* Martha was an average dog
* She went... and... and... (barking, growls)
* When she ate some alphabet soup *
* Then what happened was bizarre. *
On the way to Martha's stomach, the letters lost their way.
They traveled to her brain, and now...
* She's got a lot to say
* Now she speaks...
How now, brown cow?
* Martha speaks
* Yeah, she speaks and speaks and speaks *
* And speaks and speaks.
What's a caboose?
When are we eating again?
* Martha speaks...
Hey, Joe, what do you know?
My name's not Joe.
* She's not always right, but still that Martha speaks. *
Hi, there.
* She's got a voice, she's ready to shout *
* Martha will tell you what it's all about *
* Sometimes wrong, but seldom in doubt *
* Martha will tell you what it's all about *
* That dog's unique...
Testing, one, two.
* Hear her speak
* Martha speaks and speaks and speaks and speaks and... *
* Communicates, enumerates
* Elucidates, exaggerates
* Indicates and explicates
* Bloviates and overstates and... *
(panting)
* ...hyperventilates!
* Martha, to reiterate
Martha speaks! * Martha speaks.
Hi, this is Skits...
(barks)
...and I'm Truman with the forecast for today's show.
Looks like we'll be seeing a downpour of weather words
starting with words like "showers" and "thunder,"
"lightning" and "precipitation."
Then, later on in the program, the storm will break,
and we should start seeing words like "temperature," "snow,"
"cloudy" and "sunny."
So keep an ear out because there's no predicting
how many weather words you might learn.
(barks)
(panting) (whimpers)
I know, it's not ice anymore.
Now it's just dirt.
Too hot!
And now for the local weather forecast,
I've got some good news for those of you who are wondering
if this heat wave will ever end.
(grunts hopefully)
Because we're going to have some rainfall.
We have a major storm heading our way.
(groans)
That's right,
a storm.
Which means it's going to be raining very hard.
As the rainfall gets closer, we'll be seeing lots of wind,
lots of lightning and lots of thunder... (echoing)
(gulps)
(thunder rumbling, wind whistling)
(barks)
Oh, I used to be afraid of storms, too.
But don't worry. You'll get used to the thunder and the lightning
and realize that storms aren't scary at all.
(thunder crashes, Martha gasps)
(yelping)
(whimpering, curious bark)
I was just looking for my... shoebox.
(barks curiously)
Yeah, that's my favorite shoebox.
(whimpers)
Oh, I'm not scared.
(thunder crashes, Martha yelps)
(chuckles nervously)
And what better place to spend time
with my shoebox than right here?
(whimpers)
(chuckles): Of course not.
Why would I be afraid of a little thunder?
Thunder's just a loud noise
that happens during a storm.
It can't hurt you.
(thunder crashes, Skits yelps)
Where are you going?
(barks)
But how are you going to get away from the thunder?
It's everywhere.
(barks)
Well, good luck.
Let me know if you find someplace
where there's no thunder.
(barks)
I'll stay right here, thank you,
but not because I'm scared!
(sighs)
Those bright flashes of light in the sky
are called "lightning."
Lightning is a big spark of electricity during a storm,
and thunder is the sound that the lightning makes.
Doggy!
No, that's not a doggy.
That's a... Oh, it is a doggy.
Skits!
Hey, Skits!
What's wrong?
You're not planning on chewing all my slippers, are you?
(whimpers, thunder rumbles)
Oh, I get it.
You want to get away from the sound of the thunder.
Is that it, boy?
(barks)
Well, I know where we can go that's not so scary.
Thanks for bringing him home.
No problem.
I figured he'd be less scared
if he was here during the storm.
(barks)
I think I felt a raindrop.
I'd better get home before the drizzle
turns into a downpour.
I hate getting wet.
(thunder crashes)
Come on, Skits. Skits?
Gee, I guess he couldn't wait to get under the bed.
(thunder cracks)
(grunts)
James, hold still for just one second.
Mom! Mom!
Mom! Mom! Mom!!
Mom!
(thunder crashes)
(baby laughing)
It looks like we're going to have some pretty heavy rainfall,
so be sure to bring along your umbrella
if you don't want to get caught in the downpour.
Oh, I forgot the umbrella.
(babbling)
(thunder rumbles)
(gasps)
Thanks for bringing him home.
Thank goodness he had tags.
Still, I can't figure out how he got into our car.
I guess the thunder just makes him want to hide.
But you'll feel safer here, right, Skits?
(whimpers)
(thunder cracks, barks)
(all exclaim)
(thunder crashes)
(barks)
(sniffs)
Ew! Smells like wet dog.
(whimpering)
No dogs allowed.
(phone rings)
Animal Rescue, this is Officer Kazuo.
Where's the purported dog, sir?
All right, sir, remain calm.
Animal Rescue is on the way.
(loud rock music plays)
REPORTER: As you can see, high winds are pushing the storm clouds
into the Wagstaff City area.
We better get home before it really hits.
Well, well, well.
What are you doing out in this weather, buddy?
You don't really want to stay out here
in this downpour, do you?
Okay, let's see. "Skits."
Okay, Skits, let's say we take you someplace dry, hey?
(thunder crashes)
Dang thunder.
The storm will break, but we'll be seeing
continued wet weather with light showers and drizzle
continuing on into the evening.
Oh!
Uh, go ahead.
(thunder crashes, Skits barks)
(panting)
No time.
Sorry, pal, you might be able to outrun the storm,
but you can never outrun Kazuo.
One thing I know, your average canis domesticus--
a dog, in other words-- hates thunder.
Well, the best cure for that is for you to sit back, relax
and listen to some music.
(loud rock music plays)
(whimpering)
(knocking)
Skits!
Oh, it's you.
Is this Martha's house?
That's right. Skits is our other...
(crash)
KAZUO: Uh-oh. Wind trouble.
Oh, no.
(thunder cracks, Skits whimpers)
Well, hello, young skipper.
While you're crawling around there,
maybe you could keep a weather eye out for me glasses, hmm?
They seem to have gone astray again.
(sighs)
I just love being in a shower.
I mean, a rain shower.
A shower's just a bit of rain that falls for a little while.
(Skits moans inquisitively)
What's that you say?
Reminds you of the sea?
Me, too.
The raindrops hitting your face
like the spray from a beluga's blowhole,
the thunder like the crashing of waves.
(sniffs, sighs)
And there's nothing like the smell of wetness in the air.
Oh, I think I see me bus.
Well, indeed, there she is.
(Skits barks)
Enjoy the rainfall.
(Skits barking, panting)
(thunder crashes, Skits yelps)
(bowling pins crash, Skits yelps)
(thunder crashes, Skits yelps)
(crashing)
(moans thoughtfully)
(crashing)
(whimpers, barks)
Rocky Road?
This bus isn't supposed to stop at Rocky Road.
I need to go to the marina.
(Skits whimpering)
Well, thank you, young man.
But you should be standing up straight and tall,
not crawling around like a scallywag.
Skits?
What are you doing out here?
(barking)
Well, climb aboard, and let's get you home.
You're not going to Rocky Road, are ye?
(chuckling)
No, captain, just the usual route.
Tack to starboard, trim the mizzen mast
and sail the leeward wind to port,
making all the local stops. (chuckles)
(laughing): Very good.
(whispering): Can ye tell me what the heck he's talking about?
(Skits whimpers)
So long now, laddie.
Get home safe.
There he is.
He was at a bus stop outside of town.
Can you believe it?
Right in the middle of a storm.
Skits must like thunderstorms.
He was out running around and having a great time
while Martha was hiding under the bed.
Hey, I wasn't hiding.
I was just spending time with my shoebox and...
(Skits grunts)
Eh, it's a long story.
Well, I better get going.
Got a schedule to keep.
Come on, Skits, admit it.
You weren't out having a great time.
You were scared of the thunder.
(barking)
Oh, come on.
How could you discover anything about thunder?
(barking)
Bowling?
What does bowling have to do with it?
WINDY MCCLOUD (on TV): Well, now that the rainfall is over,
you can expect sunny skies for the rest of the day.
However, tomorrow, there is a 90% chance of hail.
(Skits moans fearfully)
Hail? (whimpering)
And that's the weather.
Have a pleasant afternoon.
Hi, I'm Windy McCloud.
A lot of people ask me how I got
to be Wagstaff City's number one meteorologist.
The answer is... precipitation.
Precipitation is any kind of water that falls from the sky.
Like drizzle, which is light, steady precipitation.
There's heavy precipitation.
As you can see, it's very wet, a real downpour.
Th-th-there's frozen precipitation,
better known as snow.
And there's another frozen precipitation: hail.
Hail is ice.
Ow! I'm going.
Precipitation is all just water in different forms:
rain, hail or snow.
These days, I get to stay nice and dry in the studio.
(sighs)
Ooh, listen.
I learned a new tongue twister.
A skunk sat on a stump and thunk the stump stunk,
but the stump thunk the skunk stunk.
(giggling): You try.
(inhales deeply)
A skunk sat on a stump...
Hey, look!
Uh-uh. Listen carefully.
A skunk sat on...
No, I mean, look.
Isn't that Windy McCloud, the weather lady?
Oh, how embarrassing.
Sunny the Weather Dog is beating me in the ratings.
I know.
That mutt wouldn't know a rain shower
from a meteor shower.
It used to be enough for a weather forecaster
to be well-informed, well-coifed and cute.
What?
No, now you have to have four legs
and a wet nose, too.
Weather lady?
Have I got a tongue twister for her.
Martha!
MARTHA: Hey, Windy.
heard this one.ve (spitting)
Whether the weather be fine
or whether the weather be not,
whether the weather be cold
or whether the weather be hot,
we'll weather the weather whether we like it or not.
Impressive, huh?
(chattering over phone)
Hang on, Jerald.
I think I have something here.
Windy McCloud wants you to be a weather dog?
Uh-huh.
The other television station
has a weather dog named Sunny.
But Sunny can't talk,
and I can.
Windy says we'll be tops on TV in no time.
(brakes screeching)
Oh, all passengers behind the white line, please.
So, uh, when do you start?
In two weeks.
Oh, I can't wait.
Just think of all the cool things
I'll be able to do once I'm weather dog.
Martha, it's too hot.
Yeah, fix it, Martha.
Please?
Well, I really shouldn't.
(Skits whimpering, panting)
Oh, okay.
Rain!
(thunder rolling)
(Skits barking)
Good idea.
But hold the thunder!
(all cheering)
(Helen yawning)
Oh, man.
(sighs)
What's wrong?
Mrs. Clusky is giving us a test today.
I was hoping it would snow
so school would be canceled.
I'll take care of it.
MARTHA: Snow!
Hey, sleepyhead. (door opening)
They just announced on the radio
that school's been canceled because of snow.
Yay!
Being weather dog will be fun.
No more rained out baseball games.
No more hot, muggy nights.
If I am your weather dog, I promise you...
DAD: Martha...
weather dogs don't control the weather.
They just make forecasts.
Forecasts?
What are those?
And that means the cloudy days are gone.
We'll be having mild, sunny weather through the weekend.
That's a forecast.
It's when you tell people
what you think will happen in the future.
(Martha panting nervously)
Helen, I don't want to be a weather dog.
Why not?
You'll be great.
No, I won't.
Windy forecast the weather for next week.
I can't even make a prediction about tomorrow.
Prediction?
I thought you needed to make a forecast.
Prediction, forecast-- same thing.
They both mean to tell people
what you think is going to happen
before it does. (sighs)
I'm lousy at making predictions.
(Jake babbling)
It's going right.
(babbling)
(Jake giggling)
That was mine.
I can't see three seconds into the future,
much less into next week.
I wonder how Windy does it.
Maybe she's psychic.
Psychic?
Yeah, maybe she's got a crystal ball or something.
Show me tomorrow's weather.
Sunny and mild?
Or hot and hazy?
TRUMAN: That's not how it's done.
Meteorologists are much more scientific than that.
Meat?
Huh? Where?
(barking)
Not meat.
Meteorologist.
It's a name for someone who studies the weather.
Oh. You're sure it's not a name for someone who gives away meat?
Positive.
Words would be so much better
if they let dogs decide what they meant.
TRUMAN: A meteorologist is not just a pretty face.
They use scientific information to forecast the weather.
They don't just make a guess?
Guess? No!
Meteorologists don't guess.
They look at cold fronts and warm fronts.
They look at satellite pictures and barometers and thermometers
and weather balloons and all kinds of stuff.
Then, they guess.
Meteorologists use thermometers to tell the temperature.
Temperature? They check to see
if the air has a fever or not?
Well, yes, in a way.
Temperature is how hot or cold something is.
They use weathervanes to see where the wind is coming from.
(scoffs): I just use my ears.
Oh, how am I supposed to forecast the weather?
Clouds.
Clouds?
Clouds tell you all kinds of things:
what kind of wind there is
and how much moisture is in the air.
That is a cirrus cloud.
These are cumulus and nimbus clouds.
Cirrus clouds are thin, wispy clouds
that predict good weather.
Cumulus clouds are white, puffy clouds.
And they also predict good weather.
But nimbus clouds are dark gray clouds
that predict it might rain.
Different types of clouds are caused
by different types of wind.
Now, Martha, what does that cloud look like to you?
Uh, an elephant.
(sighs): That's not what I meant.
(barks)
It does not look like a whale.
It looks like an elephant.
(barks) Elephant!
(barks)
Elephant!
Why don't we go over cloud types again?
MARTHA: I still don't get it.
What?
I don't get what weather is.
Weather is just a word that describes
what it's like outside.
If it's hot or cold, rainy or sunny,
cloudy or snowy.
Truman, how do you know so much about weather?
Wow, your parents got this for you?
Mm-hmm. Why?
Um, did you ever see that movie The Wizard of Oz?
The one with the scary witch?
And the flying monkeys.
I don't remember them.
I only remember the tornado.
The tornado?
That big windy funnel-shaped thing
that sucked everything up into it?
BOTH: Oh, yeah!
The idea of some big windy funnel picking me up
and putting me down
in a place where everyone wears sparkly clothes
and speaks in squeaky little voices...
Ugh! I couldn't sleep for weeks.
So my parents bought me this so I'd understand the weather.
They hoped it would calm me down.
Did it?
No, but it did get me doing nightly weather forecasts.
It will be sunny and breezy in the morning,
but cloudy with thundershowers in the afternoon.
Where's my lightning bolt?
Who took my lightning bolt?!
I can't work under these conditions!
If you want, you can use it for your new job.
I just have to find my lighting bolt.
It's around here somewhere.
No, thanks. I think I've got a pretty good handle on weather.
Clouds, temperature, wind. Ha! Simple.
Today's forecast: snow showers
with temperatures in the low 20s.
Snow showers? In July?
I know it seems hard to believe,
but clouds don't lie. See for yourself.
(groans)
Today's forecast:
sunny and mild with temperatures in the mid-60s.
(thunder crashes)
Cloudy.
Sunny.
Cold... I mean, hot.
I mean, hail!
Never mind.
What, no predictions?
No. All my predictions are wrong.
I'm a horrible weather dog.
You know, Martha, meteorologists are wrong a lot.
The wind changes directions, and voot!
The rainstorm that was supposed
to come Friday shows up on Thursday
or misses you altogether.
You're just saying that to make me feel better.
(gasps)
I know.
Where are you going?
To see Truman.
He's got something
that may help my forecasting ability.
Aha!
Did you find it? Did you find your lightning bolt?
No, but I did find the last page of Blue Mangoes.
I'm doomed, doomed!
Not having a full set of props is annoying,
but I don't think a stick-on lightning bolt
will really affect your accuracy.
I need all the help I can get.
How did you do it, Truman?
How were you able to forecast the weather?
Each morning, I listen to the weather forecast
on the radio and repeated everything they said
on my forecast that night.
What a great idea!
It's perfect and so simple.
Thanks, Truman.
Wait a minute. I can't do that.
Why not?
People expect honesty in their weather forecast,
and if I can't predict the weather, well,
then I'm honestly not cut out for the job.
And besides that, dogs are terrible liars.
You can always tell if we're up to something.
Not taking the job? Why not?
I can't tell a cirrus cloud from a nimbus cloud.
That's okay. I take care of all the technical stuff.
I'm a certified meteorologist.
Well, what am I supposed to do, then?
Well, I thought we'd dress you up in funny outfits
and you'd stand there looking cute.
You mean, I don't have to predict the weather?
Uh-uh.
You just want a pretty face?
Yes. So will you take the job?
Uh, no, but I know someone who will.
And that wraps up our forecast for this evening,
right, Weather Dog?
(barks, pants)
But, Martha, I don't understand.
I thought you wanted to be a weather dog.
I did when I thought I could control the weather.
When I found out I was only able to predict the weather,
that was okay, too.
But when she told me
it was just standing around in funny outfits,
well, I knew there was only one person for the job.
Who can resist Skits in a raincoat?
(barks)
And that's the weather. Have a pleasant afternoon.
MAN: And we're out.
Let's move those cameras.
Hi. I'm Windy McCloud.
You may know me as TV's Windy McCloud.
A lot of people ask me how I got to be Wagstaff City's
number-one meteorologist.
I'll tell you how.
Because I know a lot about temperature.
(shivering): Temperature means how hot or cold something is.
Right now, the temperature is pretty cold,
freezing, in fact.
And right now, the temperature is really hot.
(thunder crashes)
Yes, I like the temperature,
but I don't like the precipitation.
Did you get all the words about weather?
(barks "No")
Okay, let's see them again.
A shower's just a bit of rain that falls for a little while.
Those bright flashes of light in the sky
are called "lightning."
That's right,
a storm.
Which means it's going to be raining very hard.
And thunder is the sound that the lightning makes.
Well, that's our show. Say "bye," Skits.
Skits, drop that lightning bolt!
I've been looking for that.
Skits!