View source for Stoop Kid (episode)

{{Tab|Eps}}
{{Infobox Episode
| Title = Stoop Kid.jpg
| Season = [[Season 1|1]]
| Prod# = 3b
| Writer = [[Steve Viksten]]
| Director = [[Kelly James]]<br>[[Juli Murphy-Hashiguchi]]
| Date = October 30, 1996
| Previous episode = [[Arnold's Hat (episode)|Arnold's Hat]]
| Next episode = [[Helga's Makeover]]
}}
"'''Stoop Kid'''" is an episode of ''[[Hey Arnold!]]''.

==Synopsis==
[[Gerald Johanssen|Gerald]] tells the legend of [[Stoop Kid (character)|Stoop Kid]], a teenage boy who lives on his stoop and harasses the passers-by without ever leaving. When [[Arnold Shortman|Arnold]] proves Stoop Kid's afraid to leave his stoop, he feels sorry for him and helps him to overcome his fears. In the end, Stoop Kid leaves his stoop but continues to stay there and harass people on (and off) his stoop.

==Plot==

Arnold and the others are playing football in the street. Arnold gives the football a massive kick, but unfortunately it lands on the steps of a stoop belonging to a boy known only as Stoop Kid who is very protective of it and harasses and harms any passerby who touches or even looks at it. The other kids are very angry and blame Arnold for spoiling their game, knowing how dangerous Stoop Kid is.

Gerald then tells the story of Stoop Kid's origin and stresses to Arnold that he will never get his football back as he never leaves his stoop. Arnold decides to use the direct approach and ask Stoop Kid for it back. But he becomes nervous when Stoop Kid urges him dangerously to go ahead and pick it up so he leaves it and goes back to Gerald and says that getting it back will be harder than he thought.

Arnold then tries waiting in a dustbin for Stoop Kid to leave his stoop. He watches him harassing passersby. Park then arrives and accidently pours rubbish on him. Park then asks him if he wants to go inside, but Arnold says he prefers to wait for Stoop Kid to leave his stoop. Park replies in the same way as Gerald that Stoop Kid never leaves his stoop, but Arnold keeps waiting. He watches Stoop Kid eat and watch television, wash his hair and finally reading what he considers a great book called ''The Little Engine That Could''.

Arnold finally falls asleep and has a dream of the stoop being much bigger than he is and tries to get the football while the stoop starts to crumble around him. He is woken up by Gerald and Arnold still can't believe that he hasn't left his stoop. Gerald stresses again that Stoop Kid never leaves his stoop.

Arnold refuses to give up and decides to sneak up when Stoop Kid isn't looking, grab his football and run away. Gerald is strongly against this, saying that Stoop Kid would just chase him down and pulverize him, but Arnold replies smugly that Stoop Kid can't chase him if he never leaves his stoop. Gerald thinks Arnold is bold and crazy but agrees to back him up.

While Stoop Kid is harassing another passerby, Arnold seizes his chance, grabs the football and runs away. Stoop Kid shouts abuse at him as he goes, telling him to come back and face him like a man and not leaving his stoop as Arnold said.

Arnold and Gerald laugh and deduce that Stoop Kid never leaves his stoop out of fear. The other kids hear this and laugh too. They then begin harassing Stoop Kid and begin a teasing chant which echoes through the neighborhood. Even a newspaper appears with the headline STOOP KID AFRAID TO LEAVE STOOP.

That night Stoop Kid is very upset and as Arnold is going home from an errand of grocery shopping, he hears Stoop Kid wailing and goes to find out what's wrong.

Stoop Kid tells Arnold to go away and even throws a can at him, upset at being ridiculed by the neighborhood. But Arnold tells him that if he left his stoop, the ridicule would stop and even offers to help. Eventually Stoop Kid reluctantly agrees.

First Arnold shows him how to step off, but he refuses. Secondly, he tries blindfolding him, but Stoop Kid takes the blindfold off before he reaches the ground and runs back up frightened. Finally, Arnold tries to lure him down with an ice cream sundae, but Stoop Kid is still too scared.

Eventually Arnold tells him that there is a great world to explore out there, but he will never see it if he never leaves his stoop. Stoop Kid doesn't see anything great about the world anyway until Arnold shows him in some library books, two great stoops: the Spanish steps in Rome and the Pyramid of the Sun in Mexico and says that there are many more to see if Stoop Kid is willing to leave his.

This finally urges Stoop Kid to leave his stoop. The rest of the neighborhood hears his declaration, and all go over to watch including a newspaper and camera crew. Stoop Kid is at first fearful as he hadn't expected to be watched by so many people, but Arnold urges him to keep on going, even showing him a picture of the Little Engine from the story he had read.

Remembering the words "I think I can", Stoop Kid shuts his eyes and slowly goes down step by step until he finally reaches the ground. He opens his eyes to see that he has finally left his stoop. Arnold congratulates him and Stoop Kid is pleased that he is finally free of his stoop.

Next day a paper appears again, this time saying STOOP KID STEPS OFF STOOP. Stoop Kid thanks Arnold for all his help and Arnold says that now he can go out and see the world. Stoop Kid replies that he could leave his stoop but prefers to stay where he is, after all he is still known for his alias. He even says slyly that he can now harass people from on and off his stoop. A disappointed Arnold tells him that it wasn't the point of him helping him leaving the stoop.

Suddenly a bus passes and Harold steps out, sucking on a popsicle and carrying a suitcase which is revealed that he has come back from a trip and is therefore unaware of what has previously happened. He passes Stoop Kid's stoop and begins teasing him again, even dropping his dirty finished popsicle stick on one of the steps.

Suddenly to Harold's horror, Stoop Kid leaps off his stoop and chases him down the street, threatening to do him physical harm. Arnold watches for a moment and then heads for home with Harold's screams continuing to echo through the street.

==Home Media==
===DVD===
*Hey Arnold!: Season 1
*Hey Arnold!: The Complete Series
*Hey Arnold!: The Ultimate Collection
===iTunes===
*Hey Arnold!: Volume 1

==See also==
*[[Legend of Stoop Kid]]

==External links==
*[http://web.archive.org/web/20090408145130/http://community.livejournal.com/ha_rewatch/3039.html Discussion of this episode in Hey Arnold! Rewatch community on LiveJournal]

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[[Category:Episodes]]
[[Category:Episodes that focus on Arnold]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Urban legend episodes]]
[[Category:Episodes in need of a transcript]]