 Family Theater presents Frank Faye from Hollywood, the Mutual Network in Cooperation with Family Theater Incorporated brings you the familiar American classic Rip Van Winkle, starring Frank Faye. It happened about 200 years ago in the little Dutch village of Spukendorf, at the foot of the Catskills. Those ancient mountains shrouded in mist and mystery. On the ragged edge of Spukendorf lived the Van Winkle family. Rip Van Winkle, Dame Van Winkle, and their two children, Judy and Rip Jr. The house was run down, the barn was run down, and the farm was run down. The only thing that would never run down was Dame Winkle's tongue and Rip Van Winkle's rocking chair. Go rocking chair off the porch. Go out and cut the hay. No, don't hurry, my dear. I've been thinking about cutting that hay for a long time. I've been studying the best way to do it. Been looking for that scythe two years now. Well, of course you can't find a scythe. You wouldn't have the energy. Too much trouble. No, you just dropped it down on the ground somewhere and let it lie there. I guess I did, yes. The laziest man in the village, they call you. Rip Van Winkle, the town loafer. Oh, why did I ever have to marry you? Because, my dear, I am a charming man, a gentle person. Family Theater presents Frank Faye. Work in cooperation with Family Theater Incorporated brings you the familiar American classic Rip Van Winkle, starring Frank Faye. It happened about 200 years ago in the little Dutch village of Spukendorf at the foot of the Catskills. Those ancient mountains shrouded in mist and mystery. On the ragged edge of Spukendorf lived the Van Winkle family. Rip Van Winkle, Dame Van Winkle, and their two children, Judy and Rip Jr. The house was run down, the barn was run down, and the farm was run down. The only thing that would never run down was Dame Winkle's tongue and Rip Van Winkle's rocking chair. Quickie, old rocking chair, off the porch. Go out and cut the hay. No, don't hurry, my dear. I've been thinking about cutting that hay for a long time. I've been studying the best way to do it. I've been looking for that scythe... two years now. Well, of course you can't find a scythe. You wouldn't have the energy. Too much trouble. No, you just dropped it down on the ground somewhere and let it lie there. I guess I did, yes. The laziest man in the village, they call you. Rip Van Winkle, the town loafer. Oh, why did I ever have to marry you? Because, my dear, I am a charming man, a gentle person, reserved, quiet. If you were any quieter, you'd be dead. And if I were, I couldn't hear you scolding me, could I? Some folks fear death. I wonder why. Now, go on, get up out of that chair. What makes it squeak so? It's loose in the joints. Well, so are you. Get up now. Go and look for that scythe. Mmm, and I was so comfortable here. Here comes your lazy son. He walks just like you do. Young Rip is a good boy. He's too lazy to be anything else. Thank heavens his sister Judith is more like I am. Hey, big Rip, Nick Farron wants to see you. Don't call your father Big Rip. Well, they call me Little Rip, so he must be Big Rip. What does Nicholas Better, the richest man in the village, want with Rip Van Winkle the laziest man in the village? Well, he wants to give him a job. Well, you're not Rip. Nick has a job for you. I had a premonition of something like that. This morning a black cat crossed my path. Well, he wants you to cut some wood. So just bring your axe. But I don't know where my axe is. Let me sit down again and think where I last had it. Let me see now. Well, I know where the axe is, Big Rip. In the corner of the woodshed behind that old wheelbarrow. Ah, Little Rip. I hope a black cat walks in front of you someday. It's a grand morning, Nicholas. Hi, Derek. So it is. I keep this bench out here in front of my inn just for days like this. I can sit here and watch the children play. And watch your customers, too. Yes, yes. I managed to keep an eye on their comings and goings. Just now there's but one man staying here. Yes, I've seen him. He's a strange gentleman dressed all in black. That's the man. His name is Vilmor Voom. Vilmor Voom? Strange name, but it fits him. What does he do? He's a buttonist and he wants me to guide him up into the mountains to hunt for rare plants. But not I. I'm afraid of what's up there. Oh, come, come, good Nicholas. Surely you don't believe those silly, fireside tales of goblins and spirits in the Catskills? There are caves in the Catskills and there's venture into trees, wave their branches with no breath of air to stir them. Rocks start rolling down the slope. The force of gravity being what it is, rocks do move occasionally. Nothing is immovable. Even Rip Van Winkle moves when that wife of his gets after him. How that woman can talk. She has an eight-day tongue. I sent little Rip home to tell Big Rip I want him to cut down some trees. Do you want to frighten the man? I don't want to cut down any trees. I know you won't. I just gave him that message to get him out of the house. It must have worked because here he comes now. Oh, Rip, Rip. We saved a place on the bench for you. Yes, Rip. You got out, I see. Good morning, friend Nicholas. And, Derek, it's good to be among friends. Sit down, Rip. Sit down. No, Nicholas, if I must get up again to cut that wood, I'd better just stay up. After all, a man's joints can bend only so many times. Sit down, Rip. Sit down. The wood cutting was just an excuse to get you out of the house. No wood to cut. No wood to cut. And to think I carried this axe all the way here. But, Rip, I do have work for you. Something far easier than cutting wood. How would you like to spend a day roaming around up there in the mountains? Up there? Up there. Just climbing around. Let me tell you how you can earn a bit of money. Here at the inn, a man named Vilmor Vum. I don't care if he's... Could you give me that name again? Vilmor Vum. What a beautiful name to shout down a rain barrel. Vilmor Vum. Vilmor Vum. Vum, vum, vum. What does he do? Oh, he hunts for strange plants, shrubs, and herbs. He wants somebody to guide him through the Catskill. Vum, vum, vum. He wants to find strange things, but don't ask me to take them there. Oh, this is the man coming right now. Good morning, sir. Ah, yes. It is indeed a very good morning. Permit me to share two of my good friends with you. Vilmor Vum, this is Derek Van Brummel, our schoolmaster. A pleasure, Mr. Van Vum. How do you do, Vilmor Vum? And this is Rip Van Winkle, our Rip Van Winkle. And greetings to you, Mr. Van Winkle. Vum, vum, vum. Say hello to Mr.... Oh, yes, yes, yes. Sit down, Mr. Vum. Thank you, sir. Vum, vum, vum. What did you say, Mr. Van Winkle? Vum, vum, vum. Oh, I said my wife should write a broom, broom, broom. She is a witch. A what? A witch? Well, at least her tongue is. She's a fine woman you understand generous to. She never gives you one word when a thousand will do just as well. Oh, my dear sir. Then you should be interested in one of my plants that I'm hunting. The mumbleberry. The mumbleberry? Oh, yes, it's the most unusual shrub. Oh, it grows about so high, I'm told. What good is it? It cures people of talking too much. My good friend, tell me more. I thought you'd be interested. The leaves are shaped like a star. And the plant, as its name implies, has a berry. Now, the juice of this berry has interesting properties. If it can slow down my wife's tongue, it has marvelous properties. It might say that the pure juice is a very powerful potion. Just two or three drops of the mumbleberry juice in a cup of tea is all that is needed. Two or three drops in a cup of tea. What happens? The person becomes drowsy and loses his voice almost completely for several days. What happens after several days? If the person regains his voice. Her voice. Oh, yes, of course. Yes, she regains her voice. But from then on, her voice is soft and low. Her disposition is more calm. Oh, she's a sweeter person. And a quieter one. Oh, friend, boom. What a beautiful picture you paint. Does the mumbleberry grow here in the Catskill? I have heard that it does. Would you know it if you found it? Of course. I'd start out to look for it this very morning if I only had a guide there. You say it makes her voice soft and low. Soft and low. Vilmor, boom, you have a guide. Oh. Oh, this is the hardest work I've done in many a moon. Yes, this has been quite a climb. But the scenery is worth it. What a view. Never mind the view, Vilmor, boom. The mumblebee. Yes, but really. The mumbleberry. Look at that panorama. Oh, the silver thread you see whining through Yonder Valley is the mighty Hudson. Now in the years to come, friend. There is that mumbleberry plant. It's getting late. And I don't want to be caught up here after dark. Oh, what are you afraid of? You stay up here and find out. Look. Look, here's a plant with five pointed leaves. Let me see, let me see, let me see. No, no. That is the common Virginia creeper. But we'll keep looking. Oh, yes. Oh, well, well. There seems to be a cave behind these bushes. A cave? Uh-oh. Let's get out of here. Oh, what's the matter? A calamity cave is somewhere around here, and I think that's it. No, no. Don't, don't, don't go in there. Oh, why not? Because you haven't found the mumbleberry bush yet. After you find the mumbleberry bush, I don't care what happens to you. Oh, look, look. Look behind you. I'm afraid to look. What is it? The mumbleberry. Oh. Oh. It's right there, you see. What beautiful berries. I will gather some. Some gather all of them. Don't forget the tea. Yes, but you remember, Rip, mumbleberry juice is very potent. No more than three drops in a cup of tea. For my wife, four drops. Give me a cup of tea. Can't a man make a cup of tea for his wife if he wants to? Yes, but this is the first time you've ever wanted to. Why are you being so nice to me all at once? What have you been up to? Nothing, nothing. I chopped some wood for Nicholas Vetter, and he gave me a pound of tea. And so, my dear, I thought of you. Oh. All right, I'll get cups and softies. Just one cup, my dear. I don't care for any. One drop. Two. Three. Four. Five. Sixth Anna. All right, here's a cup to pour it in. If you'd work more often, we could have cups with handles on them. Even when you work, you don't work at it. You fiddled around all day and did so little work, all you got for it was a pound of tea. Ah, but what tea? Just wait. Well, for all this fuss, it'd better be good. It is, my dear, I don't care for tea, so this is all for you. There you are. Well, thanks. Smells pretty good. Oh, tastes pretty good. See, this is good. Fine, fine, drink it right down. Don't you want some? What? Oh, no, no, my dear. You drink it all. It'll be good for me. That's the finest tea I ever tasted. More. Do you think you ought to... Oh, sure. Keep pouring. I'll drink all of it. All right, you might as well get it good. It does make me feel so good because it loosens my tongue and makes me feel like talking. It does? And I'm and I'm like this forever. After all these years of loafing around doing nothing, you finally got up enough energy to make yourself useful for a change. I don't believe for a minute that you were chopping wood all afternoon, though, if you had been chopping wood all afternoon. Let me sleep with you. First, you lost your size and now your axe is gone. Please, dear. I don't believe you were cutting wood at all. Now, listen here, Rip family goat. Now, listen to me. Does Nicholas Dender have some more of that delicious tea? I don't know, and I've been telling you that all night. Well, it's daybreak now. You get up and go and get it. I must have some more. Do you think you can find the right kind? This time, my dear, I've got to find the right kind. Oh, Nicholas. Nicholas, be there. Yes, coming, sir. Oh, it's you, Rip. What do you want at this early hour? Two things. My axe and Vilmore boom. Your axe you may have, but Vilmore boom is not here. He's gone? On the stagecoach, half an hour ago. Oh, what a pity. Now I'll have to climb those mountains alone. Why? Wasn't that the mumbleberry? It was not. She talked all night. Worse than that, she liked the tea so well I've got to bring home more of it. Oh, eight miles up and eight miles back. Goodbye, Nicholas. Goodbye. Wish me luck. The trouble that woman puts me to, I've hunted all day for a mumbleberry bush. I can't even find the bush I found before. Well, it's getting late. Am I just... How who could that be? How does that strange-looking man know me? And what's in that keg he's towing? Are you calling me, sir? Well, of course I'm calling you, Reverend Winkle. Help me carry this keg. Is it heavy? Of course it's heavy. It's filled to the brim with a special brew we drink this day. Something to drink? I'll be glad to help you. Yeah. Uh, tell for now. It is heavy. Where do we carry it? Straight up this gully, about a mile. Oh, a game of man-pins. Who are these strangely dressed men? Uh, the ship's crew, of course. Oh, of course. Here comes Hendrik, our captain. Be sure you salute him. Oh, St. Jan reporting, sir. Here's the keg, sir. Ah, that is good. Put the keg down here. Aye-aye, sir. Aye-aye, sir. Uh, I'm glad that's over. Thank you for your help, Rip Van Winkle. Aye-aye, sir. You're welcome, sir. Well, that exercise has made me thirsty. Oh, would you like... Yes, I would, since you insist, yes. Jan, the flag is... Aye-aye, sir. Aye-aye, sir. Thank you, Jan. A large flag, sir, or a small one. Oh, it really doesn't matter. A large flag will be all right. Here you are, sir. Thanks. Your good health, sir. Your good health. That was good. Here, here. And let me help you up. Would you like another? I don't think I can stand another. But I'd like to try one lying down. As I told you, this is an ambrosia. The like of which no mortal has ever tasted. Here, again. Thanks. Ah! What is this pulsion? Mumbleberry juice. Oh, no, no. I must have dozed off a bit. I believe I'll have another flag in a... Sorry. Where is everybody? Hey! I'd better get up and see... See what... Oh! Oh, my joints. I must have slept here all night. And look at that. Those rascals stole my fine rifle. And this old rusty one left in its place. Oh, what shall I say to Dane Van Winkle? Maybe. Maybe I can catch them. Hey, Captain Henrik. We can have no better president than General Washington. Well, I grant you, he's a fine man and a great general. But does that make any mistakes, ma'am? Mark my words, Jim, you'll see. I quite sure on Earth he's coming down the road. Eh? Eh, some old codger with white whiskers and a rifle. I have to village seems to be following him. No wonder. I've never seen such an apparition. Eh, here, I'll find out what he's up to. Eh, just a minute, old fella. Where do you think you're going? I... I don't exactly... No, sir. I... I thought I was going to the village of Spookendorf. But everything looks so strange. This is Spookendorf. What do you mean by toting a rifle and leading a crowd of people here on election day? I've been hunting squirrels. As near as I can remember. And these people just started to follow me. I don't know why. Are you a federalist or a Democrat? Federalist? Democrat? Sir, I'm just a poor, quiet man. A native of this village and a loyal subject of the king. Long may he live. A Tory, a spy, a refugee. I arrest the man. Here, here, throw him into prison. Wait, wait, wait. Please. I'm not a spy. I don't know what this is all about. Why does everything seem so different since yesterday? Eh, you were here yesterday? Yes. Right over there at the village inn. Why, look. The inn is a different color. And the sign has been changed. Yesterday it was a picture of George III. Whose picture is that? George the Washington. I never heard of the man. He never heard of George Washington. This old devil is a bit touched and they hit me things. Eh, come along with this old fella. Wait, wait. Does anybody here know Rip Van Winkle? The laziest man in the village? Oh, yeah. No, to be sure, to be sure. There. There's Rip Van Winkle over there, leaning against that tree. Where? Oh, my goodness. Now, now, now, who are you, old fella? I thought I knew. But I'm not myself. That's me yonder. No, no, that's somebody else. Or maybe I'm somebody else. I was myself last night but I fell asleep on the mountain and they've changed my gun and everything's changed too. Now, now, I don't know who I am. Well, just be calm, old man. Come along with us. We'll take it. What's the trouble here? What's the matter with that poor man? That voice. It sounds like young woman. What's your name? Judith. And your father's name? Oh, poor man. Rip Van Winkle was his name. 20 years ago he went away from home with his gun and he's never been heard of since. 20 years. Where's your mother? She died two years ago arguing with a peddler. She talked so fast and furious she broke a blood vessel and died of a stroke. I was afraid that would happen. Don't you know me, daughter? I'm your father. Young Rip Van Winkle once. Old Rip Van Winkle now. Our Rip Van Winkle? Why did you run away and desert my mother and my brother Rip over there and me? Just like your mother. I'm home all right. Tell me to the old place now, father. Judy, did I really sleep 20 years? Yes, father. Strange things happen in the Catskills, as you well know. The men you saw were the spirits of Henry Cutson and the crew of this ship, the Half Moon. That's right. That's right. They called him Captain Henry. Every so often our spirits come back to Earth for one day. They play at nine pins and they drink a strange brew. That they do, daughter, that they do. This is where we used to live. You can see it through the weeds. It looks worse than it did then. And I didn't think it could. I wonder if my old rocking chair is still in the house. Don't try to get in there, father. Those weeds are too thick. One of these days I'll cut these waves. I just never got around to it. Come on, Judy. The weeds won't hurt you. Just follow me and I... No! No, I'll have to cut them. I just found that sight. Here is a little poem that was sent to us this week by a family theater listener. James J. Metcalf wrote it and called it A Father's Prayer. Oh, God, look down upon our home with kind and gentle eyes and pour your blessings great and small upon our family ties. Be good to her, my loving wife, who's so good to me, and help me honor you and her with love and loyalty. Bestow on us the guiding grace we need from day to day to raise our children properly at home and church and play. We trust in you with all our hearts and offer you our prayers. Our smiles and tears, our glories and our little daily cares. We thank you, God, for everything beneath the stars and sun and promise we will always strive to help your will be done. And now, who remind you as we do each week that a family that prays together stays together. More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of. From Hollywood Family Theater has presented Frank Faye in Rip Van Winkle with Lorraine Tuttle, Geoffrey Silver, Ken Christie, Junius Matthews and Walter Burke. Howard McNear was heard as the father in our closing poem. This adaptation of our American classic was written by Harry Lawrence with music composed and conducted by Harry Zimmerman and was directed for Family Theater by Jaime Del Valle. Our Family Theater broadcasts are made possible by the thousands of you who felt the need for this type of program, by the mutual network which has responded 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 Theater stage. To then and to you, our humble thanks. This is Gene Baker inviting you to join us next week when your Family Theater will bring you the comic yet serious story of a man seeking an illusion, Saavedra's Don Quixote de la Mancha. Join us, won't you? Family Theater is heard in Canada through the facilities of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and is broadcast to our troops overseas by the Armed Forces Radio Service. This is the world's largest network, the mutual broadcasting system.