 Family Theatre presents Dean Stockwell and Roddy McDowell. Cation with Family Theatre presents Dean Stockwell in Hans Brinker. To introduce the drama, your host, Roddy McDowell. Thank you, Tony LaFranco. Family Theatre's only purpose is to bring to everyone's attention a practice that must become an important part of our lives if we are to win peace for ourselves, peace for our families and peace for the world. Family Theatre urges you to pray. Pray together as a family. A great gale rolly against the seawalls and dikes of Holland. The Netherlands fought the ocean back with oak and piles braced with stone, with huge straw mats covered with clay. Buffalo Dutchman leaned into the wind as he made his way towards the dikes. Under the voice of the storm, he heard a faint frantic shout. You roll me down the river. I'm on my way to the dikes. I'm no boatman. Winner, it's a matter of life and death. So is my work. The sea is pounding against the piling. Please, Winner, roll me down the river to the bridge. If ever a man needed help, I needed now. In trouble, eh? Yeah. I've got to get away. I've got to leave Holland. I don't know what you've done, but you don't look like a bad lad. All right, young fellow, I'll roll you to the bridge. Storm this is. This dike is starting to crumble. I'll climb up on the scaffold, tighten those ropes. Careful, Ralph. Those boards are covered with sleet. I'll watch it. And there's ice on those ropes. I'll take care. I won't slip. I'll bring you never far. That's the second rope, Ralph. Yeah, that's the one. Pull it up. I was hurt in a great storm many years ago. Oh, Gretel. I don't want to talk to those ragamuffins. I'm going on to school. Go ahead, then. Hello, Gretel. Hans. Good morning, young Frau Van Gleck. Good morning, young Frau. Hans. Gretel. Have you heard about the race for the Silver Skates? No. A race? Yeah. Two races. One for boys and one for girls. And the prize for each race is a pair of Silver Skates. Silver Skates? Oh, Hans, just think. When is this race? December 20th. A celebration in honor of my mother's birthday. Will you both be in the race? Young Frau, all we have are these wooden skates. I carved myself. Oh. You need better skates for the race. Oh, Hans. Did you carve this beautiful wooden chain that Gretel has? Yeah, I carved it. Then will you carve me one? I'll pay you. Four guilders. Oh, young Frau, that's too much. Oh, no. Hold out your hand. One, two, three, four. There. Can you have it done for my mother's birthday? Oh, yeah, yeah. Oh, I'll have to hurry. I'll see you at school. Goodbye, Hilda. Thank you, young Frau. I'll start carving the chain tonight. Oh, Hans. When the stork built the nest in our house, I told you it would bring us good luck. Now we can get some steel skates. Yeah, and maybe even some silver skates. Hans, your supper is getting cold. Just a minute, Mother. I want to finish carving this link of the chain. Oh, me, you wouldn't need to work like that to get your skates if we had the money we lost. A thousand guilders, wasn't it, Mother? Yeah, Hans. Roth made good money before he was hurt. We had a thousand guilders put away in an old stocking. And then the money disappeared. Yeah, Greatle. When Roth was hurt, there were many people in and out of our cottage. One day when I looked for the money, it was gone. Mother, tell us again about the Silver Watch. Well, when they brought your father home that morning, he had a great Silver Watch in his pocket. Maybe he paid the money for the watch. Oh, no, Greatle. It's a fine watch, but not worth a thousand guilders. I wonder whose watch it was. Well, inside the case of the letters L, J, B. But your father has no memory of things that happened before he was hurt, so we may never know. Well, I'd better wake him and give him his supper. Roth? Oh, Roth? Yeah, Major. Supper Roth. Here you are, the soup is hot. It is good, young. You are good to me. A good husband deserves good treatment. We were talking about the thousand guilders. Thousand guilders? Try to remember, Roth. The money we saved. We kept it in an old stocking. Remember? I... I tried to sink and everything goes round and round. Greatle, bring the watch in the cupboard. I know where, Mother. A watch? Yes, Roth. You had it in your pocket when you were hurt. Here it is, Father. I showed it to him dozens of times, but always he shakes his head. Look, Roth, did you pay the thousand guilders for this watch? I... I don't know. Look, Father, there are letters on the case. LJB. Does that mean anything? Think. Think hard. I... I'm trying to. I'm... Oh, I can't think. My head hurts. No more. No more. Don't ask me anymore. We'll skate back even faster when we get our new skates. Oh, yes, we'll just... Oh, here comes Carl Schimmel. Oh, I don't like him. He calls us ragamuffins. Now, Hans, don't make trouble. You two are doing an Amsterdam. We're buying two pairs of skates. Oh, but you don't think you're going to skate in the race? Yes, we are, Carl. Are we going to win the Silver Skates? Well, they won't let you skate. Hilde van Gleck herself told us we could. I know you're afraid Hans is going to beat you. Not a chance. Oh, go on, get your skates. The Silver Skates are not for ragamuffins. Ragamuffins, are we? No, Hans. Come on, we must buy our skates. All right, but I'll show him. The race all skates so fast. Great. Look, who's coming? The great Dr. Bookman. Dr. Bookman? Are you sure? Sure, that's him. Maybe he would come to see father. I dare you to ask him. Yeah? My dear Bookman. My dear. What's this? My dear, you are the famous doctor. Would you do us a favor? Go away, go away. I never give to beggars. We are not beggars, my dear. Look, I have four guilders. It's yours if you will only come to see our father. Our father is ill. Oh, it's that. What's this all about? My dear, many years ago, my father suffered a bad fall. On his head? Yeah, his head was hurt. He has no memory. When he stands up, he falls down. But he is a good father, my dear. My dear Bookman, please come to see him. How long has he been this way? Ten years, my dear. Ten years? That's bad, very bad. Oh, but you are such a great doctor. Mother told me of you. Oh, what did your mother tell you, little girl? She said you were the greatest surgeon in all Holland. But also cross and cranky. Gretel. Little girl, you go home and tell your mother that cross and cranky old Dr. Bergman will come see your father next week. These gates are wonderful. We're nearly home already. Yeah, look. There's mother outside the house. She sees us. We're leaving faster, Gretel, faster. Your mother a great surprise. Your mother, you won't believe it. The great Dr. Bergman. He's nicer than he looks. He's coming to see father. Hans, not the great Dr. Bergman coming to see Ralph. Yeah. Oh, the good God has heard my prayers. For your father is worse, much worse. But mother, the doctor won't be here until next week. Oh, heaven preserve us. Mother, let me skate back to Amsterdam and try and bring the doctor now. Yeah. Yeah, go my son. As fast as you can. This is no race for silver skates. It's a race for your father's life. I've examined the man as well as I can. And what do you find, mine here? Something is pressing on the brain. A part of the skull, perhaps, a clot of blood, a tumor, something. And the remedy? What is in there must be gotten out. And if something is to be done, it should be done now while he is unconscious. Come, young Frau. Yes or no? Oh, Hans, what shall I say? See what God tells the mother. Your mine here, Buckman. I consent. Good. Put more peat on the fire, water in the big kettle, clean linen, soap, bandage it, hurry up. Is father all right? We don't know yet. His pulse is good. His color is coming back. Doctor, he's awake. Steady boys. Pull the mat higher. Throw on the clay. The water is rising. Holders. Rough. Rough. Are you all right? It... Oh. Oh. Is it you, Major? What... What happened? Dr. Bergman has fixed up your head. My head? It feels better. I heard it a long time ago, didn't I? I... When I fell off the scaffold. Rough. You remember that. You remember the storm? Of course I remember the storm. I remember everything. He is sleeping now. That is good. Keep him quiet. Keep him warm. I must get back to Amsterdam. Yeah, doctor. I don't know how to thank you. Thank your son, Hans. I did it for him. For Hans? Yeah. Because he looks like my own boy did years ago. My son Lawrence, who ran away. Oh, my dear. I'm so sorry. Yeah. Yeah, they... They called me a crabby old man. Now you know the reason. Doctor, all the rest of my life I'll pray God that he'll return your son as you have brought back our father. Your father is not out of danger yet. I'll be back tomorrow. Good day to you. You must be careful. Remember you're still a sick man. I don't feel like a sick man. Why does just one week since the good doctor operated? Yeah. And in another week I'll be working on the dykes again. Oh, listen to the man. He's out of his head completely. Well, in seven or eight weeks. That's better. Let me fix your pillow. Thank you, major. All this expense. Do we have enough money? I suppose you spent a thousand guilders long ago. You remember the thousand guilders? Of course. In that old stocking. I suppose after I was hurt you dug them up. I dug them up? Yeah. I buried them in the ground. You know. Oh, yeah, yeah. In the ground, yeah. Oh, it was so long ago. Let's see now. Where was it you buried them? Well, I write by that young willow tree behind the house. Oh, yeah, to be sure. It was on the north side of the tree, yeah? Major, what a poor memory you have. On the south side. Oh, of course. Now, now you rest a bit, Ralph. Well, I go look for Hans and Gretel. Yeah, I do feel a little sleepy. It's dark. Did we have to wait till night time? Yeah, Gretel. So people won't see us digging. Hans, do you find anything yet? Not yet, Gretel. But mother, father said he buried the money on the south side of the tree. Oh, but we have dug on the south side, the east side, and the west side. If it isn't where Hans is digging now, oh, but no, it must be there. Hans, is it there? No, Gretel. There's nothing here but the roots of the tree. Hans, let me dig a while. No, mother, it's no use. A thousand guilders is gone. It's such a nice day. Can't I go outside? No, no, Ralph. The doctor says not yet. Where's Hans? He's outside, father. His fairy godmother has put him to work. I didn't know he had a fairy godmother. Yeah, Hilda Van Gleck. She pretended she was our fairy godmother. She granted our wishes. Well, what did you wish for? To win the silver skates. And Hans? To find a buried treasure. Oh, mercy me. Hilda, I mean the fairy godmother, waved her magic wand. It was really just a stick and told Hans to dig at the foot of her golden throne. That old stump she was sitting on and he'd find a treasure. And what is Hans doing? Digging a hole out there. Girls can make boys do the silliest things. Yeah, yeah, I remember once your mother... Mother, father, Hans, not so loud. The small willow tree where we dug last night wasn't there ten years ago. No, of course it wasn't. Why didn't we think of that? The stump is the old willow tree. I dug by the stump and look. The thousand guilders. Told you to keep him quiet. No excitement. Yeah, doctor. But we didn't expect to find a thousand guilders. It was the money my father had buried before he was hurt. He thought he told mother about it, but he never did. It was buried in two places, doctor, in the ground and in this head of mine. I hope there's no harm done. You thought the money had been stolen, huh? Yeah, that. Or he had paid the money for a watch he had. What watch? Oh, mother, we forgot all about the watch. Let's show it to father again. Yeah, great. I'll get it, please, dear. A watch? Yeah, I remember something about a watch. We found it on you when they brought you home that awful morning. A fine silver watch. Here it is, father. Remember it? Yeah, good. Yeah, it's coming back to me now. See? Inside the case. L-J-B. L-J-B? Let me see that watch. Here, doctor. Yeah, I remember it. That watch belonged to my son, Lawrence Young Bookman. Oh, yeah, yeah. Ralph, where did you, where did you get this watch? On the night I was hurt, I met this young fellow. He was in trouble of some kind, but I liked the lad. I rode him down the river when he got out of the boat. Munair, do me one more thing. What is it, lad? Here's my watch. Give this watch to my father. Yeah, I will. Tell him where I'm going. Tell him the name I'm going to use. If he can ever forgive me, tell him to write to me. Yeah, lad, that I'll do. I must be on my way. Goodbye, my friend. Goodbye, lad. God go with you. I went mine. I was hurt that night and remembered no more about him until this moment. Where was he going? What new name did he take? I can't seem to think, man. I'm trying to. You must remember. Here's my son. All these years, he's been waiting to hear from me. Who is he? Where does he think? Doctor, my poor Ed, I'm trying to... I'm sorry, my friend, forgive me. I've been warning you, good proud, not to get you excited, and I'm doing that myself. I understand, doctor. My son Lawrence, he was my assistant. He mixed the wrong medicine for a patient. I discovered the mistake in time, but the patient died anyway. And your lad thought it was his fault? Yeah, yeah, poor boy. He thinks I've never forgiven him. The name he took, the place he went, they may come back to me. Don't worry, Dr. Berkman. Father will remember. Who won? Peter von Klopp. Sit down, Ralph. The doctor said you could come out here on the bank of the canal for the skating races, but you must not stand up. But I can't see sitting down. Well, I can see for you. I'll tell you what's going on. Peter won the boys' race. Yeah, but what happened to Hans? Well, the race started before I could tell you. As soon as I was ready to start, Peter broke his skate strap. And Hans took off his own strap and gave it to Peter? Yeah, yeah. Well, you'll know without me telling you. Yeah. Well, doesn't Hans feel bad about it? Oh, no. No, he's grabbed hold of Peter and they're dancing jigs. Jigs, eh? Jigs, eh? That sounds like higs. That's it, higs. Ralph, sit down. What in the world? The doctor said that's his name. Higgs, Tom Higgs. Oh, Ralph. As soon as the girls' race is over, we'll send Hans to tell the doctor. Ah, Tom Higgs, Tom Higgs. No, now the girls get ready. Keep your eye on Gretel. They started. They skate to the flagstaff and then back again. Here they come. Oh, what a scramble. Gretel. Right behind Hilda. Tinker is behind Gretel, but gaining. Skate! Gretel, skate! Ralph, you mustn't get excited. Me excited? Come on, Gretel. Where is she? Oh, Gretel is even with Hildenholm. They're coming to the flagstaff. Yes, I see them now. I see Gretel. Go, Gretel! Go on, Gretel. Faster, faster! Who's excited now? Where are they? I can see them. They're skating back toward the finisher. Oh, oh, Meakin fell down. Oh! Killed on Gretel in the front. Yeah. The trick is gaining on them. Go on, Gretel! My goodness, we're back home. Ralph, maybe you should lie down a while. No, not I, Major. The day has done me good. It did me good, too. Yeah, Gretel. You won the Silver Skates. Here he is, Father. Here's Dr. Bertman. Oh, come in, Doctor. Hans told me the good news. You remember the name. Yeah, Tom Higgs. Fine. Fine. Ah, but the world is full of Tom Higgs. If you could only remember the country, the city. Someday, Doctor, tomorrow, next week, next year... Oh, Gretel, I forgot. So much excitement we've had. Here in my knapsack, something to you. For me? Ah, when Madame Van Gleck gave you the Silver Skates, you ran away so quickly, she couldn't give you the case that goes with them. Oh, what a beautiful case. Red leather with silver trimmings. Oh, what is it saying at the top? To the fleetist. Is that me? Gretel, that's you. Let me see the case. Here, Father. Ah, such fine, nice work. That's velvet inside where you put your skates. Look at this, Doctor. Yeah, yeah. Oh, very fine workmanship. The man who made this took pride in his work. And see, his name is here in a small silver plate. My eyes are not that good. Can you read it? Oh, yeah. It's made by... an heir, Birmingham. Oh, no, Gretel. Birmingham is the place where it was made. Birmingham, England, from where comes our finest steel. The maker's name is those small letters right above. I can read them, my dear. Thomas Higgs. Thomas Higgs of Birmingham, England. That's it. Gruff, my son made the Silver Skates. In the autumn of the year 1855, a great gale roared in from the Atlantic. A man fell from a scaffold and so began the story of Hans Brinker. In the winter of the year 1865, a memory returned. A fortune was recovered and a long lost son came home. And so ended the story of Hans Brinker and the wonderful Silver Skates. This is Roddy McDowell again. Haven't you often heard it said of people you know very well? Isn't he a fine man? Or isn't she charming? Yes, time and time again, we have all heard such references as these to people we know. Yet, how different some of these very people appear to members of their own family group? It's so very easy to be kind to people outside our families because, well, with outsiders, we feel that we're somehow on parade. But when we are habitually kind to each other within our families, there is a stronger bond between us. And that is where family prayer comes in. When we pray together for a few minutes each day, we naturally reflect a little on God's love of all of us and how trivial our family tensions are. When we pray together, kindness towards each other is nearly always the result. And that is one reason among so many others why the family that prays together stays together. More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of. But Family Theatre has brought you Dean Stockwell in Hans Brinker with Roddy McDowell as your host. Others in our cast were Norma Jean Nielsen, Ted Osborne, Janet Scott, Bill Johnstone, Tommy Cook, Janine Roos, and Joel Nestler. Hans Brinker was adapted by Harry Lawrence with music composed and conducted by Harry Zimmerman and was directed for Family Theatre by J.F. Mansfield. This series of Family Theatre broadcasts is made possible by the thousands of you who felt the need for this type of program, by the mutual network which has responded to this need and by the hundreds of stars of stage, screen and radio who have so unselfishly given of their time and talent to appear on our Family Theatre stage. To them and to you, our humble thanks. This is Tony Lofrano expressing the wish of Family Theatre that the blessing of God may be upon you and your home and inviting you to join us next week at this time when Family Theatre will present Pat O'Brien in the story of Peter Zenger. Join us, won't you? Podcast throughout the world and originates in the Hollywood studios of the world's largest network, the Mutual Broadcasting System.