Calvin wakes up from a nightmare to realize that he forgot to do his math homework. When a snow day saves his bacon, will he actually take advantage of the opportunity to get the assignment done on time?
This episode includes examples of the following tropes:
- All Just a Dream: The arc begins with Calvin about to hand in his completed math homework, when all the numbers jump off the page, which then explodes into flame. His teacher turns into a tentacled alien and douses him with gasoline; Calvin leaps off his chair and is abruptly plummeting from the clouds. Calvin wakes up just as he was about to strike his house like a flaming meteor... only to remember he hadn't completed his homework.
- Disproportionate Retribution: Dream Miss Wormwood tells Calvin she's tired of him constantly disrupting her class and douses him with gasoline near his spontaneously combusting homework to "teach [him] a lesson."
- Evil Laugh: Dream Miss Wormwood cackles while dousing Calvin with gasoline.
- Exact Words: At the end of the arc, Calvin declares that he's learned a lesson: business before pleasure. Then he says that having the homework completed would be a pleasure and so goes outside to work on a snowman.
- Gasoline Dousing: Miss Wormwood turns into an alien and pours gasoline on Calvin after his homework spontaneously combusts. It turns out to be just a nightmare Calvin is having.
- Guilt-Induced Nightmare: Implied; Calvin dreams about handing in some schoolwork. Then his answers jump off his paper and his paper suddenly bursts into flames. Miss Wormwood turns into an alien and sets him alight with a jerrycan. This dream gets Calvin to remember that he forgot to do his homework.
- Hypocritical Humor: When Hobbes suggests that Calvin should do the homework before playing in the snow, Calvin tells him that he's a practical man who doesn't think about hypothetical situations. Right now, the reality is that he's out in the snow. Hobbes points out that tomorrow is also a reality, and Calvin answers that "hypothetically" it could also be a second snow day.
- Ignored Aesop: Calvin has a nightmare which makes him realize he forgot to do his homework. He's saved by a snow day but wastes the opportunity by playing outside all day. He's then saved a second day in a row because the teacher forgets to collect the homework before the end of the day. He reflects upon his luck and that he won't put off work for pleasure anymore.Calvin: And it will be a pleasure to have that homework done! C'mon, let's work on a snowman.Hobbes: (rolling his eyes) No exceptions.
- Murder by Cremation: Miss Wormwood sets Calvin ablaze with a gasoline can during his nightmare.
- Religious Russian Roulette: As he's waiting for news about whether the schools are closed, Calvin lampshades that he's in big trouble if they aren't. Looking upward, he comments that he suddenly feels very religious. Hobbes snarks that it's "another deathbed conversion."
- Ridiculous Procrastinator: Calvin forgets entirely about his math homework until 2:00 AM the day it's due. When he's saved by a snow day, he again puts it off, and regrets it the next day at school. He's saved again by the bell, and immediately runs off to play in the snow again.
- Spontaneous Combustion: In Calvin's nightmare, his homework paper explodes for no reason.
- Tranquil Fury: Calvin wakes his dad up early in the morning calling the superintendent to see if school might be cancelled on account of snow. Midway through the call, Dad intimidates his son back to bed simply by standing there looking grouchy and telling him that he has two seconds to do something to make him happier.
- Would Hurt a Child: Calvin dreams about Miss Wormwood killing him because she's sick of having him in class.
