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The Principal and the Pauper |
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- Superintendent Chalmers: Good Lord! The rod up that man's butt must have a rod up its butt!
- Edna Krabappel: Oh, Superintendent Chalmers! Can I offer you a cup of coffee-flavored Bevering?
- Chalmers: Yeah, I take it gray with Cremium. But first, before Skinner shows up, I have a secret announcement. In honor of Seymour's twentieth year as principal, we've decided to hold a surprise tribute Friday night.
- Willie: It's my twentieth year, too.
- Chalmers: [rolling his eyes] The teachers' lounge is for teachers, Willie.
- Lisa: Ralph and I could do the report together.
- Miss Hoover: It's your funeral.
- [Bart hums while putting miniature American flags on "meatballs" made of dog food]
- Marge: Bart? Why are you doing that?
- Bart: Our class is making refreshments for Skinner's party. These are in honor of his army days.
- Marge: Uh huh, that explains the flags. What about the dog food?
- Bart: My theory is, Skinner likes dog food.
- Marge [annoyed murmur]: Let's bake him a cake.
- Homer: Ooh, a fresh batch of America balls! Mmm... [Homer eats the meatballs made of dog food]
- Lisa: So, in 1966, a brave young man named Seymour Skinner enlisted and shipped out to Vietnam where he rose to become platoon sergeant. Ralph?
- Ralph: Principal Skinner is an old man who lives at the school. Lisa?
- Lisa: Sergeant Skinner was a hero. He risked capture many times behind enemy lines.
- Ralph: Teacher made me go to Principal Skinner's office when I was dirty.
- Lisa: And, he survived to make it back to Springfield, where he became the fine educator we salute tonight.
- Ralph: When I grow up, I want to be a principal or a caterpillar. I love you, Principal Skinner.
- Homer: [In his mind, after Skinner says he's a fraud] Keep looking shocked... and move slowly towards the cake.
- Skinner/Armin: I'm... an imposter! That man is the real Seymour Skinner! [everyone gasps]
- Real Skinner: You've led quite the life, Tamzarian.
- Skinner/Armin: It's your life. I've just been keeping it warm for you. Oh, I almost forgot. Your pocket watch. [gives it back to Sgt. Skinner] Mother's picture is still inside. Take good care of her.
- Real Skinner: I'll wind her everyday.
- Skinner/Armin: My real name is... Armin Tamzarian!
- [everyone gasps while Bart laughs]
- Skinner/Armin: But they said you were killed on that scouting mission.
- Real Skinner: No, just captured. It's kind of a funny story, really. After five years in a secret P.O.W. camp I was sold to China for slave labor. Since '77, I've been making sneakers at gunpoint in a sweatshop in Wuhan.
- Marge: That's not a funny story.
- Real Skinner: Well, I guess you had to be there. Anyway, the U.N. shut down the sweatshop last week, all captured soldiers were sent home, and here I am.
- Chalmers: Skinner, do you know anything about being a principal?
- Real Skinner: Well, it's been my lifelong ambition. And if a man pretending to be me could do it well, then, logically, the real me must be far more qualified.
- Chalmers: Good enough.
- Skinner/Armin: (regarding Agnes) Don't judge her too harshly, Sergeant. She was a lonely old woman. If you must blame someone, blame me.
- Real Skinner: That's pretty much what I was planning to do there, Armin.
- Skinner/Armin: They gave me a choice — jail, the army, or apologizing to the judge and the old lady. Now of course, if I knew there was a war going on, I probably would've apologized.
- Real Skinner: I must say, in many ways Springfield really beats the old slave-labor camp.
- Skinner/Armin: (in monotonous voice) Oh, yes. Oh, yes. Capitol City's nakedest ladies. They're not even wearing a smile. Nod suggestively. Yes, six. Count 'em. Six gorgeous ladies just dying for your leers and catcalls. Yowza, yowza.
- Agnes Skinner: I have no son!
- Homer: Look, lady, you obviously have at least one son.
- Agnes: No! I have one stranger and one fraud!
- Skinner/Armin: So uh, should I sign my original name?
- Apu: Just put an "X" and call yourself whatever the hell you want!
- Chalmers: Armin Tamzarian's reign of terror is over! Now let us welcome our new principal Skinner... principal Seymour Skinner!... [The audience is confused, he then points to Sgt. Skinner] Uh, him.
- Lisa: A Rose by any other name would smell as sweet.
- Bart: Not if you called 'em Stenchblossoms.
- Homer: Or Crapweeds.
- Marge: I'd sure hate to get a dozen Crapweeds for Valentine's Day. I'd rather have candy.
- Homer: Not if they were called Scumdrops.
- Edna: Hello ladies, is this the line for people who want to badmouth Sergeant Skinner?
- Marge: And have 10 items or less.
- Edna: [Tossing out items] 12, 11, 10, the man's a weenie!
- Homer: Okay, once more. Where are we going?
- Edna: Capital City.
- Homer: And why are you and the old lady in the car?
- Agnes: We're gonna talk Armin Tamzarian into coming back.
- Homer: And why is Marge here?
- Marge: I came up with the idea.
- Homer: And why am I here?
- Marge: Because the streets of Capital City are no place for three unescorted ladies.
- Homer: Why are the kids here?
- Marge: Because we couldn't find Grandpa to sit for them.
- Homer: And why is Grandpa here?
- Abe: Because Jasper didn't want to come by himself!
- [Jasper looks at Abe]
- Homer: Uh, fair enough.
- [Agnes, Grandpa, Jasper, Edna, and the Simpson family arrive at the Ritz-Carlton Home for Transients]
- Skinner/Armin: My mind is made up. I'm not coming back, and that's final.
- Edna: Oh Seymour--
- Skinner/Armin: And I'm not Seymour! My name is Armin! This is Armin's apartment, Armin's liquor, Armin's copy of "Swank", Armin's frozen peas!
- Homer: Can I see your copy of "Swank", Armin?
- Skinner/Armin: Yes, you can. This is Armin's life, and maybe it's not perfect, but at least I'm back where I belong. I was born a no-goodnik, and I'll die a no-goodnik.
- Agnes: Seymour! I didn't bring you up to use language like that!
- Seymour/Armin: Well, you didn't bring me up at all.
- Agnes: The hell I didn't! I've been taking care of you for 26 years, I'm the only mother you've ever known!
- Seymour/Armin: But you have your real son--
- Agnes: You're my real son! You've been my son longer than he has, and he doesn't need me, and I don't need him! Now you march yourself downstairs and get in that car!
- Skinner/Armin: Yes, mother.
- Agnes: And the rest of you too!
- Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, Edna, Grandpa: Yes, Mrs. Skinner.
- Homer: Hey everybody, look! Armin Tamzarian's back and he's gonna take over the school again!
- [the crowd chatters with surprise at seeing Skinner/Armin return to Springfield]
- Mayor Quimby: Now hold on, Armin Tamzarian is an unsavory character who played us all for chumps.
- Homer: All right, all right, so he's a fraud. I don't care, his mom doesn't care, do any of you care?
- [he crowd mutters amongst themselves]
- Sgt. Seymour Skinner: You all seem to be forgetting that I am Seymour Skinner, this is where I belong! You can't ask me to disappear just because you like some other guy better! I gave half my life for you people! Aren't I at least entitled to a little dignity?
- Skinner/Armin: You're, uh... you're right, Sergeant.
- Chalmers: Well, i dont see any way out of this.
- Homer: Now if you'll allow me, I think I have a solution that will satisfy the town and let Sgt. Skinner keep his dignity.
- [Moments later, at the train station Sgt. Skinner is tied up in a chair on a flatbed railroad car]
- Sgt. Skinner: But I'm a hero!
- Homer: And we salute you for it. Now don't come back.
- [The crowd cheers as the train leaves the station]
- Agnes: I'm sorry, Seymour. It's nice you're alive, but you're just not what I'm looking for in a son. I hope you understand.
- Skinner/Armin: Well, this is a lovely gesture, but we all have to face the fact that I'm not really Seymour Skinner.
- Homer: Oh no, we don't. Judge Snyder?
- Judge Snyder: By authority of the City of Springfield, I hereby confer upon you the name of Seymour Skinner, as well as his past, present, future, and mother.
- Principal Skinner: Okay.
- Judge Snyder: And I further decree that everything will be just like it was before all this happened, and no one will ever mention it again...
- Judge Snyder [with an ominous tone of voice]: Under penalty of torture!
- [The crowd cheers]
- Skinner/Armin: Well, from now on, you're gonna see a new Seymour Skinner!
- Agnes: Oh no, we won't!
- Skinner/Armin: Yes, Mother.