer could make a birdhouse?

I don't see why not.

Catherine said they could make just about anything.

Why?

There might just be a way to save Skywire Industries.

Gentlemen, I have a proposition for you... (chirping) FRITZ: That was made on a 3D printer?

Yep.

The best part is the Purple Martins really seem to love it.

(chirping) For Skywire Industries' next product I think we should branch out into other pet homes.

How about... hamster mansions?

I like it!

I wonder what it'll be like when we're all in business together.

Do you think we'll have fun?

(overlapping arguing) You know, on second thought, maybe we should wait a little while before we start our own business.

Yeah!

Makes sense.

Who wants more of my homemade cole slaw?

BUSTER: To watch more Arthur and play games with all the Elwood City friends, visit pbskids.org.

You can find Arthur books and lots of other books too at your local library.

Captioned by Media Access Group at WGBH access.wgbh.org