Arthur and Buster have to work with Binky on an art report, but they are worried when Binky claims that a certain abstract picture in the museum is framed the wrong direction. They try to distract Binky and finish the assignment on their own, and are surprised when it turns out that Binky is right. After days of bad luck, Arthur feels he is "cursed" until he finds a pencil. Suddenly, his pencil starts to change his luck: it buys him free soda and better school lunches, and soon his friends all want to use it. With the pencil running low, Arthur hides it to keep his luck safe, but soon cannot remember where it went.