♪ Every day when you're walking down the street ♪ ♪ Everybody that you meet has an original point of view.

♪ ( laughs ) ♪ 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!

ARTHUR: Hey, D.W. Hey!

Whoa!

( crash ) ARTHUR: Student log, May 15.

Still no sign of civilization.

We're lost in the Sahara after a field trip to the Elwood City Petting Zoo went wrong... horribly wrong.

( screeching ) The only food we have left is... Chili Pepper Popcorn?

"Now Extra Spicy."

Shoo!

( groans ) At least we still have a full bottle of water.

Francine!

What are you doing?!

I can't tell if this is dirt on my wrist or a freckle, so I'm seeing if it washes off.

But we need that water for drinking!

Log correction: less than a full bottle of... ( splashing ) MUFFY: Shoo!

Muffy, are you crazy?!

Shoo!

That bird's looking at me funny.

I'm trying to scare it off.

Shoo!

But you're wasting our water!

With water supplies dwindling fast... A water balloon?!

Shh!

Don't tell anyone, you'll spoil it.

BINKY: Hey, Buster!

Huh?

( squawks ) Guys!

We'll never survive if we waste all our water!

All of our cool, quenching, refreshing... ( sighs ) Oops.

( all growl ) ( screams ) FRANCINE: ♪ Take the midnight train and maybe ♪ ♪ Maybe... ♪ ♪ I'll be waiting at the station ♪ ♪ For you!

♪ Wow.

I've never sounded better.

I can't believe I've been taking baths all these years.

♪ You and me... ♪ ( meowing ) You were in the shower for half an hour.

Sorry, Catherine.

Is there a law against washing?

Look at this.

"Boy Finds Chip Shaped Like Donkey"?

Not that, this.

"Drought Hits Elwood City."

So?

"Reservoir levels at a 40-year low."

So there's a drought.

It's not like one girl taking a shower makes a difference.

Mom!

( humming ) D.W.: Arthur Read!

What do you think you're doing?

Hey!

It's called water conversation.

You mean conservation.

And what it's really called is annoying your brother.

Ms. Morgan says if you use up all the water, there'll be none left for my generation.

We're the same generation.

And I'm not using up all the water.

Mom!

I wasn't using that much water.

And besides, I like hearing water when I brush my teeth.

It's calming.

What do you mean, it's calming?

Uh, you know, like how a waterfall is calming.

You need calming when you brush your teeth?

A little weird.

At least I'm not wasting everyone's water screeching in the shower.

It's called singing.

And I bet your family uses twice as much water as the Frenskys.

Oh, yeah?

Want to bet?

Whoever uses more water in a week... Has to carry the winner's book bag for the rest of the month.

You're on!

( both grunt ) B-9... B-10.

MAN: What you up to, Frensky?

Nothing, Mr. Sanders.

You're always up to something-- filling up my suggestion box with suggestions.

We didn't even have a suggestion box till you suggested it.

My mom said the water meter for our apartment is down here.

Yep.

They were useful back when everyone paid for their own water.

Now it's easier if I just raise everyone's rent some and pay the water myself.

So I can use as much water as I want, and it doesn't cost my parents any extra?

Just how much water are you using?

Uh, hardly any at all.

I'll be checking the water meter all week to prove it.

You know what, Frensky?

I think I'll be checking it, too.

I'll just be a second.

I read putting a plastic bottle in the toilet tank saves three liters with every flush.

You're going to put your hand in the toilet?

Gross!

It means I won't have to shorten my showers any.

The point isn't to save a little in one place so you can waste a lot somewhere else.

Let go of the lid!

( girls grunting ) ( meows ) No!!

Uh-oh.

We're glad you're trying to conserve.

Every little bit makes a difference.

See?

So it's time you took shorter showers, young lady.

I tried telling her.

LAVERNE: And you can stop taking those nightly baths of yours.

Showers use much less water.

OLIVER: Unless those showers are a half-hour long.

And, Francine, it'll be your job... to kick Catherine out of the shower?

To tell Mr. Sanders about the lid you broke.

( toilet flushes ) It just fell over, huh?

Maybe it was kind of my fault.

But look at this.

I went online to check out replacements, and it wouldn't cost that much more to replace the whole toilet with a... "Low-flush model"?

They use 12 less liters per flush.

Think of the savings.

Nope.

I'm just ordering the lid.

Rats.

A new toilet, and I would have won that bet for sure.

So yesterday our family used 1,600 liters of water, which seems like a lot, but... ( screams ) Since you old people are wasting all my water, I need to take things into my own hands.

D.W., this is almost four liters of water.

Just how much water have you used?

I don't know.

The bathtubs are pretty big.

The bathtubs?

No!

Arthur, whatever's wrong, hiding in the basement won't help.

Believe me, I speak from experience.

I'm not hiding; I was reading the water meter.

In the last 24 hours, we've used... over 2,000 liters?

I've just got to win this bet with Arthur.

I put a plastic bottle in the toilet.

That's bound to help.

Oh, wait, I forgot to put the pool cover on.

Mom and Daddy make me do it every time 'cause it saves, like, a ton of water a month.

Do you need help?

No, that's okay, I'll handle it.

But this drought's getting to be a real drag.

So since yesterday-- carry the two, plus three-- we used 2,500 liters?

How is that possible?

I knew you were trouble.

If your family keeps using water like that, you'll be paying for it.

( water running ) ARTHUR: Yeah, that goal in the third period was amazing.

Ha!

I knew it!

You can't save water at home and waste it somewhere else, Arthur.

I'm calling a 20-liter penalty.

Oh, yeah?

Well, I call a 200-liter penalty on that certain shower you took at a certain friend's house.

Sorry, it slipped out.

Okay, okay, we'll play fair for the rest of the bet.

Agreed?

( stall door opens ) ( gasps ) ( screams ) How did they get in here?

3,000 liters?

3,400?

How can the numbers be going up?

( ticking ) That shower was four and a half minutes.

Shave a minute off next time.

Come on!

Where are we going?

We need to get this petition signed.

( door closes ) It's impossible.

How can our family be using 3,600 liters a day?

Something's wrong with the meter.

SANDERS: The meter's fine.

It's you Frenskys using up all the water in town.

And look what I found in my suggestion box.

Everyone in the building signed a petition for new toilets!

Do you know how many units are in this building...?

FRANCINE: 3,600 liters a day?

What happens if the number just keeps rising?

♪ Not the 10:05 but the midnight ♪ ♪ Train!

♪ CATHERINE: You've done it now, Francine.

You just used all the water in Elwood City.

( gasping ): Oh, no!

But Muffy's birthday pool party was today.

( panting ) Spare any water, sir?

Thank you, sir.

And thanks a lot, Francine!

( panting ) I'm here!

Muffy!

Thanks a lot, Francine.

SANDERS: Not to mention the labor installing 110 toilets.

And where would I even put 110 toilets...

So after a whole week, the moment of truth has arrived.

The Reads used 10,500 liters last week.

How about the Frenskys?

34,000 liters?

Francine, do you run a car wash in here?

I've checked for leaks in the toilet, I fixed the dripping faucet in the kitchen-- I just can't figure it out.

There's clearly only one explanation: aliens.

BUSTER: I read that even though alien technology is superior to ours in many ways, they somehow failed to develop flush toilets for their spaceships.

Which means only one thing...

They have to make intergalactic rest stops on our planet.

The aliens must really like your bathroom.

Aliens?

Thanks, Buster, I'll keep that in mind.

( toilet flushes ) My parents aren't home, so that must have been Catherine.

What must have been Catherine?

If it wasn't her, it must have been... an alien!

( toilet flushes ) What should we do?

We can't just burst in.

It's not polite, even if it is an alien.

( toilet flushes ) That's another 20 liters of water.

All right, alien, I've had it with you!

( all shriek ) ( toilet flushes ) FRANCINE: Nemo?

So you're the one?

That's why I have a dog.

I tired not to put too many books in it today.

Don't worry, Francine, only ten days left.

At least Sanders replaced all the toilets in my building.

Over ten years, he'll be saving 25 million liters of water.

So I lost the bet, but I also kind of won.

Shh, listen.

( toilets flushing ) GIRL: We filter water because... We need clean water.

BOY: Here we are making filters to make clean water.

TEACHER: You can use different kinds of soils and other materials to help clean your water.

This is an experiment.

Here are the materials you're going to have to experiment with your filters.

You'll have some sand, clay, gravel, cotton balls, humus-- all little bits of plant pieces and dirt and stuff in there.

We took a funnel and we put stuff in the funnel, and we put a cup under to catch the water.

That's how we made our filters.

So to make our water dirty, we're going to put some stuff in the water that we can see.

We're making the water dirty using glitter and flour.

BOY: I made my filter with cotton balls.

This is my dirty water.

I'm going to filter this, and see if it comes out clean or a lot more dirty.

This isn't drinkable clean, but it's still pretty clean.

We are using humus for our filter.

BOY: I can see clean water.

GIRL: The humus filtered the glitter.

We are using gravel.

I think that it's going to make dirty water.

BOY: It's cleaner.

The gravel filtered out most of the flour, but it's kind of dirty, too.

We are using sand.

I have gold glitter... And I have red glitter.

The sand blocked the glitter from coming through.

BOY: We are using cotton balls.

We'll see how it turns out.

I think it might turn clear.

BOY 2: It looks like the glitter's too big to go into the cotton balls, so it just stays at the top.

I don't see anything in it.

Some things were bad at filtering.

Some things were good at filtering.

Has anybody seen my keys?

( toy squeaks ) You found my Mary Moo Cow.

Thanks, Dad.

Now, where did I put that tax file?

( Pal barking ) ( squeals joyfully ) My keys.

I know I put my new Bionic Bunny comic in my backpack.

What's this?

Oh!

I've been looking everywhere for that.

Thank you, Arthur.

( sniffing ) Ew!

Yuck!

( sniffing ) ( barking ) Have you ever noticed how when you're looking for one thing, you often find something else instead?

( barking ) My comic!

Thanks, boy!

( squeals joyfully ) ( shrieks ) Oops.

These books are due back in three weeks.

This book is overdue.

You owe me $600.

If you don't have the money, I do take credit cards.

D.W., shh!

I don't want to miss anything.

TV ANNOUNCER: And now, back to Treasure Caravan.

Tell me where you found this chair.

Well, I bought it for ten dollars at a yard sale.

Turns out that it's not that comfortable to sit on.

So I've been keeping it in the garage.

D.W., move.

Ten dollars.

Who knows what it's really worth.

It's just an ugly chair.

That's what you think.

I would say it was made some time in the 1790s.

It's a Federal-style chair.

So what?

Shh.

WOMAN: There are teeth marks on the legs.

I'd say it was once owned by someone with a dog.

I wondered about that.

Of course, it would be better if there were no teeth marks.

However, at auction, this chair could easily bring... A thousand dollars?

It's got teeth marks.

I'm going to say 500.

You've got to be kidding.

$30,000.

$30,000!

For that old thing?

And to think he paid ten dollars for it.

( giggling ) I love this show.

That's it for this week's edition of Treasure Caravan.

Be sure to join us next time when the Treasure Caravan will be coming to you from the Elwood City Center.

So come on out.

And remember-- every treasure has a story.

This is our chance to be on Treasure Caravan.

I'm going to call and get us tickets.

But we have to find something good to take.

I don't want to be one of those people who brings in a piece of junk.

It's a bugle from the Civil War.

Oh, my, it can't be from the Civil War period.

It's plastic.

( audience laughing ) Are you sure?

This is just a cheap little toy.

But maybe you could use it as a noisemaker.

( loud honk ) Oh!

I don't want to look like a fool on TV.

You can't trick the cameras, Arthur.

I bet we can find something worth taking in my attic.

Come over tomorrow and we'll see.

I can't believe Tr easure Caravan is coming to town.

I'm taking this sapphire necklace that once belonged to royalty.

Where'd you get that?

It was passed down to me by my great-grandmother, Taffy Crosswire.

She was traveling back from Europe on a steamship when she made the acquaintance of the Archduchess of Moldavia.

Allow me to introduce myself.

I am Irina Katrina Von Hapsonburg, Archduchess of Moldavia.

MUFFY: They became fast friends.

One night, there was a storm at sea.

The Archduchess seemed troubled.

Oh, Taffylina, please tell no one, but I am in desperate need of money.

Perhaps I can help.

I would never dream of accepting charity.

And I would never give it.

But how about if you sell me that necklace you're wearing?

So my great-grandmother bought the necklace and now it's mine.

Whoa!

It must be worth millions.

Stuff like that never happens in my family.

So I can't decide if I should take my hockey card collection or all the things I've collected that were clearly left behind by aliens.

I would, uh, go with the hockey cards.

You're right-- It's probably better not to let them know I've got this stuff.

So what are you taking?

I'm still looking for the right thing.

( fly buzzes ) Oh my, there's even more up here than I remembered.

We'll search every inch until we find something amazing.

This looks really old.

It's yours if you'd like it.

( Kate crying ) What's wrong, Kate?

You like that blanket, do you?

I'm going to put Kate down for her nap.

We'll keep looking.

Oops!

Huh?

Ooh!

This looks like it's made of gold.

Let me see that.

No way!

Finders, keepers!

Get out of my way!

( thudding ) ( gasps ) ( gasps ) Dad, careful!

Do you remember where you got this chair?

I really don't, but it does look a little like the chair we saw on TV.

No teeth marks, so who knows what it could be worth.

MAN: Welcome to The Recovery Channel.

Tonight we're talking to Arthur Read, the boy who recovered the most valuable chair of all time.

( audience gasps ) At first, I thought it was one of those $30,000 chairs, but when I saw it was in perfect condition, I knew it was even more valuable.

D.W.: Arthur, watch out!

Sheesh.

You almost crushed my special box.

Dad, no sitting in that chair.

MUFFY: This blue sapphire necklace was passed down to me by my great-grandmother.

She purchased it from the Archduchess of Moldavia, the famous Irina Katrina Von Hapsonburg.

And how did your great-grandmother become acquainted with the Archduchess?

MUFFY: They met aboard a steamship when she took a trip to Europe.

Well, the first thing you need to know is that these sapphires are actually simulants.

Ooh!

Sounds expensive.

They're imitations, fakes.

It's costume jewelry.

( gasping ) And secondly, to my knowledge, there was no Archduchess of Moldavia by the name of Irina Katrina Von Hapsonburg.

MUFFY: There wasn't?

WOMAN: I believe that your great-grandmother was tricked.

( laughing ) ( deep voice ): There's a sucker on every ship.

( laughing ) However, it is a beautiful piece of costume jewelry.

Not everyone can get away with a color like this.

Look how it brings out your eyes.

( audience sighs and claps ) I'm glad you told me to bring the hockey cards.

I just found out that this card is worth five dollars and 45 cents, and I only paid a quarter for it.

That's great!

Is that the chair?

Can I see it?

I can't unwrap it.

It might get scratched or something.

Mm, okay.

I'm going to go find the Caravan popcorn stand.

I'll be watching for you on the TV screens.

Good luck.

Oh, my!

This is uncanny.

$30,000, $30,000.

The overall design, the shape of the legs and the seat.

It's remarkable.

It is?

Really?

I see a lot of chairs, but this one is exactly like a chair my grandmother used to have.

I have fond memories of sitting in a chair like this at her house.

How nice.

But what's it worth?

Maybe $25.

$25?!

But it looks exactly like the chair that was worth $30,000.

Oh, no.

This was made in the 1970s, not the 1790s.

No comparison, really.

Now, that looks like something special.

This?

This is an original dance apron made by a Native American tribe from the Pacific Northwest called the Chilkat.

How would something like that end up in your attic?

My mother said it was passed down to her from her great-uncle.

He was a prospector who went to British Columbia to seek his fortune.

WOMAN: A dance apron like this was a common gift at potlatches among the native people there.

What's a potlatch?

It's a ceremony in which you give away as many gifts as possible to your guests.

( birds singing, drum beats slowly ) Maybe your great-great-uncle was a guest at one.

ARTHUR: Wow!

I wish we could find out for sure.

WOMAN: Do you know if he ever wrote letters home or kept a diary?

My mother said he used to write home occasionally.

We should find those letters.

It's so wonderful that you care about your family history.

( crying ) ( sneezes ) ARTHUR: Wait-- how much is the dance apron worth?

Well, this one's really worn.

But I'd say... about $5,000.

( audience gasps ) We can't let her have a $5,000 apron!

( crying ) See what I have to put up with?

( crying ) ( audience gasping ) I never knew Arthur liked aprons so much.

Oh, it's so sad when money gets in the way of family.

( crying ) ( sighs ) Here you go.

( crying stops ) ( audience applauds ) Now, that's the real meaning of family treasure.

He'd never be that nice if we weren't on TV.

Hi, everyone, it's me, Buster.

It seems like everyone in Elwood City is always on the move, and in my travels with my dad, I'm finding a lot more people who are really going places.

I'm jumping into the action, too, and sending it all to my pals in Elwood City on my very own video postcards.

They're Postcards from Buster.

.wgbh.org ♪ And everybody that you meet ♪ ♪ Has an original point of view ♪ ♪ 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!