Runaway Float / Partners - S2-E20
Continuity mistake: Runaway Float: When the beeper float first starts to speed out of control, in one of the shots, Helga is wearing her regular outfit, not her beeper costume. On top of that, the kids on the float are smiling and waving, not freaking out like they were before. (00:08:39)
Runaway Float / Partners - S2-E20
Continuity mistake: Runaway Float: When Arnold stands up on the bike before jumping onto the parade float, Eugene's hair disappears mid-shot. (00:10:11)
Runaway Float / Partners - S2-E20
Continuity mistake: Runaway Float: When Arnold first sees the beeper float, he says, "How can they control that thing?", and Gerald is sitting on the curb to the right of Arnold. In the next shot, Gerald is suddenly behind him. Arnold is also a lot further away from the curb than he originally was. (00:08:16)
Answer: The episode doesn't really elaborate on who the kid was and what his motives were, so its pure speculation as to why he took it. Perhaps the kid could simply want a ball all for himself and decided to just take it, or was simply a rotten kid. The truth is the kid's motives are not important to the story other than it highlights Arnold was having a lot of trouble getting through the list.
Lummie ★