 It's a show as honest Harold the homemaker well there's a white mantle of snow over the little town of Melrose Springs and the air is cold and frosty but there's warmth and good cheer in the hearts of young and old alike for Christmas is only two days away let's look in on the home of honest Harold where we find his mother just putting the presents under the Christmas she threw the snow on a one-horse open sleigh and now this is for Harold this one's for Raymond through the fields we go laughing all the way on Bob's let's ring making spirits bright hello hello mother well look at all a wonderful presents under the tree Christmas is certainly a grand time of the year it certainly is yeah makes you love everybody I even love my boss Stanley Peabody well I do mother well got to get downtown now we're having an important meeting of our reindeer club this afternoon that reindeer club was a wonderful idea of yours Harold thank you mother I just thought it'd be nice if some of us fellows got together and gave the children this town a big Christmas party a lot of presents of sandy claws and everything well that's the true Christmas spirit who's in your club well there are four of us reindeer prancer that's me dasher that's old doc Yansey Comet is Pete the Marshall and Stanley Peabody is Donder should have been Donderhead now remember your Christmas spirit of course mother at the meeting this afternoon we're going to elect a Santa Claus but the election is just a formality they'll probably pick me unanimously the whole club was my idea won't that be nice my son Santa Claus yeah well let it get started mother may not be home for dinner after the meeting I've got some shopping to do well I'll leave the front door unlocked for you oh don't bother mother remember I'm going to be Santa Claus I'll just come down the chimney jingle bells jingle bells quiet quiet fellas meeting of the order of noble reindeer herd one of Melrose Springs will kindly come to order rather Comet will now call the road brother Comet that's you Pete oh yeah some Comet let me see you know where's my list oh brother Prancer that's me present brother dasher brother dasher that's you doc oh yes yes I'm here he got doc can't you even remember your name oh you're out of order Harold well a reindeer I'm we sent Prancer to bed without his own brother down there I Stanley Peabody I'm present listen to prissy pants brother Comet brother Comet that's you Pete oh I didn't see myself let's get down to business fellas fellow reindeer I am happy to report that our preparations for the Christmas party are going full speed ahead and we're getting a lot of letters from the children telling us what they want in their Christmas stocking brother Prancer here's a letter from a kid I'd like to read oh good go ahead doc dear reindeer club when I wake up Christmas morning what I want to find in my Christmas stalking is Linda Darnell what smart Alec kid wrote that I did only joking Harold oh I'm right behind you on this Christmas party in fact I think you deserve a vote of thanks for all the hard work you've done well thank you doc and I'd like to say to all of you that I've never worked with a nicer bunch of reindeer brother Prancer yes brother Donder and Stanley I suggest we elect our Santa Claus now good idea I would like to nominate a man I think really deserves the job right ahead Stanley old friend fellow reindeer this man is one of our leading citizens of Melrose Springs respected and loved by all the man I refer to as none other than I Stanley Peabody I moved the nominations be closed just a minute Stanley this whole thing was my idea I ought to be Santa Claus you have the only qualification you have for Santa Claus is that you carry your own padding what a Santa Claus you'd make with those skinny legs they look like two pipe cleaners with knees now Donder scarecrow now Prancer I move we postpone the election till tonight when we've all cooled down what second and let's don't forget the spirit of Christmas brother reindeer Merry Christmas hemp Merry Christmas Stanley I hope he trips over you log crowded downtown everybody's getting ready for a Merry Christmas hello Mrs. Della chopper I don't feel very merry I can tell you that I'd be Santa Claus right now if it wasn't for that Peabody I went and bought him a hand-painted necktie for Christmas ought to return it and get my 98 cents but hello the adora I feel so Christmasy don't you the snow all those decorations in the windows and the happy music yeah what's the matter Harold something wrong with my little holly berry you know I wanted to be Santa Claus at the children's Christmas party didn't your reindeer club pick you well Stanley Peabody who wanted to be Santa Claus too so now we have to have an election tonight oh Harold that's nothing to worry about I'm sure your friends will vote for you well I guess so sure and you make a wonderful Santa Claus teddy bear and I hope Santa will come to my house I've got the mistletoe over the door you have and you know what mistletoe is for sure do you stand on your toes and then we both missile yeah well I have some shopping to do yeah here's a present for you saddy-wanty goodbye goodbye wonderful girl there's Doc and it's horse and buggy better make sure the old host doctor is gonna vote for me tonight at just a minute Doc what is it brother Prancer well brother Dasher I just wondered look at my horse silver moon hero don't you look sweet with that mistletoe in her ear mistletoe doc there aren't any other horses in this town for her to kiss I know but she goes around kissing automobile it's the spirit of the thing oh brother doc about the election you know my animals are so excited they love Christmas time oh my presence what are you whispering about doc I don't want silver moon to hear me she's only 24 years old but she still believes in Santa Claus please I just don't know what to get for Arthur my goat your goat yeah last year I got him an erector set but he ate it oh doc will you listen to me for a moment I want to talk to you about the election this evening I suppose you're gonna vote for me it's Santa Claus aren't you old pal wouldn't you like to know and I'll look doc old doc yak yak certainly thinks he's smart for two cents I'd tell his horse there isn't any Santa Claus I better drop into the Marshall's office and make sure Pete's gonna vote for me tonight hello Pete hello brother Prancer Pete about the election tonight I suppose you're gonna like this little Christmas tree I'm decorating hair that's beautiful Pete I'm fixing this tree from a prisoner Orville the dip Orville the dip when did you arrest him oh I didn't arrest him he broke into jail last night broke in I've never heard of a crook doing that Oh Orville isn't a crook anymore Harold he's retired poor old fella gets kind of lonesome for jail around the holidays yeah likes to be in familiar surrounding yes oh Pete it's against the law to keep a man in jail if he hasn't committed a crime I know that I've put Orville out three times but he keeps breaking back in Harold you'd like Orville he's one of the nicest ex-safe cracker he ever met Pete what I came in here excuse me I hope I'm not intruding oh hello Orville I'd like you to meet an old friend of mine honest Harold honest Harold meet Orville the dip very very happy to make you acquaintance sir how do you do how do you like the tree Orville it's lovely it'll look beautiful in my cell what a happy yuletide this will be I'm glad to do it Orville you're very kind this is just like being home for Christmas oh yeah oh Pete I want to return your watch is watch yes I lifted it when you brought my luncheon Pete I'm sorry lifetime habits are hard to break you know forget it Orville thank you excuse me gentlemen I'll return to my cell now Orville took my watch ain't that a doozy what a jail Pete look are you gonna vote for me tonight you know he must have lifted it while I was pouring his sanker he's a sly one you know what he did yesterday Harold he lifted my handcuffs he must have lifted your brains too I'll see you at the meeting tonight count the vote for standing cause have y'all put your ballots in the hat Harold mines in Stanley Peabody my vote is cast my vote is cast Pete in the slot boy the mines in hold it closed let me see here now hope I get it I just got to be signed across one vote for Stanley Peabody but he's gonna get it one vote for Harold Hemp well I wonder who's gonna get the next vote one vote for Al Landon what it's for Harold Hemp oh and so is the last vote it's Harold Hemp congratulations Hemp I guess you won the election oh well don't feel bad Stanley you carried me in Vermont I'm gonna be Santa Claus I can just see those kids at the Christmas party tonight smiles on their little faces when I hand in their presents good evening Mr. Hemp orville the dip I mean hello hey what are you doing out we need some more Christmas lights for the tree I'm going to drop in one of the stores and pick some up I bet he will too I heard you sing and you must be in good spirits tonight Mr. Hemp oh yes yes I am orville you see I was just elected to play Santa Claus for the children tomorrow night oh that's wonderful mr. Hemp please accept my congratulations thank you orville I can't tell you how I envy you huh well this may seem strange to you but the one ambition of my life has been to play Santa Claus to a group of happy children oh it has you see I've had rather a lonely life mr. Hemp no family no friends oh I see yes the way the transgressor is bitter and lonely especially at this season of the year one misses the warmth of friendship and the laughter of little children yeah of course I know it is not for me to share in the joys of Christmas time I must accept my lot well I but I'm very happy for you what a heartwarming experience that will be to bring happiness to all those children to be loved by them and trusted yeah yes sir well I'd better be getting back Merry Christmas mr. Hemp merry orville yes you know it really doesn't mean so much to me playing Santa Claus why don't you take my place mr. Hemp do you mean that sure why I don't know what to say I can't believe it I can't tell you how happy you made me well that's what Christmas is for orville to make other people happy Merry Christmas Santa Claus earned for the second act of our story honest Harold in just a moment one of the top events of the holiday season the Bing Crosby show heard every Wednesday on most of these same CBS stations don't miss this evening show with Bing the four Crosby boys and Dixie Lee Mrs. Crosby in their family Christmas program and be sure to listen for Harold Perry's important announcement at the close of our show and now back to honest Harold the homemaker well there's a nice little glow in the heart of honest Harold this morning he gave up his chance to play Santa Claus at the children's Christmas party in order to bring happiness to a lonely old man and Harold's feeling pretty happy himself or at least he was until he got orders to report to the office of his boss Stanley Peabody what's this I hear about you letting that X safecracker take your place of Santa Claus oh you mean orville yes you've done some moronic things in your life but this time you've broken your record well thank you oop trusting a man who's been a criminal I hope you've got all those presents in a safe place you have to worry about the present Stanley I gave him to orville last night they're perfectly safe in his cell but he's probably absconded with him by this time oh no orville is reform Stanley he's going straight now that's what they all say but it's pretty hard to break the habits of a lifetime what suppose your Santa Claus decides to crack a safe or something we'll all be disgraced oh you don't have to worry about or those Stanley I know human nature and I trust him well I don't now Stanley this means a lot to orville I'm not gonna let him down the trouble with you is you don't have faith in people of course that takes a little intelligence hemp I'll have you understand that intelligence reigns supreme in my family oh but you must have been born during a dry spell get out don't throw that I'm leaving prissy pants can't worry me orville the dip isn't gonna crack any safe I don't think good morning Laurie oh Harold I think it's just wonderful you letting orville take your place as Santa Claus well thanks Gloria and I just hope it all comes out all right what will it be awful if he turned out to be another gentleman Willie gentleman Willie yes he was a character in a movie I saw once he went straight for 30 years became president of a bank then his mind snapped it did yes one night they caught him robbing his own bank he just couldn't break the habit where you going Harold you haven't heard the rest of the plot I know it goodbye I did make a mistake about orville suppose his mind snapped like gentlemen Willie the awful if they caught Santa Claus cracking a safe there he is what's he doing ah he's window shopping such a sweet face how could anybody mistrust him see what store window was he looking in let's see JC penny Frank the group whoop he's window shopping in front of the bank but to see what he's up to sneak up on him fine way to spend Christmas tailing Santa Claus just well hello mr. Hemp hello orville what are you doing oh just reminiscing used to have a lot of fun breaking into these small town banks I bet it was a lot of laughs you see that bolt in there through the window Walt yes I used to open those tin cans with a hairpin you did yes got a hairpin on you well I'll get what only joking mr. Hemp yes in the old days robbing this bank would have been a trifle come down here when it's dark pick the lock on the front door walk in quietly but now we come to the vault we do I turn the tumblers to to the right for the left three to the right it's open now I put the money in the suitcases here you hold the flashlight all right then I make my getaway I'm on my way to South America orville come back don't worry mr. Hemp I gave all that up years ago good well I'd better be going see you tonight and goodbye mr. Hemp up here here's your watch even what it certainly is hard to break a lifetime habit yes mother by but your fidgety tonight why do you keep looking out the window well I'm waiting for Santa Claus isn't that sweet but Santa won't come until you've gone to bed and then he'll steal down the chimney I hope he doesn't steal the chimney I'm talking about orville mother getting worried he's supposed to come by and pick me up on the way to the children's Christmas party yes of course doc yak yak let him use his horse and buggy to load the presence in I can't understand why he's so late now don't worry son he'll come skipping by I hope he hasn't skipped bye-bye it's a good thing orville is not robbing banks anymore I read in the paper that the lumber company just deposited their biggest payroll today twenty thousand dollars and that would be a wonderful opportunity for a bank robber sure would oh Harold the funniest thing happened today I ran into Orville downtown and do you know what he asked me for a hairpin I wonder what he's going to do with the hairpin I think I know I'm going down to the bank but Harold the bank isn't open that's what you think time to stop orville brother this is awful Santa Claus a bank robber just hope it's all mistake it's no mistake there's a horse and buggy in front of the bank somebody's coming out of there Santa Claus carrying a big bag something tells me it's not full of toys getting in a buggy probably off to South America Santa Claus just a minute Santa Claus come back Santa Claus party this is gonna be gotta tell Pete the Marshall about orville robbing the bank am I gonna explain this to all those little children I can't tell them Santa Claus is on the lamb whole Christmas will be ruined that's all my fault a lot of I showed Orville I had faith in him believed in him well guess I was wrong listen to those children there I just peeking window look at him all standing around that big Christmas tree nothing on the floor waiting for Santa Claus I got sneak in the side door hello hello doc Mary X miss boy hello Pete your late hemp hello Stanley all the children in the other room Gloria's having an awful time keeping them quiet where's that Santa Claus of yours well fellas at the reindeer there's something I gotta tell you there's something wrong hemp well you see fellas all right him come to the point where's your Santa Claus orville my deepest apologies for being late but I had to stop by the bank the bank yes I broke in there last night and put the presence in the vault for safekeeping so I had to break in again tonight to get the mouse I'm glad nobody saw me and thought I was robbing the bank nobody saw you well you trusted me mr. hemp and I wasn't gonna let anything happen to those presents I had myself anybody can break into that jail you're so right well tiny claws the children are waiting yes orville the children are waiting for you oh yes well here I go Merry Christmas children this is a merry Christmas those kids are happy with their toys and look at that little fella playing that drum brother reindeer it looks like our Christmas party is a big success certainly is doc and orville yes mr. hemp I certainly want to thank you for being such a wonderful Santa Claus mr. hemp I can't tell you how much tonight has meant to me I'll never forget those little children I'll carry their laughter in my heart as long as I live and I owe it all to you thanks thanks very much don't mention it orville and I want to thank you too you've taught us all something that we should never lose our faith in the goodness of people they're all ready for you to sing your Christmas carol all right Gloria just the way we rehearsed excuse me orville oh we've already received more than 10,000 gifts which I'll deliver to the boys when I fly up there to play Santa Claus for them this very weekend you still have a few days to send in your gifts remember the address is Harold Perry post office box 150 Los Angeles 53 Harold Perry post office box 150 Los Angeles 53 again let me say thank you your gifts will show these wonderful boys how much we appreciate the sacrifices they've made for us and now on behalf of all of us on the show I want to wish all of you a very merry Christmas good night ladies and gentlemen tomorrow evening Dennis Day is starring on suspense playing a chap who needs money to buy his sick wife a Christmas present it's a brand-new kind of role for Dennis so don't miss him in Christmas for Carol on suspense tomorrow evening on CBS Thursday night Hallmark Playhouse you'll hear again the story of how Silent Night came to be written stay tuned now for the Bing Crosby show which follows immediately on most of these same CBS stations this is Bob LeMond speaking this is CBS where you hear Mr. Chameleon every Wednesday night the Columbia Broadcasting System