 Ray Mulan, Edmund Gwynne, Alan Young, star on Family Theater. The mutual broadcasting system in cooperation with Family Theater Incorporated presents The Leprechaun Who Didn't Listen, starring Alan Young and Edmund Gwynne. Three portions are transcribed. Ray Mulan is your host. Our Family Theater story this week is about a leprechaun. That's right, a leprechaun. One of the little folk from Never Never Land. Everything about this leprechaun was fine, except that he wouldn't listen, wouldn't listen to anybody. Many of us are like that. Many fathers and mothers constantly hear of the dangers threatening the good spiritual and moral life of their family, but too often they don't listen. They forget to turn to God and ask His help through daily family prayers. They forget that the family that prays together stays together. Maybe it's time we started listening where our family is concerned, because they're the most important possession we have in the world. But about that leprechaun who wouldn't listen, his name was Johnny. Maybe it better let Edmund Gwynne tell you all about it. Once upon a time in the days when the good folk inhabited the earth, there lived a little leprechaun named Johnny. Now as you know, all leprechauns are by nature shoemakers, and they possess the secret of wealth. If you ever catch a leprechaun, he's forced to tell you the secret. Yes, but a leprechaun is very hard to catch, for he's just nine inches tall from head to toe. Now Johnny leprechaun was doubly hard to catch because he was just a youngster and he was only a four and a half inches tall from head to toe. Johnny was a pride and joy of the good folk and he tried very hard to learn all the things that would make him help to grow up to be the finest leprechaun in the whole fairy kingdom. But once in a while, like little boys today, Johnny didn't listen. Now that's why we have a story to tell. Pop. Why do I have to learn to make shoes? Don't ask foolish questions. Why, Pop? All leprechauns are shoemakers, you know that. Why, Pop? It's tradition. Even back in the days of King Oberon, we were shoemakers. Who was King Oberon? Johnny, you haven't been studying your history. King Oberon was king of all the good folk. Ah. Well, who did you think he was? I didn't know. Pop did any leprechaun ever get caught and have to give up the secret. Just once a man named Midas tricked him and Midas became real wealthy. Wealthy? Huh. He cleaned up. What happened to the leprechaun? He lost his union card. Pop. Do you think I'll make a good leprechaun? You shut up and stop asking so many questions. Now, today, children, we take up invisibility. Do any of you know what invisibility is? Well, you're invisible when you can't be seen. Only the good folk know how to become invisible. And the magic trick is only used when absolutely necessary. Naturally, leprechauns have to know how. It helps us to escape when those silly humans chase us to learn the secret of wealth. Eh, Mildred, pay attention. To make yourselves unseen at any time, just say, listen Midas, listen Mores, land of enchantment, open your doors, then cross your feet, spin three times in a circle, and poof, you're gone. We'll take this side of the class first. That afternoon, Johnny went to a deserted part of the enchanted forest, where the good folk hardly ever went. And he determined to practice the spell until he could do it perfectly. First, he forgot the words. Then, he got twisted up. And when he had the words right, he'd cross his feet and spin in a circle. And he'd get so dizzy, he'd lose his balance before he'd gone around three times. But finally, he thought he had it mastered. He sat down on a twig to get his breath. And then he concentrated very hard and began the spell in earnest. Listen, Midas, listen Mores, land of enchantment, open your doors. And wonder of wonders, the spell worked. Yes, when Johnny stopped spinning, he looked down at his body. Oh, he was slowly fading away. And then, he was gone. Gee, it worked. I'm invisible. Waddle the kids see this. For a while, the little leprechaun danced around, playfully enjoying his mysterious new state. And then, oh, the thought hit him. He hadn't learned how to reverse the spell. Pop, this is important. Yeah, it can wait. Pop, look at me. Johnny, where are you? No, stop playing games. I'm right here, Pop. I'm invisible. Oh, no. What's the matter, Pop? Did they teach you that in school? Yes, sir, today. I've had trouble enough keeping track of you before. Now, I don't know what I'll do. What did you want to know? I want to be visible again. I'm hungry. You're always hungry. Well, just work the spell. There's no problem to that. I can't. You can't? Oh, what's the matter? Are your tongue tight or have you forgotten it already? The teacher didn't get that far. It's a fine place to stop. We weren't supposed to do it all the way through. Oh, I see. And little Johnny Leprechaun had to be the wise guy, huh? He couldn't wait with the other kids. Oh, no, he had to try it all the way through. I'm sorry. You're sorry. What good does that do? I thought maybe it would do some good. Well, it doesn't. If I could see you, I'd take you over my knee so fast it'd make your head swim. It isn't enough anymore that you show up late for dinner with your face dirty and maybe your pants rippled. Oh, no, now you come here invisible. Oh, well, now, now, now there's no use crying about it. I'll be good, Pop. I promise. I'll never do another bad thing, but please tell me how to be visible again. That's just it. I haven't used that spell for years. I don't remember. Pop wrecked his brain, but he couldn't remember the spell no matter how hard he tried. So he sent Johnny to the teacher. I told the students not to finish the spell. Oh, I was afraid something like this would happen. Johnny, you will stay after school every night for two weeks. A teacher? That's my decision. And you must never, never do anything like that again. But Johnny didn't listen. No. And of course, since he had to stay after school every night, this meant that he wasn't getting his sleep as a growing leprechaun should. So one day, nearing the end of the school year, and so children, that is the secret of welfare. Remember, you're unabound to tell any person who catches you, but you must do everything in your power to keep from being caught. Yes. Class dismissed. What? Gee, I must have been asleep. Yes, Johnny was asleep. Just when the most important thing a leprechaun had to know was being discussed. The secret of wealth. Naturally, Johnny didn't know what he'd missed, but he was embarrassed at falling asleep. So he said, listen, meadows, listen, wars, land of enchantment, open your doors. And he faded right out of the classroom. It was late afternoon and the sun was lying in warm pools on the forest floor. It was a perfect day to go exploring in the mind of little Johnny leprechaun. So still invisible, little Johnny skipped and danced along, going deeper and deeper into the depths of the enchanted forest. Yes, he went much further than he'd ever had before. Finally, he wasn't quite sure just where he was. And he came up in a pixie sleeping under a tree. Now, as we all know, pixies are very small, but the ones in the enchanted forest were over two feet tall. So they looked like giants to nine inch leprechauns. And this pixie looked like a mountain to Johnny because Johnny was a youngster. And he was only four and the half inches tall, from head to toe. Johnny led a sheltered life. He never met any other families of the fairy kingdom, but he had seen pictures of pixies and he knew they were very big. So there was no doubt about it. This was a pixie. Gosh, he's so big. The pixie had a big black beard and he was so big that when he breathed, the ground shook. Johnny thought it was the most unusual sight he'd ever beheld. So naturally, he had to go just a teeny bit closer. And just then something got in Johnny's nose and tickled it. He was standing right by the pixie's ear and he tried and he tried to stop what he felt was coming, but all of a sudden, the huge pixie reached out in the direction of the sneeze and because his arm was so long, he grabbed Johnny before he could move. Well, one of those scrawny little leprechauns. I am not scrawny. That's your opinion. Do you know who I am? Yes, sir. You're a pixie. That's right, my pint-sized friend. I'm Black Peter. I own the whole of the Enchanted Forest. I'm your landlord. I'm the wealthiest being in the Fairy Kingdom. Oh, I don't know. What do you mean you don't know? I know someone who's much richer. Who, who, who is he? Well, if you let go of me so I can breathe, I'll tell you. You'll tell me anyway. Please, let me down, Mr. Pixie. I feel dizzy. Do you promise to tell if I set you down? Oh, of course. Well, all right. Now, who is the richest in the Fairy Kingdom? The leprechauns are. They know the secret of wealth. And with those words, the naughty leprechaun ran away into the forest as fast as his little legs would carry him. Black Peter was furious. But Johnny had slipped away and all the angry pixie could see were the pools of sunlight on the forest floor. Johnny warped and warped and before long it was growing dark and still was no familiar sign about him. Oh, soon the terrible realization came to him. He was lost. He sat down and cried, cried until finally he curled up on a leaf and went to sleep. The night spread her velvet mantle over the Fairy Kingdom. And the mantle's thousand jewels that mortals call stars twinkle and cast their reflections on the drowsy earth. And in the darkness, a shadow moved silently between the great trees toward the home of the leprechauns with a message from Black Peter. The leprechauns read the message and the news of what it contained spread like wildfire through the community. Glow worms lit up as the little folk got out of bed and that leprechaun local 47, they gathered for a meeting. And for us is to get out. I think shortage in the Fairy Kingdom. The only possibility is mortal meadow. Evacuation was begun. The leprechauns worked feverishly packing their belongings for the trip and they worked so hard that by dawn there wasn't a trace of a leprechaun in the whole enchanted forest. Except for one naughty youngster asleep on a leaf. Oh, it's morning. I know where I am. To assist him, Johnny recognized the landmark and was soon skipping happily homeward. The more familiar things he spied, the faster he went. Until at the end he was running. He ran right up to his old home and stopped. There's nobody here. They're all gone. Where is everybody? If Johnny had only listened before, he would never have gotten to trouble at all. But you know, once you stop listening to good advice, you get in deeper and deeper and deeper. So Johnny threw himself on the ground and cried his little heart out. Suddenly, Johnny heard a noise and footsteps coming closer and closer. Who's there? I recognize that voice and I see you this time. What seems to be the trouble? Where have they gone? All your fellow leprechauns. You're the wealthiest being in the forest. Surely your wealth has brought you the answer. Oh, no, sir. I don't have any money. I'm just a little leprechaun. Changed your tune, haven't you? Well, I think I've taught you leprechauns a lesson, so I'll tell you, I raised the rent. Ten pairs of shoes a month. So they moved. And I'm rid of their noisy cobbling. And do you know where they moved? To mortal meadows. Johnny was horrified. He knew it was all his fault. Still, the feeling didn't last long. No. No, at mortal meadows, his father gave him a scolding of his life. But it went in one ear and out the other. And the first thing Pop knew... Pop, Pop, what do humans look like? What do you want to know for... I just wonder. If you just see that you're never caught for one, I'll be satisfied. But how will I know to run away if I don't know what a human looks like? All right. A human is the biggest thing you'll ever see. It's bigger than the great bushes on the meadow. It's bigger than this community. Now, are you satisfied? Yes, sir. But Johnny's curiosity wasn't satisfied. No. There were humans nearby and he'd never seen one. So what do you think he did? Where are you going, little leprechaun? Mr. Pixie, where did you come from? From nowhere and everywhere. That's where Pixie's always come from. But you haven't answered my question. Um, I'm not going anywhere. I'm wiser than that, my friend. I know where you're going. You want to see a human, don't you? How did you know? Professional secret. But don't be afraid. I don't want to stop you. In fact, I'll show you the way. So Johnny and Black Peter went through the green forest and over the hills to the village. And there, Johnny leprechaun saw his first human. They were huge, clumsy things, three times the size of Black Peter the Pixie. Peter led him through the streets until they came to a great house, from which drifted, oh, all the most tantalizing aroma Johnny had ever savoured. What's that smell? That's pies, baking. What's pies? A wonderful human delicacy. You'll see. Get on my back and we'll climb up to the windowsill. I'm afraid. Go on, or you'll never know what a pie is like. Okay. That's it. Now, take a bite. Oh, it's wonderful. Go on, go on. Eat some more. We're even now, my foolish leprechaun. Peter laughed so loudly that the woman rushed to the window to see who was trying to steal one of her pies. But Peter was gone, and only little Johnny remained. He tried to make himself invisible, but just then he fell flat on his face in the pie. Then he felt himself lifted right up into the air. Well, Faith, and what's this? A bird? No. It's like a doll. Only not halfs, a big. Let go of me. The saints be preserved, it talks. You didn't think I'd catch you, did you? Mr. Pixie, help me. Why I do believe you're a leprechaun. Isn't that a fact now? Yes, ma'am. And if you catch a leprechaun, he has to tell you the secret of wealth. Yes, ma'am. Well, tell me quickly, what's the secret? Speak. I've caught you fairly. Tell me how I can become rich. I don't know. You don't know? I guess I was asleep in class that day. Oh, you little insect. I'll teach you to eat my pie. And with that, she threw Johnny pie and all right out of the window. Of course, the word got back to leprechaun local 47, that one of their members had disgraced them. Yes. For as Johnny had been taught in school, each of them was on a bound to reveal the secret of wealth if he was caught. Ah, there was great sadness in mortal meadows. Yes, the bad little leprechaun who didn't listen was never heard from again. All the other leprechauns were so ashamed that they all moved to the south pole and became penguins. This is Ray Meland again. I hoped you liked the story of Johnny, the leprechaun, and I hope you didn't feel too sorry about his coming to such a bad end. After all, Johnny never really did exist, except in the eerie world of the little people. But there are people for whom he should feel sorry. Those men and women whose marriages are failing because they've allowed no place for God. Those families which are breaking up because they've forgotten the help that can be obtained through daily family prayer. Begin family prayer in your own home today. Find out for yourselves that the family that prays together stays together. Thank you for being with us and God bless you. Our grateful thanks to Alan Young, Edmund Gwen, and Ray Meland for their appearances, and to Marvin Bryan for writing our play. Original music was scored and conducted by Max Tehr. This production of Family Theatre Incorporated was directed by David Young. The supporting cast included Ed Max, Arthur Q. Bryan, Howard McNair, Junius Matthews, and Gloria Gordon. Next week our Family Theatre star will be Stanley Clements in For the Love of Angel. Your host will be Jack Haley. This series of the Family Theatre broadcasts is made possible by the thousands of you who felt the need for this kind of program, and by the mutual broadcasting system which has responded to this need. Be with us next week at the same time when Jack Haley and Stanley Clements will star on Family Theatre. Your announcer, Merrill Ross, this program came to you from Hollywood. This is the Mutual Broadcasting System.