Calvin & Hobbes

"We've got our map, our code, and our water balloon! Let's go soak Susie! Our map says first we run to the big tree out back. Now to the bush out front! Now to the ditch out back! Now to the tree out front! In case you're wondering - this is to lose anyone who might be tailing us. I'm writing a message in code. How do you spell 'nincompoop'? They have their map, the code, and a water balloon. They're ready to soak Susie. Hobbes says they should run to the big tree out back, then to the bush out front, then the ditch out back, then the tree out front. He explains to a winded Calvin that's to lose anyone who might be tailing them. Calvin is going to write Hobbes a note in code. He asks how to spell 'nincompoop'."

"We made it to Susie's yard! But where's Susie? I don't see her! ARGHH! We go to all this trouble to launch an attack on her, and what does she do? She MOVES! All our great plans are for naught! A whole morning ruined! Maybe she just went in for lunch, see, she left some of her toys out, so she's probably planning to come back. That gives me a FABULOUS idea! Uh oh. They made it to Susie's yard, but she's not there. Calvin is distraught that all their plans have gone for naught. Hobbes suggests she might have only gone in for lunch. Her toys are still left out, so she's probably planning to come back. Calvin's eyes bulge, and he wrings his hands. He says that gives him a fabulous idea."

"Gravity is arbitrary! Calvin wakes up one day to find he is immune to the force of gravity. He hangs on to the ground for dear life, but his grip is weakening! He can't hold on! He ... he let's go! Aaaaa. Higher and higher, as upward he falls! Only by grabbing the tail pin of a passing jet does Calvin save himself from being hurled out into space! No, no, let him finish. This is very interesting, so after you landed in Phoenix, what happened? Well, I don't care. I'm not sewing velcro on the outside of all his clothes. Well, about then my gravity came back, so I ... Hobbes tells Calvin he just ran into the invisible sector. He has to cover his eyes. Calvin, playing Calvinball, didn't know they had an invisible sector. He asks where it is. Hobbes tells him he can't see it. It's invisible. He asks how to know he went into it. Hobbes says he can't see anything, right? He hits Calvin on the head with the Calvinball. He gets a point. Calvin chases him. He says Hobbes just ran into a vortex spot. He has to spin around until he falls down. Hobbes informs Calvin that spot is in the boomerang zone, so the vortex returns to who called it. Calvin has to spin. He claims that's not fair. Hobbes tells him he knows the rules. Calvin admits that anything they make up are the rules. Calvin spins himself dizzy while saying this game lends itself to certain abuses. Hobbes has the Calvinball. He asks Calvin to guess how he gets out of the boomerang zone."

"What are you doing? That's Susie's doll. I know. C'mon, let's scram. We can't take her doll! That would be STEALING! No it wouldn't. Are we going to give it back? If she pays the ransom. Hobbes asks what Calvin is doing. He's picked up Susie's doll. Hobbes says they can't take it. That would be stealing. Hobbes asks if they're going to give it back. Calvin replies they will if she pays the ransom."

"Hey, where's Binky Betsy? I know I left her right here when I went inside. Did somebody TAKE her? Everything else is still here. Where did my doll go?! IF YOU WANT TO SEE YOUR DOLL AGAIN I always like cut-and-paste. How much should we ask for? A hundred dollars? Susie comes back and wonders what happened to her Binky Betsy. She knows she left her there, and she wonders if someone took her. Everything else is still there. Calvin and Hobbes are making a ransom note. Hobbes says he likes cut-and-paste. Calvin asks how much they should ask for. He thinks one hundred dollars."

"Mom, I can't find my doll. Have you seen it anywh... DING DONG Hmm, there's nobody here. What's this note? 'Susie, if you want to see your doll again, leave $100 in this envelope by the tree out in front. Do not call the police. You cannot trace us. You cannot find us. Sincerely, Calvin.' Susie goes back inside telling her Mom that she can't find her doll. The doorbell rings. No one is there, but there is a note on the ground. Susie reads the note. It reads 'Susie, if you want to see your doll again, leave $100 in this envelope by the tree out front'. It warns her not to call the police. It says she can't trace or find them. It's signed 'Sincerely, Calvin'."

"It's a RANSOM note! That dirty Calvin stole my doll and he wants me to pay $100 to get her back! Of all the nerve! He can't get away with this! Why, that stinky little... Wait! There's something else in this envelope. A PHOTO OF BINKY BETSY TIED TO A CHAIR!! What a great club! How are you going to spend YOUR $50? Susie is outraged to receive a ransom note. She crumples the note and says he can't get away with this. She notices something else in the envelope. It's a picture of Binky Betsy tied to a chair. Susie is horrified. In their tree fort, Calvin tells Hobbes this is a great club. Hobbes asks Calvin what he's going to do with his $50."

"Let's stroll down the sidewalk REAL CASUALLY and see if Susie put the hundred bucks out by the tree yet. Great! Lovely day for a stroll, eh Hobbes? I certainly enjoy my afternoon constitutional! Yes, it's quite invigorating! Look! Look! There's the envelope! She did it! We're rich! Oh boy! Let's sneak up and get it! C'mon you louse. C'monnn... I don't see Susie. Do you? Calvin suggests walking real casually down the sidewalk to see if Susie put the hundred dollars by the tree. They march along with Calvin saying he enjoys his afternoon constitutional. Hobbes says it's quite invigorating. They see the envelope. Calvin figures they're rich. Hobbes says they should sneak up and get it. Susie is hiding behind the tree."

"You stand guard and watch for Susie while I count the money and make sure it's all there! Hey, there's no money in here at all! There's just a note! It says, 'Now we're even!' Now we're even?? What's THAT supposed to mean?! Hobbes? HOBBES! Calvin sets Hobbes down and tells him to watch for Susie while he counts the money to make sure it's all there. Calvin opens the envelope to find no money. There is a note. Calvin reads 'now we're even'. He wonders what that means. Susie has grabbed Hobbes and run off. Calvin notices Hobbes missing."

"Do you think boogeymen really exist? I don't know. ... but if they do, I'm sure this is where they live. That was the creepiest campfire story I've ever heard. Let's get back to the tent! I don't think I'll ever sleep again. Shh! What? Did you hear something?? Didn't you? I don't know. What did it sound like? Sort of like breathing and drooling and ripping the meat off human bones. Yaahhhh. You were right. I'm glad we carried a generator all this distance. Calvin, the airline pilot, awaits takeoff. Ignoring the control tower, Calvin guns the engines and passes the other planes. He opens the throttle. Stewardesses are hurled to the rear of the plane. Calvin takes off ahead of schedule. He notices another plane had received clearance to land. It's headed for the same runway. It looks like a mid-air collision over a crowded super highway at rush hour. Mom returns to the car, telling Calvin thanks for waiting so patiently. Calvin, playing with his toy airplanes, says he could wait even longer if she'd buy him a third plane."

"COME BACK HERE WITH HOBBES! PUT HIM DOWN! HOBBES, BITE HER! BITE HER! Ha ha! Nyahh! Nyahh! SLAM GET AWAY FROM OUR DOOR WITH THAT DRILL! Calvin chases Susie, who's carrying Hobbes. Calvin tells Hobbes to bite her. Susie reaches her home and closes the door. From an upstairs window, Susie yells down for him to get away from their door with that drill."

"Oooh, that rotten Susie! I hate her! I hate her! She'd better set Hobbes free! So I kidnapped her stupid doll! She didn't need to RETALIATE! Can't she take a JOKE?! Girls have NO sense of humor! That's their whole problem! All this was funny until she did the same thing to me. Calvin is fuming about Susie. Calvin said he kidnapped her doll, but that's no reason to retaliate. He says girls have no sense of humor. He storms off saying this was all funny until she did the same thing to him."

"All right, Susie, I brought your dumb doll back! Now let Hobbes out, OK? Fair's fair! I dunno, Calvin. I'm thinking I might rather have your tiger. You can keep Binky Betsy. Aahh! I don't want a DOLL! This is yours!"

"Look, Susie, I'll give you your doll AND I'll give you a quarter, OK? It's all I have. Will you let Hobbes out NOW?? All right, here. And next time, leave my stuff alone. Got it? Right! Sure! Jerk. What kind of tiger ARE you?! You didn't even maul her! What were you DOING there?! Wouldn't YOU like to know! Calvin offers to give Susie her doll and a quarter to return Hobbes. Susie agrees and tells Calvin to leave her stuff alone next time. They exchange and think each other are jerks. Later, Calvin asks Hobbes what kind of tiger he is. He didn't try to maul her. He asks what he was doing in Susie's house. Hobbes says wouldn't Calvin like to know."

"I've got to say, Hobbes, it doesn't give our club a lot of credit when the First Tiger is a willing captive of the enemy. THBPTB We stole HER doll, and I'm the one who had to pay ransom! It's a disgrace! You get 15 demerits for besmirching the club's reputation, plus five demerits for conduct unbecoming an officer, and a censure in the book club for not devouring Susie when you had the chance. Hmm, anything else? I almost told her our code when she rubbed my tummy. GOOD GRAVY, WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON?! In their tree fort, Calvin says it doesn't give their club a lot of credit when the First Tiger is a willing captive of the enemy. Hobbes sticks out his tongue. Calvin says they stole her doll, and he had to pay ransom. He says it's a disgrace. Calvin doles out demerits for besmirching the club's reputation and conduct unbecoming an officer. He also gives a censure for not devouring Susie when he had the chance. When Calvin asks if there's anything else, Hobbes tells him he almost gave her their code when she rubbed his tummy. Calvin asks whose side he's on."

"Well, this is certainly a sorry chapter in G.R.O.S.S. history! First tiger Hobbes, a traitor to the cuase! It might interest you to know that after I won Susie's confidence, I did some spying. Spying? You were a spy? I read an open page of Susie's diary. Wow! Deep in enemy territory, you intercepted a secret message? What did it say? It said, 'Calvin is a pig-faced smelly fat-head!' Then our club is a success! Brilliant work, Hobbes! Promotions for everyone! Welcome back! Calvin declares this a sad chapter in G.R.O.S.S. history. Hobbes says he did some spying after gaining Susie's confidence. He says he read an open page of Susie's diary. Excited that Hobbes intercepted a secret message deep in enemy territory, he asks what it said. Hobbes tells him 'Calvin is a pig-faced smelly fat-head'. Calvin says their club is a success. He welcomes Hobbes back and offers promotions for everyone."

"Spaceman Spiff is hit! He's going down! Fortunately, our hero always buckles up! The fearless Spaceman Spiff has crashed on a distant world! The planet's atmosphere is thick with noxious fumes and gases! Our hero can hardly breathe. Spiff must find help quickly ... but is there any life on this hostile world? His question is answered when a hideous blob of of gelatinous muck oozes out of a crevice toward him! Spiff's blaster is useless against the slime! Our hero tries to escape, but the suffocating stench envelops him! What a disgusting fate! Yechh! I sure wish I'd brought my lunch today! That's gross, Calvin! If you don't like the cafeteria's tapioca, just leave it alone! Susie gives Calvin an invitation to a milk and cookie party. Calvin declines. He wouldn't attend if she paid him. Susie doesn't care and walks off. She calls Calvin a jerk and says she went to all the trouble to set up the table and chairs. She says to Mr. Bun they can have a nice party by themselves. Calvin happily tells Hobbes they showed her. Hobbes wonders what kind of cookies they were. Calvin and Hobbes go to the party. Susie is happy. Calvin says they don't attend parties, they crash them."

"Help me with this homework, OK? What's 6+3? 6+3, eh? Well, this one is a bit tricky. First, we'll call the answer 'Y', as in 'Y do we care?' Now, Y may be a square number, so we'll draw a sqare and make this side 6 and that side 3. Then we'll measure the diagonal. I don't remember the teacher explaining it like this. She probably doesn't know higher math. When you deal with high numbers, you need higher math. But this diagonal is just a little under two. OK, here, I'll draw a bigger square. Calvin asks Hobbes for help with homework. He asks what 6 + 3 is. Hobbes calls the answer 'Y', as in why do I care. He says 'Y' might be a square number, so he draws a square. He makes one side 6, the other 3. Then, he"

"Hey, no comic books until you finish your homework. I DID finish. That didn't take very long. Did you do a good job? I did a GREAT job. When you're as far ahead of the class as I am, it doesn't take much time. We'll see about that when I get back from my parent-teacher conference with Miss Wormwood. You're going to talk to my teacher? I'm sure it will be an informative meeting. Gosh, I forgot to tell you! Miss Wormwood said I was so good, you didn't need to bother coming, really! She said you don't have to go! Mom tells Calvin he can't read comic books until he's finished his homework. Calvin says he is finished. Mom asks if he did a good job, since it didn't take very long. Calvin tells her that when you're as far ahead of the class as he is, it doesn't take long. Mom says she'll see about that when she gets back from her parent-teacher conference with Miss Wormwood. Shocked, Calvin says she doesn't need to bother going. He says Miss Wormwood said he was so good, she didn't have to go."

"Oh man! Mom went to a parent-teacher conference! I'm as good as dead. Miss Wormwood will tell Mom all sorts of horror stories about me! Horror stories? Well, it's a question of perspective. Still, I think I should be allowed to have a lawyer present at the meeting. What are you going to say when your Mom gets back? Nothing. Nothing at all? Buddy, if you think I'm even going to BE here, you're crazy! Calvin is horrified that Mom is going to the parent-teacher conference. He figures he's as good as dead, and that Miss Wormwood will tell Mom all sorts of horror stories about him. Hobbes asks about the horror stories. Calvin says it's all a question of perspective, but he thinks he should be allowed to have a lawyer present at the meeting. Hobbes asks what he's going to say when Mom gets back. Calvin says nothing. He pulls out a suitcase and tells Hobbes he's crazy if he thinks Calvin is even going to be there when she returns."

"I'm home. How was your meeting with Calvin's teacher? Well, when we got to the classroom, we saw that all the kids had drawn self-portraits in the art class, and had left the pictures on their desks so the parents would recognize their child's seat. That's a cute idea. Did you find Calvin's picture? There was one drawing of a green kid with fangs, six eyes, and a finger up his nose. Uh oh. The meeting went downhill from there. Dad asks Mom how the meeting went with Calvin's teacher. Mom saw that all the kids had drawn self-portraits in art class. The pictures were left on their desks so parents would recognize their child's seat. Dad asks if Mom found Calvin's picture. She says she saw one picture with a green kid with fangs, six eyes, and a finger up his nose. She says the meeting went downhill from there."

"Calvin, I... YIKE!! You're home! I didn't even finish pack... that is, um... LIES! Everything Miss Wormwood said about me was a lie! She just doesn't like me! She hates little boys! It's not MY fault! I'M not to blame! She told you about the noodles, right? It wasn't me! Nobody saw me! I was framed! I wouldn't do anything like that! I'm innocent, I tell you! What noodles? Oh... Uh... Ha ha! Did I say noodles? You must have heard wrong. I didn't say noodles. Mom opens Calvin's bedroom door. He is startled and says he didn't finish packing. He says everything Miss Wormwood said about him is a lie. He says she hates little boys. Calvin asks if she told her about the noodles. He says it wasn't him. No one saw him. He was framed. Mom asks what noodles. Calvin says she must have heard wrong, he didn't say noodles."

"OK, Calvin, let's check over your math homework. Let's not, and say we did. Your teacher says you need to spend more time on it. Have a seat. More time?! I already spent ten whole minutes on it! Ten minutes shot! Wasted! Down the drain! You've written here 8+4=7. Now, you know that's not right. So I was off a little bit. Sue me. You can't ADD things and come out with LESS than what you started with! I can do that! It's a free country! I've got my rights! Dad wants to check over Calvin's math homework. Calvin doesn't want to. Dad says his teacher said he needed to spend more time on it. Calvin complains he's already spent ten whole minutes on it. Dad sees an answer Calvin wrote, 8 + 4 = 7. Dad says Calvin knows that's not right. Calvin says he was off a bit, sue him. Dad says you can't add things and come out with less than you started with. Calvin protests that he can do that, it's a free country and he has his rights."

"Quit squirming, Calvin. You've got ice cream all over your shirt. Rats, I was saving it for later. Thanks for the ice cream, Dad. It was great. You're welcome. I'm tired of pulling you. It's my turn to ride. Your Dad didn't"

"Let's start at the beginning. When you ADD something, you INCREASE what you have. You COMBINE. I don't want to learn this! It's completely irrelevant to my life! This isn't irrelevant. Everyone needs to know this. I don't! I can get along fine without math! Oh yeah? What do you want to be when you grow up? Every job requires SOME math. That's not true! I'll be a... a... a caveman! Yeah! That's not really a job. Dad tries to explain that when you add something, you increase what you have. Calvin says he doesn't want to learn this. It's irrelevant to his life. Dad says everyone needs to know this. Calvin insists he doesn't. He can get along without math. Dad asks what he wants to be when he grows up. Every job requires some math. Calvin says he's going to be a caveman. Dad counters that isn't really a job."

"Here, maybe this will make more sense. I have eight pennies. I ask you for four more. I say forget it. You're the one with a steady paycheck. Just give me four pennies. Good. How much money do I have now? Investments and all? No, just here on the table. Eight cents. No, eight plus four is twelve. See? Count them up. But those four are MINE! Dad tries to show Calvin. He has eight pennies and asks for four more. Calvin tells him he's the one with the steady paycheck. Dad tells him to give him four pennies and asks how much he has now. Calvin asks about investments and all. Dad only cares about the money on the table. Calvin replies eight cents. Dad tells him eight plus four is twelve. Calvin protests those four pennies are his."

How's the math lesson going? Pretty good. I think Calvin sees the idea now. I took pennies and showed how adding and subtracting them changed how much money he had. It's not so abstract that way. Good. Maybe he'll do better in class now. I think he will. He was having fun with it by the end. Now give me ANOTHER five cents and let's see what I have! Wait a minute. Mom asks how the math lesson is going. Dad thinks pretty well. Dad explains that he took pennies and showed how adding or subtracting them changed how much money he had. Mom hopes Calvin will do better in class now. Dad thinks he will. He says Calvin was having fun with it by the end. Calvin tells Hobbes to give him another five cents and they'll see what he has.

"Boy, I feel sharp! I know this math stuff COLD! I'm ready for anything! I hope the teacher calls on me! I hope I get to demonstrate a problem at the board! I'll impress everyone! Here, Susie. Take one sheet and pass the rest across. What's this? A math quiz. HOT DOG! Smiling at his desk, Calvin feels he knows math cold. He hopes the teacher calls on him. He hopes he gets to do a problem at the board. He'll impress everyone. Miss Wormwood hands Susie some papers and asks her to take one and pass the rest down. She asks what it is. Miss Wormwood says it's a math quiz. Enthused, Calvin says 'Hot dog'."

"Don't try to copy my answers this time, Calvin, or I'll tell. Ha! Who needs YOUR answers? I'll bet I get a better score than you do. YOU?! That'll be the day! I'll bet you 25 cents I get a higher grade. You're on. You might as well give me the quarter now and save yourself the humiliation later! Maybe you'd like to increase the wager, Mr Bigmouth. Yeah! Let's double it and make it 35 cents! Susie warns Calvin not to try to copy her answers. Calvin replies that he'll probably get a better score than she will. Calvin bets her 25 cents. Calvin suggests she give him the quarter now to avoid the humiliation later. Susie suggests they raise the wager. Calvin offers to double the bet, to 35 cents."