 Your Coca-Cola bottler presents, Claudia. Claudia, based on the original stories by Rose Frankin. 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. Coffee smells good. It is. And the eggs are just right and the bacon is just right. In short, you're perfect. Yes, sir. I am perfect. Oh, David, it's a lovely day for the night. What do you mean, a lovely day for the night? It'll be so nice to drive back from Connecticut with a moon. Oh, how do you know there'll be a moon? I ordered one. David, do you know it'll be the first time I've seen any of your architecture face to face? Well, you won't see much. Just a stone foundation and a pile of lumber. Well, anyway, it'll be fun. Will we be home for late dinner? Do you think I'll order something I can make before I leave and just heat it up? We will not be home for dinner. I know a wonderful little inn on a country road. Looks like it walked right out of a book. Is that good? Sure it's good. And wait till you taste the food best you've ever eaten. Lobster? No. Sure, why not? Well, where we're going isn't on the water. I mean, it's inland. That doesn't make any difference. Don't you know they fly oysters all the way out to Los Angeles? I'm not sure I'll have the lobster, though. Darling, I wouldn't worry about it. You haven't finished your breakfast yet. Oh, can I even plan? Oh, David, lobster and all is going to be fun. And I'm so glad you invited Mama along. Sure I invited Mama. Aren't we lucky that Hartley and Julia gave us their last year's car for a wedding present. Aren't you glad, David? Yup, I'm glad I'm alive. I'm glad you're alive. But best of all, I'm glad we're both alive together. Me, too. I'm so glad I could bust. Say the moon will surely be up on the way home tonight, won't it? I'll see that it is. It'll be a harvest moon, one of the best. And, uh, Claudia, before I forget it. Will you have the garage bring the car down in front of the door at three? I'll pick you up here and it'll save time. All right, darling, three sharp. Oh, I wish it were three sharp now. Well, Mrs. Brown, aren't you happy you came along? Yes, I've enjoyed every minute of it so far. Hey, just listen to the crickets. Crickets are out of season. Those are tree toads. Isn't it extraordinary how much a man knows, Mama? Mm-hmm, lucky for women. Smell the air. Burning leaves. That's the nicest smell. Makes me hungry. Oh, you don't need air to do that. Is it much further? Nope. There's what much further? Hush up, Mama. David knows a wonderful little restaurant. Good. I'm company, so I didn't want to say how much further. I'm starved. So am I. I think I'll order a lobster after all. What do you have, Mama? Soft shell crabs. Can't you two girls wait to see a menu? No, why should we? What are we stopping here for, David? David, are you going to let me take the wheel at last? No, darling. I'm not going to let you take the wheel at last. Thank heaven for small favors. Anybody think you two are my born enemies? We are best friends. We tell you the truth. Why are you stopping, David? For supper. Yeah, it looks funny. It's the oldest end in Connecticut. Oh, not very large, is it? One more word out of the two of you, and you'll go without your dinner. The lips are the face we might anyway. I didn't say anything, darling. Hope the service is fairly quick, David. It's getting late. Listen, girls, suppose you stop trying to manage this now. The food will be good, and I'll get you into town in plenty of time. Such a manly man. Come along, Mama. He's managing everything. David, I know you're practically perfect and never make mistakes, but who told you about this end? Oh, I found it myself one day. There's nothing wrong with this supper. It's just not their day for fish. Or meat. To think that we will have traveled more than a hundred miles for an egg. Well, what was wrong with that bacon? It was delicious. There's nothing wrong with it except that we had it for breakfast. Oh, here comes our Yankee host now. We'll get a good dessert. Howdy. Finished, folks? Yes, all finished. What did you have for dessert? Well, what have you got for dessert? Oh, almost anything. For instance. Apple pie, peach pie, plum pie, apricot pie, rhubarb pie, cherry pie, coconut, lemon cream, gooseberry. I'll have peach. Coconut custard. Now, what is gooseberry pie? Well, friends, kind of crossed between a raspberry and a blackberry taste a little bit like strawberry. I'll have lemon. Right, y'all, friend? Seems quite an authority on pies. Oh, this place is known for its pies. And for being the oldest in Connecticut. What more do you want, Mama? Well, here you are, folks, three pies and coffee. This looks like apple pie, not coconut. So does arm dang. This tastes like apple instead of peach. They sometimes do, ma'am. Take a certain kind of peach, taste like a certain kind of apple. Never known it to fail. This not only looks like apple and tastes like apple, it is apple. Apple it is, friend. Find a apple pie in western Connecticut. We specialize in pies. Have a different pie every day. Only I can't remember which one comes on which day. You just rattle off the whole list for good luck. That's right. Well, anyway, everybody always likes apple pies. Not if they had their mouth deliberately set for coconut custard. Say, this is good. I'm glad I didn't get lemon. You know, this is the best pie I've ever eaten. David, you lie. Why don't you be a fine, strong character for once and admit you've been wrong about this end? I'll admit nothing of the kind. He admits nothing of the kind. Are you watching the time, David? Have I ever let you two be late? Oh, God. Why is it a man thinks it's a virile to always be just on time? Because men are the adventurous sex. Do you suppose you could feel adventurous enough to think about our starting back to town? Yep. Here's the check. Got any change, Claudia? Yeah. How much do you need? You got 50 cents. And that's another difference between men and women. What? When a woman asks for change, it's either a nickel or a dime. With men, it's never less than half a dollar. I suppose that's their adventurous streak again. Children, if you're going to settle all the differences between men and women, we'll never get started. All right. Ready, you two? Mama, are we ready? David, I've been ready for a long, long time. Hope you folks had a nice dinner. Come back again sometime. Not if we're conscious. Really, David, that place is like a bad dream. Nightmare is the word, Mrs. Brown. Oh, isn't the car a welcome sight, though? Yes. I'm going to lie back in its beautiful red leather seat and think about my nice little kitchenette apartment all the way home. And... You got enough room, Mama? Ready. I can even move over. No, I'm fine. I'm fine. Have you got enough room, David? Hmm? Say you look mad. What's the matter? I am mad. Wait until I tell that garage your thing or two. What'd they do? It's not what they did. It's what they didn't do. I left express orders that they're never to send the car over without checking gas, oil, water, and air. Oh. Oh, what? They didn't send it over. I mean, they were supposed to, but I called up this morning the way you asked me to. Yes? Don't say yes. Like that, you make me nervous. Guilty conscience. Come on now. Come clean. There's nothing to come clean about. I acted very intelligently and used my head. How? Well, a quarter of three they hadn't sent it. And I knew you had to meet the contractor at Red Beret 430, so I phoned the garage. And the man said they didn't have a soul there to deliver the car. They were shorthanded on account of something or other. So if I wanted the car, I'd have to call for it. Well, why didn't you phone me to pick it up? I did. You left. Anyway, I didn't mind doing it. In fact, you enjoyed it. I loved it. Did it occur to you when you were using what you so fondly called your head that you have not got a driver's license? Don't be silly. I passed my test, didn't I? No, it's not the same thing. You are not permitted to drive unless you get a license. You're absolutely right, David. I shuddered to think what might have happened. The garage is only around the corner. I was there and back in two seconds. Where was the car when you went to the garage? Standing right on the floor as big as life. All I did was hop in, back out, and drive off. Just a moment. Before you hopped back and drove off, did you think to fill the gas tank? With what? With gas, of course. Of course not. Why should I? Because it's only a myth that a car runs on its reputation. See that little pointer? Always that, but that's for to tell how much gas you have. That is what it's for. I think it's remarkable. You think it is... The remarkable thing is that we got here. The tank is empty. Maybe it isn't right. Maybe it's got a lot and it just isn't saying so. It's a fundamental of gasoline gauges that sometimes they're empty when they say they're full. But they're never full when they say empty. Well, what are we going to do? We're going to get some gas, idiot. It seems to me it was rather careless of you, David, to let it go down empty like this. I took for granted that the garage man filled it up the way I told him to. Well, you should have looked at the little pointer you just pointed out to me. I'm not excusing myself. Now... Hey, mister! Mister, where's the nearest gas pump? Right over there by the driveway. The motor's stopped. Yes, darling. The motor's stopped. A gas tank isn't like a well. It doesn't fill up when you let it stand. David is down here for the pump. Why don't we just coast? That's brilliant, Mrs. Brown. I guess I just have to get used to the idea that you are the only practical member of your family of two. It's rolling, David. It'll roll right up to the pump. That's very obliging of it. No thanks to you. You just play in luck. You, uh, folks out of gas? Bone dry. Lucky we could roll up to the pump. Well, you might call lucky. I do. Will you fill up the tank for me, please? Say, uh, how much she holds? 18 gallons. That's right, big tank. You got far to go? Yes, we have to get back to New York, and we're late now. All the way back to New York? All the way back to New York, and we're in a hurry. I wish you could help your friend, but it can't. What's the matter? Is your pump dry? This here pump's been dry for over a year. Just keep it there for show. Keep it to keep it there. As a matter of fact, and take it down. Labor being on this today. Maybe he has some loose gas. My wife wants to know if you have any loose gas. Well, no. Isn't there a train we can get? Oh, sure there is. Trains run every hour, and here's train is Danbury. Now, how far is Danbury? 24 miles. How about a bus? Nearest bus is Woodbury. And Woodbury is... 23 miles. 23 miles. But, uh, when you have to go somewhere from here, how do you go? Well, in a way, speaking, very few folks here about go places, but when we do go, we drive. Any taxi service within a reasonable distance? Well, no. Of course, I could take you to a gas station in the car. You could pick up five gallon can. Well, certainly. That's what I had in mind. Well, the only trouble is my son took the car over to the hospital with his wife. They're married, going to have a baby at the Bridgeport Hospital. I don't expect him back much before midnight. And there's no telling can't count on these things to the minute, you know. No, you certainly can't. We might be sitting here until tomorrow. I was, uh, coming to that. No need to sit and we have mighty nice sleeping accommodations to hotel. Oh, you were just coming to that. But we haven't anything to sleep in. My wife and I could lend you some things. We've got right good hair mattresses. Hair mattresses. I know what that means. Now, look here. Can't you two girls be sports? Can't you grin and bear it? You grin and I'll bear it. I hate to think what the bedrooms are going to be like. Uh, yes, friends. My wife says she has some extra nightgowns for you ladies and I got a plain old night shirt for the gentlemen. A night shirt? That ought to satisfy the adventurous streak in you, David. Oh, I look pretty in a night shirt. Pretty funny. Oh, David, look, there's the moon. As round and full as can be. Oh, the lovely moon. We were going to drive back into town in the light. I bet it ran out of gas, too, and had to spend the night in the country. But not in a flannel night shirt. All story material used on this broadcast of Claudia was under the supervision of Rose Franken and William Brown Maloney. Here's a tip for you people who drive a car. Take it easy. And here's a surefire system. At more and more service stations, you'll see those familiar Coca-Cola coolers. When you stop for gas, oil, or a tire check, have a delicious ice-cold bottle of Coke. It helps you relax and presto, you drive refreshed. 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, Au revoir and remember, whoever you are, whatever you do, wherever you may be. When you think of refreshment, think of Coca-Cola. For ice-cold Coca-Cola makes any pause the pause that refreshes.