 Your coca-cola bottler presents Claudia based on the famous play and novels by Rose Franken Brought to you transcribed Monday through Friday by your friendly neighbor who bottles coca-cola Relax and while you're listening refresh yourself. Have a coke and now Claudia Hello, David. Don't you feel sorry for the people who have to buy their Christmas trees in a store? Heart bleeds for them. I didn't ask if your heart bled. I asked you if you felt sorry for them. No No, no, what do you mean? No, and you can quote me. I do. I feel pathetic for them You look pathetic. Just imagine buying a tree in a store when you can chop it down your own backyard If you don't hurry up get dressed we're not going to have any Christmas tree out of anybody's backyard Me hurry. You hurry. Besides acres of farmland are not called a backyard They are to me and I'm getting dressed as fast as I can That's as slow as it can be You feet too big There Did you decide where to chop the tree down David? I think a good spot would be the road towards Matthew Warren's place Oh This saw is getting dull waiting for you. I got your ski pants and sweaters I don't worry about the trees every time you bludgeon me to take five minutes off of my work It turns into two hours You just finish changing your clothes yourself, you know, I'm ready. I've been ready for 15 minutes Oh, I think you just think it's husband later rush me. I think you just think it's wifely to keep me waiting How'd you guess not hard there last sweater? Oh my gosh, I'm bungled up like a bag of wool Well, let's go That is it if you're ready dear. I'm ready. Oh, I wish Bobby were old enough to realize it's Christmas Christmas is a nice time of the year for children. Well, you ought to know This is a nice time of year for everybody Including adults and old men like you. Where do I put my teeth in? Just think David last year We had to buy our Christmas tree from a grocer's. Oh, how unromantic. Oh, how simple Listen, it was your your your idea to chop down this tree. I loved you for it So please don't spoil it. Well, I didn't suggest it for sentimental reasons the way you seem to think Much you didn't I suggest it because I have to clear out the grove down by the road Yes, I know I'm crazy growing much too thick to thrive and this is a good time any to start Oh, I know I suppose it just happened that Christmas decided to come the day after you Decided to cut down the tree your coincidence. Very sweet of Christmas. Well, I don't right think what you will I just told you Where I stand can tell me all you like I draw my own conclusion. Oh, don't forget you saw Oh You want to go back in and put on another cold. Oh No, what do you take me for an orchid? I'm a rugged new England. Hmm. Not much of a new England What do you mean? Yankees are solid people not given to being sentimental. Well, I'm not given to be sentimental No, not much. You've been cooling about growing her own Christmas tree all day It isn't sentimentalism. What is a careful the ice you break your neck. I'm not sentimental Maybe not Maybe you wanted to chop down one of our own trees because it's cheaper than buying one of the grocery. I'm not mercenary either And what are you? I have sentiment, but just something no one should be ashamed of who said anything about being ashamed Oh There's so nippy and cold Funny, I used to hate winter, but I love it. No, what caused the big change you just you No winter used to be so lonely kind of sad Now it makes me feel all brisk and strong And you are very very handsome in that old wool shirt. I'm gonna have to stop wearing it's turning my head No monkey business. We're out to chop down a tree now. Not for monkey. This one little monkey. All right one monkey to keep you quiet Like monkeys your nose is cold yours Guess you're right. This one all said and done. I'm not much of a Yankee at heart. Why not? Sandament is in the heart, isn't it? Oh, well can't be David. Do you think that? Oh My ears feel like icicles. They're freezing or crows don't have ears so you can stop worrying. Oh And then how do they hear? David that's really something to worry about. You have to look it up or something David, we're not just being selfish about the tree. Are we I told you that that grove has to be thinned out Saying that are you so I want to do a sentimental to me count to ten one two three No, we're here. So see for yourself. Now take a look. I see I think it does look pretty big Yeah, you win you win Which one David the tallest or the shortest how about this middle-sized? Oh, I love middle-sized everything You're gonna let me hack and chip chop This tree is supposed to look decorative and not scarred up and chipped and chopped Chopper Just know from chopping spinach. No tipping David would you be embarrassed to say you know Matthew Warren or Jeremiah could be drove by and saw you chopping a Christmas tree I pine tree. I would not sure of that and stop trying to make me self-conscious A man has to supply a Christmas tree when he when he has a mother-in-law and a wife and a son to plead with him for once Oh, I just love it when you tease me when you're being husbandly Oh, this is nice. This is wonderful. This is Christmas What's the matter You know, you've started an echo even before you started chopping that makes great sense. No, no, no listen David Yeah, somebody's chopping all right firewood probably We don't hear Matthew Warner or Jared Tucker chopping. They're the only people who live close enough Well, they're certainly not the type to chop anything else but firewood. Oh No Christmas trees for they they're too hard bit How can you recognize a person by the sound of his chopping? Oh, I didn't recognize a person I just recognize who the person wasn't that's very different. You know, they'll stand back. Oh, let me help I'm doing the chopping. You can do the decorating tonight with mom. Why can't I have any fun? All right, you chop and I'll decorate Just to make things even I'll come down with fits and bring the tree home in the pick up You will decorate young woman the rest is man's work. Oh poofal man's work poofal. I repeat I wonder who that is So if he called for mr. Tucker to be out chopping wood, but certainly sounds if it's coming from over at his place I suppose you won't be contented until you know exactly who it is. How did you guess? I know my Claudia Mr. Tucker He's not like a yodeloo. Hey Let's go over and say hello. Maybe we can give him a hand with his stuff with his wood. Mr. Tucker Hey, we're coming over David you better leave your son hatchet here unless of course, you don't mind mr. Tucker knowing you have a Anybody know what they want to know. I don't care only the song anyway. He might not understand You know Jared Tucker's a chip out of an old pilgrim stone if there ever was one could you be thinking of the Plymouth Rock? I don't know. I think you're good. Yeah, I guess I could David, I'll bet you that even when he was three years old. He didn't play play under a Christmas tree Good heavens and Jared Tucker was three years old. I spent off a long time ago What do you think you'd look like 83 years ago? Just as toothless as he is today. Oh He's such a funny old man. I love him. I think Oh just uh Taking a walk that's mighty shrew we stayed to be out taking a walk. Well, you're out aren't you that's different with me I was born just about the same time as the weather was born. We're equal What are you doing, mr. Tucker? Oh, just a choppin some firewood. I thought you did that in your own backyard You doubt my words. Oh, but this is pretty far for you to carry your own firewood home Isn't oh, there ain't nothing too far when you got a mind in the back to do it guess so Well, how are you planning to celebrate Christmas? Oh ain't planning much Oh, what are you gonna give Delilah for Christmas that sister of mine? Yeah, I didn't give her anything since you passed a cold on to her Three winners past that was very generous. I've seen too many Christmases to make a fuss about seeing one more Maybe that's why you should because you've seen so many Christmas. I ain't softened with the years You know, I'll say you have it. Oh Blow you straight out of your red flannel if you don't want to get going darling before you stick to the ground I don't feel cold. I just feel the wind mr. Tucker. Can I give you a hand with your firewood? What do you take me for a decrepit? No, no, I just offered now. I'm all chopped Well, I only see one log here and that's all a chopped thing. No surprise seeing only one when one's all chopped Well, that's certainly isn't gonna keep you warm very long ain't meant to keep me warm I don't need much to keep me warm this partial of bones can keep their cells warm That's a pretty hefty log. Mr. Tucker. You've got any criticism? Oh, no, I was just thinking I gotta walk over your house Get the wheelbarrow. I got my wheelbarrow with me honest the way you young and street a man of my age You think a man's brains frittered away with his flesh. Well, you got another guest coming my brains is just getting into high gear. Yep In the high gear Let me help you load this log on your wheelbar. Here. Let me kind of handsome Quite a fireplace for a log like that log like that took a heap of chopping and I bet it did Hey log like that will burn all night you twill. That's a well water day. Well, that's better take it home Yeah, I'll give you a hand. Yeah, I'm well still I can't imagine where yet I'm all the way over here to chop one log Are you sheds packed with firewood in the house? Oh, that's there's wood and there's wood. Mr. Nought never hears of that No, I can't says I have I've only heard of wood some woods for burning other wood ain't new one on me What's uh, what's this wood for burning sort of way? This here's a log wood is set on fire Christmas night and it burns the whole day and whole night through Mr. Tucker, do you mean to say that this log of wood is a you'll log of wood? What case? Oh nothing nothing folks been burning you'll logs ever since a long time past it says it's a tradition That's what's what's called it tradition. I see yes That's when folks lived in big stone palaces a brung in a you'll log to brought it in with a load of bandangles and hullabaloo season Set in the fireplace set a spark onto it and when it started burning why then it was then it was Christmas But mr. Tucker, it's so sentimental paint paint sentimental at all. It's tradition. It's Christmas ain't it? Well, I never said it wasn't no right to keep warm before the fire ain't I I never said you didn't So if I'm going to burn a log of wood it might as well be a you'll log of wood, but mightn't it? Yeah, it might as well say What's the funny look there son you saying to yourself that old Tucker's a sentimental fool That's what you're saying to yourself, David No, you you young ins think you know better than to stick by the old traditional ways Well, that's what you think you're from crazy. I'm gonna get in the wheelbass Oh So mr. Tucker and mrs. Norton are a couple of sentimental yanky you bet we are and I'm proud of it Oh You are I are and I'm gonna stop apologizing for it too. Well, nobody said you should you had that look Yep, I'm good and sentimental and I'm a Yankee too and I'll be All darned if it isn't a fine thing to be And if you ask me I'd say with old mr. Tucker You're in pretty good company hand-in-hand with a chip-off of the old Plymouth Rock itself If ever there was a season when unexpected guests could be said to be expected. That's the Christmas season Now telling who may ring your doorbell But you'll be ready for anyone young or old if you have lots of coca-cola cooling in the refrigerator There's still time to bring a case home from the grocers or a service station when you're getting the tree and last-minute supplies Say one of them two young and whispering about mr. King. Oh A little private joke mr. Tucker My ears was burned. I got a feeling I was in on the joke. Well, you know ears burning mr. Tucker mean compliments So stop worrying worrying who's worrying say young fellow. What's the news about the Norton's cow? She's getting set to freshen up. I think she is yes You better stay around close tomorrow mr. Tucker better stay around close You know in a case of extreme delicacy like this. You may be needed. Yes, well, I'll be around it's Christmas Eve tomorrow, too It wouldn't be a bad present for the Norton's if majesty delivered us a heifer well I better help me you'll log along. I'll see you son. Goodbye mr. Tucker Every day Monday through Friday Claudia comes to you transcribed with the best wishes of your friendly neighbor who bottles coca-cola So listen again tomorrow at the same time And now this is Joe King saying or a guar and remember Whoever you are whatever you do wherever you may be When you think of refreshment think of coca-cola or coca-cola makes any pause the pause that refreshes And ice-cold coca-cola is everywhere This broadcast of Claudia was supervised and directed by William Brown Maloney And now here's a word from your friendly neighbor who bottles coca-cola