 Remember a Hallmark card when you carry enough to send the very best. The Hallmark reading cards bring you new airs in the story of Johnny Appleseed. Adapted from Newell Dwight Hillis' The Quest of John Chapman on the Hallmark Playhouse. Great Hallmark brings you Hollywood's greatest stars in outstanding stories chosen by one of the world's best known authors. The distinguished novelist, Mr. James Hilton. Tonight on our Hallmark Playhouse we tell you one of the warm and winsome legends of America. The story of Johnny Appleseed based on a book called The Quest of John Chapman by Newell Dwight Hillis. This legend, one of the most delightful in the folklore of any country, has all the charm of springtime and early morning, of youth, of hope, of innocence. Happy indeed is the country whose past only a few generations old contains such dreams as this. Happy that is if enough of these dreams survive and are still part of our tradition. I believe they are. To play the part of Johnny Appleseed we have called upon an actor whose ability and integrity are worthy of the part, Lou Ayres. And now a word about Hallmark cards from Frank Goss before we begin the first act of Johnny Appleseed. When you're looking for a way to say something to someone you care for, look for a Hallmark card and you'll find the right words. Because Hallmark cards are designed to say what you want to say, the way you want to say it. And in the good taste you demand of anything that bears your personal signature. That's why Hallmark on the back of a greeting card has come to mean, you cared enough to send the very best. And now Hallmark Playhouse presenting Johnny Appleseed starring Lou Ayres. Springtime, not only of the year 1788, but the springtime of our new nation. Already there was excited talk of opening the west, which meant then the western part of New York and Pennsylvania. It was chiefly the young and the poor who talked and dreamed, like Don Chapman, and the older and richer who held back, like Dorothy Durand's father. Dorothy! Dorothy! Yes, father? I wish to see you at once. She knows of my plan, Mr. Durand, and she approves. And why should she not? She's still a child. She knows nothing of the world, let alone the wilderness beyond the Allegheny. Mr. Durand. Consider this, sir. In place of a comfortable home, her church, her friends, the society of refined people, what could you offer her? Only a simple cabin in the forest. Hard work, hard winters, wild animals and hostile Indians. And one thing more, father. The most important, his love. Wherever Johnny is, there is my happiness. It is a poor sort of love, Mr. Chapman, that asks so much of a woman. I'm not here to argue that, sir. But I've talked to trappers returning from the west, and they say the soil beyond the mountains is deep and fertile. The summers are longer and the frosts come later. The land waits only for men to tame it and farm it. And to die at the hands of the Indians. Well, that will depend on us, sir. Personally, I believe the Indians will welcome a new kind of white man, a better kind that goes to them without threats, without fear and friendship. Then go, if you will, but you go alone. Father. Mr. Durand. Dorothy, you are my only child, my only living kid. I will not lose you. I cannot consent to your marriage. Father, then I am sorry, sir. We shall marry without it. Will you? You'll forget that the law is with me. Dorothy must obey my wishes until she is of age. Therefore I forbid the marriage, and I further forbid her to see or otherwise communicate with you from this day forward. Good day, Mr. Chapman. I'll hang behind the tree. I don't dare say, dear. I think Father saw me reading your note. I had to say goodbye, Dorothy. John, in another year I'll be of age. I can marry as I wish. If you don't want me. You know I'll always want you. Then I'll be waiting. And I'll be back. The expedition leaves the day after tomorrow. Within two months we should be on the banks of the Ohio. I'll find a good site for the farm, build a cabin, and this time next year your home will be waiting for you. John. Yes? I'm afraid. A whole year and so many dangers. If anything should happen to you. Dorothy, remember when we were children and I used to climb this old tree to get you an apple? You were always so afraid, so sure I was going to fall. But you never did. No. And remember that, whenever you begin to worry. If you should ever doubt my heart, think of the first day I wove these apple blossoms in your hair. And what I whispered. I love you, Dorothy. As long as the spring returns. The flowers bloom, and the trees sing with birds. I shall love you. John. Now I know what I want to do. I want to show you build our home. But, Dorothy. I can't, even though we're far apart. Tomorrow night, John, come back to this spot. You'll find a sack of seeds. I want apple trees on our farm. Trees will grow big for our suns to climb. And with clouds of white blossoms for our daughters. The pan for the west was pitifully small. A dozen young veterans of the revolution. Several hunters in buckskin coats. A few hardy women traveling with their husbands in the slow-moving octagon Conestoga wagons. This was the company which John Chapman joined with all his earthly possessions. A horse, a gun, an axe, a knife, and one bag of apple seeds. And weary days and restless nights around the campfire. And always with unseen eyes watching. The guardians of the forest, both animal and human. Hey, P.K., what are we stopping for? You hear those bird calls in the woods. What about them? They're not birds, my friend. They are Indians. They want to attack us. My guns are better than their arrows if we use them in time. No, Ralph. No, we come in peace. There have been enough Indian wars. I've already talked to their chief. I paid them. There'll be no trouble. You paid them? P.K., how did you pay them? Well, I... I don't see that it matters. I know how you paid them. With guns and rum. Well, was it not a cheap price? For guns and rum, the red skin will sell its soul if the savage has a soul. Oh, fool. You haven't bought peace. You've sold our scalps. P.K. had reason to remember John's words, but that was still in the future. Meanwhile, the caravan lumbered on over the summit of the Alleghenies and finally down to the north bank of the Ohio. There, the party scattered to choose their individual farm sites. Hi, Johnny. Ralph. Oh, it's good to see you. What are you digging there? I'm planting apple seeds. Apple seeds? Mm-hmm. Then after that, tomatoes and vegetables. Didn't realize I had all kinds of seeds in this bag. John, who cares about growing stuff? We can eat our fish and game. We got to get our cabins up. Oh, the planting season's almost over, Ralph. The seeds can't wait, but the cabin can. You really are a farmer, aren't you? Oh, no. Just a man who made a promise. I know the saddle pack is heavy, but we've got a long way to go. John, for the last time, you can't go back over those mountains before May. Well, there'll be still snow on the ground. Oh, get through, Ralph. Anyway, there's nothing to keep me here now. The cabin is up, the garden will be sprouting, and besides by May, I've got to be home. I've got a birthday to celebrate and a girl to marry. I suppose you're not very happy to see me, sir, but a whole year has passed and I... Oh, wrong, my boy. I was angry with you once, but now I'm glad you're here. I prayed you would get back in time. You prayed? Mr. Gerand, I... Please, come in, John. Oh, what's happened? Tell me. Last month, Dorothy came down with a fever. For days, we've expected her to go at any moment. Oh, no. But something has kept her here. Please, I... Going to be all right. You're going to get well. Well, Dorothy, you've got to. You've got to fight for me, for us. For our home. We'll have an orchard of beautiful trees and you'll rest in the shade now. How we blossom is for your hair, just as we used to do. I'm sorry, John. So sorry. Listen to me, Dorothy. Take my hand and let me help you see the wonderful days ahead. There's our cabin, our home, and a wide meadow around it. A river flowing past, the orchard in bloom, apple trees growing big for our suns to climb. Remember how you said that? With clouds of white blossoms for our daughters to wear. Can't you see it, darling? You can stay here with me for as long as you want. Thank you, Mr. Duran, for a few days, perhaps. And then, I'm going back to the West. Oh, yes. Dorothy believed in my dream. She'd never want sorrow to destroy it. But she'll be all alone. Oh, no, sir, never. Dorothy's still with me. She was when I first saw the banks of the Ohio. When I planted her apple seeds and built our cabin. It's still our home. Dorothy is still part of it. And she's part of me. As long as the spring returns, flowers bloom. The trees sing with birds. I love you. And we'll return to the second act of Johnny Appleseed starring Lou Ares. You know, when you stop to think about it, a greeting card is a pretty wonderful thing. For it can carry your very thoughts, your feelings to others, better than you might be able to express them yourself. The unusual fact about a greeting card is that you never buy it for yourself. You always buy it to send to someone else. This is why the makers of Hallmark cards consider the message on every greeting card so very important. They are aware there is no magic like the magic of the right words to reach the heart of others. What power a thoughtful expression of your feeling will have to deepen the affection of those you care for, to heighten their happiness on festive occasions, to comfort them in sorrow, to strengthen ties of friendship, and what power words have to make new friends. And because of the almost endless variety and the great care given to the wording of every card, you will find a Hallmark card that seems to have been written especially for you. The words so accurately and beautifully express your feelings. And every Hallmark card will speak also of your own good taste by its perfection in every detail of color and design and craftsmanship. That's why I'm sure if you were to ask any group of friends what name they think of in greeting cards when they want to send the very best, they will quickly answer Hallmark cards. So it's easy to remember it would be difficult to forget to look for the Hallmark on the back of every card you choose because you care enough to send the best. Now back to James Hilton and the second act of Johnny Appleseed starring Lou Weyers. One heart had stopped beating and with its silence, John Chapman was to return to the West. On the day of his setting out, he chanced to meet a friend of happier times, a man now broken in body and spirit. John, you told that fellow PK what would happen with his guns and rum. It did. Good Lord. The Indians killed everyone in our company except PK. All the cabins burned to the ground, everything gone except your garden. Eating your vegetables was all that kept me alive until the trappers found me. My garden. Tell me, what about the apple trees? Well, I saw some rows of green shoots coming up I guess those were your trees. The redskins didn't bother them. They wanted scalps. Well, Ralph, I'm going back. Where? To the Ohio. The garden's gone. John, pioneer name for us. It's for fools and saints. For those who will come after us? They won't have any more chance than we did. Good farmland, yes. But... I know. But we never got a chance to improve it. But suppose the next settlers find their gardens waiting for them. Fruits and vegetables and apple orchards. But who would do such a thing? I'm going to. John, you wouldn't be crazy enough. Why not? At least your time, your youth. How can you make a living planning for people you'll never see? You've got to think about the future. Ralph, the people I'll never see are the future. I'm not, Your Honor. I was out scouting ahead of the wagons and this fellow came out of the woods leaving two pack horses loaded with sack seeds. Yes, apple seeds. He told me if we'd keep on the trail three days more we'd find our home site where the garden already growing. Johnny Apple seed? Yes, I know who you mean. A friend of mine. Got a letter from him a couple of years back. Still planting seeds out in the wilderness. Must be an awful lonely life. Lonely? Who could be lonely in God's great garden? His stars light my nights. His woods are my shelter. His animals my friends. You understand. Don't you, darling? I'm coming down the rate of village. Stop scraping on in the dirt. Run for it. Hold on. Don't we know each other? Of course, you're P.K. All right. It's your scalp not mine. I'm getting out of here. Wait a minute. Look toward the river. The woods. Too late now, P.K., too late. Where do they take you? What do they say? Chief's giving orders to torture us. Bloodthirsty devil's. P.K., give me your medicine kit. Medicine kit? What for? You saw how the Braves had to help the chief off his horses. He's a very sick man. What? I'm a savage. Don't you know that... My friend, the world is too ready to return evil for evil. And the result is only more evil. It's getting worse. The fever has to go up before it will come down. What does it matter? He gets better, they'll kill us. If he dies, they'll kill us. Much longer to wait. He's unconscious. No. He'll be sleeping. The fever is broken. Make white man present. No. If white man only wants your promise, you will not make raid on white man's friends. My friends come in peace. Indians must go in peace. Indian think all white men bad. You not bad. You good. Then friends good. Indian, go back to T.P. Thank you. Hi, P.K. Get on your horse. Don't stop until I reach the Ohio. Don't stop there. The West has no place for you in your rums and guns and cheating. Just keep going. Well, what about you? Are you coming? Later. Later I want to rest. So dizzy. The chief had it. Now it's no medicine. Oh, God, bring into my eyes. Burning me up. We're going to be married. There are thousands and thousands for you. Thousands and thousands for my seeds. Where are my seeds? I'm not done. I've got so much to do. He years passed before John Chapman's feverish mind cleared, but still he planted seeds. In the green glades along the Potomac, along the Susquehanna to the Meadows beside the Monongahela, following the winding Ohio and back down the lovely valley of the Shenandoah and across to the mighty Mississippi. America was his garden, and though some laughed at the shabby-looking fellow who wandered from village to village talking to himself, more so very many more welcomed him into their homes and their hearts. He was no longer John Chapman. He was their uncle Johnny Appleseed. And brought you a new kind of apple, ma'am? Grafted it with the wild apple of the woods. My trees. Are you all right? Can I prune them now? Yes, my time has passed. Bows and orchards link arms together. There are villages and towns and cities. Steam boats on the rivers and well loads are coming. I'm no longer needed. Yet I'm like one of my old apple trees dying at the top, but still sending out one last green shoot from the roots. One more orchard. Father West. In the wilderness. It was indeed Johnny Appleseed's last orchard. Spring had come again and the brave old pioneer was resting against the trunk of one of his beloved apple trees. Oh, just thinking, son. Thinking. Over that hill. Stephen, it's a good name. Nothing really matters. But you keep rubbing it. You see, I found a little fox in the forest. He was caught trap. Afraid of him? Oh, no. You're never afraid of people you love, son. The animals are all part of my people. Then you let him go? Yes, but there is another trap. Bigger one for bears. I can't see it. Not in time. Tell me, Stephen. Did you ever hear of Johnny Appleseed? Oh, yes, sir. My father says he planted this orchard. My father says that's why we settled here, but the kids all say it's just a story. There never was a Johnny Appleseed. An old Johnny Appleseed? I guess they're right. People like him couldn't ever be real. Did you see him, Dorothy? He could have been our own son. Let's spring again, dear. Treaties are white clouds and blues. Their blossoms are falling down over me as far as I can see. For hundreds of miles I'll never see again they stretch on and on. The wine sap. The Jonathan Pippin. Northern spy. Even the Spitsenberg. Oh, dear Lord, let the winds blow softly through them. Shield them from storm and pestilence. Fill them with water. Oh, dear Lord, let the winds blow softly through them. Shield them from storm and pestilence. Fill them with the songs of birds. And let boys and girls gather around them in peace. And in love. John. John, I've been waiting so long. Don't care about him long. Oh, and I, Dorothy. And I. As in our show tonight, the lights in the Hallmark Playhouse will be dimmed until next September, when we'll return at the same time with all the cards. I hope you've enjoyed these radio adaptations of outstanding stories, as much as all of us have enjoyed these weekly visits into your home. Thank you for tuning us in. We hope your summer is a happy and restful one, and hope on those occasions when you want to send your thoughts across the miles, across the years, or even across the way, you'll remember Hallmark Cards. Here again is James Hilton. It was a pleasure to have you back with us, Lou. I felt singularly honored to be invited to appear on Hallmark Playhouse in the last story of the season, sort of like the old friend who stays to help wash the dishes. Oh, come now, Lou, we never ask you to wash any dishes. But since you're here, and in view of your reputations and amateur adventurologists, you might give us a long-range forecast on the weather this summer. Okay, I'll predict a summer of blue skies and sunshine. Especially if, like Johnny Appleseed, we plant the seeds of kindness wherever we go. That's a fine thought, Lou, and right in keeping with the ideals of Hallmark Playhouse. Well, Hallmark Cards are a big help when it comes to expressing kind thoughts, Jimmy. So you have a worthwhile idea. We feel that, too, and thank you for being with us tonight, Lou. And now, since the Hallmark Playhouse is going off the air for the summer months, I'd like to say thanks to all our audiences for their warm appreciation and the help they've given us by so many letters and good wishes. Speaking for all of us Hallmark players, I can truly say what a happy show it has been and how much we're indebted to our orchestra, our writers, our sound-maning technicians, all of them such fine and friendly workers. Thanks also to Bill Gay, who produces and directs our show, to Lynn Murray, who composes and conducts our music, and to Leonard St. Clair, who adapted the script tonight. So until we meet again, this is James Hookman saying, Good night, and may the summertime be happy for us all. Carefully selected to give you expert and friendly service. Remember Hallmark Cards when you will carry it up to send the very best. The role of Dorothy tonight was played by Lorraine Tutton, Polly Bear was William Durand, Gerald Moore P.K., Ted D'Corsia, Ralph, Ted Osborne, the Indian Chief, and the child was played by Barbara Jean Wong. This is Frank Goss saying goodbye to you all for the summer holidays, until we see you again next fall on the Hallmark Playhouse. This is KMBC, Kansas City, Missouri.