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The One With the Holiday Armadillo
Story by Greg Malins
Transcribed by Eric Aasen

[Scene: Monica, Chandler, and Phoebe's, Chandler is on the phone, Rachel
and Monica are sitting in the kitchen.]

Chandler: Buh-bye. (Hangs up the phone) I just got us reservations at
          Michelle’s and tickets to the Musicman to celebrate our first
          holiday season as a betroughed couple.

Monica: Betrothed... (Corrects him)

Chandler: ...betrothed couple.

Phoebe: (entering carrying a skull) Hey!

Chandler: Hey!

Rachel and Monica: Hi!

Phoebe: Haaaa... (Puts the skull on the table) ... ahhhh!

Chandler: Pheebs?

Phoebe: Huh?

Chandler: Skull?

Phoebe: Oh, yeah, it's my mom's.

Rachel: (freaking out) Oh my god!!

Phoebe: No, no, no. It's not! It's not my mom. It belonged to mom. Yeah,
        no, she used to put it out every Christmas to remind us, that
        even though it's Christmas, people still die. And, you can put 
        candy in it. (She grabs the skull, pulls out a stick of 
        licorice, and takes a bite.)

Ross: (entering) Hey!

All: Hey!

Monica: (Offering Ross the skull) Licorice?

Ross: (Thinking it over) Sure! (Takes one) Hey, I just found out, I get
      Ben for the holidays this year.

All: Ohh! That's great!

Monica: Are you gonna dress up as Santa?

Ross: Nope. I mean, I know Susan does every year, but I think I wanna 
      take this year to teach him all about Hanukkah.

Phoebe: And maybe I could teach Ben about the Christmas skull and how 
        people die.

Rachel: You may need to use this year to teach Ben about Phoebe.

Ross: Hmm.

(Joey comes out of the bathroom reading a newspaper)

Joey: Hey. (He exits)

Rachel: (to Monica) Did you know he was in there?

Monica: No.

Chandler: How long have we been home?

Monica: About a half an hour.

Chandler: Lovely!


Opening Credits


[Scene: Central Perk, Chandler is getting a cup of coffee and sits down 
next to Monica.]

Chandler: Hey, you know what I was thinking? When we get married, are
          you gonna change your last name to Bing?

Monica: No.

Chandler: Why not?

Monica: Bing's weird.

Phoebe: (entering) Oh, hey, you guys!

Chandler: Hey!

Monica: Hey!

Phoebe: Hey. Guess what! My landlord just called and my apartment is 
        gonna get ready soon, so I guess I'll be moving out.

Monica: Ahh, Phoebe, I'm gonna miss you!

Phoebe: Yes, you will be very sad. All right, well I gotta go tell 
        Rachel the good news.

Chandler: Ohh! You guys gonna be living together again?

Phoebe: Yeah, why not?

Chandler: Well, she's just so much fun with Joey, I just assumed, she'd 
          still be living with him.

Phoebe: Why do you think, she's having so much fun living with Joey?

Chandler: No reason, except...she...told...me.

Phoebe: Really? So she said, she didn’t wanna live with me anymore?

Chandler: No! No, she didn't say that. I-I-I think you should talk to 
          Monica now.

Monica: Phoebe, don't worry about it. I'm sure she wants to live with 
        you.

Phoebe: You're sure? You're absolutely sure?

Monica: Well, no. But, um, I bet she probably does.

Phoebe: Probably? Yeah, I don't like that word. (Chandler and Monica
        look surprised) Kind of what ‘probably’ really means. Yeah,
        uh-huh. Yeah, oh, "Your mom probably won't kill herself," 
        y’know? I'm sorry, but I'm not hanging all my hopes of Rachel
        and I living together on-on "Probably!" Y’know? You gotta take
        care of yourselves! (She starts to walk out) In this world 
        history teaches us nothing! (Exits)

Chandler: Bing doesn't seem so weird now, does it?

[Scene: Joey and Rachel’s, Joey is sitting behind a red drum set.]

Rachel: (entering) Hey!

Joey: Hey! Great, you’re home! Guess what Phoebe got me for Christmas! 
      (Starts drumming.)

Rachel: Drums?

Joey: (yelling) No! Drums!

[Scene: Michelle's, Chandler and Monica enter.]

Chandler: (to the Maitre d') Hi, could we get two burritos to go, 
          please? (Laughs.)

Monica: I'm sorry. But not that sorry, 'cause you don't have to live
        with it. Um, we have a reservation under the name Chandler Bing.

Maitre d': Oh-kay, we'll have a table for you in about 45 minutes.

Chandler: Forty-five minutes? We have tickets to the Musicman at 8:00.

Maitre d': I'm sorry. Christmas is a very busy time, sir.

Chandler: Is this because of the burrito thing?

Monica: (pulling Chandler away from the Maitre d') You need to give him 
        money.

Chandler: Give him money? It was a joke!

Monica: No, to get a table! Places like are always shakin’ you down.
        Everybody wants to be paid off.

Chandler: Right, calm down, O'Mally. I'll slip him some money.

Monica: You've got to be smooth about it.

Chandler: Hey, I can be smooth. (Walks back to the Maitre d', very 
          smoothly) Listen, we're a little bit in a hurry, so, if you
          can get us a table a little quicker, I'd appreciate it. 
          (Shakes his hand)

Maitre d': Of course, sir.

Chandler: Okay. (Walks back to Monica)

Monica: How did it go?

Chandler: Had the money in the wrong hand. (Shows her his left hand with
          the money in it)

[Scene: Ross's apartment, Ross is whirling Ben around.]

Ross: Wooooooo, hehehe. Hey, ahh, you don't feel like you're gonna 
      throw up, do ya?

Ben: No.

Ross: Well, I do, so let's... (Ben and Ross sit down on the couch) So, 
      Ben, you uh, you know what holiday is coming up, don't ya?

Ben: Christmas.

Ross: Yep, and you know what other holiday is coming up?

Ben: Christmas eve.

Ross: Yes, but also (Pauses to let Ben answer, but he doesn’t.) 
      Hanukkah! See, you're part Jewish, and-and Hanukkah is a Jewish 
      holiday.

Ben: Santa has reindeers that can fly!

Ross: Right, um, but, on Hanukkah, Hanukkah is a celebration of a 
      miracle. See, years and years ago there were these people called
      the Maccabees.

Ben: (singing) Jingle bells, jingle bells...

Ross: (interrupts him) Okay, that's right, yes, but on Hanukkah, uh, we
      sing, uh (Sings) Dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, I made you out of clay.

Ben: (singing) Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer...

Ross: (interrupts him again) Okay, it's not a contest.

Ben: When is Santa coming?

Ross: Well, how about this year, instead of Santa, we have fun 
      celebrating Hanukkah?

Ben: No Santa? Was I bad?

Ross: No! Oh, no-no-no. Hey, you weren't bad, you've been very good, Ben.

Ben: Santa's mad at me.

Ross: No, hey-hey, come on, (He grabs Ben and sits him on his lap) Ben,
      Santa is not mad at you, okay? Hey, you're-you're his favorite
      little guy!

Ben: So Santa's coming?

Ross: (disappointed) Yes! Santa's coming!

[Scene: Michelle's, Chandler and Monica are discussing how to bribe the 
Maitre d'.]

Monica: It's easy! Just keep it casual! Give him a kind word, shake his
        hand and give him the money!

Chandler: How do you know so much about this?

Monica: I don't know.

Chandler: Richard used to do it, didn't he?

Monica: We'd be eating our soup right now.

Chandler: Mustached bastard...

Monica: (sees two people exit) Okay, those people just left, come on! 
        Quick! Give him the money and get their table!

Chandler: (walks up to the Maitre d') Excuse me...

[Chandler can't find his money in the pocket. In the meantime, another
couple shows up, and Chandler turns away to look for his money]

Male Guest: (to the Maitre d') Good evening. (Shakes his hand)

Chandler: (finds his money) Ahh-hahaha! (Turns around to give the Maitre
          d' his money, but he isn't there anymore)

[Scene: The Hallway, Phoebe comes up the stairs and hears drumming 
coming from Joey and Rachel's, so she enters smiling and then sees that
Rachel, not Joey, is the one playing.]

Rachel: (stopping at Phoebe’s entrance) Ha!

Phoebe: So you like the drums! That's, that's great! Y’know, I was 
        worried, that, you know, they would maybe an unbearable living
        situation. All right, okay, well, apparently not! So, yay!

Joey: Hey-hey, Pheebs, check it out, we already learned a song. (To
      Rachel) Ready? One, two, three, four...

[Rachel hits some tom-toms and ends up on the 'crash'-cymbal, which is 
in fact a ride-cymbal, but whatever...]

Rachel and Joey: Tequila!!

Phoebe: That's fun. (She exits disappointedly.)


Commercial Break


[Scene: Central Perk, Gunther is serving Chandler and Monica coffee.]

Gunther: Here you go.

Chandler: Thank you Gunther, put it there. (He gets up, and shakes 
          Gunther's hand. A bunch of coins fall out his hand. He sits 
          down next to Monica.) Definitely not easier with coins. (Joey
          gets up and picks up the coins. Chandler thinks, Joey is just
          helping him to pick them up.) Thank you.

Joey: Thank you. (He gets up and puts on his jacket.) (Phoebe enters) 
      Hey Pheebs!

Phoebe: Hey!

Joey: Here. (Gives her the coins) Now I only owe you $49.50.

Chandler: Hey Pheebs!

Phoebe: Hey! (she sits down next to him)

Chandler: If you wanna give Joey a Christmas present that disrupts the 
          entire building, why not get him something a little bit more
          subtle, like a wrecking ball, or a vile of small pox to 
          release in the hallway?

Monica: It's not just the drum noise. Every five minutes, Joey throws 
        his sticks in the air, and I have to hear, "Oh my eye! Oh god, 
        my eye!" I mean, it is so annoying.

Phoebe: Yes, thank you. You see, this is how normal people are supposed 
        to react to drums.

Monica: Phoebe, you got Joey drums to annoy Rachel, so she wouldn't 
        wanna live there anymore?

Phoebe: Maybe on some level.

[Scene: Joey and Rachel's, Joey is sitting behind the drums wearing 
safety goggles, hitting them with his sticks as Rachel watches.]

Rachel: Joey, y’know that you could just not throw the sticks up in the 
        air.

Joey: What is Rock 'n' Roll about that?

Phoebe: (entering with an aquarium covered by a towel) Hey, Joey, I got
        you another present. (She puts it on the counter)

Joey: Oh wait, before you tell me what it is! (He plays a drum-roll) 
      Okay, what is it?

Phoebe: It's a...tarantula! (Joey almost falls down from his drum-stool 
        jumping up) Oh! God! Rachel, look, I'm sorry. What was I 
        thinking giving Joey this big, gross, scary spider in such a
        poorly constructed cage?

Rachel: What are you talking about? I love them! (Looks into the cage)
        Yeah, I had a tarantula when I was a kid. But it-it died, 
        because my cat ate it. And then, then my cat died. But Joey, 
        isn't this cool?

Joey: Is it on me? I feel, I feel like it's on me! I got, hey! (He
      storms into his room)

Rachel: Oh, isn't that adorable? Joey is afraid of the tarantula.

Phoebe: (sarcastic) Ah, yeah, he's so adorable, God, he's just so much
        fun, Joey is the best, I'm glad you're having so much fun here.
        (She turns around, about to leave)

Rachel: What? Wait-wait a minute, what? Phoebe, what's the matter?

Phoebe: Our apartment is ready.

Rachel: And that makes you angry because...

Phoebe: Because you would rather live here with Joey.

Rachel: Where did you get that?

Phoebe: Monica and Chandler said that you were having so much fun here. 
        And apparently no amount of drums or tarantulas is gonna change 
        that.

Rachel: Phoebe?

Phoebe: Hm?

Rachel: Did you get all this stuff for Joey to try and drive me out of 
        the apartment? Honey, if you wanted to do that, you might as 
        well just gotten him a fish, you know how fish freaked me out!

Phoebe: (nods along) Fish!

Rachel: It wouldn't have mattered anyway, Phoebe, you and I are, are 
        gonna live together, we're roommates; that's the deal.

Phoebe: Yes, but I wanted you to want to live with me, but okay, if 
        you're having so much fun over here...

Rachel: Oh, it's so much more fun with you.

Phoebe: We did have fun, didn't we?

Rachel: We did!

Phoebe: Oh, anyway, they say, if we want, we can see it tonight.

Rachel: Oh, I would love to!

Phoebe: Yay, okay!

Rachel: Good, good, good, good, good. (She runs to the drums and gets
        the sticks)

Phoebe: Great, all right, okay, and Monica ask me to make the drumming 
        stop.

Rachel: (with the sticks in her hands) Um... (She goes to the 
        tarantula-cage and puts the sticks into it) Done!

[Scene: Halloween Adventure, a costume shop, there is a salesman behind 
the counter, Ross enters.]

Ross: Hey!

Salesman: Hello, Sir. You're here to return those pants?

Ross: No, these are my pants.

Salesman: Oh. Okay! How can I help you?

Ross: Well, uh, do you have a Santa-outfit left?

Salesman: Two days before Christmas? Sorry, man.

Ross: Okay look, do-do, you have anything Christmassy? I promised my 
      son, and I really don't want to disappoint him, um, come on,
      I...uh, you gotta have something.

[Scene: Monica, Chandler, and Phoebe's, Monica has just opened the door
for Ross who is costumed as an Armadillo. Ben is standing next to her.]

Ross: I'm the holiday armadillo! I'm a friend of Santa's and he sent me 
      here to wish you (Points to Ben) a Merry Christmas!

Monica: What happened to Santa, Holiday Armadillo?

Ross: (to Monica) Santa was unavailable so close to Christmas.

Monica: Wow, come in, have a seat. You must be exhausted coming all the
        way from...Texas.

Ben: Texas?

Ross: That's right, Ben. I'm Santa's representative for all the southern 
      states. And Mexico! But, Santa sent me here to give you these
      presents, Ben. (He tries to bend down to pick up the bag with the
      presents, but can't because of the costume) Maybe the Lady will 
      help me with these presents.

[Monica picks up the bag, while Ross closes the door and hits Monica 
with his tail. They walk into the living room, and Monica empties the 
bag.]

Ben: Wow! Thanks!

Ross: You're welcome, Ben. Merry Christmas, ooh, and Happy Hanukkah!

Ben: Are you for Hanukkah, too? Because I'm part-Jewish.

Ross: (gasps) You are? Me, too!

Monica: Because Armadillos also wandered in the desert?

Ross: (to Monica) You wanna wander in the hall? (to Ben) Ooh, hey Ben,
      what if the Holiday Armadillo told you all about the festival of 
      lights?

Ben: Cool!

Ross: Yeah!

Monica: Come on Ben.

[Monica and Ben sit down on the couch.]

Ross: Years and years ago there were these people called the Maccabees...

Chandler: (entering in a Santa costume) Ho, ho, ho! Merry Christmas!

Ben: Santa! (Runs to Chandler and hugs him)

Chandler: Hey! (Grunts as Ben hits him at full speed.)

Ross: What are you doing here, Santa?

Chandler: Well, I'm here to see my old buddy Ben. What are you doing
          here, weird...turtle-man?

Ross: I'm the Holiday Armadillo, your part-Jewish friend. You sent me 
      here to give Ben some presents. Remember?

Chandler: What?

Ben: Did you bring me any presents, Santa?

Chandler: You bet I did, Ben, put it there! (He shakes Ben's hand, but 
          the money falls out of his hands) (to Monica) Well, it would 
          have worked this time, if his hands weren't so damn small! 
          (Realizes, that Ben is standing right there) Ho, ho, ho!

Monica: Okay Ben, why don't you come open some more presents, and Santa,
        the Armadillo, and I have a little talk in the kitchen? There's
        a sentence, I never thought I'd say.

[They walk to the kitchen; everyone is lowering their voices]

Ross: (to Chandler) What are you doing?

Chandler: You called everyone and said you were having trouble finding
          a Santa costume, so I borrowed one from a guy at work!

Ross: Thank you, but, but you gotta leave.

Chandler: Why?

Ross: Because, I'm finally getting him excited about Hanukkah, and, and
      you're-you’re wrecking it.

Chandler: But I didn't get to shape my belly like a bowl full of jelly.

Ross: I'm sorry, Chandler but this, this is really important to me.

Chandler: Fine, I'll give the suit back.

[Ross turns around and walks back to Ben.]

Monica: (to Chandler) Hey, you think, you can keep it another night? 
        (She has a really teasing look on her face and keeps twirling 
        Chandler's beard.)

Chandler: Santa? Really?

Monica: Yes, is that okay?

Chandler: Did your Dad ever dress up like Santa?

Monica: No.

Chandler: Then it's okay! (They kiss.)

Ross: Okay Ben, Santa has to go. Say good-bye!

Ben: No! Why does he have to go?

Chandler: Because, if Santa and the Holiday...Armadillo? (Ross nods) 
          ...are ever in the same room for too long the universe will 
          implode. Merry Christmas!

Ben: No! Why can't the Armadillo leave? I want Santa!

Ross: Fine, I-I give up. Santa, Santa can stay.

Chandler: Well, I'll stay, but only because I wanna hear about Hanukkah.
          Ben, will you sit here with Santa and learn about Hanukkah?

Ben: Okay, Santa!

(Ross mouths to Chandler, "Thank you," and he mouths, "You’re welcome," 
back.)

Ross: All right, it's time for the story of Hanukkah. Years and years 
      ago, there were these people called the Maccabees.

[Joey enters in a Superman-costume]

Joey: (entering wearing a Superman costume) Merry Christmas!

[Scene: Phoebe and Rachel's, they are entering to check out the newly 
refurbished apartment.]

Rachel: Oh wow! Look at this place!

Phoebe: Oh, this is terrible. Oh, they’ve made so many changes I can’t 
        even feel my grandmother’s presence anymore...Ooh! New sconces!

Rachel: (yelling from another room) Oh my God!

Phoebe: What?

Rachel: (returning) Okay, remember uh, remember how you told me that 
        your grandmother put up that wall to make that into two bedrooms?

Phoebe: Yeah?

Rachel: And remember how you always said you were afraid the landlord 
        would find out and then tear it down?

Phoebe: Yeah?

Rachel: Do you really not know where I’m going with this? (Phoebe nods,
        "No.") It left! It’s one huge room!

Phoebe: Oh no! (She runs to see.) (Running back, excitedly) Oh! Wow!!!

Rachel: See?

Phoebe: Well, I guess we’ll just have to put the wall back up.

Rachel: You can’t, because of the new skylight!

Phoebe: There’s a skylight?! (Runs to see and yells from the bedroom.)
        Wow!!

Rachel: So what should we do? Should we start looking for a new place?

Phoebe: (returning slowly) Y’know I’m-I’m sensing that um, my 
        grandmother would not be comfortable with that.

Rachel: Oh yeah? Startin’ to feel her again there are we?

Phoebe: A little bit, yeah.

Rachel: Pheebs is your grandmother maybe saying that you should live
        here alone?

Phoebe: You heard her too?! You have the gift!

Rachel: Phoebe, it’s okay. I like living with Joey.

Phoebe: Are you sure?

Rachel: Oh please, I hate packing, it’s closer to work, and we do have 
        fun. Although, I’m really gonna miss living with you.

Phoebe: Oh me too.

Rachel: I know. (They hug.) Oh-oh, wait did you hear that-hear that?
        Listen, I’m gettin’ something from your grandmother, she said
        that since you get to keep the one bedroom apartment you should
        give Rachel the purple chair?

Phoebe: No, I do not hear that.

[Scene: Monica, Chandler, and Phoebe's, Santa (Chandler), Superman 
(Joey), Ben, and Monica are listening to the Holiday Armadillo (Ross) 
finish telling the story of Hanukkah.]

Ross: ...and the miracle was that that little bit of oil that should’ve 
      just lasted just one day, burned for...

Ben: (answering him) Eight whole days.

Ross: That’s right, and that’s why we celebrate Hanukkah today. The end.

Ben: Awesome!

Ross: Yeah?

Chandler: My favorite part was when Superman flew all the Jews out of 
          Egypt. (Glaring at Joey who’s nodding.)

Ross: The Armadillo was actually not so thrilled about that part! Okay
      Ben, it’s time to light the Hanukkah candles! (Santa, Superman, 
      Monica, Ben, and the Holiday Armadillo go over to the menorah to
      light the candles.)

Rachel: (entering with Phoebe) Hey! 

Phoebe: Oh.

Rachel: (seeing the collection of characters.) Wow! It looks like the 
        Easter Bunny’s funeral in here.

Ross: Come on, come on, we’re-we’re-we’re lighting the candles!

Rachel: Oh.

Phoebe: Oh.

(They both go over to light the candles.)

Phoebe: Okay, I understand why Superman is here, but why is there a
        porcupine at the Easter Bunny’s funeral?


Ending Credits


[Scene: Joey and Rachel's, Rachel is closing the door on the tarantula
cage.]

Rachel: I got it!

Joey: (yelling from the bedroom) Is it back in the cage?

Rachel: Its back in cage!

Joey: Cage closed?

Rachel: Joey, would you just come out here and stop being such a baby!

(Joey throws open his door and stands there still in the Superman 
costume then slowly makes his way to the bathroom while keeping both 
eyes on the cage.)

END

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