Episode 1: The Beginning….

Calvin was a boy who usually wore a striped shirt, red shoes and bluish black pants. Right now he was setting up a ‘tiger trap’. He put a tuna sandwich next to the loop in the rope and cackled.

“Soon, I’m going to catch a tiger,” he said. “And he’ll protect me wherever I go. I’ll be able to threaten people by telling them that my tiger will eat them up if they don’t give up all of their cookies. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHHHHHH!”

Calvin started doing a goofy victory dance but regretted this. His foot accidentally slipped into the loop and- “Augh!”

Calvin was hanging from the tree upside-down.

“Maybe I should’ve danced at home,” he said.

He felt the rope move down slightly. He looked up and saw a squirrel on the branch nibbling on the rope. Then he looked down at the ground.

“Oh boy.”

The squirrel finished nibbling through the ropes and you can guess what happened next.

“Aaah!”

Calvin sat up on the ground slowly. A bump formed on his head. “I think I need to see the local nurse,” he said and collapsed, unconscious.

“This time nothing will go wrong,” Calvin said as he finished tying the rope.

He whooped and started walking away, celebrating. Before he walked a foot away, he kicked a rock in mid-dance which went up and hit a beehive.

Calvin stopped walking and listened.

“!”

“Not good,” he said.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!”

Calvin ran away from the bees, screaming as if somebody was poking him with needles on his behind.

“Calvin…the…great…will not…give up!” said a red and swelled up version of the Calvin we know, apparently still suffering from the aftermath of his interaction with the neighborhood bees. Once again, he set up the same trap, this time, leaving no room for mistakes. He was prepared for any blow that was about to hit him. He had learned his lesson….victory dance AFTER he actually gets the victory!!

Calvin waited, and waited, and waited…..but no signs of a tiger. He sat there wondering whether he would actually get a chance to do the victory dance again. Then again, with all those bee stings….was that victory dance possible? Slowly Calvin got lost in his thoughts.

In what seemed like hours, Calvin was brought back to reality with a noise that sounded oddly like a grunt. Calvin got excited and got up to look at the trap. And there, in the trap, lay his victory, in attempt of escaping.

“ALLRIGHT!!...I did it…I did it…ooh..ooh…ooh….” Calvin was finally at his victory dance.

“Oh! how nice…dinner and a show! But maybe I’d enjoy the show a little bit more, if I wasn’t……TIED UP!! Is this your idea of a joke??” said the pumpkin-orange tiger.

“Clamp your jaws, you beast!! I am your master! I order you to follow me to my house,” said Calvin, removing the rope from the branch of the tree. The tiger didn’t budge. Calvin then tried to drag him using the rope, but failed.

“Hmph! Wimpy human….your strength is no match to mine. There’s no way you can make me come with you,” boasted the tiger. Calvin sat and tingled with his brain.

“Hmm….How about some tuna?” asked Calvin hopefully.

“You may be small, but you’ve got brains. Now I know why you’re all at the top of the food chain. Ok, let’s go!” said the tiger and jumped up.

“By the way, my name’s Calvin. What’s yours?” asked Calvin.

“Calvin? That’s an odd name. I’m Hobbes,” he said smiling and extended his hand to Calvin. Calvin burst out laughing.

“No, really…what’s your name?” asked Calvin. Hobbes continued to smile at him. Calvin understood, and slowly shook hands with Hobbes.

“Ok…Hobbes…that’s…interesting. Anyways, my house is just outside the woods. Let’s go,” said Calvin.

Hobbes and Calvin both ventured off outside the woods, and were soon at Calvin’s home.

“You wait outside, Hobbes,” said Calvin, “I don’t really know what my mom’s reaction to having a tiger in the house would be. “

“Ok,” said Hobbes, “But I hope this isn’t a trap like the one you just set. You do have tuna, right?”

“Yeah, just wait!” Calvin entered the house, “Hey mom, MOM!! Where are you? I have something to tell you!!”

Calvin’s mom rushed into the hallway. “What? What happened?” she asked curiously.

“Umm…well…I actually caught a tiger…and I was wondering whether I could keep him…?” asked Calvin with the widest and most innocent grin he could make onto his face.

“A tiger huh?” said his mom, “Let’s take a look at him. Bring him in.”

Calvin showed Hobbes to his mother. His mother winced for a second at seeing how dirty Hobbes was and then looked at Calvin and said, “ Alright, you can keep him. But, I first have to wash him up. I’m sure your friend here would enjoy baths far more than you do, as he looks like he’s never had one before.”

“Sure,” Hobbes said and Calvin said, “Yeah. It’s okay with him.”

Little did Calvin and Hobbes know that to his mom, Hobbes looked like a stuffed toy tiger. In fact, in this whole series everybody except Calvin and maybe a few other characters, will see Hobbes as a stuffed toy.

Later, when Hobbes entered Calvin’s room, Calvin saw that he had a grumpy expression on his face.

“What’s wrong?” He asked as the orange tiger sat beside him on the bed.

“Does your mom give you a bath?” he asked. “Yeah.” “How does she give it?” “Why? How did she give you a bath?”

“Oh I’ll tell you.”

Flashback

Calvin’s mom took Hobbes into the laundry rooms. I wonder what those are? thought Hobbes, looking at a washing machine.

Calvin’s mom opened the lid of the washing machine dumped Hobbes in. “OW!” Hobbes said. “Is this the place where you take a bath? The water’s a bit cold but it’s nothing compared to the fact that it’s so cramped in here! Not enough spa- HEY!” Hobbes shouted as Calvin’s mom started pouring detergent into the washing machine.

“What is this stuff?!” But Calvin’s mom didn’t seem to listen. She closed the lid and turned the machine on. Hobbes was spinning around at high speed, banging on something every third of a second.

End Flashback

“She put you in the washing machine?” Calvin asked, disbelievingly. “So that’s what it’s called,” Hobbes said. “Yeah but it’s used for washing clothes. She gives me my baths in the bath tub. And I have to say, I do hate them. But to give someone a bath in a washing machine…..aieee!”

“Oh, I just feel like- Hiccup!” Hobbes hiccupped and two bubbles flew out of his mouth. Calvin couldn’t help but laugh. Hobbes glared at him.

Calvin and Hobbes were sitting in front of the T.V. Calvin was munching on a bowl of his favorite cereal Chocolate Frosted Sugar Bombs and Hobbes, who was getting used to human life, was eating his fifth tuna sandwich.

“Humans aren’t as dull other animals said they were,” Hobbes said as Captain Napalm blasted the alien guard to kingdom come on T.V. “You got that right,” Calvin said.

Then Calvin’s mom came. “Calvin,” she said. “You’re supposed to be doing your homework.” “Aww mom,” Calvin groaned.

“What’s homework?” asked Hobbes curiously.

“Homework is icky, dull and boring schoolwork you have to do at home,” Calvin said, “trust me, you’re a happier…tiger…without me telling you about it.

“What’s school?” Hobbes asked. Calvin’s jaw dropped.

“Don’t tell me tigers don’t go to school??” Calvin exclaimed.

“I don’t know about all tigers….but I’ve never been to one,” said Hobbes, “What is it?”

“School is a torture-house where they make you sit all day at one desk and look at some old disgusting women tell you about math, and where Abraham is, and when Alabama Lincoln died. Most kids enjoy it though. That’s probably because they’re stupid and I’m not,” boasted Calvin.

“It’s Abraham Lincoln, and the place is Alabama, you idiot. But this whole concept of ‘kool’ sounds interesting. So, are you going to go do your ‘koolwork’?” said Hobbes.

“Schoolwork…and how do YOU know all this if you never went to school, huh?” asked Calvin grumpily as the two of them marched upstairs.

“I’m a tiger…tigers are born with it. You want me to help you with your work?” asked Hobbes.

“No Mr. know-it-all, I can do it myself, thank you very much!” said Calvin grumpily.

An hour later, Calvin was still struggling with addition problems, whilst Hobbes was reading comics.

“Hey, wasn’t this the T.V. show we just watched? What’s the point of reading and watching the same thing, bozo?” asked Hobbes.

“Can you shut up?? I’m trying to think here. This is difficult stuff,” said Calvin.

“Yeah…thinking must be difficult stuff…for you.” said Hobbes, “Here, let me take a look.”

After taking a look at what Calvin did, Hobbes laughed.

“Wow…thinking really is difficult stuff for you. Since when was 7 + 2 equal to 5?? Sheesh, humans!” exclaimed Hobbes.

“You do it then, if you’re oh so wise!!” shouted Calvin all frustrated.

“Move aside, human!” Hobbes flicked Calvin on the head with his two fingers-PING!- and Calvin fell to the ground with a thud. “Owww!”

Fifteen minutes later, Hobbes was through with Calvin’s homework. At this, Calvin’s mood improved slightly.

“Thanks, Hobbes. You’re a lifesaver,” he tried to take away the homework from Hobbes, but Hobbes didn’t let him.

“I think I should get something in return. How about some more tuna??” grinned Hobbes.

“MORE TUNA!” Calvin exploded.

“Calvin, keep it down up there!” Calvin’s mom shouted from below.

Calvin closed the door then exploded, “HOW COULD YOU WANT MORE TUNA?! YOU ALREADY HAD ABOUT EIGHT RIGHT IN YOUR STOMACH! YOU MUST BE FATTER THAN THE WORLD’S BIGGEST SUMO YOU HUMONGOUS, ORANGE, UGLY GLOBE!!”

“Well you’re one to talk. I heard that tigers can consume more food than humans and that’ss why we’re stronger and more majestic and they are small weaklings,” Hobbes boasted and added, “and you’re the weakest of them all.”

“DIE TIGER! !”

Calvin and Hobbes were immediately fighting like maniacs. And Calvin’s homework, which was still in Hobbes hand, was torn in two, though they didn’t notice.

They may seem like enemies but they were actually going to be best friends soon. If you think this is the end then you’re wrong. This is just the beginning…