 Ranger Bill, warrior of the woodland, struggling against extreme odds, traveling dangerous trails, showing rare courage in the face of disaster, in the air, on horseback, or in a screaming squad car. Ranger Bill, his mind alert, a ready smile, unswerving, loyal to his mission. And all this in exchange for the satisfaction and pride of a job well done. Who messed up my room? You mean who cleaned up your room, don't you young man? I did it. Aw, Mom, you know I can never find anything after you mess around in here. Well you won't have to worry about me messing around anymore. Today is the last day I ever planned to clean this room. You could have saved the trouble of even doing it today. What I mean is, from now on, you are going to be responsible for keeping it tidy. Okay, I mean I'll go outside. Just one little moment, Norman Clark. I'm not through with what I have to say. But Mom! I know that every time I clean this room, I say that it will be the last time. And then I turn right around and clean it again. But this is the last time. No more messes in here. No more little animals. This little room is going to be kept spick and span at all times. And you are going to keep it that way. Hey, you're really serious, aren't you? Yes, I am. And just to show you how serious I am, you are going to stay in here this morning and get used to seeing your room clean. Why? You heard me. I'm having you stay in this room all morning to help you remember that I want this room kept clean at all times. How come you're getting so mean about it? Maybe I just haven't been stern enough about it in the past, Norman. You're old enough to take on a little responsibility. And I think this room is as good a place to start as any. Yeah, but to stay in here all morning. You heard what I said, Norman. I just want you to get used to a clean room. I have to get back to work now, so I expect you to do as I say. Your room is clean now. And I want you to leave it that way. It's clean now, and I want you to leave it that way, boy. So I'm supposed to leave it that way, huh? Okay, I will leave it that way. Move over, birds. If I'm old enough to take a little responsibility around here, I'm old enough to take it anywhere. Here's your headquarters. Don't be jankin' speakin'. What's that? A bill? Yeah, he's here. Hang on. A bill, it's for you. I'm Jefferson. I didn't know who he meant at first. Thanks, old amour. I'm not even sure I'd know. Hello? Yes, this is William Jefferson. I was calling, please. Yes, I'll hang on. Who is it? I don't know. The operator's making the connect. Uh, yes? Hello? Who? Oh, Hugh! How nice to hear from you. Sounds like I'm calling somebody. Yoo-hoo! Uh, just a minute, Hugh. Stumpy, please. I'm trying to hear what he's saying. Who? An old friend, Hugh. Yoo-hoo! Oops, there I go again. I'll tell you later, Stumpy. Now, please. I ain't saying another word. Hello, Hugh. No, everything is fine. I was just finishing a little business with one of my men here. Yoo-hoo! Where are you calling from, Hugh? You are? Oh, that's terrific. Yes, of course I'd like to see you. You can? Oh, that's fine. We'll look for you later on in the day then. Yes. OK, Hugh. Goodbye. Stumpy? You remember my telling you about that Englishman I met at the last ranger conference? Hugh Fitzhuffitz? Hugh Fitzhuffitz. That's right. He was over here observing methods of plant and wildlife conservation. Well, anyhow, he's back. And he's coming here. I'm sure you'll like him a great deal. An English fellow, huh? You think I'll be able to understand what he's saying? I think the trouble may be in the other direction. Oh, what's that? I'm sure you'll be able to understand him, old timer. I hope so at any rate. I know he'll want to be shown around the area. And I'm not even partly done with all those reports. I'll be counting on you to do most of the guiding. You think I ought to get into a better press uniform or something? No, I don't think so. Well, don't look so worried. You was just an ordinary person. Now, let's sit down for a minute and plan some sort of route for your tour. I imagine he hasn't got a whole lot of time. And I know he'd like to see as much as possible. Please come to lunch. I think you deserve it after the quiet morning of Norman. Are you hiding from me? Norman, I wonder where the window. He's gone out through the window. Ranger headquarters, Bill Jefferson speaking. Oh, hello, Mrs. Clark. No, we haven't heard anything about Norman, should we have? Run away? Uh-huh, I see. Well, Mrs. Clark, I wouldn't worry too much about it. That's right. Well, for a couple of reasons. It's still early in the day. He didn't take along a lunch, things like that. I've heard some of the strangest conversations into that phone today. I can't make this one out at all. That's right, Mrs. Clark. I think you'll get hungry and probably be home before dinnertime. Mm-hmm. Well, if he doesn't show up by then, give us a call. He couldn't get very far. Say, why don't you check with Cal over at the sheriff's office? Maybe they'd... Oh, you did, huh? Well, as I say, I wouldn't worry for a while yet. That's all right, Mrs. Clark. Right. And by now, what is that all about? Little Norman Clark has run away. At least his mother thinks he has. I doubt it, though. Well, if there's trouble of any kind at all, call the Rangers. They don't have anything else to do. Well, what was that all about? Oh, I don't know. I guess I'm a little on edge about this visitor of yours today. I just don't know what to think about him. I say, am I at the right shop? You! You certainly are. Come on in. We were beginning to think you'd lost your way. This must be Stumpy Jenkins. I've heard a great deal about you from William. From who? Oh, Bill. Howdy. It's nice to meet you. Sit down, you. Tell us all about what you're doing here in the like. Oh, thanks. Well, actually, I'm here at my own time. That's all. Well, rather, you see, I had such a delightful time when last I was in your country that I thought I'd spend my holidays here this year. So here I am. Well, then, you probably ain't much of a hurry. No, I ain't. I'm not. I'm not. I guess we could all relax. Stumpy and I were trying to plan a tour of our operation here that would be the most comprehensive and, at the same time, the most economical. We were? That just means see the most in the least time, Stumpy. Oh, yeah. And that's what we were trying to do, all right? Well, I really appreciate your efforts on my behalf. I am, as you surmise, quite anxious to see your methods of operation here, but there's no rush at all. I say it's especially warm in here. I was noticing it, too. It's hot as an oven. It ought to be. This here is where we bake our bread. Boy, I sure have been walking a long time. I'm tired. I'll be in Central City pretty soon. Maybe there I can find somebody old something in back of those bushes. Well, maybe if I stay real still, whatever it is, it won't see me. It's gone, whatever it is. Maybe I better go back home. I'm getting hungry. I forgot which way I came from. I don't remember the way to go. Whatever was in those bushes might come back. Oh, what am I going to do? Now, don't you look, well, proper. Well, speechless, Stumpy. Absolutely without word. He practically forced me to lend him that outfit. And that's not the half of it. We're actually going hunting. Hounds, horn, and all. I never would have believed it. Stumpy jaguums, rough, hard as nails for a stranger in an English hunting outfit, complete with riding britches, red jacket, cap, and all. I must admit that I never saw anyone back home quite that way in a hunting costume. I believe the posture helps to make it look so comic. What's the matter with my posture? Well, old timer, I have never seen an English gentleman who is quite as bow-legged as you are. No, I'm fine. And I really must get a photo of this. It defies description. Well, you can laugh all you want. But I noticed a lot of admiring looks as we came up the street just now. You mean you actually appeared in public looking that way? Of course I did. I ain't ashamed of this suit. It's what any decent sort of chap would wear if he was going fox hunting. I'm afraid you'll have to look long and hard before you'll find a fox around here. What are you talking about? This is good fox country. I know. But if they get one look at you dressed like that, they'll outrun the dogs getting away. Dogs? Hey, that's right. Our dogs are probably ready, Hugh. Dogs? Really? I thought you were kidding. Oh, Stumpy has gone to no end of trouble to obtain the use of a small pack of hunting hounds from a local breeder. I tried to stop all this, but you know... Now we got him over at Miles Tendon's place, Bill. He seemed real in favor of the whole thing. Well, what he actually said was that the publicity would do him good. So you're both going out hunting, huh? Well, when Stumpy first suggested the idea, I thought it rather a good one. But it seems to have grown somewhat. You really have to watch the old timer, Hugh. And once he gets started on an idea, there's no way of predicting where it'll end. I don't know what all the fuss is about. Nobody seems to think that Hugh looks funny and he's wearing the same things I am. Well, after all, old fellow, I am British. Oh, yeah. Well, old chap, shall we tally-ho over to the hunting grounds and have a go at it? Hunting grounds? The natives hereabouts call them the forest. Oh. Shall we peep off, Hugh? Rather than where we return, I would like tea and crumpet. Yes, sirree. I'll have tea and you. Can't just sit here. I'm too scared to move. Sounds like somebody's playing a horn. Maybe it's somebody coming. They're looking for me with bloodhounds. Boy, if mom sent him after me, she must really be upset. Well, I kind of messed up running away anyhow. I might as well turn myself in. Maybe they got something to eat with them. I'm really getting hungry. Ranger headquarters, Bill Jefferson speaking. Oh, hello, Mrs. Clark. No sign yet, huh? Now, don't worry. Yes, I think he's probably tried to run away. But you know as well as I do that he couldn't have gone too far. What's that? They saw him going toward the forest, huh? Lost in there? Oh, that's possible, but there still isn't too much to worry about. If he's in there, he's left a good trail. We should be able to follow him easily. What's that? Bears? Oh, very rarely, this close to town. Not often enough to even mention. Tell you what, I'll come over. Oh, no, no trouble at all. I'll come over and we'll see if we can find him. He's probably a very hungry boy by now. And I think the idea of going home might appeal to him a lot. It takes practice, old man. And then, too, our riding styles are quite different, you know. If I sat that street in the sandaline, break my back. It appears as though the dogs have caught on to something. They seem to be running in a more directed fashion. I say, we'd better run for it ourselves before we lose the dogs. Get the dogs, don't be. And you can see if the lights hurt. Right, say it's Norman. Hello, Mr. Jenkins. And so, strikes me like you're a long way from home, fella. That's a pretty long walk. I guess I just didn't watch how far I was going. You're wearing your central city? Nope. That's a good 50 miles away. You're about three miles from your home, which is far enough, I'd say. Yeah, that'll do it. Looks as though you two are old friends, don't be. Do you know each other? He talks funny. Now, this is Norman Clark. Norman and this man is Mr. Fitzhuffitz. Why are you both wearing those funny suits? Well, this is the way some people in my country dress. Does it make the animals laugh? You know, I never thought of that. Now, hold on there, young fella. You're doing a pretty good job of changing the subject. That ain't telling us what you're doing out there. Are you with your mother? No. I say you don't suppose he's run away, do you? Not only suppose so, but I'm pretty sure of it. It seems like just before you arrived today, we got a call that this here young man was missing. Is that it, Norman? Are you running away? Yes. What on earth for? Because I don't like to take orders all the time. Oh, my. Can't do nothing I want to. Such as? Well, like having pets in my bedroom. I didn't know you had any pets. Well, I don't like some kids do, but I mean pets like I find outside. You know, field snakes or turtles or sometimes even a little mouse. My mother won't let me keep any of them. Oh, that's easily understood, isn't it? It is? Of course. Women never like mice. Well, over the life of me, I can't think why. Oh, it's all just sissy stuff. Most of the time, they scare the mice more than the mice scare them. Well, that's very astute, young man. Huh? He means you're right. Oh. Well, actually, I've heard of one case where the woman, her name was Ms. Dowd, really got the best of a mouse that frightened her. Would you like to hear about him? Sure, I guess so. Well, it's a poem, actually. It goes like this. A mouse in her room woke Ms. Dowd. She was frightened it must be allowed. Soon a happy thought hit her to scale off the critters. She sat up in bed and meowed. Hey, that was funny. You know any more? More lads. Tell me another one. Well, maybe when we get home, I could. I don't want to go back there. Yes, I know. Rules. Would you know all of us have to follow rules? I don't believe that. Big people don't. Look at you two. Well, Norman, we have to follow different kinds of rules, but we still have to follow them. Like what? Well, like the law. You can't just go around breaking it all the time. Why not? Lots of people do. Unfortunately, you're quite right, Norman. But you see, when one is caught breaking the law, one must pay the consequences. Then is it okay to do that? Then is it okay to break the law as long as you don't get caught? Well... What you want to know is why is there any law at all, huh? Now, why should there be such things as rules? Uh, I guess so. Well, that shouldn't be so hard to show you, Norman. What do you have in your pockets? I don't know. A couple of pennies, I guess. A pocket knife and... Well, why? Well, I say I should like to have that pocket knife. Give me a minute. No, it's mine. You can't have it. Is there any law that says I can't? I want it, therefore I shall take it. Stumpy, make him stop. He's going to take my knife. No, he isn't, Norman. I'll stop him. Good. Because I want your knife. What? Oh, no, old fellow. I shall take it. Oh, no, you don't. I want it. Please, stop. Keep your pocket knife. Well, I thought you were going to fight each other or beat me up. We were just showing you, rather vividly, I thought a good reason for rules or law. If everyone were allowed to do what he pleases, where would any of us be? I never thought of it that way before. We'd all be like the two cats. The two cats? That's right, Norman. Mr. Fitchu-Fitch here ain't the only one who can recite poetry. Try this one. There there once were two cats in Kilkenny and each cat thought that there was one cat too many. Uh-oh. So they scratched and they fit and they tore and they bit. Instead of two cats, there weren't any. Oh. Well, at any rate, Norman, you can see more clearly the value of rules, can't you? I guess so. There's just one other part of it all that we haven't mentioned yet. Oh. There's some rules that everybody has to follow. You know what those might be, Norman? No. Well, now think. So far we've just been talking about rules having to do with people and people. But what about... People with animals? That's pretty close. What I'm thinking about is all of nature. They call them natural laws like gravity or breathing. Are those really rules? That's right, Norman. You have to breathe neat. You have to stay close to a set temperature. Yeah, but you can't help it. I see what you mean, Stumpy. That's right, Norman, you know. You can't help it, but you still have to do it. If one, for some reason, does not obey these rules, the result is usually rather harmful. I never thought of those rules at all. So you see, Norman, no matter where you go, there are rules that have to be followed. If you decided to stop following all rules, you'd have to stop living. Mr. Fitzhughet, can I ride with you? Where to, Norman? Home. My mom might be worried. Looks as though he went through here, Mrs. Clark. He certainly came a long way. I'm really worried, Bill. Maybe I was too hard on him. I'm afraid that's one question that you'll have to answer, Mrs. Clark. Oh, Bill, sometimes I just don't know what to think. Ever since Norman's father passed away, I've had such a hard time with him. I'm sure that's true. And I know that sometimes I tell him to do something just to get him out from under force. I know how easy that is to do. Sometimes, and I have a great deal to do, I'm very tempted to make a lot of hasty decisions and get people doing things so that they won't bother me. That's it, exactly. I'm afraid I do that to Norman more than I should. You think that's why he ran away? Yes, I do. Hey, the trail looks like it's getting fresher. I think we must be getting near him. Bill, what will I say to him? Let's stop here for just a minute, Mrs. Clark. Now, stop me if I'm meddling in your business. I really wouldn't say anything if you had nasty things. You know that. I know that, Bill. You know, I found out in working with fellas in various clubs and camps and things that there are certain better ways of approaching them, ways that won't cause as much rebellion and trouble. You seem to get along very well with them. Oh, I think some of that is the uniform, the idea of my being a ranger. I'm sure if I were their father, I'd have a few more problems with them. But anyhow, about approaching a young fellow, there are some very simple things that might mean a great deal of difference. One of them is that we adults seem to forget that each child is as much a real person, an individual, as we are. And as such, he's entitled to as much consideration and respect as we would give another adult. I know, Bill, but... but sometimes I just don't have the time to go into it all. You lose that excuse when you're talking about another adult. Many times you have to take time with other adults. If you don't, there are hard feelings. And it isn't too different with the younger set. But Norman doesn't understand the way an adult would. He's only a child. That's right, but you owe him the opportunity of trying to understand. I sometimes feel that if you can't explain the reason you say or do something to a child, you'd better check into it yourself. I agree with what you say, Bill, but it'll be hard to really do these things. I don't think that how easy a thing is is in the indication of how right it is. What's that? That sounds to me like we've found Norman, Mrs. Clark, but it also sounds as though we aren't the only ones. And then when I wanted to come home, I couldn't because I was lost. I wanted you to come home, too, Norman. But then Mr. Jenkins and Mr. Fitzhugh-Fitzes came along, and we've been having a real interesting talk ever since. And Mom... Yes, Norman? From now on, I'm going to try to follow every rule you make. Norman, from now on, I'm going to try to make only the right rule, the ones that count. Well, how about that? You don't blow it anywhere near as good as Mr. Fitzhugh-Fitzes. I shall allow the Mr. Pronunciation only because it was a compliment. I guess I just don't have the hang of this thing. Hey, why don't you teach him, Mr. Fitzhugh-Fitzes? Oh, I'm afraid that's quite impossible. Impossible? Why? Well, it's very much like a flute player I heard of poem about once. Oh, boy. Mom, his poems are funny. Listen. Well, it goes... Well, boys and girls, we'll be tooting your way again next week for more adventure with... Ranger Bill was produced in the radio studios of the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. This has been a presentation from our Moody Broadcasting Network archives. To learn more about MBN, go to our website at mbn.org.