Hotdog Patties, Dinner at the Reads

Disclaimer: I do not own Arthur or the characters. Also, this was previously posted on fanfiction.net

The Story

Chapter 1: Trying a New Dish

It is evening time at the Reads’ house.  David had just finished cooking dinner for his family.
“Arthur, D.W.” calls Mrs. Read, “time for dinner.”
“Coming Mom,” Arthur and D.W. both say at the same time.
Arthur and D.W. leave their rooms and wash their hands in the bathroom and then head downstairs.
“Smells like hotdogs,” says D.W to Arthur. “Is that what we’re having?”
“I don’t know,” says Arthur, “maybe.”
They head to the dining room table and sit down.  Jane and Kate are sitting at the table too.
David begins to say, “You guys are going to really enjoy this new dish.”
“I’m not sure it’s new,” says D.W., “it smells like hotdogs.”
“It is hotdogs,” says David.
“Alright!” says D.W.  “I love hotdogs!”
“Me too,” says Arthur.  “But what’s so new about it?”
David answers, “That’s what I’m going to tell you.  These are not the hotdogs you’re thinking of.”
“Huh?” goes Arthur.
D.W. is getting a little puzzled.
David gets a covered round tray and brings it to the table.
“Family,” he says as he’s about to uncover the tray, “I give you…”
Then David uncovers the tray and shows the food saying “Hotdog Patties!”
Arthur and D.W. look at each other and ask each other, “Hotdog patties?”
“Dad,” asks Arthur, “what are hotdog patties?”
“Yeah,” says D.W., “I’ve heard of hotdogs but I’ve never heard of hotdog patties.”
“These are hotdogs,” says David, “that are shaped like hamburgers.”
“Interesting,” says Arthur.
“I’m not sure about this,” says D.W.
“Now, honey,” says Jane, “give it a chance.  You might like it.”
“Okay,” says D.W., “it looks weird but, like I said, at least I like hotdogs.”
“I’ll be the first to try it, Dad,” since Arthur.
“I appreciate you being my guinea pig, Arthur,” says David, “but I think D.W. should be the first to try it.”
David takes a hotdog patty, places it inside a hamburger bun and puts it on D.W.’s plate.
“Go on,” says David, “try it?”
“Okay,” says D.W., “here goes.”
Everyone watches as D.W. brings the sandwich to her mouth and takes a bite and chews it.
After she swallows the first bite, D.W. says “Hey, I like this!”
“I knew you would,” says David.
David continues to say, “Well everyone, dig in.”
So everyone takes a hotdog patty and puts it in a hamburger bun and they take their bites.  With the hotdog patties they have potato chips and baked beans.
“This is really good,” says Arthur, “I really like this!”
“I like it to,” says Jane.
“If you want,” says David, “we can put condiments on it.”
“Okay,” says Arthur, D.W., and Jane.
David gets the ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, and relish out of the refrigerator and puts them on the table.
Everyone enjoys their dinner.
“Can we have this for dinner again?” asks D.W.
“We sure can,” says David.
“How about next week?” asks Arthur.
“I don’t see why not?” says David.  Then he turns to Jane and asks, “You wouldn’t mind Honey, would you?”
“Not at all, Dear,” she answers.
“And can Buster come?” asks Arthur, “I’m sure he’ll like this.

A/N: I normally save the Author’s note for the very end of the story but I’ll make this exception.  I am not totally sure Hotdog patties really do exist or if I just made it up.  But I thought about this this morning and I think years ago I thought of hotdogs shaped like hamburgers but still tasting like hotdogs and hamburgers shaped like hotdogs, although I’m not sure the hotdogs Mr. Krabs of Spongebob Squarepants were the same as the hot-dog shaped hamburgers I was thinking of albeit the same ingredients used to make the Krabby Patties were used to make hotdogs.  Personally, I like hamburgers a lot more than hotdogs, I’m not generally a big hotdog eater.  Plus truth be told, I’m not sure I’d eat hotdogs shaped in a patty, it would be weird to me. I think I’m safer with wiener hotdogs than patty hotdogs.  Maybe they do exist, I don’t know, I’d have to look it up on the internet, or one of you readers would have to tell me.  I mean, just about any kind of meat exists and over the past few years, especially watching Food Network, I’ve seen new kinds of foods, even new kinds of meats (I think.)  I think hotdog patties could exist.  If not, they exist on Arthur and can on other cartoons.

Stay Tuned for Chapter 2.

Chapter 2: Buster Tries Hotdog Patties

The next morning, Arthur is walking to school with his best pal Buster talking to him about the amazing dinner he had the night before.
“Hotdog patties?” Buster asks.
“Yep,” says Arthur, “that’s what Dad made us for dinner last night.
“I think I’ve heard of them,” says Buster, “but never really had one. But wow. Was it good?”
“It really was as a matter of fact,” says Arthur. “And since you like food, I’m thinking you would like it.”
“I’m sure I would,” says Buster. “I do like hotdogs. So maybe hotdog patties won’t be so bad.”
“My dad is going to cook this again next week,” says Arthur. “And I asked my parents if you could come over and have some and they said yes.”
“Really?!” says Arthur, excited, “I can’t wait. Oh Arthur, you’re a real friend.”
“Eh,” says Arthur, “I figured you’d like this and you’re my best friend and a real eating machine and I just couldn’t not let you in on this.”
“Thanks, Arthur,” says Buster. “I’ll ask my mother if I can go to your house for dinner next week.”
“Cool,” says Arthur.

So the following week, Buster is at his best friend’s house. It is now time for dinner and everyone is at the dinner table. This time, instead of potato chips, David decided to make curly fries. Baked beans are still served with this. There are also the ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, and relish bottles and jars.
“So Buster,” says David, “ready to try hotdog patties?”
“Am I ever, Mr. Read!” says Buster excited.
“Help yourself,” says David.
The hotdog patties and hamburger buns are passed to Buster and he is given permission to take his first bite before everyone else starts eating, which he does.
“This is amazing!” exclaims Buster.
“I knew you’d like it,” says Arthur.
“I think we all did,” says Jane.
“Like it?” says Buster, “I don’t like it!”
Everyone gasps.
“What?” says David, Jane, and Arthur.
“I love it!” he says.
Everyone sighs with relief.
“Wow, Buster,” says David, “you kind of scared me for a moment.”
“Yeah,” says Arthur, “I was a bit shocked.”
“Gotcha!” says Buster.
Everyone chuckles a bit and then starts having their dinner.
After Buster finishes his sandwich, he says “may I have another one please? Except I’d like to try it with cheese if it’s alright.”
“Cheese,” asks Arthur.
“That’s actually a good idea,” says David, “I didn’t even think of that.”
“Yeah me neither,” says Arthur.
“Neither did I,” says Jane.
“Or me,” says D.W.
“I think I’d like to try it too,” says Arthur.
David walks up to the refrigerator and brings the cheese to the table.
“Is American cheese all right, Buster,” asks David, “because this is all we have right now.”
“It’s more than all right,” says Buster, “I’d eat this with bleu cheese, or that smelly French cheese.” (A/N What’s that cheese called again?)
No one says anything. David hands Buster a slice of cheese.
“Here you go, Buster,” he says to him.
“Thanks, Mr. Read, “he says back and then removing the cheese from the wrapper and putting it on his next sandwich and he bites into it.
“It tastes even better with cheese on it!” Buster says.
“I’m going to try it now,” says Arthur.
Arthur takes a slice of cheese and puts it on his next sandwich. David and Jane do the same but D.W. is a bit reluctant, she being a picky eater.
“Wow,” says Arthur, “I like it too!”
“So do I,” says Jane.
“So do I,” says David.
“How about you D.W.?” asks Buster.
“I don’t know,” says D.W., “I like it without cheese, but I don’t know if I’m ready for this.”
“Try it D.W.,” says David, “you might like it.
“Come on,” says Jane, “give it a chance.”
“Alright,” says D.W.
She takes a piece of cheese and puts it in her sandwich and takes a bite and chews it. Everyone is watching her.
“Well,” she starts out without smiling.
“Well what?” everyone else asks her.
“This sandwich,” she says without a smile but sounding like she’s getting ready to say something mean about it.
Everyone braces themselves.
D.W. finishes, “Is amazing! I like it!”
“I thought for sure you wouldn’t by the way you were talking,” says Jane.
“I didn’t think I was going to like it,” says D.W., “but it is one of the best things I’ve tasted!”
“See D.W.,” says David, “like we’ve told you, ‘you never know until you try it.”
“I’m glad I did,” says D.W. Then turning to Buster, she says to him, “and I’m glad you suggested it.”
“So am I,” Arthur says, “I’m glad we invited you.”
“Ah it was nothing,” says Buster. “But you know how else I’d like to try this?”
“How?” asks Arthur.
“Barbequed,” answers Buster.
David thinks for a moment.
“Buster that’s an excellent idea!” says David. “I think that’s what I’m going to try doing. Thanks Buster.”
“No problem,” he says.
“And thank you, Arthur, for inviting Buster,” David says to him. “We have a food genius in our midst.”
“No problem, Dad,” says Arthur.
“How about a week from Saturday,” David says, “we have a barbeque? And I have a few people I want to invite. Buster?”
“Yes, Mr. Read?” answer’s Buster.
“Could you ask your mother if she can come to the Barbeque on that day?” David asks him.
“I sure will,” says Buster.
Stay tuned for chapter 3. See who gets invited to the Barbeque.

A/N: This was supposed to be the original last chapter, but I decided to add one more chapter to this story. This was also supposed to be a short chapter but I somehow managed to make this chapter longer, but it’s still good. Well, I’ll let you readers be the judge of that. Anyway, see how the next chapter plays out and who other than Buster and his mother are invited. Some of them will be characters I’ve never included in my stories before.

It is now the Saturday and it is afternoon at the Reads’ place and in their backyard and quite a few people are there, men, women, and children. Other than the Reads and Buster and Bitzy, Grandma Thora is there but not in the yard at the moment, all the Molinas are there, the Compsons are there, and Grandpa Dave. David is barbequing the hotdog patties on the grill, Ramon is standing up talking to Captain Rufus Tucker and they’re both holding drinks in their hands, and Bitzy, Mrs. Molina, and Cisely are sitting at the picnic table in the Read’s backyard talking to each other. Grandma Thora is inside helping Jane with the baked beans.
The kids are hanging out with each other or socializing. Arthur, Buster, and Ladonna are playing together, D.W., Vacita, and Bud are playing together with Grandpa Dave, Alberto is talking with Gussie, and Madison, well she’s keeping to herself, she’s sitting somewhere in the yard sending text messages on her cell phone. Baby Kate is also sitting in the yard with Pal and Amigo. Let’s let them talk for a moment.
“Hey Pal,” says Amigo, “the food around here smells good. Do you think they’re going to drop any for us?”
“I doubt it,” says Pal, “Humans are very stingy people. And I’m not sure I should be eating any of that anyway after having to go to the vet, although I have eaten some food thereafter and never got sick.”
“Why don’t you two just go up to Dad and stand on your tippy toes?” suggests Baby Kate.
After hearing her, Pal and Amigo look at each other.
“I don’t know Kate,” says Pal, “what if that doesn’t work?”
“You’re not going to know if you don’t try it,” says Kate.
“She’s right,” says Amigo, “it wouldn’t hurt.”
“You’re right,” says Pal, “lets go.
So they do. But when they go up to David and stand on their hind legs trying to look cute to him…
“No guys,” David says, “these are not for you.”
David points his finger showing them he wants them to leave.
“Amigo,” calls Ramon, who sees his dog standing with Pal, “come over here.”
“Well,” says Pal to Amigo, “it was worth a try.”
And they walk away from David. When Kate hears about it, she feels bad for them.

David Read is cooking two kinds of hotdog patties: a slightly thin kind that’s as thick as the hamburgers you get at Wendy’s, and that’s what they’ve been eating in the last two chapters, and a more jumbo version, almost the height of non-fast-food restaurant style burger.
The Compsons brought potato salad, Bitzy brought some green salad with Buster’s tomatoes from the Community Garden, the Molinas brought corn on the cob, and Grandma Thora brought a chocolate cake and some vanilla ice cream. Arthur and D.W. made the Lemonade but some cans of various soda pop are there as are some water bottles.
There are three sets of tables: one to put the food on and the plates, napkins, etc; one to for the adults to sit at, and one for the children to sit at, although at least one of them are going to sit on the grass to eat.

Soon all the hotdog patties are cooked and Jane and Thora have come out with the baked beans. Everyone is called to eat.
“Everyone,” shouts David, “the food is ready.”
So everyone stops what they’re doing and get in line to get their plates and serve themselves.
Buster, standing behind Arthur, tells him, “I can’t wait to try how the grilled hotdog patties taste!”
“I can’t either,” replies Arthur.
The two and everyone else make their plates, although D.W., Vacita, and Bud, being little kids, need help from their parents making a plate. Vacita doesn’t want any beans but Mrs. Molina insists she has some and Ramon gives her about a tablespoon and a half.

When everyone has their food, the adults, including Thora and Grandpa Dave sit at one table, Arthur, Buster, Ladonna, Alberto, D.W., Vacita, and Bud sit at another table, Baby Kate is with Jane at the adult table, and Madison and Gussie sit on the grass and eat their food, but Madison and Gussie don’t sit together, they sit by themselves. A little later though, Alberto looks around and see Gussie sitting by himself. Alberto picks up his plate and his soda pop and gets out of his seat.
“Alberto,” says Arthur, “where you going?”
“I’m going to see if Gussie wants some company,” he answers. “If he wants to be by himself, save my seat please?”
“Okay,” says Arthur.
Apparently Alberto and Gussie have just become friends with each other! Well, let’s be sure.
“Hey Gussie?” asks Alberto, “mind if I join you?”
“Sure” says Gussie.
So Alberto sits down next to Gussie and eats with him.

“So Buster,” says Arthur, “how’s the BBQ hotdog patty?”
“It’s excellent!” says Buster. “In fact, it tastes better grilled. I’m going to tell your dad that when I get a chance. In fact, I’m going back for seconds if there’s any left.”

As Buster goes back for seconds, he is called by David and asked the same question by him that Arthur just asked him.
“Hey, Buster,” he shouts.
Buster stops and says, “Yes Mr. Read?”
“How’s the BBQ hotdog patty?” he asks.
“It tastes better this way,” says Buster. “And it’s funny, because Arthur asked me the same question minutes ago.”
All the adults at the table laugh.
“I’m going back for seconds if it’s all right,” Buster says.
“There’s plenty,” says David, “knock yourself out!”
And Buster does.
“That’s my baby,” says Bitzy.
“Where does he put it all?” says Grandpa Dave.
“Beats me,” says Bitzy, “he’s a bottomless pit!”

As Buster gets his next helping of food, Pal and Amigo run up to him and stand on their hind legs. Buster doesn’t yet know why they’re doing that and then he gets an idea.
He puts down his plate and kneels down and asks them, “You guys want the hotdog patties do you?”
Pal and Amigo stick their tongues out.
“Okay,” says Buster.
Buster makes sure nobody is looking and he grabs two hotdog patties and drops them on puts them at Pal and Amigo’s mouths and they grab them and go. Buster then finishes making his plate and goes back to the kids table.

Pal and Amigo walk up slowly behind Jane but try to keep themselves from being noticed by her, put their hotdog patties on the ground and get Kate’s attention.

“Hey Kate,” says Amigo.
Kate looks down at the two dogs.
“Look what we got,” says Pal.
“You got your hotdog patties after all!” she says.
“Yeah,” says Pal, “now we better grab our patties and go before we get caught.”
“Okay,” says Kate.
And Pal and Amigo get their hotdog patties off the ground and go before anyone else sees them.

Some of the people also go back for seconds. Soon everyone is done eating dinner but don’t have dessert for another thirty minutes. Then eventually they do.

After it gets dark, the lights in the backyard are turned on. Then all the guests leave.
“Buster?” says David.
“Yes Mr. Read?” he answers.
“Would you like a doggie bag to take home?” he asks.
“Alright,” says Buster, “I’ll admit it, I gave two pieces of the hotdog patties to the two dogs.”
Buster does fear a little that David will get mad but he doesn’t.
“That’s okay Buster,” he says.
So Buster makes a plate for himself to take home.
“I’m going to have this for lunch,” says Buster, “or for dinner tomorrow. Thanks for making this Mr. Read. The Hotdog patties that is.”
“Actually,” says David, “thank you.”
“Why’s that?” asks Buster.
“Because if it weren’t for you,” says David, “I might not have even thought to do this. I should also thank Arthur for inviting you last week.”
Everyone knows Buster suggested the hotdog patties and they all thank Buster for it.
“You’re welcome,” he says.
The guests do stay and help clean up and then they take all their things, but leave some food for Arthur and his family and take some of the hotdog patties and other things with them and leave.

The End

A/N I must tell you, the last chapter was a challenge to write so if you don’t like it, I don’t blame you and I’m sorry and I might rewrite this chapter.

I was trying to get this finished and posted today because I’m going to be getting away from Fanfiction.net for a couple weeks.

Hope you enjoyed this. I’ll try to have some more new stories when I come back and I look forward to reading some of you guy’s stories.

Thanks for reading.