The General Mills Radio Adventure Theater was an anthology radio drama series with Tom Bosley as host, which aired on the CBS Radio Network in 1977. Himan Brown, already producing the CBS Radio Mystery Theater for the network, added this twice-weekly (Saturdays and Sundays) anthology radio drama series to his workload in 1977. It usually aired on weekends, beginning in February 1977 and continuing through the end of January 1978, on CBS radio affiliates which carried it.
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00:00The General Mills Radio Adventure Theater.
00:11Welcome.
00:13I'm Tom Bosley, bringing you the world of adventure.
00:17The world of your imagination.
00:20A world as vast as the universe,
00:23which you can enjoy through the magic of radio.
00:26All you need to do is listen.
00:30The time of our story is, well, not right now, but not too long ago.
00:37The story itself is about someone who may not be just like you,
00:42though you may know somebody just like him.
00:46You see, he's a boy who talks to rocks.
00:50That's right.
00:51Rocks.
00:56The bridge is washed out!
00:58Can't get out that way!
01:02Swing around!
01:03Everybody back out!
01:06We'll have to try the long way!
01:08Over the ridge!
01:10Just pray the dam doesn't go first!
01:14Our adventure story, A Very Special Place,
01:23was written especially for the General Mills Radio Adventure Theater
01:27by Alan Sloan and stars Russell Horton.
01:31I'll be back shortly with Act One.
01:33Now let's let the young fellow who talks to rocks introduce himself.
01:44After all, he knows himself better than most people do.
01:48And it's his story.
01:50And if it's a little strange,
01:52well, so is he.
01:54At least, different.
01:56My name is Freddy.
02:04I live with my father because my mother died when I was little.
02:09My father's a builder.
02:11He's smart.
02:12He can take a drawing of a house with nothing but lines and numbers on it
02:16and built the whole house.
02:19And me?
02:20Well, I'm not so smart, I guess.
02:23I never went to a regular school.
02:26When I was 16, that was as far as the school I did go to went.
02:30So, I came home.
02:34Hi, Dad.
02:36What do you say, boy?
02:38Well, they just can't see you fitting in with littler kids.
02:44You see what I mean?
02:45And, uh, Freddy, they, they just won't take you.
02:49But what am I going to do?
02:52Well, we'll see if we can work something out.
02:55Okay?
02:57Okay.
02:59Uh, Dad, you mind if I take off for a while?
03:03Where to?
03:04Oh, just my special place.
03:06Don't worry, I'll be back for supper.
03:08I have some special places around where I live, where I go.
03:19I live kind of away from town, and I sort of wander around the woods and all that.
03:25Oh, uh, people don't mind.
03:26Practically everybody knows me anyhow.
03:28I don't know why.
03:32Well, anyhow, I went to one of my very special places.
03:36It's a rock.
03:38A big rock.
03:41I mean big.
03:42As big as a house.
03:45Honest.
03:46Right in the middle of a real wild place.
03:49There's a meadow and a whole bunch of trees and a brook.
03:53But the rock is my very best place.
03:56I climb up, and I sit there, and I think.
04:02And sometimes, I talk to it.
04:05The rock.
04:08I wonder how old you are, rock.
04:12I bet a zillion years.
04:16Boy, if you could talk to me, I bet you could tell me about Indians probably, and even earthquakes.
04:24Earthquakes.
04:26I wonder if an earthquake could move you.
04:30What do you think, rock?
04:31Huh?
04:34That day I was on my rock is when it all started.
04:37This car stopped right near, and this man got out, and my dad was with him.
04:43The man was pointing all over the place.
04:45Now, the subdivision's going to use the whole area.
04:49How many plots were you thinking of?
04:51Well, we're shooting for at least 20.
04:52Now, about this rock.
04:54Now, if we leave it there, it'll cost us a lot of land use.
04:58But on the other hand, blasting's expensive.
05:00Sure is.
05:01Can you give me a price for the whole ball of wax?
05:04Well, 20 houses, huh?
05:07Maybe more.
05:09I can't do.
05:10What?
05:10What, Dan?
05:11What can you do?
05:13Well, look who's here.
05:15Mr. Hammond, I'd like you to meet my son, Freddy.
05:19Freddy is Mr. Hammond.
05:20Uh, hi.
05:21Uh, what you doing?
05:23Well, I've, uh, bought up this property, Freddy.
05:26We're going to put a lot of nice houses here, and I'm talking to your dad about contracting the whole deal.
05:31How about that, huh?
05:32Houses?
05:33Here?
05:34Mm-hmm.
05:34That's right.
05:35Well, you can't do that.
05:36Well, now, Freddy, uh, Mr. Hammond and I have to go on with our business, so you, uh, you take off, eh?
05:44Okay.
05:45But don't build any old houses in my special place, you hear?
05:50Nice lad.
05:52I suppose he's an ecology nut like the others.
05:55Well, no, he's nut like the others.
05:59He's moderately retarded.
06:02Oh.
06:02Well, isn't he in school or something?
06:05I mean, I should think that he's...
06:06And nothing.
06:08Nothing I can afford.
06:11Joe.
06:12Joe, I just got an idea.
06:14Why don't we put the boy to work when we get started?
06:17Now, we can get...
06:18Uh, I'm not sure that he...
06:20Now, listen, I'll make a place for him.
06:22Now, you come in with estimates that I can live with,
06:25and that beautiful kid's got himself a job.
06:28Well, it's better than just, uh, wandering around, isn't it?
06:31I went to another special place.
06:39Sort of a little swamp on the other side of my rock.
06:43But as it got frogs and turtles,
06:47and this time, I saw something I never saw before.
06:52Oh, wow.
06:53It was brown with a long tail,
06:56and it slid in the mud and poked its head up and looked at me.
07:01Boy, I know what you are.
07:03You're an otter.
07:06But he disappeared in the brush.
07:08So, I went on to my best special place of all.
07:16It's way up near the top of a hill.
07:19My dad calls it a ridge.
07:22Way behind where anybody ever goes.
07:24Way up and off the road.
07:27Can you guess what it is?
07:29Listen how it sounds inside.
07:34Hello?
07:37Hello?
07:40It's a cave.
07:42Nobody knows about it,
07:44because you have to squeeze behind a big rock.
07:48But inside?
07:50Wow.
07:51It can hold a million people.
07:53Well, a hundred for sure.
07:58Now, I said nobody knows,
08:00but there's one other person who knows.
08:03His name is Jim.
08:05Everybody calls him Old Jim.
08:08Hello, boy.
08:10What you doing?
08:11Oh, looking to see if I can find another one of these.
08:16There's one, there's more.
08:18Wow.
08:20An arrowhead.
08:21Yeah.
08:23Well, then there really were Indians.
08:26I expect so.
08:28But you ain't seen nothing yet.
08:30Here, hand me that flashlight.
08:34Sixty years, man and boy,
08:36and I never noticed this before.
08:39But when you threw the light on her,
08:41this way...
08:42Oh, Jim.
08:47Drawings.
08:48Look.
08:49Here's a deer.
08:51And a bear.
08:54All those funny marks.
08:56What do they mean?
08:58Well, some say they drew the critters
09:01they wanted to hunt for.
09:03And some say they drew the ones they managed to kill.
09:07The marks are probably counting.
09:10You think there were otters around here then?
09:13Well, there could be.
09:14There haven't been any around for longer than you've lived.
09:17I saw one.
09:19Where?
09:20Down by my swamp.
09:22I'll be dug on.
09:24Jim,
09:25you know,
09:26I like you
09:28because you believe me.
09:31Jam.
09:32Hmm?
09:33You think the new houses will chase the otter away?
09:37Where will all the animals go when they build the houses?
09:40Oh, you heard, huh?
09:45That's why I come here today.
09:48Lots of people moving in.
09:51They'll find this someday.
09:53And that'll be that.
09:55Well, it'll be what?
09:57They'll plain destroy it, like everything else.
10:01Boy,
10:03you promised me once you'd never tell a...
10:07And I never will, Jim.
10:10No, sir.
10:11I wouldn't tell for anything.
10:13Never.
10:14No matter what.
10:16It's...
10:17It's our special place.
10:19Yeah.
10:19Us
10:21and the engines.
10:24Here.
10:25You take this our point.
10:27Oh, well, maybe we ought to leave it right here.
10:31I like you, boy.
10:34Oh, you keep it.
10:36The engines won't miss it.
10:38Well, dishes are done.
10:45Can I watch TV, Dad?
10:46Mm-hmm.
10:46Later.
10:47First, I've got a surprise for you.
10:49Well, I got one for you.
10:51Now, close your eyes
10:53and put out your hand.
10:55Okay.
10:57There.
10:59An arrowhead.
11:00Yep.
11:01And it's real.
11:03Well,
11:04that's not a war point.
11:06This is for small game.
11:09Gee.
11:10How do you know that?
11:12Oh, the old man knows the thing, sir.
11:15It's beautiful.
11:17Where'd you get it?
11:18Oh, um...
11:20I found it.
11:21Where?
11:22It's a secret.
11:25Fair enough.
11:27Well, now, as to my surprise...
11:30Now, there's a lot of if connected to it,
11:33but...
11:34Freddy, if I get this contracting job,
11:37and I think I'm going to get it,
11:39you'll go to work.
11:41Me?
11:42Yep.
11:44I...
11:44I don't want to.
11:47You don't want to work on a job with me?
11:50No.
11:51No, that's not it.
11:52I...
11:52I don't want to help to mess up my special places.
11:56Put houses in the meadow
11:58and houses in the woods and...
12:00Freddy,
12:00people have to have houses.
12:04People have to have jobs,
12:06work,
12:07money coming in
12:08so they can send their kids to school,
12:10put bread and butter on the table.
12:13You have to understand that.
12:14Well, I do, Dad.
12:15I do, but...
12:17Freddy,
12:17I have to work.
12:20And there hasn't been all that much around,
12:22you know.
12:23Now,
12:24I can't think of anything better in the whole world
12:27than having you work right...
12:28If I do take that job,
12:32do you think the other people will laugh at me?
12:42But what do you think?
12:44Why should people laugh at a boy?
12:47Because he talks to rocks and frogs and otters?
12:50Because instead of going to school,
12:52he just sort of wanders around?
12:55And what about that job?
12:58Do you think Freddy will do...
12:59...the place?
13:01Would you?
13:02We'll learn more when I return shortly with Act Two.
13:10Freddy was confused.
13:12If he took a job helping to build houses,
13:15he'd be helping to spoil one of his special places.
13:18But if he didn't,
13:20he'd just spend his time wandering around
13:22and miss out on a chance to earn some money on his own
13:25and work with his dad.
13:28So,
13:29what did he do?
13:30I'll try it out for a while,
13:31Mr. Hammond,
13:32and see what happens.
13:33That's fair enough, Freddy.
13:35Now,
13:36it'll be a while before we get into the actual construction,
13:39so you just tag after me
13:40while we lay out the development.
13:42Oh, here.
13:43You're in charge of these.
13:44Oh,
13:45what's all this stuff?
13:47Maps.
13:48Here, look here.
13:51There.
13:51See, it shows where everything's going.
13:53The roads and houses,
13:54power lines,
13:55the whole works.
13:56Hmm.
13:57Uh,
13:58Mr. Hammond,
13:59are you really going to put a house,
14:01uh,
14:02here?
14:02Hmm.
14:03Well, let's see.
14:04Oh, yeah.
14:04Sure.
14:05Oh, I wouldn't if I were you.
14:07See, there's a...
14:08Well, you're not me.
14:09You leave those decisions to me.
14:11You just keep track of my maps,
14:13and,
14:14uh,
14:14when I want some advice,
14:15so I'll ask you for it.
14:18Okay.
14:23First thing that happened,
14:24some guys came in with things like telescopes,
14:28and started peeking through them all over the place.
14:32Uh,
14:32Mr. Hammond,
14:33uh,
14:34can I talk to you for a minute?
14:35Sure,
14:35Freddie.
14:35What's on your mind?
14:36Uh,
14:37it's that farthest house.
14:38Freddie.
14:39Freddie,
14:40I told you,
14:41that is my job.
14:42Yeah,
14:42but...
14:42Now,
14:43there's no time to argue with you,
14:44boy.
14:45Take this pad and pencil,
14:46and you start a record.
14:47Well,
14:48how do you want me to do it?
14:49Well,
14:50Allison,
14:50today's Tuesday,
14:51right?
14:51Uh-huh.
14:52Now,
14:52put that on your first page,
14:54and as the day goes by,
14:56then you keep a record of what comes in.
14:58Hmm.
14:59Good.
15:00Now,
15:00about that house...
15:02Go on,
15:02go on.
15:02Find yourself someplace out of everybody's way,
15:05where you can keep track.
15:10It didn't seem like such an important job to me,
15:14but if that's what he wanted,
15:15okay.
15:17So,
15:18I went and sat on top of my rock,
15:20with my pad and pencil.
15:24Hello,
15:25old rock.
15:26You see what's going on down there?
15:29They're gonna build a whole bunch of houses.
15:32I'll bet there'll be lots of kids
15:34climbing all over you next year.
15:38But they think they're smart,
15:40those people.
15:41Boy,
15:42wait till they try putting the house over there.
15:47They won't listen to me,
15:49but they'll find out.
15:55It was great to be able to see my dad
15:58walking around,
15:59kind of being the boss.
16:01But inside,
16:03I felt funny,
16:05kind of mixed up,
16:06and
16:06sad.
16:10Then,
16:10one day,
16:12something happened
16:13that made me feel
16:14just terrible.
16:15Clear to the edge of the brook, fellas.
16:17Well,
16:18why are you cutting down
16:19all those trees?
16:20Oh,
16:20check your map,
16:21Freddy.
16:21How's this going there?
16:22But,
16:23but,
16:23Mr. Hammond,
16:24the biggest tree in the whole state
16:26is in there.
16:27Oh,
16:27is that so?
16:27Oh,
16:28it is.
16:28It's a giant oak.
16:29My dad read me about it in the magazine one.
16:31Well,
16:32we'll see how it goes,
16:33Freddy.
16:33Maybe we can save it.
16:34You have to,
16:35Mr. Hammond.
16:36There's a hawk,
16:37a big hawk,
16:39and he comes back to that tree
16:40every year,
16:41every single year.
16:42It's,
16:43it's his home.
16:44Freddy,
16:45I've explained a hundred times.
16:46But you never listened to me.
16:48It's not just the hawk
16:50that's going to have no place to go,
16:51Mr. Hammond.
16:52There's so many different things
16:54that live here.
16:56Once,
16:57I saw a deer.
16:59Right there.
17:00A lady deer.
17:01I know,
17:02because it had no horns.
17:04I was real close,
17:05and it looked at me,
17:07and it wasn't scared.
17:09Freddy.
17:10And there's turtles in the brook,
17:12and flowers in the swamp.
17:14Jack and the pulpits in spring,
17:16and lady slipper in summer,
17:18and Indian pipes in the fall.
17:21Hey, stop!
17:29I felt so bad,
17:31I,
17:32I wanted to cry,
17:34but I didn't want him to see me.
17:38So I started to walk away.
17:40Freddy,
17:40Freddy,
17:41wait.
17:42Freddy,
17:43I,
17:43I,
17:45I don't want to talk to you.
17:47Freddy,
17:48now these new houses
17:49are going to be
17:49very important to you.
17:51Why?
17:52Well,
17:53think of it.
17:5420 houses,
17:5620 families.
17:57Now for one thing,
17:58think of all the jobs
17:59you can have
18:00that you couldn't
18:00when it was undeveloped.
18:02But more important than that,
18:04there'll be lots of new friends,
18:05Freddy,
18:06lots of kids for you to meet.
18:07You know,
18:07make friends with.
18:08Gee,
18:09I never thought of that.
18:11Well,
18:12you think about it.
18:14Of course,
18:15maybe a lot of them
18:15will be younger than you,
18:17but it'll be better than
18:18talking to rocks and frogs,
18:20won't it?
18:20I guess so.
18:23I,
18:24I guess so.
18:27Yeah.
18:32But I wasn't all that sure.
18:34So,
18:36after I finished up
18:37my day's work,
18:38I went to my other
18:40special place
18:41where I think.
18:44I went to my pond
18:45and I thought,
18:48there's room for the frogs.
18:51And I went to the reservoirs.
18:53Oh,
18:54did I tell you about
18:55the three reservoirs?
18:56There's a big one up
18:57where the ridges come together
18:58and another one below the dam
19:01where water comes down
19:02like the pictures in my books.
19:04And a little one
19:05at the bottom
19:06where the ducks always come.
19:10And I went to my cave
19:12and I thought,
19:15this will always be here
19:17no matter what.
19:21And I felt better
19:23about the whole thing.
19:26Is that you, Jim?
19:28It's me, boy.
19:31Something on your mind, boy?
19:33Uh-huh.
19:35They're cutting down
19:37the trees, Jim.
19:39Yeah.
19:40I heard them.
19:43What, what,
19:44what you smiling for?
19:45Hmm.
19:46Hmm.
19:47Why,
19:49it's progress.
19:51What,
19:51what's progress?
19:53Progress.
19:55Just bulldozing away
19:57the topsoil.
19:59Digging foundations
20:00and spreading
20:01and spreading fill around
20:02and putting the topsoil back
20:05and planting lawns
20:07with grass
20:08that don't give seeds
20:10that birds can eat.
20:12Then hanging out feeders
20:13so they'll come to the window.
20:16Progress is cutting down
20:18a hundred trees
20:19the good Lord put there
20:20and planting
20:22and planting
20:23and a couple of dozen
20:24boughten trees
20:25and a couple of dozen
20:26bought shrubs
20:27and calling it landscaping.
20:33Landscraping
20:33is what I call it.
20:35But people need houses.
20:38Me getting to you too, boy?
20:41Besides,
20:42you can't stop them.
20:44A presentation
20:48of final plans
20:49for the development
20:50of the old Osborne property
20:51to be known
20:52as the Hammond Tract
20:53haven't been completed.
20:54The town engineers
20:55haven't approved
20:55the road survey.
20:57The sanitation department
20:58haven't approved
20:58the septic fields.
21:00Are there any further comments?
21:01Yes, sir.
21:02Uh,
21:02state your name and address.
21:04Uh,
21:04uh,
21:05Freddie Cookman
21:06and I live at...
21:07Uh,
21:07how old are you, son?
21:08Sixteen.
21:09I'm sorry.
21:10As a non-taxpayer,
21:11you're out of order.
21:12Well,
21:12there being no further...
21:14But who's gonna speak
21:15for the trees
21:16and the rocks?
21:17Hey,
21:17you are out of order.
21:18Uh,
21:19well,
21:19just a minute,
21:20Mr. Chairman.
21:22I will put in my say
21:24for the wild things.
21:27Why,
21:28when you were a kid yourself,
21:30many of the time
21:31I caught you
21:32chasing rabbits
21:33on the property
21:34and now...
21:35Speaking of property, Jim,
21:36are you caught up
21:37in your bank taxes yet?
21:39You know I ain't.
21:44A couple of weeks
21:47after that,
21:49it really began.
21:51I was lying
21:52on my big rock
21:53and a bunch of...
21:54of monsters
21:55started in to
21:56chew up
21:57my special place.
21:59Bulldozers
21:59scraping the meadow away,
22:01screeching against boulders
22:03like the ground
22:03was screaming
22:04and big heavy trucks
22:06coming and going
22:07and then...
22:09then they even
22:10started drilling holes
22:11in my rock.
22:12Hey,
22:13my...
22:13Get down over there!
22:15I won't!
22:16I won't!
22:17Come on, boy.
22:19Let's go
22:20somewhere else.
22:23I...
22:23I guess
22:24I must be different.
22:26I mean,
22:27who would cry
22:28over a rock?
22:30Well,
22:31maybe old Jim
22:33is different, too.
22:35Because his eyes
22:36got all shiny, too.
22:39Well,
22:47it's a good thing
22:48old Jim and Freddy
22:49left when they did.
22:51Because while the drills
22:52were preparing
22:53to dynamite
22:53Freddy's big rock,
22:55over in another part
22:56of the property,
22:57the angry chainsaws
22:59were biting
23:00into the great old oak.
23:02But Freddy
23:03still had his job,
23:04and that was good.
23:06Or was it?
23:07I'll be back
23:09with our final act
23:10shortly.
23:16As I said,
23:18Freddy still
23:18had his job.
23:20The preliminary work
23:21had been done,
23:22and the real
23:23construction began.
23:25Trying to stop
23:25progress was
23:26out of the question.
23:27The big question
23:29was,
23:30would he,
23:31should he,
23:32stick to the job
23:33or not?
23:34I stuck.
23:37And you know something?
23:38It wasn't all that bad.
23:41Once you got used
23:42to seeing it
23:42the way it was
23:43going to be
23:43instead of how
23:44it used to be,
23:45in fact,
23:46it was kind of exciting,
23:48kind of fun.
23:50Because everybody
23:51got to know me,
23:52and I was
23:54learning stuff.
23:56Wow!
23:56That sure goes fast.
23:58Is it hard?
23:59No,
24:00not if you do it right.
24:01Here,
24:02you want to try?
24:02Can I?
24:03Sure.
24:05See this line?
24:06Uh-huh.
24:06Now,
24:06you make it cut
24:07outside the line
24:08so she comes
24:09into size.
24:10Um,
24:11no,
24:11no,
24:11no,
24:11no,
24:11lay the plant
24:12of it right here.
24:13Put your other hand
24:14there to guide her.
24:17Press that trigger.
24:17And there you go.
24:21I did it!
24:22I did it!
24:29Look!
24:30Look!
24:31He's coming back!
24:32He's looking
24:33for his tree!
24:34What's that?
24:34Can't you see him?
24:35There!
24:36The big hawk!
24:38Look at him circle.
24:41Hello, hawk.
24:43I'm,
24:44I'm sorry.
24:46Doggone chicken
24:47thief.
24:48I wish I had
24:49my shotgun.
24:53Wow!
24:54Did you see that?
24:55What now?
24:56Out in the pond.
24:57Did you see that splash?
24:58Look at the rings
24:59it made.
24:59Oh,
25:00it must have been
25:00a big bat.
25:01Uh-uh.
25:01Pickerel.
25:02They live in the weeds
25:03over on the shady side
25:04where they're
25:06going to fill it in.
25:07I guess I'll bring
25:08some tackle tomorrow
25:09and see if I can get it.
25:11Would you eat them
25:11or something?
25:13What,
25:13all those bones?
25:15Pickerel ain't
25:15eating fish.
25:16Well then,
25:17why would you
25:18want to catch him?
25:24All of a sudden,
25:26it was finished.
25:28Houses,
25:29roads,
25:29garages,
25:31telephone poles
25:32and stuff.
25:33People coming
25:34and going,
25:35looking at the houses
25:36and then
25:37great big vans
25:39coming,
25:39people moving in.
25:41and you know,
25:42it seemed as if
25:44it was always there.
25:46I only had
25:48one special place
25:49left.
25:50Little bunch of trees
25:52down by what they
25:53left of the brook.
25:55And there was only
25:56one of my friends
25:57left.
25:59I saw him
26:00and I caught him.
26:02Oh,
26:02I didn't hurt him.
26:03I just caught him
26:05to show the kids
26:06that moved in.
26:07my new friends.
26:14Go ahead,
26:15touch him.
26:16See?
26:17He's not slimy.
26:19He's smooth.
26:20Oh,
26:20go ahead,
26:21pat him.
26:21Don't be afraid.
26:22He won't bite.
26:23there.
26:25Now,
26:26the way you can tell
26:27what he is
26:28is two things.
26:29First,
26:30he's got this little
26:31kind of turned up nose.
26:33See that?
26:33That's why he's called
26:35hog nose.
26:36I'll show you
26:36a picture of him
26:38in my book.
26:39And,
26:40the other thing,
26:41now watch,
26:42when you put him
26:43back on the ground,
26:46see?
26:47He plays dead.
26:49You see?
26:50You can turn him over
26:51and he'll roll
26:52right back.
26:54He's playing possum.
27:00Freddy,
27:01what were you doing
27:02with the neighborhood
27:03kids today?
27:04Oh,
27:04nothing.
27:05Why?
27:06Were you messing around
27:07with a snake?
27:08Oh,
27:09that,
27:09yeah.
27:10That little old
27:11hog nose.
27:13He came back,
27:14Dad.
27:15Well,
27:16things are different
27:17now,
27:17Freddy.
27:19Uh,
27:19I hate to have
27:20to tell you this,
27:21but you're,
27:23well,
27:23Mr. Hammond
27:24got some complaints
27:25from the parents.
27:26But,
27:26Dad.
27:27Well,
27:27the fact is,
27:28they don't want you
27:29around there,
27:30on their property.
27:32But,
27:33can't I show the kids
27:34about the stuff I know?
27:36Well,
27:36their,
27:36their parents
27:37don't want you to,
27:38son.
27:38Why not?
27:40Snakes won't hurt you
27:41if you'll leave them alone.
27:43It's not the snakes.
27:45I,
27:46I'm sorry,
27:47Freddy.
27:48So am I.
27:49But I'm sorry
27:50for the animals.
27:53Me too.
27:55Well,
27:55let's talk about
27:56something else.
27:57What are you going to do
27:58with all the money
27:59you earned?
27:59Oh,
28:00gee,
28:00I don't know.
28:02Hey,
28:02Dad,
28:03how much does
28:04a barometer cost?
28:06A,
28:06a real good one.
28:07I always wanted
28:08a real barometer
28:09so I could tell
28:10the weather
28:11by myself.
28:12My barometer
28:17was right.
28:18It started to blow
28:20and it started to rain
28:21and it rained
28:22and it rained
28:23and did it ever rain?
28:25And I went out in it
28:27and went over
28:28to the bottom reservoir
28:29and it was really full.
28:32And I checked
28:33the next reservoir
28:34and the water
28:35was pouring
28:36over the edge
28:37like,
28:37like giant
28:39soap suds.
28:40I was going to go
28:42check my cave
28:43but then
28:43I noticed something.
28:47My friends.
28:49The animals.
28:53Honest,
28:54Dad,
28:55they're all
28:55heading up the ridge.
28:57I saw some skunks
28:58and I think
28:59I saw the otter.
29:00Dad,
29:01he likes water
29:02and even the squirrels,
29:03they were all
29:03heading for the top
29:04of the ridge.
29:05So?
29:06Don't you see,
29:07they must know something.
29:08Even old Jim said so.
29:09Dad,
29:11it's like in the stories.
29:13There's going to be
29:14a flood.
29:15Oh,
29:16nonsense.
29:17Honest.
29:17If the dam goes,
29:19there's going to be
29:19zillions of tons
29:21of water.
29:21Oh,
29:22Freddie,
29:23don't let your imagination
29:24run away with you.
29:25My barometer's been
29:26way down for a couple
29:28of days.
29:29Lots and lots
29:29of rain
29:30and wind.
29:31Well,
29:32we just have to
29:33batten down the hatches.
29:34What's that mean?
29:36It's just an expression.
29:38Well,
29:38those new people
29:39better batten down
29:40the hatches too
29:41because if we get
29:42too much rain,
29:43they are going to
29:44be swamped.
29:45And,
29:46and you know something?
29:49I don't care.
29:56Dad,
29:57those new houses
29:58are going to be swamped.
30:00Maybe even swept away.
30:01Well,
30:04let's see what's
30:06really going on.
30:08In low-lying areas,
30:09exceptionally heavy rains
30:10are contributing
30:11to runoffs.
30:12Flash flooding
30:13is already occurring
30:14in many streams
30:15and residents
30:16of low-lying air...
30:17Uh-oh.
30:18Here goes our power.
30:20Get your little portable.
30:24Some trees are down.
30:25Residents are advised
30:26to stay in their homes.
30:28Since many power wires
30:30are down,
30:30many roads
30:31lost their power too.
30:35Dad,
30:35I think somebody
30:37ought to tell
30:37those people.
30:39You hear that?
30:40You hear that roar?
30:42That's the waterfall
30:42on the second dam
30:44and you can hear it
30:45from here.
30:46Dad,
30:46it might go.
30:47Okay,
30:48okay,
30:48I'll pass the word.
30:54Just let you know.
30:56It might go
30:57and it's better
30:58to be safe
30:58than sorry.
30:59Oh,
31:00I don't know.
31:00We're pretty snug up here.
31:01To be perfectly frank,
31:03I don't think
31:03you ought to go around
31:04trying to start a panic.
31:05Well,
31:05if you won't believe my dad,
31:07ask your kids.
31:08Ask them
31:08if Freddy
31:09ever told them
31:10anything that was wrong.
31:16And you know,
31:17all the kids
31:19stood up for me.
31:20So,
31:21my dad
31:22formed a caravan,
31:23you know,
31:24because he knew
31:24the roads.
31:25But when we got
31:26to the end
31:27of the valley,
31:29the bridge is gone.
31:31You can't get out
31:32this way.
31:34Swing around.
31:35Back out.
31:37We'll get out
31:38the long way
31:39over the ridge.
31:40That way
31:41led behind
31:42the top reservoir.
31:43But just when
31:44we got near
31:45the runoff,
31:46this huge drain
31:47came down
31:48right across
31:49the road.
31:50Wires were
31:50hitting
31:51and spitting
31:52and, oh,
31:53everything.
31:54We found out
31:55later the water
31:56company couldn't
31:56even get through
31:57to turn off
31:58the thing
31:58that lets the water
31:59go past the dam.
32:00We were stuck.
32:04Well,
32:05there's only
32:05one thing to do.
32:07Head for high ground.
32:09All right,
32:10listen to me now.
32:12We're going to
32:12head up the ridge.
32:14All of you,
32:16take hands
32:16and follow me.
32:18They all joined up.
32:20And then,
32:21I thought of something.
32:23Grab my hand,
32:24buddy.
32:24Don't let go.
32:25Dad,
32:25let me lead.
32:26What?
32:27I know a closer
32:28place than the top
32:29of the ridge
32:30where everybody
32:30will be safe.
32:33It's an Indian
32:34cave.
32:35Stop,
32:35buddy.
32:36This is no time
32:37to get around
32:37with fairy tales.
32:38Come on.
32:39It's not a fairy tale.
32:40It's real.
32:41I promised old Jim
32:42never to tell.
32:43That's how secret
32:44it is.
32:45But,
32:46well,
32:46maybe people
32:48are more important
32:49than promises.
32:53We reached
32:54the cave
32:55just as the dam
32:56let go.
32:58The whole
32:59place was flooded.
33:01But it didn't
33:02come up as high
33:03as where we were.
33:04People
33:05couldn't get back
33:06to their houses
33:06for days.
33:08But,
33:09everybody agreed
33:10it might have
33:11been worse.
33:13Anyhow,
33:14just before
33:15we left the cave,
33:17some of the people
33:18came over
33:18to my father.
33:19Yeah.
33:20Um,
33:21uh,
33:21Freddie,
33:22the neighbors,
33:23they're very
33:24grateful to you.
33:26Oh,
33:26that's okay.
33:27They,
33:28um,
33:29they want to,
33:29we'll do something
33:30for you.
33:31Like a reward,
33:32you know?
33:33Oh,
33:34gee,
33:34no.
33:35Son,
33:37people like to do
33:38things for other
33:38people.
33:40Think of something
33:41they can do.
33:42Something neighborly.
33:44Something to keep
33:44all of us together
33:46now.
33:46You understand?
33:48Uh-huh.
33:48I know something.
33:52Good.
33:52Say the word.
33:54All I want
33:54is,
33:55is a promise.
33:57Well,
33:58name it,
33:59Freddie.
33:59What is it?
34:00Mr. Hammond?
34:01Hmm?
34:01I want everybody,
34:03mothers and fathers
34:04and kids,
34:05and you too,
34:06Dad,
34:07hold up your right hand.
34:09Oh,
34:09well.
34:10Oh,
34:10okay.
34:11Now,
34:12promise never to tell
34:13anybody about this cave,
34:15because it's a very
34:16special place.
34:19It's our special place.
34:22Okay?
34:24We promise.
34:25Ready?
34:33That's the story.
34:35Oh,
34:36except for one thing.
34:38When we got back home,
34:40the power was back on,
34:41so we turned on the radio
34:43to see what else happened.
34:44Among those who were
34:45caught in the valley.
34:46Tell me,
34:46Mr. Hammond,
34:47how did you escape the flood,
34:48you and your family?
34:49Oh,
34:50well,
34:50we went straight up the ridge
34:52and sat it out.
34:53You know,
34:53we're kind of new to the area,
34:54but this youngster,
34:55Freddie,
34:55knew every inch of the territory.
34:57He's a bright kid,
34:58and he led us to...
34:59Oh,
35:00don't you dare.
35:00...up the ridge.
35:02You know,
35:02there's been a rumor for years
35:04there's an old Indian cave up there.
35:06Did you by any chance?
35:07Please,
35:07please.
35:08Oh,
35:09no.
35:10That's just an old,
35:11old wife's tale.
35:12No,
35:12we got pretty well soaked,
35:14but we sat it out under the trees.
35:16You can ask any of us.
35:18I see.
35:19Well,
35:19about that boy,
35:21I suppose you could call him a hero.
35:28So,
35:28if you're ever in our valley,
35:31just ask anybody about the Indian cave.
35:35Ask any kid,
35:36and everybody will say,
35:39what Indian cave?
35:41There's no Indian cave around here.
35:43That's just an old,
35:45wives' tale.
35:47Whatever that is.
35:58Well,
35:59not everybody can have a real Indian cave
36:02for a special place.
36:04But everybody ought to have some.
36:06special place.
36:08A rock they can perch on.
36:09A tree to climb in.
36:11A little brook
36:12where they can watch pollywogs and stuff.
36:15And something else.
36:17A very special place in their heart
36:20and their thoughts
36:21for people like Freddy,
36:24who are different.
36:26You think about that special place
36:28until I come back shortly.
36:36So,
36:37once again,
36:38we come to the end
36:39of another radio adventure.
36:41An adventure of your own making.
36:44Happening on the wonderful stage
36:45of your own mind,
36:47your own imagination.
36:49Today,
36:49you've shared for a little while
36:51the joy and sorrows
36:53of a boy who talked to rocks
36:55and frogs
36:57and birds.
36:58But in our radio theater,
37:00you never know who
37:02or where
37:03you may be next time.
37:05Our cast included
37:13Russell Horton,
37:14Court Benson,
37:15Earl Hammond,
37:16and Robert Dryden.
37:18The entire production
37:19was under the direction
37:20of Hyman Brown.
37:21This is Tom Bosley
37:23inviting you to return
37:24to the General Mills
37:25Radio Adventure Theater
37:26for another exciting tale
37:28you can hear
37:29through the magic of radio.
37:31The General Mills
37:33Radio Adventure Theater
37:34is recommended by NEA,
37:37the National Education Association.