The Noodle Incident is a running gag in the Calvin and Hobbes comic strip. It was mentioned several times, but the reader has never been told what exactly the incident was. Much like Hobbes' reality, it is assumable that Bill Watterson wants the reader to make up his or her own perspective of what could have happened. Throughout the comic, the most that we learn is that it was presumably done by Calvin (though he may have been framed) and has caused him to worry about possibly not getting any presents from Santa Claus. When Hobbes commented on the Incident, Calvin claimed that "nobody can prove he did it", and that it was rather an accident. Hobbes had also mentioned that there was a strainer involved.
Possible explanations
- In one comic, Calvin complains about the downsides of his life and then states that today will be different because he will "go for the gusto". In the following strip Calvin tells Hobbes he got in big trouble at school. Hobbes asks Calvin how he did, and Calvin replies, "I don't want to talk about it." Hobbes then asks if it had anything to do with "the sirens around noon" and Calvin again dosen't want to talk about it, implying that it was a dangerous incident.
- In another comic, Calvin brought noodles to school for his report on the brain.
Facts
These are the only facts we know about the Noodle Incident:
- Miss Wormwood knows of it, which suggests that the Incident took place at school.
- Calvin never told his parents about the Incident. Once, when Calvin's mother returned home from meeting Calvin's teacher, Calvin immediately asked if she had been told about the noodles (which further proves that Miss Wormwood knows about the incident).
- It happened a long time ago, (as said by one of Santa's elves in an imagination sequence) and therefore, must have been a very serious incident for it to still be remembered now.
- One of Santa's elves also notes that they've had "trouble verifying the particulars; accounts seem to vary", which suggests that what exactly happened is in dispute. Alternately, this may just be Watterson's noting that different fans will have their own versions of the Noodle Incident.
- To try and prove innocence, Calvin apparently thought of a cover story, the creativity of which impressed Hobbes. Calvin, however, even now claims that it was the "unvarnished truth". Like the incident itself, we are never told exactly what Calvin's excuse was. In fact, for all we know, it may actually be the truth.
- It is not exactly stated one way or the other, but it seems to be implied that Calvin was caught or framed, therefore his explanation was not believed.
- According to Calvin, although apparently caught or framed, no one can prove he did it (which is also said by the elf mentioned above). However, considering Calvin may just be defensive about it makes such a statement questionable.
- The fact that Hobbes repeatedly brings it up (as did Santa Claus in Calvin's imagination once), seems to imply the memory still haunts Calvin to this day.
- Calvin claims he was framed, though this could simply be Calvin trying to avoid trouble.