Carnivore Carnival

Carnivore Carnival is the second episode of Calvin and Hobbes: The Animated Series.

Story
Calvin and Hobbes set off to the Carnival recently arrived just outside of town. Once they buy their tickets, Calvin is taken with a miniature dinosaur exhibit, realistically created to show the bloody aftermath of a T-Rex's attack of a young brontosaurus.

Inspired by the scene, Calvin assumes his tarradactile alter ego and proceeds to the first ride. The pair step up to the height chart to see if they are big enough for the Spin-N-Barf Inverted Turbo Wheel ride. Hobbes is tall enough but Calvin is shorter than the height requirement by 3 inches.

When Hobbes joins the line snaking up to the entrance of the ride, Calvin slips under the cordoned rope and squeezes in closely behind Hobbes. The ride operator notices the shock of blonde hair protruding from the tiger's backside and yanks Calvin out of the line.

Calvin's prehistoric self kicks into gear. Clawing at the operator and gnashing his teeth, he closes in on his prey. Hobbes swiftly pulls Calvin off the operator's leg and leads him to another ride with a lower height requirement. Meanwhile, sirens are heard as an ambulance arrives and EMT's rush to treat the shredded leg of the Spin-N-Barf operator.

Hobbes pushes Calvin into the spectators caught up in the ambulance drama and detoured over to their next favorite ride: Sky Catapult. Calvin once again doesn't meet the height requirement but they've put a nearby skateboard to good use elevating Calvin at just the right moment. C&H don't notice the ride's numerous signs warning customers about the serious risk to pregnant women, the elderly, people with heart or blood pressure conditions and others in generally good health.

Finally they are admitted through the entrance rope and take their seats on a big molded plastic scoop. It appears to be a huge mechanical spoon, in the cradle of which they settle and fasten their seatbelts. The long handle, tethered by a number of wires and other mechanical stuff, extends about 25 feet into the air at a 45 degree angle. The ride attendant closes off the entrance and checks the belts of each passenger before lowering the safety bar to their laps.

With a sudden thrust, C&H are pitched violently into the air, their rib cages crushed by the safety bars. At the highest part of the arc, C wiggles under the bar and unlatches his seatbelt to enjoy a better view from the top.

The crowd below gasps as they watch the blonde boy standing up -- no constraints -- to survey the aerial scene. Within minutes sirens sound again and firetrucks are at the scene. A fire ladder is quickly released and extended to reach the spoon cup end where C is standing, wishing he'd brought binoculars. One of the firemen scrambles up the ladder and extends his arms to C. Sensing imminent danger, Calvin has already bared his teeth and assumed the prehistoric position of attack. He leaps at the fireman, gnashing his teeth and scraping his face. The startled fireman slips and with one foot caught on a ladder rung, dangles upside down. Calvin jumps to the rungs above him and beats his chest. Swiftly manipulating the controls, he swings the ladder back and forth over the crowd while pumping his fists and declaring victory over his prey.

Spotting his own dad among the tiny specs in the crowd below (the reflection of his glasses tipped him off), he manipulates the ladder controls to swing back in close to Hobbes and take back his seat. Calvin activates his wireless trans-adaptive remote device to override control of the Sky Catapult navigation joystick and jerks the huge bobbing structure back into alignment to complete the ride smoothly.

Emergency personnel race toward the stunned passengers with medical equipment and recovery gear as they land. Calvin unbuckles and slips out, finding his dad waiting at the exit while other passengers are taken away on gurneys and in ambulances for trauma treatment.

"Let me guess, Calvin," says his dad. "You took issue with the height requirement."